Hey there!

So like I mentioned in my last blog, I went to a journalism conference with my boss and a couple coworkers from November 1st to the 4th ( 8 hour drive from the ‘Burg to Chicago, we got back around 9:30 Sunday). It was a very inspiring experience, it made me really appreciate and love what I’m doing and learning on a deeper level. Hearing from different newspapers all around the country really got us excited about some new changes we’re gonna be making with the next issue. I hope the rest of campus is as excited about it as we are!

Second huge thing I wanted to tell you guys about is I registered my classes for Spring semester last week. I had pretty much mapped out what I wanted already but here’s a tip for you, always talk to an advisor first, friend or faculty doesn’t matter. Course description and titles can be misleading. Remember your courses you take at the same time need to compliment each other nicely, think about it! Don’t bite off more than you can chew! When I was registering as a freshmen I was told 16 hours a semester would be needed to graduate on time. However due to how credit hours work , flexibility is good, don’t freak out over .5 less credit hour like I did. I registered for 15.5 and I was freaking out cause I didn’t want to overdue it with 18.5 nor did I want to mess up and not be able to graduate in four years. But due to how a class is set up your may get an odd number, the most important thing is stick to what courses you are required to take for your major and general education requirements. I should also note that .5 credit hour that I took this semester to make it 16 credit hour was a freshmen required class I had to take , so its not like you’re taking it easy. Also something else I encountered when I was picking classes, if you need to take a course to push you up to a productive amount of hours, and you haven’t already thought about a minor (or possibly double major) now would be the time. I had been thinking about declaring communications as a minor now for a while, and when I wanted a class but it conflicted with a more important course at the time , I looked for a communication requirement class and chose that.

I’m pretty excited about it all , this semester has been a little hectic so I’m really excited about starting over with new classes in the spring. If you’re a freshmen who has decided on Cumberlands as your destiny after high school, you should definitely look into what course requirements you’ll have to take.

Thanks for checking back here, now I must go finish scarfing down this instant ramen! See ya later!

-Tasha

Hello again!

Ever have those days where nothing happens and then those one days when it feels like you’ve done more in one day than you do in one week? Today was one of those days! The second issue of The Patriot came out and was distributed today! Also, it was the last day of classes for me as two of my coworkers and my supervisor and I leave for a journalism conference in Chicago today! Even on four day trips waiting last minute to pack is never a good thing!

Adventure and Productivity are hardly ever a good combination. Earlier me and my roommates drove to Corbin to stop and meet my mother to get a few things from her before leaving for Chicago for four days today. Before leaving campus we got distracted by somebody in a giant banana costume suit and barely avoided an accident! Then when we stopped right off the exit, I get out of the car to meet with my mom and my roommates mom pulled in, she got out and went to lock her car and locked her keys in them. One big mac and frappe later,  we met with her dad and got a spare key and finally headed back to campus. I immediately started doing laundry and packing.

Now forgive me but I must  go and do a few more things before hitting the road at 8 a.m. , promise I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.

-Tasha

The new issue of the Patriot!

Saturday was Campus Discovery Day on campus [ learn more here http://www.ucumberlands.edu/media/release.php?rk=1432 ] and the Bloggers got together to set up a booth and talk with prospective students who attended.

We told them about our blogs , our lives on campus , what we’re involved in and did some chitt-chatting. The next upcoming day is February 20th. We will definitely be there again and (just saying) we brought candy last time so you can expect that .

But anyways , autumn is in full bloom, despite the oddly warm temperatures this week. Everywhere you go the sound of crunching leaves follows under your feet. It looks gorgeous, but I can’t wait for the next week when its suppose to get just a tad bit colder. I love Fall and I was so excited when it first started getting colder! You can imagine my reaction when temperatures shot back up again but hopefully that stage of the season is coming to an end.

Things at work have been very very busy, with the 2nd issue coming out this week (hopefully , next week worst case scenario). The Patriot also has some big changes (that I’m not entirely sure I can blog about just yet) but look forward to that in the future! With Seussical the Musical opening night this week and Halloween next week we’ve had photographers being sent out in every direction. We also had the very popular speaker Tony Nolan on campus Monday night, which was an incredible experience all on its own. I actually had to write a article about it the very next day and have it turned in by 5:00 o’clock, which I did successfully and is now up on our site.

Last week was a pretty chill week homework-wise, but this week it’s all back in full swing! Sleep has been a hard thing to come by and over-thinking has a tendency to get me down a lot. In the next 7 days the pressure is really gonna kick in! I’m going with the newspaper to a journalism conference Nov. 1-4, so I’m gonna rush to get things turned in ahead of time so I don’t fall behind. I will definitely try making a “How to” guide for you all, too!

Now I have a bunch of homework to attend to, so until next time!

XO -Tasha

oh and here’s a punny picture =]

Last Friday Night do it all again……but really this was last Friday , it had been a long week. Roommates <3

Last week was midterm week meaning we only had three days of class before (Monday , Tuesday and Wednesday) school let out for Fall Break (WOOT).

As you can imagine, it was a very stressful time not just this week but last week! A lot of professors gave exams or assigned huge essays that would be a big portion of your midterm grade. It was a stressful time but luckily I was quite relieved when midterm grades were posted Thursday!

However, after my last class Wednesday before heading home, my friends and I decided we needed to do something fun after all our hard work put in that week. So we headed to the movies! Being a Wednesday afternoon it was nice and empty. We hadn’t really gone with a movie in mind to watch. So we narrowed it down to two and then rock-paper-scissored over it. House at the End of the Street won!

After watching it, I kinda wished Pitch Perfect would of won but we didn’t really care too much – we just wanted to think about anything but school for a while. After the movie, we headed towards Barbourville (which is my roommate and I’s hometown but we had a friend who had never been there), where it was the first night of the annual Daniel Boone Festival.

Not all the rides were up and running and they didn’t have any live entertainment like they usually do, but we mostly planned to meet up with some of our best buds from high school. Hanging out with the gang again for the first time since before I moved into the dorms was GREAT! I’ve missed them soo much and it felt like no time had passed. Before departing my friend Sid (who works at Wendy’s) did hook us up with a bunch of coupons for free frostys. So we grabbed some of those before heading home.

It was really exciting getting to talk to my mom about school and showing her my grades. It always feels really rewarding to talk about school whenever I come home. Then the rest of that week was filled with much needed rest and relaxation. Along with a couple nights out with friends at the festival, of course! That’s why its such a big deal in a town where pretty much nothing ever happens. It’s like one giant family reunion, you run into everybody you have ever known. I also got to see one of my former teacher who is expecting her first child in the next couple of weeks!

Overall it was a pretty good Fall Break, but now it’s back to the good ol’ college life filled with homework, instant ramen, lack of sleep and full of memories !

Tasha

Back from Fall Break this week and we are officially half-way through. It was a little hard saying goodbye to all that free time and sleep but I’ve missed campus and it’s always exciting to come back after you’ve been gone awhile. Everybody always has stories to tell.

Though today was Wednesday, it felt impossible to believe we still had two days left of this week. However the show keeps going on, things are busy at work, especially with preparing for the second issue which will be sent to print around the 25th of this month.

Halloween decorations have started going up and campus looks nice and festive , especially in the office!

The Patriot’s Staff

Decorations in the office!

Aside from that, Tuesday night was the second presidential debate , so me and a coworker went out and did a photo survey of students across campus to see if they watched and if so, who they thought won! It was an awkward experience but in the end really funny to laugh at. We got lost in the lower level of the Rollins center when we walked into a janitors closet thinking it was an exit, and then walking into a very quiet library section while talking really loud and not realizing there’s a huge crowd of people before its too late. Yea…. It was an exsperience! If ya want to read those surveys you can find them at http://thepatriot.ucumberlands.edu/?p=1910.

Also, the other bloggers and I got together tonight to work on our poster for Campus Discovery Day. For the first time in a while, the Freshman bloggers will have a booth set up for CDD (which is this Saturday starting at 10 a.m.) and we’re all pretty excited about it! We’ve all grown to love campus soo much and we’re all involved in such different aspects of campus even though it is such a small school. So if you’re reading this and you happen to come by, make sure to stop at our booth! I’ll be bringing some copies of The Patriot’s first issue.

Also, Seussical the Musical tickets are officially on sale, which will be later this month so that’s pretty exciting! One of my neighbors are in it, so I’ve heard all about the rehearsals but I’m not really sure what to expect.

Fun Fun stuff coming up. Until next time….

xoxo-Tasha

This weekend has been very busy for campus. It’s Homecoming Weekend, students and alumni have been all over campus!

We’ve had events going on all weekend , a concert Friday night at 7:30 then the Body Poets performed for us in the chapel. Saturday: a carnival at 10:00, Homecoming game at 1:30, Homecoming dinner at 4:30, Fireworks and a movie at 9:00!

My favorite part was Friday night! The concert consisted of a variety of groups singing – UC Singers, Chorale, Chamber Choir as well as Alumni members. It was really nice! My personal favorite was “Oh Happy Day” by UC Singers, Chorale  and Chamber Choir. It was very good and the energy was contagious!

Then at 9:00 CAB (Campus Activity Board) sponsored The Body Poets to come perform with us. Oh my gosh! I didn’t really know who they were prior – all I knew was that they had been on The Today Show and a few other television shows. But they were possibly by far one of my favorite CAB events I have been to on campus! They’re a dance group but they incorporate a lot of different styles of music in their performances and they interact with the audience. It was really cool – they asked students to come on stage multiple times and dance with them. We were the first audience that got to see them perform unmasked, too. They normally cover their faces and we were also their first college performance as well as in the state of Kentucky. They were really so nice – they talked to students, took pictures, and even chatted with some after the show when they went to Huddle House (which is just down the road from campus). It was so cool seeing them and I hope enjoyed they as much as we did! It would be great to see them in KY again!

Check out this recording from their incredible performance!

The Body Poets come to UC

So Today is September 30 which holds little significant to most other than being the last day of September (Hurray!)  but today happens to make a year since my acceptance letter to UofC was printed!

I’ve known since my Junior year that I was interested in Cumberlands. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study but I knew I was definitely interested – it just stood out to me. It was the first school I applied to and it was my first acceptance letter, too. The feeling was amazing! It’s like learning to drive for the first time – like an introduction of adulthood! Speaking of applying , UofC is now taking applications so if you think you might be interested you should apply. Even if you’re not sure, they’ll still send you information about scholarships and financial aid as well as tour dates and campus activities. I applied online and its a really simple way to do it! You submit your application, then have your counselors send your transcripts and you’ll hear from them soon!

Sometimes I forget to thank God for the guidance he’s given me – to go to a school that I love and to feel as at home as I’m becoming here is truly a blessing! Not to mention being so passionate about what I’m choosing to study and the people I’ve met. I’ve seen a lot of people that have struggled with their first year a lot because of how unhappy they were with where they were going or what they were studying. Looking into your future now can only pay off later and I advise it to anyone no matter what they want to do.

I hope your road will be as rewarding as mine has been thus far!

-Tasha

Campus has been very exciting and busy this past week!

I don’t believe I’ve mentioned this yet but I have a work-study here on campus. I work as an office assistant for The Patriot which is UofC’s campus newspaper. Our first issue got done this week, will be in the office tomorrow and ready for delivery which is extremely exciting! (Everybody should go like us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/patriotnewspaper?ref=ts ….I’m just saying ). I love my job because I am a journalism major! I love being able to be a part of it, and even if you’re not a major, our newspaper lets anybody who wants to volunteer to be a part of it!

Also it is Homecoming week and they’ve had soo many events on campus, not to mention two convocation events on Tuesday that were really cool. One was a seminar on the birth of Christian Rock and it was really good! Then later that night we had Matt Corey –  a very popular saxophone player. It was a really great convo! I mean, how often do you get to see students dougie in a chapel? Monday night, they had a Irish dance and we had a speaker talk to us about an opportunity for students to go to Ireland and do some mission work.

It’s only half way through the week, so there will another blog covering all the other events – especially this weekend! Also, Fall Break is coming up (October 11-14) and with that comes the midterms which we will be taking that Monday-Wednesday. The pressure is starting to set in! I’ve seen various study groups around campus and everybody’s trying to prepare as much as possible. With that being said, there is homework I need to attend to.

Thanks for reading xoxo

-Tasha

So Tuesday was September the 18th, meaning a month has passed since I’ve started the journey known as college! Ironically enough that sentence sounds a lot like my Facebook status after the first week and I quote,  ”First week at UC finished and so far its been pretty great” – and it has only gotten better. Even the tragic news of my aunt’s passing last week, still could not trump how great the past month has been.

I’ve met so many new (and awesome) people and am still meeting new people every day from all different places. It sounds cliche but that really is one of the best parts about going away for college (even if you only went an hour away). I’ve met people from different states and even different countries! It’s been a lot of fun.

Upon coming back to campus this weekend after my aunt’s funeral , everybody was so nice and understanding. The Dean of Student Life contacted my professors and my boss (I do workstudy here on campus) so upon returning to English Class my professor came up to me personally and told me what I needed to do or study and I’ve been given extension on multiple assignments that I didn’t have in on time. I was also told if I had any questions since I had missed the discussion about those assignments that I could email them anytime.

Even people who just had me in class and noticed I was out came up to me and asked if I was alright and gave me their condolences. Being at a smaller school and family orientated environment like UC , they really try to help students in situations like this. I’m sure you hear that all the time but it really is true. The faculty and staff treat you like you’ve become part of the family. You’re not looked at as a number.

In dorm news , room checks have started (actually started last week). The girls RA’s (resident assistants) are pretty strict on the rules but we’ve managed to get zero marks on the past two weeks. One of the rules they have is that all food be in a storage bin. Basically, don’t have anything sitting out that can attract bugs ( Gillespie doesn’t have any and we don’t want any!) Stuff like coffee and creamer that probably won’t attract any bugs still has to be stored anyway, so you have to get creative.

Also, the weather has been transitioning these past two weeks. The beginning of this week was quite rainy but it was a nice break from the heat of August. I’m not sure I’ve ever taken time to say this but UC’s campus is beautiful even with the dark rain clouds.

I almost can’t believe how much I’ve fallen in love with this place.

Until next time xo

-Tasha

This past week I’ve been thrown a pretty major curve ball. This past weekend me and my roommates all decided to go home for the weekend. Sunday when we were headed back I got a phone call from my mom, which I found odd considering I had just left the house an hour ago. All I could comprehend was that she was upset and crying , my sister had to grab the phone and tell me that my aunt had passed away that morning.

To say I was floored would be an understatement. My roommate dropped me off at my aunt’s, which was only 15 minutes away from where we were. She was really supportive about it. I know I must of completely freaked her out, but she tried to keep me calm and understood I needed to be around family as quickly as possible. Fate kinda worked out in our favor, as a few of my cousins (one being the daughter of that said aunt) and two of my other aunts were there and it was nice having them there when the news started to set in.

I was gonna try to come back to school Tuesday and stay till the night of the wake, but after Monday I knew I wasn’t ready. So I ended up staying home for the week. My roommates, teachers, boss, and classmates could not be more supportive. Gillespie announced the date of room checks this week and I got kinda worried since I hadn’t been in my dorm since Friday night. I couldn’t remember how I left it but it definitely wasn’t tip top shape.

But they had my back and made my bed and organized my desk. UC’s faculty have also been very understanding. My mom called the dean of student life to inform her of what happened and she sent out emails to all my teachers and work-study boss. Everybody has been really sweet and understanding and I’ve had classmates reach out to me and offer to help me catch up with some of the things I’ve missed in class when I return next week.

I really really miss her, but deep down past the hurt I know God does everything for a reason and I know I won’t get through this journey without Him. This has also been a lesson of how fragile life is and how big of a blessing a new day with your loved ones is.

“Tomorrow is not a promise, but a chance.”-Rachel Joy Scott