January 10, 2012

     Today was the 1st day of classes! My first one was "plenary." This technically isn't a real class, but a lecture that everyone is required to attend. Basically, it's a way for all the professors to take turns teaching, so that all the classes we're all taking have a way to connect. Dave Williams taught this one and it was on how to be a scholar and how to be where you are at: the university. (REMINDER TO POST NOTES LATER!) Then, my next class was Concepts of Human Nature. This is going to be a tough one for sure. There's only like 12 of us in the class & we already have a ton of reading & a paper due by next week! Next...lunch time! I love spending every meal together with my new family! After lunch, I had Leadership class...this is the class that we go on Trek (aka 2 backpacking trips) for. It's going to be challenging...but hopefully life changing for sure! What do we do after classes are done at high sierra? Play of course! My orientation group did 2 activities today. First, we did "The Crossing." There's nothing else like it in the world...and is basically a series of 3 challenges that your team must conquer...one is sliding 5 blocks to get from one platform to the next, one is rope swinging onto a tiny box (yes...the whole team must fit) and third  is figuring out a series of planks that move up and down depending on the weight put on them. OH...did I mention...that you are suspended way high up in the air while doing this?! ps...I am terrified of heights...and this almost threw me over the edge. It was so wobbly...it's hard to explain...but...yet again...pictures soon! However, our team managed to overcome it! We were so proud! Then, we got to take a lovely walk to the lake! I can't wait until it fills up and we get to go boating on it! (yes...our campus has boats that you can just take out....yet another awesome element to this place) It was then time for dinner...every dinner is served family style! So your whole table gets all the different dishes instead of a buffet like set up. We pray right at 6 and then dig in! It makes it feel a lot more homey! After, we had our first girl's hall meeting! Being the community mentor, I lead it, and I can tell they are going to be such a blessing. We talked about our highs & low, some general reminders, talked about the upcoming community charter meeting, & then we made door decorations! I gave them a giant dictionary to rip pages out of (since our theme is redefined), some colorful string, and told them to decorate anyway they wanted as long as all the names were on the door! I ended the night with a mini staff meeting & went to bed! One issue: I sleep on the top bunk & it is SO FLIPPING HOT....we're trying to figure out a new system....trial #1: turn off the dang vent! wish us luck! ps...did I say how much I absolutely ADORE my roomies Taylor & Christy?!? ;)