Austin
Austin: What a week!
During my time here at Linfield I’ve found that there are weekends with light homework loads, filled with lots of social time and relaxation, and then there are weekends with insane amounts of studying and copious amounts of coffee. Last weekend was the latter. This week I had a calculus test, a Biology midterm, and I was supposed to have another test (but it got pushed to next week, thank god). In Principles of Biology (POB) there are three big exams during the semester. Those, combined with your lab report grades, determine your overall grade in the class; thus, the three tests are REALLY important. Needless to say, starting last Friday afternoon, my friends and I started our crunch-time studying. All night Friday, all day Saturday, all day Sunday, and most of Monday and Tuesday during the day we were studying flashcards, phylogenies, drawing structures of plants and diagraming out evolutionary timelines. We did take a break on Saturday afternoon to attend the Multicultural show put on every year by the International students that attend Linfield. From an authentic Japanese drum presentation, a food demonstration from Malaysia, a great Latino dance number, and a great Chinese pop song, the program was filled with amazing parts of different cultures form all around the world. It was a blast to sit and take in a little bit of different cultures, all from students who are studying at Linfield. The show helped me realize how fortunate we are here at Linfield to share our campus with so much diversity.
Later that night we ended up in the game room, playing heated games of authentic pac man and pool. The exams went alright, and all of the studying was worth it. It is Earth week here on campus and there are all sorts of events happening, from a sustainable BBQ later today, a stuff-swap, and many guest lectures. It has been absolutely beautiful the last couple of days; there has been no rain, clear skies, and sunny! Life is stressful, crazy, and hard sometimes, but all the while it is absolutely great.
Until next time,
-Austin
Austin: Registration?!
Wow, I can’t believe it; today I register for first semester of next year. It seems like yesterday was my first day on campus, which was spent aimlessly walking around and trying to find my way around Linfield. It is crazy to think it has been nine months since I came to Linfield, and even crazier to think that finals are only a short six weeks away.
Yes, the time has passed by quickly; however, that is not to say that I haven’t learned anything or enjoyed the journey. Quite the opposite is true, actually. I have learned so many things I had no expectation of learning, and have made some life-long memories. There have been lots of ups, like making the Dean’s list first semester, making incredible friends, and taking some great road trips to explore the surrounding area. There have also been some downs, like experiencing that first real sense of homesickness (including missing the dog), missing home-cooked meals, and struggling for hours upon end with homework. I’m convinced that being here, working towards a degree is worth the entire struggle, because it not only pays off in the end, it also pays off during the process.
I’ve grown so much this year, and I am just getting started. I’m excited to register for next semester because I’m starting to get into more of my major-specific classes like Principles of Ecology and Chemistry. Next year will be busy, but I’m excited to see where life takes me. Here’s to being semi-reflective and nostalgic; it’s good for the soul every now and again. Alright, back to work.
Until next time,
-Austin
Austin: International Debate Tournament
All throughout high school I was involved with the Speech and Debate team- competing locally and regionally, and twice I was fortunate enough to travel to the Midwest for national competitions. I remember how fun it was to meet other people from the East coast and the South, to hear their perspectives and outlook on issues and contrast them with my own. These two national experiences were about the extent of my interactions with debaters from different areas, usually I was seeing the same people almost every tournament from my region.
Debate was something that I knew I wanted to continue with in college and it was part of the reason I ended up selecting Linfield. Our debate team is relatively small, about 8-12 active members, but that doesn’t stop our program from expanding to other regions or attending bigger tournaments. For example, this year alone, most of us have traveled locally (Portland, Salem) and regionally (Nevada) and a few students had the opportunity to travel to Xi’an, China this past week for a tournament. Jackson Miller, the Director of Forensics and Communication Professor here at Linfield, has been working with the Oregon State Penitentiary in developing a communication program within the prison. A few of us students have debated with and against inmates within the prison which has been a really incredible experience.
Yesterday we were invited to an international debate tournament, connected via Skype. Teams from China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the US (Oregon, China, and Louisiana) participated and logged on for competition. Rachel Mills, a former Linfield debater, is in Kabul, Afghanistan working for a schooling system and a program called Afghans for Progressive Thinking- she is the one who organized and directed the tournament. The competition started at 8:30pm PST and went until about 5:00am PST due to the large time difference between the Middle East and the US.
I participated with my partner for the first round against a team from Afghanistan. It was a really interesting experience hearing all of their perspectives and opinions on issues such as Facebook and free communication. I am incredibly grateful to have participated in such a neat intercultural exchange. This experience helped me put into perspective how truly fortunate we are here in the US and helped me appreciate all of the wonderful opportunities Linfield has to offer; I hope to be able to participate in future experiences like this one.
Until next time,
-Austin
Austin: Spring Break!
Spring Break: a much needed breather. Last week was a wonderful break off of classes, work, debate, research, and all the busyness that surrounds every college student. I went home and spent the week catching up on sleep, hiking with the dog, and hanging out with the little brother. Although I still had plenty of homework, it was a nice break. I discovered some new trails in North Idaho and spent a lot of time hanging out around the lake and enjoying the nice sunny weather. My family and I took a day trip to Sandpoint (about 45 min North of Coeur d’Alene) and hung out there which was fun. It’s amazing how caught up in the day-to-day activities you can get when you are crazy busy; break was a nice opportunity to take a breather.
After breaks it is always exciting to get back to campus and see everyone. Even if it was only a week being apart, it feels like a lot longer because you get used to seeing your friends all the time and hanging out with them 24/7, you are basically living together. Calculus at 8:15 came way too early this morning but it feels good to be back in the swing of things. Plus, all of the trees on campus are starting to bloom; it is beautiful! It’s good to be home.
Until next time,
-Austin
Austin: One more week!
My last week was a crazy, filled with a Biology midterm, a Calculus test, and an Intercultural Communication midterm. Needless to say, I was ready for a relaxing weekend where catching up on sleep would be my main focus. On Saturday morning, a few of my friends and I volunteered at a community center in McMinnville that serves free hot breakfast for community members in need. This was a fantastic experience! In addition to my group of friends, a group of international students that live in my building also came with us so it was fun to talk with them about their home culture and how they like Linfield so far. We served several homeless people from the community and I was able to sit down and talk with a few of them which was a great experience. I love that although McMinnville is smaller, there are still opportunities like this for students to get involved and interact with the community.
Only one more week until Spring break! I’m headed home to hang out with my dog and family for the week. Here’s to the homestretch!
Until next time,
-Austin