Eureka

With the stress of studying finals, cleaning out our rooms and making travel arrangements for the summer, it’s no wonder this is one of the toughest points in the semester. I’m extremely grateful the college prepares a few programs to help us cope with the stress.

This week, the Portland ASLC student government brought in a therapy llama and alpaca to campus so we could have a breather from studying. The therapy animals were so friendly and soft – a real great way to de-stress. I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to a llama and an alpaca before. The llama had a hard time eating my carrot stick, though. I ended up just pushing it through his lips and onto his black tongue. Nice job, Eureka, nice.

The Student Heath and Wellness Center also sponsored a yoga session for everyone on campus, too. I didn’t end up going, but I did spend that evening in the gym dancing to Korean-pop songs with my friends. I suppose that’s a form of relaxation as well.

So who probably isn’t worried about finals (at least not yet)? That would be Linfield’s men’s baseball team. They’re in Appleton, Wisconsin today playing against Ithaca College in the NCAA Division III Finals. I don’t know much about baseball, but I do know the pitcher, Chris Haddeland, who’s my classmate. Go ‘Cats, we can do it! Watch the live stream right here.

Today was the last day of classes for Spring 2013. A whole wave of relief just came over me as I finished a final project presentation for class an hour ago. Over the past 7 days, I have had to turn in two 10-page papers and present two presentations, so I am actually eager to change gears and do some studying instead!

From completing all these assignments, I can suggest a few writing/researching tips:

1. START EARLY!!

I began working on an 8-page paper that was due on Tuesday at midnight on Monday. Not the best idea. I managed to finish the paper, but with, quite literally, only a minute to spare before the deadline. Additionally, the paper was my worst piece of work – I didn’t manage to proofread it and I am certain I cited sources that I didn’t end up using at all. Staying on track and organized is hard, but it helps to start becoming gradually stricter with yourself and setting up a schedule with designated times for work and for play.

2. Have the right tools/setting

Make sure you have the right tools and are in the right setting for doing work. I’m lucky that my apartment is a relatively quiet and distraction-free zone for me to complete my work, but other people find that quiet cubicles in the library are just as effective studying posts. I also recently discovered the wonders of using a book stand (see above). For just over $10, this book stand saved me a lot of frustration of having to hold books open while I took down notes about their content for my research papers. I love it.

3. Take a break occasionally and stay healthy

Also hard things to implement in real life. By taking a break, I mean walking around the room, stretching, or even going squirrel-watching. It’s also important to at least try to stay healthy by going to sleep at normal times and eating healthy instead of unhealthy snacks when stressed out.

Although this is nowhere near a comprehensive list of tips, these are the main things you should keep in mind when faced with a bunch of college assignments. Finals, here I come!

Wildstock 2013 – featuring the Ready, Set and Outasight

Last weekend was Wildstock weekend. Wildstock is not only an event – it’s one of the highlights of the year at our college.

< Which is why I was excited that I got to design the Wildstock 2013 poster!

Wildstock is organized by the Linfield Activities Board (LAB). This year, LAB invited the Ready, Set and Outasight to perform. The party began at 4:00PM on the IM field outside Pioneer Hall, where giant inflatable obstacle courses and games awaited us. We enjoyed food from a few local vendors, including Thai Country, Ribslayer and El Primo, and the first 200 students were treated to snow cones, too. Other events that were lined up for the weekend included the Battle of the Bands and a comedic performance by Marc Lamotte, a regular on the college comedy circuit.

On Sunday, me and my friends attended the Spring Choir Concert featuring the Women’s Vocal Ensemble and Men’s Glee Club. Over the course of an hour, the groups sang songs related to war – expressing the jubilation that comes with victory, as well as the devastation that comes with defeat. I was impressed by the Men’s Glee Club’s rendition of “Do You Hear the People Sing” from Les Miserables. They started out in the wings of ICE Auditorium, so at first I really had no clue where they were singing from. I think it was a great way to start the event. I had to leave the performance early to work on assignments (they are killing me now…!!), but I was thoroughly entertained with what I had seen.

Linfield’s Men’s Glee Club performing “Do You Hear the People Sing” from Les Miserables

Last weekend was incredible!

On Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, all styles of dances were performed at the annual Spring Dance Showcase. This year’s theme was “Caught Dancing,” because we had a couple of prison-themed dances going on..

We have been working on the showcase for the past three months already. It began with open auditions in February, after which student choreographers chose who they wanted in their group performances.

I really wanted to learn how to swing dance, so I opted to take part in that performance this year. Also, I anticipated that we were going to be wearing pretty dresses (and we did!).

Here we are as a group, with Kira, our choreographer, in blue. On the bottom left is our ending pose, and in the top left are our male dancers ready to swoon us with their slick finger snapping.

Besides our performance, there were several burlesque/jazz numbers, contemporary solos and trios, and hip hop performances. We ended with an African dance-inspired piece choreographed by our director, Ms. Emily. The piece highlighted the struggles that modern women face, and how there is hope for those women who are abused or otherwise disrespected if we only care to listen.

After our performances were over, it was time to shift gears and attend the Linfield Hawaiian Club’s 41st Annual Hawaiian Luau: Hot Hawaiian Nights. And it was indeed a hot Hawaiian night – physically and metaphorically..

Luau is a big deal at our college. Every year, students and members of the community alike pay to watch performances and have a buffet-style dinner. The Hawaiian Club also brings in products from Hawaii for sale, such as Kona coffee and special biscuits from the islands.

I was really surprised at how many different styles of Hawaiian dance there are. It wasn’t just about the hula; we were treated to Tahitian-style dances and even the Haka dance from New Zealand. It was also interesting to understand the meaning behind some of these dances. I particularly enjoyed the men dancing as Hawaiian cowboys. A feast for the eyes *wink wink*…

I also have to applaud the emcees and the organizers. The hosts managed to mix modern and traditional elements together throughout the show by dancing to pop songs in between the traditional pieces.

Even though I was left scrambling to finish my 98-page paper the rest of that weekend, I don’t regret it. Rehearsing  for performances is a lot of hard work, but it leaves you – and the audience – with a great feeling of satisfaction.

Every once in awhile, the International Programs Office at Linfield gives us international students a chance to go sightseeing around Oregon. These day excursions are free and include transport to and from the destination, but spots are limited to about 24 people.

Last Saturday, me and my friends had a blast visiting the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, which is an hour or so away from campus. It was a bright and beautiful day. The fields were just filled with multicolored tulips; some came in solid colors, others had a “striped” or “splattered” look to them. Interestingly enough, some tulips had frayed edges. Now there’s an edgy flower..

We also found a cool pink tractor to climb on top of! All aboard..

After a series of endless photos and poses with the flowers, we explored other areas of the farm, including a quaint little garden where we napped for a few minutes, a mini carnival offering kids rides, a gift shop and several food and beverage stalls. Unfortunately, food was not the highlight of the day, but it wasn’t terrible either. I tried agua de orchata, which from what I understand is a variant of rice water (just try it – it’s good!).

All in all, the trip was a welcome break from assignments and studying. Of course, that means it’s back to work again for now. At least we have these beautiful photos to remind us of more carefree times..