Involvement...a Big Step, I Know...

You may be thinking..."If he doesn't want to be there, surely he doesn't plan on actually getting involved in the school."

WRONG! Dude, I am actually thinking the opposite on this one...Hypothetically speaking, on the off chance that I transfer at the end of this semester (wink wink), I will want other schools to see how involved I can be, just like back in High School. ow, clearly, this place does not have the number of extra-curriculars to fit how many I was in back at West, but I might as well givie it a go. Oh, and also, I do want to have some fun while I am still here, so why not explore the many outlets that Franklin has to offer.

*Getting Paid to Talk...Sign Me Up...Again!

That's right, the Franklin Phone-A-Thon stikes again! Twice since being back, actually. Staying up into the wee hours of the morning begging people for money...and actually getting results. Oh so much fun. The "not so much fun"/"We will laugh at this in a few years" was my attempt at calling Thailand...I was so confident in this like 28 letter name, but when the person answered, I froze...half way through their name. That was embarrassing. I totally understand why they hung up on me. Oh, and I have learned to beware of calling while people are moving. Seriously, who answers their phone while moving...AND yells at you when you aren't talking fast enough...yikes.

But, nonetheless, it was fun, and I got paid. Win-Win! I wonder if this career will continue at my new venue next year? After all, no one can refrain from donating to a UNICEF kid look-a-like.

*Yea, People My Height Should Probably Refrain From This...eh, too late...

What am I referring to? It may not be exactly what you think...I actually partook (is that a word?!) in a yoga class. **Pause for laughter** And back. Yes, I did, and I must say, it wasn't half bad. First of all, this was the first time I have been in our gymnasium (I really wasn't missing much) and second of all, it was super relaxing...well...kinda. The excrutiating pain that came later kinda (and remained for the next week) took that away, but during it, after the initial embarrassment wore off, I was content. And yes, I am sure many of you would pay to see me doing this, because let's face it, it must look hilarious. But dude, don't knock it till you try it!

*Yes, I Cooked That...Don't Look Surprised!

Since being back this semester, I promised myself that I would cook more, and that I have. And, I have even been given a few chances to share these creationg with others. The first chance was at our residence first event back - a Potluck Dinner! When I heard about it, I was stoked. What could I make that would be a crowd pleaser? Well what do you think of these:

- My (famous) Bruschetta (Tomatoes, pepers and garlic with olive oil, balsamic, and some seasoning
- Crushed pretzels bites with peanuts, melted chocolate and peanut butter and covered in powdered sugar

They all went pretty well (infact, I didn't have anything leftover). And the best part, every dish we made, we were entered into a drawing to win some incredible prizes (this time not from trash night - these had some value!). Up for grabs were things like Books, Chinese coded DVDs (only the best!), and what I ended up winning, American fruit snacks! Score!

The next Potluck is this Saturday - I will let you know how that one turns out, too!

*Man, I Cannot Wait for Tap Night!

There are annual events at colleges that gets the entire student body excited with anticipation. One here is the Jazz Night that takes place sometime early second semester. In the past, this classy event included live music, appetizers, and beverages of choice. So, needless to say, I was very interested and curious. Would this year's live up to the expectations of the past? Well, in laymen's terms...no.

Seriously, I arrived like 5 minutes after it "started"...there was no one there. But, this did give me some opportunity to scour the scene pre-people, and see what was in store for the evening. First thing that I noticed was the snack selection. There were some people walking around with trays of cheese and crackers, and some other little things, but my favorites were on this little table. This actually made me laugh out loud (sorry to the people that decided these). Seriously, the snacks included breadsticks in glasses, taffy, and (my personal favorite) a bowl of oranges. Umm...condusive for a migling, black-tie event? Yea, I don't really think so.

Also, I did notice one thing that sort of surprised me. There was no area designated for the "Live Music" that was promised to us. Was this going to be like one of those strolling mistrel things? Again, Jazz-y? Eh, whatever, that would be cool. However, after further inspection and question, I found out that there was going to be no live music...buzzkill! Instead, however, there were large speakers connected to someone's iPod. But, not to worry, there was a Jazz Night playlist created to fulfill Jazz quota. Unfortunately, this ment a continuous loop of the "Chicago" soundtrack and some Michael Buble.

But, besides all of the set backs, the night did turn out alright. The people, like in any event, are what makes it good. Everyone showed up and had fun, and left with the best gift ever - their recommended daily dose of Vitamin C from the snacks. Score!

The evening was capped off with something that I can finally check off of my "Things to do While Still at Franklin" List: I went to the Pub! Ok...*lift jaws*...let me clarify. I went with the intent of seeing what it was like, and let me tell you...I felt soooo sober. Wow. First off, I was escorted (cough*dragged*cough) by Michael, Petra (who abandoned us) and Fleur. Kristen was also with us but stayed for only a bit.

Now, the Pub itself isn't too big, but it is kinda cool. The uncool, crazy thing, this night anyways, was the amount of people in it. Again...wow. How do you say "Fire Code" in Italian? Anywho...I got my scope of the place, a water, and left content. The best part, though...I could actually remember what happened the next day.

*It is True...I Am in Office...

In high school, as many remember, I was in A LOT of organizations. I was involved in, well, everything. Here, though, I sort of let that go. And, this void was recognized. So, I started attending Student Programming Board (SPB) meetings. This organization on campus is set to allocate funds to student run events and assist in organizing them. This sounded like a great opportunity - not only do I like planning things, but this involvment would look great on any further applications. I attended a 4+ hour workshop one Sunday where events were brainstormed and planned, and procedures and such were explained and ironed out. At this event, I decided to make an actual commitment to the organization - I was going to run for Resident Liason!

First step, collect 10 signatures from other residents. That was an adventure in itself. I started with people in my classes, but I still needed 4 more. So, the night before the paper was due, I decided to go explore and meet some new neighbors. I literally went door-to-door to incoming students to introduce myself and ask them for the signature. And just like that, all done!

In the end, I did become the liason. Was there an exciting election between myself and another student? Did it come down to the hanging chads in the end? (Is that too old of a joke to use? sorry...) Actually, no. It turned out I was the only one from my residence, so I was just given the job. No drama, oh well.

My official duties will be to update the bulletin board in our hall, attend all SPB meetings, and the report back to our fellow residents at our monthly hall meetings. The first one of those is next week, so that should be interesting!

*Like Fred Astaire (but without the whole grace part)

As you know, last semester I started dance lessons here. They started as basic and have ended...well...still basic. Nothing really increased level wise, so going was fairly tedious. The amount inclass dropped from around 8 to 4. But, for some reason, I have stuck with it. I think there is this respect thing amongst the few of us that are left - if just one misses, it gets awkward for the rest of us. Therefore, we all come and endure week after week.

Wherever I am next semester, I think I will try and keep these up. I have actually enjoyed them, and the teacher said that I wasn't half bad (he actually said something like "A natural"...or whatever...). However, apparently, this week will be the last one - with midterms and travel coming up, I think it will be the best - go out on a semi-descent note.