Posted by Braden
Wednesday I went shopping for all of my missionary gear! Here's what I got:
1 suit
12 white shirts
2 ties (these were free with other purchases)
4 pairs of slacks
1 belt
12 sets of garments
2 sets of thermal wear
2 pairs of sturdy, waterproof shoes
12 pairs of black socks
2 pairs of wool socks
1 sweater
1 set of baptismal clothing (white pants, white socks, white tie)
1 missionary bag
It all cost a grand total of $1,142.19
But it was totally worth it! I have to have all those things, and I've been saving up all my life for mission expenses. And today, I got to wear my new suit to church with my new white shirt, a new tie, new socks, and new shoes, plus a new "Russia Samara" pin on my lapel (that one wasn't required, but I like having it). I love new clothes! It hurts a little bit knowing that they'll all be fairly worn to shreds by the time I get home, but such is life. We (my dad and I) were able to get all of the required articles from three stores: Missionary Mall, Mr. Mac's, and Sports Unlimited (for the thermal wear). Now the tricky part is getting all of it home, along with all of the stuff that I already have with me here at college, and then getting all of it back in the limited amount of suitcase space that I'm allowed to have at the MTC and in the mission field!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Devotionals, Forums, and CES Firesides
Posted by Laura
Something that I have really grown to love while attending BYU is the opportunity I have to attend devotionals, forums, and CES firesides. I really enjoy Tuesdays; I look forward to a break from my studies to be motivated by the speaker. It's an hour in the week when you can sit back and ponder how you can do better—the changes that you need to make. Today I was able to attend Elder Robert D. Hale's CES fireside in the Marriott Center. I always feel so blessed to be in the presence of General Authorities and Church leaders, to see their passion for the gospel and feel of their spirit. I absolutely love being a student at BYU and participating in the great traditions of this school. There are opportunities that are available here that you cannot experience anywhere else, and I am so grateful to be a part of that.
Something that I have really grown to love while attending BYU is the opportunity I have to attend devotionals, forums, and CES firesides. I really enjoy Tuesdays; I look forward to a break from my studies to be motivated by the speaker. It's an hour in the week when you can sit back and ponder how you can do better—the changes that you need to make. Today I was able to attend Elder Robert D. Hale's CES fireside in the Marriott Center. I always feel so blessed to be in the presence of General Authorities and Church leaders, to see their passion for the gospel and feel of their spirit. I absolutely love being a student at BYU and participating in the great traditions of this school. There are opportunities that are available here that you cannot experience anywhere else, and I am so grateful to be a part of that.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Braden's Brilliant Burritos
Posted by Braden
I made another wonderful batch of burritos today. Here's the recipe I used:
Pour 6 cups of water into a large pot on the stove with 3 cups of rice. Let it simmer until all of the water has boiled out. In the meantime, pour the following ingredients into a very large bowl (not a huge bowl, just a bowl that's a little bit bigger than what you're thinking of right now):
Stir the concoction a bit, then heat it in the microwave until the consistency is that of a rather thick, odd-colored, chunky soup. Then stir some more. Add the rice at this point in time, as well as cut-up little pieces of meat, if you so desire. Stir some more. Heat the tortillas (about 30 tortillas are required for this amount of filling). Then start packing the burritos.
Put a large spoonful of the mixture in the center of a tortilla and wrap it up. Stick the wrapped burrito in a sandwich bag, and don't worry if burrito guts begin to ooze out of the tortilla edges—it'll all freeze, and the frozen filling has no problem sticking with the burrito when you remove the burrito from the bag.
When you feel like eating one of the burritos, pull it out, microwave it for two and a half minutes, and voilà! Deliciousness will come to you.
I made another wonderful batch of burritos today. Here's the recipe I used:
Pour 6 cups of water into a large pot on the stove with 3 cups of rice. Let it simmer until all of the water has boiled out. In the meantime, pour the following ingredients into a very large bowl (not a huge bowl, just a bowl that's a little bit bigger than what you're thinking of right now):
- 1 can chili
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1/2 bag of grated cheese
1/2 lb sour cream
1 jar cheese sauce (or "salsa con queso")
1 jar of salsa
Stir the concoction a bit, then heat it in the microwave until the consistency is that of a rather thick, odd-colored, chunky soup. Then stir some more. Add the rice at this point in time, as well as cut-up little pieces of meat, if you so desire. Stir some more. Heat the tortillas (about 30 tortillas are required for this amount of filling). Then start packing the burritos.
Put a large spoonful of the mixture in the center of a tortilla and wrap it up. Stick the wrapped burrito in a sandwich bag, and don't worry if burrito guts begin to ooze out of the tortilla edges—it'll all freeze, and the frozen filling has no problem sticking with the burrito when you remove the burrito from the bag.
When you feel like eating one of the burritos, pull it out, microwave it for two and a half minutes, and voilà! Deliciousness will come to you.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Lovely Dependency
Posted by Braden
My dad was in town the past few days, and he gave me cause to remember just how lovely being a dependent really is! We went shopping for mission stuff, and I didn't have to double-check the receipt after paying, because I neither paid with my card nor kept the receipt! We went out to lunch and dinner a few times . . . and I got free food! Normally, when making returns to stores, I have to head up the transaction. But not so—when we had to return a pair of shoes to the store, Dad took care of it! In everything we did, it was understood that Dad was kind of in charge of the situation, so I was able to just enjoy doing whatever we were doing! Being "independent" and "in control of my own life" is fun and all that, but it's really nice not having to be in charge every once in a while—or at least not having to be 100 percent responsible for my well-being. Pity that this feeling is going to be so rare in the rest of my life. . . .
My dad was in town the past few days, and he gave me cause to remember just how lovely being a dependent really is! We went shopping for mission stuff, and I didn't have to double-check the receipt after paying, because I neither paid with my card nor kept the receipt! We went out to lunch and dinner a few times . . . and I got free food! Normally, when making returns to stores, I have to head up the transaction. But not so—when we had to return a pair of shoes to the store, Dad took care of it! In everything we did, it was understood that Dad was kind of in charge of the situation, so I was able to just enjoy doing whatever we were doing! Being "independent" and "in control of my own life" is fun and all that, but it's really nice not having to be in charge every once in a while—or at least not having to be 100 percent responsible for my well-being. Pity that this feeling is going to be so rare in the rest of my life. . . .
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Freak Out!
Posted by Laura
I loved social dance so much last semester that I decided to take the next level this semester. It is sooo much fun and is, no doubt, one of my favorite classes. Every semester, all of the social-dance classes have two huge labs in the Wilkinson Center Ballroom. All of the social-dance students come to practice and to get to know new people. At the lab there is food, dancing, and music, and a couple class sections perform.
At this particular lab, my class (section 280) was assigned to perform the cha-cha to "Le Freak." Everyone was decked out in '70s-era D.I. goods when it came time to perform. The crowd went crazy, which made it easy to feed off of their energy. It was a blast! My sister recorded about half of it and I attached the video here:
I loved social dance so much last semester that I decided to take the next level this semester. It is sooo much fun and is, no doubt, one of my favorite classes. Every semester, all of the social-dance classes have two huge labs in the Wilkinson Center Ballroom. All of the social-dance students come to practice and to get to know new people. At the lab there is food, dancing, and music, and a couple class sections perform.At this particular lab, my class (section 280) was assigned to perform the cha-cha to "Le Freak." Everyone was decked out in '70s-era D.I. goods when it came time to perform. The crowd went crazy, which made it easy to feed off of their energy. It was a blast! My sister recorded about half of it and I attached the video here:
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Supplemental Income
Posted by Trevor
Extra money can be a little hard to come by when you're in school. Somehow, we need to be able to afford rent, groceries, textbooks, etc. This past week, in order to mitigate some financial troubles, I became one of the many BYU students who earn a little extra money by donating plasma.
At first I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. I've rarely been to a doctor, and I must admit, this was my first real experience with needles since my required kindergarten shots. But, as it turns out, I can keep my composure even when being poked by thick needles. After an hour or so of sitting in a chair with a needle in my arm, I got to go to the magical machine that spits out money to compensate for the pain and suffering endured. With a little extra income, I may be able to afford more schooling after this year's money runs out.
Extra money can be a little hard to come by when you're in school. Somehow, we need to be able to afford rent, groceries, textbooks, etc. This past week, in order to mitigate some financial troubles, I became one of the many BYU students who earn a little extra money by donating plasma.
At first I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. I've rarely been to a doctor, and I must admit, this was my first real experience with needles since my required kindergarten shots. But, as it turns out, I can keep my composure even when being poked by thick needles. After an hour or so of sitting in a chair with a needle in my arm, I got to go to the magical machine that spits out money to compensate for the pain and suffering endured. With a little extra income, I may be able to afford more schooling after this year's money runs out.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Missionary Fever
Posted by Braden
Here they come! The white envelopes that boys have been waiting all their lives to receive are streaming into dorm mailboxes.
We had three arrive this week and two the week before that. Three more are expected to come this week, based on our projections!
When they do come, word is passed that "__(fill in name here)__ got his letter today!" Some open their envelopes in private, but most do it in the lobby, surrounded by the whole ward with family members on the phone. When they open their letters, they read the call aloud, and a lot of girls scream. The mission-call recipients can't stop smiling. They write their names and missions on the list we have going on our bulletin board, then I write those names on sticky-note arrows and put them up on the map over our hall fireplace. They announce where they're going and their report dates in elders quorum, then again at ward prayer. Romania, Iowa, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Colorado, Taiwan, Guatemala . . . the calls keep on coming, and everybody loves the atmosphere!
Well, almost. A few girls have been feeling weepy lately, now that their boys are going to be leaving so soon. And a few others are afraid that the boys who have their calls will become so focused on their missions that they aren't going to want to hang out with girls any more. I highly doubt that will be the case, though. They're still boys, and they still have at least three months before they report.
In any case, it's fun to see all this happening! Now the whole ward will wait with bated breath for Wednesdays and Thursdays to see what calls will come in the next batch of big white envelopes!
Here they come! The white envelopes that boys have been waiting all their lives to receive are streaming into dorm mailboxes.
We had three arrive this week and two the week before that. Three more are expected to come this week, based on our projections!
When they do come, word is passed that "__(fill in name here)__ got his letter today!" Some open their envelopes in private, but most do it in the lobby, surrounded by the whole ward with family members on the phone. When they open their letters, they read the call aloud, and a lot of girls scream. The mission-call recipients can't stop smiling. They write their names and missions on the list we have going on our bulletin board, then I write those names on sticky-note arrows and put them up on the map over our hall fireplace. They announce where they're going and their report dates in elders quorum, then again at ward prayer. Romania, Iowa, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Colorado, Taiwan, Guatemala . . . the calls keep on coming, and everybody loves the atmosphere!
Well, almost. A few girls have been feeling weepy lately, now that their boys are going to be leaving so soon. And a few others are afraid that the boys who have their calls will become so focused on their missions that they aren't going to want to hang out with girls any more. I highly doubt that will be the case, though. They're still boys, and they still have at least three months before they report.
In any case, it's fun to see all this happening! Now the whole ward will wait with bated breath for Wednesdays and Thursdays to see what calls will come in the next batch of big white envelopes!
Sacrament-Meeting Talent
Posted by Brittany Karford Rogers (BA ’07), Associate Editor
Sure, members with musical inclinations are found in every ward. But Sini’s freshman ward was a rare exception.
First-year students who join Freshman Academy can elect to live in dorms with students who have similar interests; the Freshman Academy music community, of which Sini was a part, was concentrated between a couple Heritage Halls buildings—and in one ward. That meant sacrament strains from 25 music majors, some of whom had declined offers from Julliard.
“I’ve performed maybe 15 times in sacrament meeting so far,” Sini says. Her ward orchestra, which included the violin, viola, cello, bassoon, oboe, piano, trombone, and trumpet, joined the stake choir for conferences and firesides.
Sure, members with musical inclinations are found in every ward. But Sini’s freshman ward was a rare exception.
First-year students who join Freshman Academy can elect to live in dorms with students who have similar interests; the Freshman Academy music community, of which Sini was a part, was concentrated between a couple Heritage Halls buildings—and in one ward. That meant sacrament strains from 25 music majors, some of whom had declined offers from Julliard.
“I’ve performed maybe 15 times in sacrament meeting so far,” Sini says. Her ward orchestra, which included the violin, viola, cello, bassoon, oboe, piano, trombone, and trumpet, joined the stake choir for conferences and firesides.
Monday, February 22, 2010
One Day at a Time
Posted by Laura
School can be crazy! Thinking about all of the the assignments, quizzes, tests, and finals that happen in a semester can be overwhelming. Just thinking about it makes my palms a bit sweaty.
This week I have four tests, one of which is a final for my computer-block class. How can I manage my time to make sure I prepare myself for each of them? You know that you have spent too much time studying diseases when you sign "Laura Bacteria" as your name on top of your assignments, or when you talk in your sleep about diagnosing diseases. It's hard to figure out how much time you need to put in for each class to make sure that you stay caught up.
I have found that the best way to do it is to focus on one day at a time. Focusing on how you are going to spend the next 24 hours is a lot easier than focusing on everything you have do to before the end of the week.
School can be crazy! Thinking about all of the the assignments, quizzes, tests, and finals that happen in a semester can be overwhelming. Just thinking about it makes my palms a bit sweaty.
This week I have four tests, one of which is a final for my computer-block class. How can I manage my time to make sure I prepare myself for each of them? You know that you have spent too much time studying diseases when you sign "Laura Bacteria" as your name on top of your assignments, or when you talk in your sleep about diagnosing diseases. It's hard to figure out how much time you need to put in for each class to make sure that you stay caught up.
I have found that the best way to do it is to focus on one day at a time. Focusing on how you are going to spend the next 24 hours is a lot easier than focusing on everything you have do to before the end of the week.
Friday, February 19, 2010
RA Oddities
Posted by Braden
I've had a few more weeks on the job, and now I have a few more fun stories to tell!
1) A grandmother called and told me that her grandson (who lives in my hall) was having a hard time in school, and she asked if there was anything that I could do to help him. I talked with her for a while and assured her that I would indeed go talk to her grandson. After hanging up, I went on up to his room, knocked, made some small talk, brought up school, heard where the problem areas were, made suggestions, helped him make a plan, and went back down to my room. Then I sat for a while and wondered, "When did I become a 'responsible adult' who grandparents call about their grandchildren?! I'm only 19!" I certainly didn't mind helping, but it was still a new experience.
2) We had a fire drill the other day in our hall. My favorite part? Being told to pull the fire alarm! It was another odd am-I-really-actually-in-charge-here? moment as I went to all of the rooms and knocked to make sure that everybody was out of the building. This is most definitely the first time in my life that my instructions during a fire drill weren't "Get out of the building as quickly as you can."
3) As an RA, I turn weekly reports in to my hall advisor. Part of those reports is telling her something new that I learned about a resident from each apartment. The first few weeks were easy. However, as people have gotten busier, and as I come to know more about the residents, it becomes harder and harder for me to come up with interesting new information about 13 different apartments! Last week's report included things like "Eddie recently made a pastel drawing of a Hostess cupcake for his beginning art class" and "On Wednesday Josh was running in the morning and puked about 10 minutes into the run for apparently no reason."
4) A girl was "held hostage" the other day outside one of my boys' apartments. No, really. She was tied to a chair when a roving RA found her. The culprits claimed that the hostage's apartment had kept sending girls over to bug them about something, so they decided to take drastic action. I was rather amused. And rather sad that the incident reports that I write up never have stories quite as interesting as that one!
I've had a few more weeks on the job, and now I have a few more fun stories to tell!
1) A grandmother called and told me that her grandson (who lives in my hall) was having a hard time in school, and she asked if there was anything that I could do to help him. I talked with her for a while and assured her that I would indeed go talk to her grandson. After hanging up, I went on up to his room, knocked, made some small talk, brought up school, heard where the problem areas were, made suggestions, helped him make a plan, and went back down to my room. Then I sat for a while and wondered, "When did I become a 'responsible adult' who grandparents call about their grandchildren?! I'm only 19!" I certainly didn't mind helping, but it was still a new experience.
2) We had a fire drill the other day in our hall. My favorite part? Being told to pull the fire alarm! It was another odd am-I-really-actually-in-charge-here? moment as I went to all of the rooms and knocked to make sure that everybody was out of the building. This is most definitely the first time in my life that my instructions during a fire drill weren't "Get out of the building as quickly as you can."
3) As an RA, I turn weekly reports in to my hall advisor. Part of those reports is telling her something new that I learned about a resident from each apartment. The first few weeks were easy. However, as people have gotten busier, and as I come to know more about the residents, it becomes harder and harder for me to come up with interesting new information about 13 different apartments! Last week's report included things like "Eddie recently made a pastel drawing of a Hostess cupcake for his beginning art class" and "On Wednesday Josh was running in the morning and puked about 10 minutes into the run for apparently no reason."
4) A girl was "held hostage" the other day outside one of my boys' apartments. No, really. She was tied to a chair when a roving RA found her. The culprits claimed that the hostage's apartment had kept sending girls over to bug them about something, so they decided to take drastic action. I was rather amused. And rather sad that the incident reports that I write up never have stories quite as interesting as that one!
Sound Investment
Posted by Brittany Karford Rogers (BA ’07), Associate Editor
When it comes to violins, never buy new, Sini advises. “The wood changes in the first two years.” Hers, made by Eero Haahiti, a Fin, was made in 1995. “It’s a young violin. My last one was made in 1845,” she says. “Some people say older violins have a softer sound, and it’s true, but this one is a lot better than my old one.” It was made for her violin teacher back in Finland, who sold it to her for roughly $18,000, which she paid entirely in scholarship money. Insurance on the instrument is about $150 a year, which also covers the bow—a good thing, because rehairing the bow costs $60. “I’ll have this one maybe forever, unless I get rich,” Sini says. If money weren’t a problem, she could spend $100,000. “Violins are an investment,” Sini says. “I could sell mine in 20 years and make money.”
When it comes to violins, never buy new, Sini advises. “The wood changes in the first two years.” Hers, made by Eero Haahiti, a Fin, was made in 1995. “It’s a young violin. My last one was made in 1845,” she says. “Some people say older violins have a softer sound, and it’s true, but this one is a lot better than my old one.” It was made for her violin teacher back in Finland, who sold it to her for roughly $18,000, which she paid entirely in scholarship money. Insurance on the instrument is about $150 a year, which also covers the bow—a good thing, because rehairing the bow costs $60. “I’ll have this one maybe forever, unless I get rich,” Sini says. If money weren’t a problem, she could spend $100,000. “Violins are an investment,” Sini says. “I could sell mine in 20 years and make money.”
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sixth-Week Slump
Posted by Braden
The sixth-week slump is finally here. It happened last semester, and it's happening again this semester: EVERYBODY is tired.
Perhaps it happens because we've all gotten comfortable in our schedules, so we start pushing the envelope on how late we can stay up. Perhaps it happens because people are starting to get to know each other better, so they start spending more time together, and that results in later nights. Perhaps enough weeks have passed since all those New Year's resolutions, and the vast majority of students are now giving up on getting to bed earlier this year.
Whatever the cause, it's definitely true wherever you look—there are fewer kids in class, and of those who are in class, more are asleep. The moans and groans of "I'm SO tired!" are becoming more audible and prevalent, because EVERYBODY is tired.
The sixth-week slump is finally here. It happened last semester, and it's happening again this semester: EVERYBODY is tired.
Perhaps it happens because we've all gotten comfortable in our schedules, so we start pushing the envelope on how late we can stay up. Perhaps it happens because people are starting to get to know each other better, so they start spending more time together, and that results in later nights. Perhaps enough weeks have passed since all those New Year's resolutions, and the vast majority of students are now giving up on getting to bed earlier this year.
Whatever the cause, it's definitely true wherever you look—there are fewer kids in class, and of those who are in class, more are asleep. The moans and groans of "I'm SO tired!" are becoming more audible and prevalent, because EVERYBODY is tired.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Next Young Ambassador
Posted by Elise
Some people just can’t let go of childish dreams. I’m one of them. I’ve always loved singing and dancing. Always. And growing up, I’ve always admired Young Ambassadors and wanted to be one someday. It was just one of those dreams you have.
Last week I saw the Young Ambassadors show, and I renewed my resolve: I am going to work hard and take dance classes and become a better dancer and singer. And then in a year or two I’m going to try out. I’m really gonna do it! I’m so excited! If I don’t get in, that’s fine, because prepping for the audition will be fun regardless of the outcome. It’s a win-win-win situation.
Some people just can’t let go of childish dreams. I’m one of them. I’ve always loved singing and dancing. Always. And growing up, I’ve always admired Young Ambassadors and wanted to be one someday. It was just one of those dreams you have.
Last week I saw the Young Ambassadors show, and I renewed my resolve: I am going to work hard and take dance classes and become a better dancer and singer. And then in a year or two I’m going to try out. I’m really gonna do it! I’m so excited! If I don’t get in, that’s fine, because prepping for the audition will be fun regardless of the outcome. It’s a win-win-win situation.
Unforgettable Devotional
Posted by Brittany Karford Rogers (BA ’07), Associate Editor
In the second devotional of the semester, Sini’s favorite of her freshmen year, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (BS ’65) spoke about Lot’s wife, who looked back. “He talked about how we need to move on in life and not look back in time,” Sini recalls. “Christ died for us, and we have a responsibility to use that gift and let the Atonement work in our lives and in other people’s lives.”
Read or listen to this devotional on the BYU Speeches Web site.
In the second devotional of the semester, Sini’s favorite of her freshmen year, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (BS ’65) spoke about Lot’s wife, who looked back. “He talked about how we need to move on in life and not look back in time,” Sini recalls. “Christ died for us, and we have a responsibility to use that gift and let the Atonement work in our lives and in other people’s lives.”
Read or listen to this devotional on the BYU Speeches Web site.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Kimball Hall Winter Olympics
Posted by Braden
We had another hall activity this past week: the first-ever Kimball Hall Winter Olympics Classic!
Why did we do it? Well, first of all, it satisfied the requirements of a "cultural" activity: the boys were assigned to teams from different countries, which we provided trivia facts about. We also played the national anthem of the winning team at the closing ceremonies. On the program proposal, I stressed that the boys felt cooped up in the cold weather and desperately needed outdoor physical play. Also, since a lot of the boys will be leaving on foreign missions this summer, it was an opportunity to get them excited for experiences that involve other countries. That's what I wrote down, anyway. For the most part, these boys just wanted to have a ball playing outside in the snow.
Then it didn't snow for two weeks. And all the snow that we did have melted. So we adjusted. The event began with the opening ceremonies. We split the boys into countries (we decided to just go with two, Ireland and Spain). We then passed a torch through the building (using a big flashlight since open flames aren't allowed in the buildings, particularly not when they're being carried through multiple flights of stairs by running boys). We blasted the Olympic theme song and officially let the games begin!
The first event was icicle archery! With no icicles, however, we used dough balls! The boys threw the balls from the third-floor balcony down to a target that we had on the ground. The second event was snowball shotput! With no snowballs, however, we used a volleyball! The third event was a sled race! With no snow, well, the boys didn't have a hard time making those sleds fly through the grass and dirt. The last event was going to be beach volleyball in the snow, but due to melted snow, the courts were sandy swamps. Instead, we had a Popsicle relay throughout our hall: run up three flights of stairs, down three flights, pass off the Popsicle, repeat. The last guys to get the Popsicles had to eat them to finish the race.
At the closing ceremonies we had doughnuts and apple juice for all, and pounds (literally, I bought three pounds) of candy to be divided between the two winning teams—the winning team got two pounds. Much fun was had by all, even without the snow!
We had another hall activity this past week: the first-ever Kimball Hall Winter Olympics Classic!
Why did we do it? Well, first of all, it satisfied the requirements of a "cultural" activity: the boys were assigned to teams from different countries, which we provided trivia facts about. We also played the national anthem of the winning team at the closing ceremonies. On the program proposal, I stressed that the boys felt cooped up in the cold weather and desperately needed outdoor physical play. Also, since a lot of the boys will be leaving on foreign missions this summer, it was an opportunity to get them excited for experiences that involve other countries. That's what I wrote down, anyway. For the most part, these boys just wanted to have a ball playing outside in the snow.
Then it didn't snow for two weeks. And all the snow that we did have melted. So we adjusted. The event began with the opening ceremonies. We split the boys into countries (we decided to just go with two, Ireland and Spain). We then passed a torch through the building (using a big flashlight since open flames aren't allowed in the buildings, particularly not when they're being carried through multiple flights of stairs by running boys). We blasted the Olympic theme song and officially let the games begin!
The first event was icicle archery! With no icicles, however, we used dough balls! The boys threw the balls from the third-floor balcony down to a target that we had on the ground. The second event was snowball shotput! With no snowballs, however, we used a volleyball! The third event was a sled race! With no snow, well, the boys didn't have a hard time making those sleds fly through the grass and dirt. The last event was going to be beach volleyball in the snow, but due to melted snow, the courts were sandy swamps. Instead, we had a Popsicle relay throughout our hall: run up three flights of stairs, down three flights, pass off the Popsicle, repeat. The last guys to get the Popsicles had to eat them to finish the race.
At the closing ceremonies we had doughnuts and apple juice for all, and pounds (literally, I bought three pounds) of candy to be divided between the two winning teams—the winning team got two pounds. Much fun was had by all, even without the snow!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Love Is in the Air
Posted by Braden
It's February, and love is in the air!
The number of couples in my ward has easily doubled since first semester.
There's talk of engagements among the freshmen girls.
I've heard a lot of plans for Valentine's Day this weekend, from both official couples and non-official couples!
The other night, one boy in the apartment that shares a corner with mine was giving his roommate kissing lessons:
"Now, when she starts fiddling with her keys, that's a good thing. She won't stick them in the lock yet; she's hinting that she wants you to make a move. Take a half-step forward so that she gets the idea that you catch her hint. Then you go in 90 percent and wait for her to come in the last 10 percent. However, you'll want to save the first kiss for your date next weekend on Valentine's Day. I know it's painful to wait, but it'll be worth it, trust me. So on your date this weekend, you should just give her a hug."
"Can't I at least give her a kiss on the cheek?"
"No, that'll confuse her. If you start moving in and she doesn't know whether you're aiming for the lips or the cheek, she won't know what to do, and a very awkward collision of faces could occur. Go for a hug."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
etc.
It's February, and love is in the air!
The number of couples in my ward has easily doubled since first semester.
There's talk of engagements among the freshmen girls.
I've heard a lot of plans for Valentine's Day this weekend, from both official couples and non-official couples!
The other night, one boy in the apartment that shares a corner with mine was giving his roommate kissing lessons:
"Now, when she starts fiddling with her keys, that's a good thing. She won't stick them in the lock yet; she's hinting that she wants you to make a move. Take a half-step forward so that she gets the idea that you catch her hint. Then you go in 90 percent and wait for her to come in the last 10 percent. However, you'll want to save the first kiss for your date next weekend on Valentine's Day. I know it's painful to wait, but it'll be worth it, trust me. So on your date this weekend, you should just give her a hug."
"Can't I at least give her a kiss on the cheek?"
"No, that'll confuse her. If you start moving in and she doesn't know whether you're aiming for the lips or the cheek, she won't know what to do, and a very awkward collision of faces could occur. Go for a hug."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
etc.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Two Little Words
Posted by Braden
Two little words—two very painful little words—ruined my day today: "RAM deleted."
Before you feel too bad for me, it wasn't my computer. It was just my calculator. It still hurts, however; especially when you consider how many hours I've spent building myself the most beautiful assortment of homemade programs any student could want! I spent my first two classes this morning adding to my glorious collection, this time with programs for calculating dot products, cross products, and orthogonal projections for linear algebra. I tested each program, and they all worked!
I then decided to clean up the code a little bit, for the sake of having pride in my work, so I started to combine two of my programs. Then something went terribly wrong. The screen of my poor TI-83 Plus made a picture that looked like each pixel had been randomly selected as "on" or "off." I pushed 2nd, then Quit. Nothing happened. I tried "Clear." Nothing happened. I turned off the calculator. I turned it back on, and something happened: the screen went black, then white, then up popped those two terrible little words—RAM Deleted—and all my pretty little programs disappeared. I imagine that's what it would be like to watch your dog being put to sleep right before your eyes. *Sigh.*
Tomorrow I'll start rebuilding.
Two little words—two very painful little words—ruined my day today: "RAM deleted."
Before you feel too bad for me, it wasn't my computer. It was just my calculator. It still hurts, however; especially when you consider how many hours I've spent building myself the most beautiful assortment of homemade programs any student could want! I spent my first two classes this morning adding to my glorious collection, this time with programs for calculating dot products, cross products, and orthogonal projections for linear algebra. I tested each program, and they all worked!
I then decided to clean up the code a little bit, for the sake of having pride in my work, so I started to combine two of my programs. Then something went terribly wrong. The screen of my poor TI-83 Plus made a picture that looked like each pixel had been randomly selected as "on" or "off." I pushed 2nd, then Quit. Nothing happened. I tried "Clear." Nothing happened. I turned off the calculator. I turned it back on, and something happened: the screen went black, then white, then up popped those two terrible little words—RAM Deleted—and all my pretty little programs disappeared. I imagine that's what it would be like to watch your dog being put to sleep right before your eyes. *Sigh.*
Tomorrow I'll start rebuilding.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Writer's Cramp
Posted by Trevor
One big contrast between college life and life in high school has been the absence of writing papers. I have never been inclined to pursue the field of English in any form. Attending college was a dream come true when I found out that I didn't have to take an English course every semester. I've found that I'm perfectly content to fill my schedule with math and science courses, where there is no writing of any kind required.
However, this lack of paper-writing also has its drawbacks. Because I'm not required to write papers on a regular basis, the task of writing anything has become much harder to complete. On the rare occasion that I am required to write, I can literally spend an hour or so trying to find a way to phrase a certain idea to my liking. Hopefully I can get myself back into the habit of efficient writing, but in the meantime, I'm content with the lack of writing in my schedule.
One big contrast between college life and life in high school has been the absence of writing papers. I have never been inclined to pursue the field of English in any form. Attending college was a dream come true when I found out that I didn't have to take an English course every semester. I've found that I'm perfectly content to fill my schedule with math and science courses, where there is no writing of any kind required.
However, this lack of paper-writing also has its drawbacks. Because I'm not required to write papers on a regular basis, the task of writing anything has become much harder to complete. On the rare occasion that I am required to write, I can literally spend an hour or so trying to find a way to phrase a certain idea to my liking. Hopefully I can get myself back into the habit of efficient writing, but in the meantime, I'm content with the lack of writing in my schedule.
Upgraded
Posted by Brittany Karford Rogers (BA ’07), Associate Editor
In January Kory Katseanes, director of orchestras, called Sini to announce he was moving her up to Chamber Orchestra, BYU’s elite touring orchestra. But that’s not all. That same night she got an e-mail from him: “It just said, ‘P.S. I moved you to Phil.’”
Phil, short for BYU’s Philharmonic Orchestra, was Sini’s first-semester dream—and she didn’t even have to audition. “I was so happy, I was jumping around. I was the only violinist to get moved up. . . . I guess I’m good,” she smiles broadly. She still had to audition for chair position in February, but she was in.
In January Kory Katseanes, director of orchestras, called Sini to announce he was moving her up to Chamber Orchestra, BYU’s elite touring orchestra. But that’s not all. That same night she got an e-mail from him: “It just said, ‘P.S. I moved you to Phil.’”
Phil, short for BYU’s Philharmonic Orchestra, was Sini’s first-semester dream—and she didn’t even have to audition. “I was so happy, I was jumping around. I was the only violinist to get moved up. . . . I guess I’m good,” she smiles broadly. She still had to audition for chair position in February, but she was in.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
How the Stock Market Crashed
Posted by Braden
I was in the hallway of the Testing Center a few days ago, doing one last review before going up the stairs to grab my test. I heard a commotion by the main stairwell, so I took a look. All of a sudden, the line to pick up your test was going down the stairs and growing every second! I, like everybody else, picked up my stuff and hurried to get in line—I didn't want to be waiting forever to get my test! In a matter of 60 seconds, the line went from nonexistent to wrapping all the way around on the second floor, down the steps, and then down the hallway on the first floor.
How did it happen? Like this:
An accounting class of 300 kids had to take their test by 4 p.m. that day, and it had a one-hour time limit. The vast majority of them waited until the last day, coming with just enough time to study for a wee bit before taking the test. A group of friends walked in the door and got in line. Those who were studying accounting saw that the line was getting full and knew they needed to jump in line to get their full hour! Those not in the accounting class didn't want to be stuck in line forever, perhaps rationalizing, "I want time to study, but I don't need THAT much time," so they all rushed to get in line. The slightly slower accounting kids saw the rapidly growing line and panicked and ran to the line. Other kids saw those kids running, so they ran too.
It was all very exciting. And now I know how the stock market crashed.
I was in the hallway of the Testing Center a few days ago, doing one last review before going up the stairs to grab my test. I heard a commotion by the main stairwell, so I took a look. All of a sudden, the line to pick up your test was going down the stairs and growing every second! I, like everybody else, picked up my stuff and hurried to get in line—I didn't want to be waiting forever to get my test! In a matter of 60 seconds, the line went from nonexistent to wrapping all the way around on the second floor, down the steps, and then down the hallway on the first floor.
How did it happen? Like this:
An accounting class of 300 kids had to take their test by 4 p.m. that day, and it had a one-hour time limit. The vast majority of them waited until the last day, coming with just enough time to study for a wee bit before taking the test. A group of friends walked in the door and got in line. Those who were studying accounting saw that the line was getting full and knew they needed to jump in line to get their full hour! Those not in the accounting class didn't want to be stuck in line forever, perhaps rationalizing, "I want time to study, but I don't need THAT much time," so they all rushed to get in line. The slightly slower accounting kids saw the rapidly growing line and panicked and ran to the line. Other kids saw those kids running, so they ran too.
It was all very exciting. And now I know how the stock market crashed.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Livin' on the Street (In a Box)
Posted by Ashley
One question seems to be on everyone's mind: Where to live next year? Three of my roommates and I have decided to live together again, and we've spent the past four Friday afternoons looking at apartments. We were about to give up and just live in a box on the street because we couldn't agree on a place: it was either too expensive, too "ghetto," too far away, too ugly, or unlivable due to some other reason one of us came up with. We were getting sick of looking.
Finally, last Friday, we agreed to make a final decision after checking out one more place. We got there and unanimously agreed we would not live there, but we decided to check out another place right next door. That place was better, but still not perfect. My roommate had a prompting to ask one of the tenants where she lived before. She seemed to really like her last place, so we decided to go check it out. The building was pink; we felt like we were in Mexico by the look of it. We practically had to drag one of our roommates closer to check it out. We knocked on a door and were welcomed inside, and the apartment was great.
After each place we visit, we have a team meeting. This was the first team meeting where we all felt good about an apartment. We submitted our applications that night and returned on Saturday to pay our deposit. Now we just have to wait to hear if we were accepted. It was just amazing that we were guided to that place; by the look of the exterior, we never would have checked it out on our own. So that goes to show you: never judge a book by its cover.
One question seems to be on everyone's mind: Where to live next year? Three of my roommates and I have decided to live together again, and we've spent the past four Friday afternoons looking at apartments. We were about to give up and just live in a box on the street because we couldn't agree on a place: it was either too expensive, too "ghetto," too far away, too ugly, or unlivable due to some other reason one of us came up with. We were getting sick of looking.
Finally, last Friday, we agreed to make a final decision after checking out one more place. We got there and unanimously agreed we would not live there, but we decided to check out another place right next door. That place was better, but still not perfect. My roommate had a prompting to ask one of the tenants where she lived before. She seemed to really like her last place, so we decided to go check it out. The building was pink; we felt like we were in Mexico by the look of it. We practically had to drag one of our roommates closer to check it out. We knocked on a door and were welcomed inside, and the apartment was great.
After each place we visit, we have a team meeting. This was the first team meeting where we all felt good about an apartment. We submitted our applications that night and returned on Saturday to pay our deposit. Now we just have to wait to hear if we were accepted. It was just amazing that we were guided to that place; by the look of the exterior, we never would have checked it out on our own. So that goes to show you: never judge a book by its cover.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Housing! AAAAHHH!!!!
Posted by Elise
We barely started winter semester and we’re already scrambling to find housing for next year. It’s a little bit ridiculous. In the process of looking for housing, we realized that many housing complexes have a stigma or stereotype. Of course, the stigmas aren’t important enough to sway our decision, but I think they are so interesting. I wonder how those stigmas started. They seem like self-fulfilling prophecies to me. For example, if a certain complex has X reputation, it will attract X kind of people.
I think stigmas are ridiculous and I’m baffled by how prevalent they are. My roommate and I were thinking of living in a complex that apparently has a “partier” stigma attached to it. Here’s the conversation we had with probably five different friends on five separate occasions:
We barely started winter semester and we’re already scrambling to find housing for next year. It’s a little bit ridiculous. In the process of looking for housing, we realized that many housing complexes have a stigma or stereotype. Of course, the stigmas aren’t important enough to sway our decision, but I think they are so interesting. I wonder how those stigmas started. They seem like self-fulfilling prophecies to me. For example, if a certain complex has X reputation, it will attract X kind of people.
I think stigmas are ridiculous and I’m baffled by how prevalent they are. My roommate and I were thinking of living in a complex that apparently has a “partier” stigma attached to it. Here’s the conversation we had with probably five different friends on five separate occasions:
- Us: We’re thinking of living at ___.
Them:(Raised eyebrow.)
Us:What? What’s wrong?
Them:Oh it’s nothing. . . . I was just gonna say . . . but it’s not a big deal.
Us:C’mon.
Them:Well I just heard that __________. But it’s not a big deal. It’s not like people actually believe that. Just forget I mentioned it. (Friend is squirmy and apologetic.)
Us:(Laughing on the inside).
Friday, February 5, 2010
Another Way to Test
Posted by Trevor
Today I had my first exam inside the Testing Center. That's not to say this was my first test or quiz, it's just that in all of my other classes, the exams were administered either online or in class. Now that I think about it, I really prefer them to be that way.
When tests are online, I tend to feel a lot more relaxed. I can take the test in the comfort of my apartment. And when exams are taken during class hours, there is a set time limit and the test is made to be taken within a set amount of time. As I took my test in the Testing Center today, neither of these comforts was offered.
The Testing Center is a house of fear, fear so pungent you don't need to be a dog to smell it. As the semester continues, I pray for more tests taken outside of the Testing Center where there aren't so many bad vibes reverberating off of the walls.
Today I had my first exam inside the Testing Center. That's not to say this was my first test or quiz, it's just that in all of my other classes, the exams were administered either online or in class. Now that I think about it, I really prefer them to be that way.
When tests are online, I tend to feel a lot more relaxed. I can take the test in the comfort of my apartment. And when exams are taken during class hours, there is a set time limit and the test is made to be taken within a set amount of time. As I took my test in the Testing Center today, neither of these comforts was offered.
The Testing Center is a house of fear, fear so pungent you don't need to be a dog to smell it. As the semester continues, I pray for more tests taken outside of the Testing Center where there aren't so many bad vibes reverberating off of the walls.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
My Mission Call
Posted by Braden
It happened! It finally happened! My call came! It finally came! And I cannot stop smiling!
Before I say where I'm going and when, there are a few things you have to know:
1) My brother gets home from his mission in Taiwan on May 25. As soon as my brother and I were old enough to do the math, we figured that we might just barely miss each other between our two missions. We corresponded about availability dates throughout this past year, trying to figure out what would be perfect. I didn't want to have to wait too long to leave, but I wanted to see my brother. There are typically a few weeks between your availability date and your report date, but it's not always the same length of time.
Finally, we decided (via e-mail) that a May 14 availability date would be perfect. It was most likely that I wouldn't have to report for at least a few weeks after that, and we'd be able to see each other, but it wouldn't be too far into the summer. Then over Christmas break, when I was filling out my papers, I made a comment like, "I'm so anxious to go!" to which one of my parents replied, "Well, you are 19. You can set your availability date for whenever you want." And then I was like, "You know, why not? I'm dying to go soon. I'm setting my date for May 1, and if Travis and I don't get to see each other, I won't like it, but I'll survive."
I didn't mention the change in plans to him, but then he asked, so I had to tell him about the switch. I really considered moving the date back a week or so, closer to May 14—what's one more week before reporting compared to having the whole family together for one week in four years? But May 1 just felt right. I thought about it a lot, prayed about it a lot, and it just felt right, so I kept it.
2) Every pre-missionary responds to the inevitable question, "So where would you like to go on your mission?" at least once in his life with, "Wherever the Lord needs me." And it's true, that's where I wanted to go. But I suspect that every one of those boys and girls also thinks in his or her head at least once, "I'll go wherever, but wouldn't it be especially fun to go to _____."
Well, I had one of those places. For as long as I can remember, when people said, "I know that you're not supposed to pick favorites, but IF you did get to pick where you would like to go, what would you choose?" I always responded with this country. When my uncle came home from a mission to this country a number of years ago, I remember thinking, "Wow—that'd be perfect! I hope I go somewhere like that!" When everybody in my family wrote down where they thought I'd go, I secretly made my own guess, and it was this place.
This summer I found out that due to visa troubles, this mission was being closed to North American missionaries. I groaned just a little bit on the inside, but I knew that I was going to get called to wherever I was supposed to go anyway. Then last week, after my papers were already in, I heard from an RM that the mission had recently opened back up again to missionaries from North America.
I was so excited! I went home and sent my parents an email with the title, "______ is open again!" since they've always known that I have a sweet spot for it. "I don't expect to go there, of course," I told them, "but it is nice that it's an option again, at least!"
A week ago my key chain broke, so I told myself that I'd just buy a new one in a week or two of the flag of whatever country I'm going to (United States included). Two days ago, when I was in the Bookstore, I took a look at all the flags, and naturally my eyes searched first for this country's flag. After I found it, I mentally slapped my wrist for showing preference, and went on to my next class.
3) I asked anybody with mission-call experience about when they thought I should expect to receive mine. There were just too many opinions for me to know anything for sure, but I was pretty positive that my call would show up sometime in the middle of the week, most likely on a Wednesday. This past Wednesday, a boy who sent in his papers a week before me received his call. I figured that meant I still had at least a week to go, so I stopped thinking about it. Then this morning I found out from my grandparents, who have a contact in the Missionary Department, that my call was mailed out yesterday! All of my focus disappeared instantly.
I came home from classes at 1:30 p.m., hoping to find the call, but no. I went to the temple for an hour and a half and came back expecting to find my call, since our mail usually comes by 2:30 p.m., but no. The mail had come, but it wasn't there. I went to my 4 p.m. class, content to wait until tomorrow to begin checking compulsively again. I got two phone calls during class that I didn't answer; I checked my voice mail as soon as class ended, and one of the messages was from the Helaman Halls Central Building. They said they had my mission call there! I was rather confused, since I live in Heritage Halls, but they had my call and I wanted it!
Unfortunately, I was already on my way to meet up with somebody for dinner, and we were supposed to meet up in five minutes! I rushed to dinner; we ate and talked for about an hour. I had to fight so hard to keep myself from jumping up and sprinting to the central building. And then I got the letter; it was about 6 p.m. by this time.
I tried really hard not to look at the postage; I've heard varying stories on what it means, and I didn't want to speculate. I wanted to open my call with my ward, but I also needed to pick a time when all of my family back home could be on the phone, so I chose 8:30 p.m. I texted all the people whom I'd promised to tell when I got my letter and passed the word around the ward.
Then I tried, failing miserably, to study for my test tomorrow. I couldn't concentrate for more than maybe 30 seconds at a time. "Two hours left . . . 1.5 hours . . . 1.3 hours . . . 1.15 hours . . . 1.12 hours . . . 1.11 hours . . . is time moving at all?!"
Another boy in the ward was scheduled to open his call at 8 p.m. The ward showed up, and he read that he was going to Brazil, and his report date was May 24! That scared me a little: if he put his papers in on the same day as me, and he's reporting on May 24, odds are pretty good that I'll report on the same day, and I'll miss my brother by one day!"
The last 30 minutes were by far the longest. I went for a walk to burn the time. And then 8:30 p.m. finally came.
I called up my family back home, hushed everyone down, my sister started recording, and I opened up the letter:
Then everybody clapped and cheered and congratulated me and I couldn't do anything but smile, thank them, smile, reread the letter, smile, and find where Samara is in Russia, and smile some more.
I'm not going to get any more studying done tonight. All I want to do is look up Russia, Samara, the Russian language, my application for a U.S. passport, my mission boundaries, stories from people who went to my mission, the list of supplies I'm going to need, etc. WOW, what a rush! It turns out that it is the exact same mission where my uncle went! I can't wait to hear stories, see pictures, and start learning all about where I'm going to be living and serving for the next two years!
I know that I would have been thrilled no matter where I was called. It's still so amazing to me that we 19-year-old boys are allowed to be called to such important roles in the grand scheme of everything! And I cannot wait to share the gospel with all of the good people in Russia! It's made me so happy! If I can just help them see how much they have to gain, how much easier and happier their lives will be with the gospel, they'll know that it's worth it. And even if you told me that not a single person I talk to will join the Church in all 24 months that I'm there, I'd still go in a heartbeat! This is going to be a wonderful two years!
And wow—to be called to the place I've always wanted to go AND see my brother before I leave AND not have to wait any longer to get my call—I'm certainly on cloud nine right now, and I'm not coming down anytime soon!
It happened! It finally happened! My call came! It finally came! And I cannot stop smiling!
Before I say where I'm going and when, there are a few things you have to know:
1) My brother gets home from his mission in Taiwan on May 25. As soon as my brother and I were old enough to do the math, we figured that we might just barely miss each other between our two missions. We corresponded about availability dates throughout this past year, trying to figure out what would be perfect. I didn't want to have to wait too long to leave, but I wanted to see my brother. There are typically a few weeks between your availability date and your report date, but it's not always the same length of time.
Finally, we decided (via e-mail) that a May 14 availability date would be perfect. It was most likely that I wouldn't have to report for at least a few weeks after that, and we'd be able to see each other, but it wouldn't be too far into the summer. Then over Christmas break, when I was filling out my papers, I made a comment like, "I'm so anxious to go!" to which one of my parents replied, "Well, you are 19. You can set your availability date for whenever you want." And then I was like, "You know, why not? I'm dying to go soon. I'm setting my date for May 1, and if Travis and I don't get to see each other, I won't like it, but I'll survive."
I didn't mention the change in plans to him, but then he asked, so I had to tell him about the switch. I really considered moving the date back a week or so, closer to May 14—what's one more week before reporting compared to having the whole family together for one week in four years? But May 1 just felt right. I thought about it a lot, prayed about it a lot, and it just felt right, so I kept it.
2) Every pre-missionary responds to the inevitable question, "So where would you like to go on your mission?" at least once in his life with, "Wherever the Lord needs me." And it's true, that's where I wanted to go. But I suspect that every one of those boys and girls also thinks in his or her head at least once, "I'll go wherever, but wouldn't it be especially fun to go to _____."
Well, I had one of those places. For as long as I can remember, when people said, "I know that you're not supposed to pick favorites, but IF you did get to pick where you would like to go, what would you choose?" I always responded with this country. When my uncle came home from a mission to this country a number of years ago, I remember thinking, "Wow—that'd be perfect! I hope I go somewhere like that!" When everybody in my family wrote down where they thought I'd go, I secretly made my own guess, and it was this place.
This summer I found out that due to visa troubles, this mission was being closed to North American missionaries. I groaned just a little bit on the inside, but I knew that I was going to get called to wherever I was supposed to go anyway. Then last week, after my papers were already in, I heard from an RM that the mission had recently opened back up again to missionaries from North America.
I was so excited! I went home and sent my parents an email with the title, "______ is open again!" since they've always known that I have a sweet spot for it. "I don't expect to go there, of course," I told them, "but it is nice that it's an option again, at least!"
A week ago my key chain broke, so I told myself that I'd just buy a new one in a week or two of the flag of whatever country I'm going to (United States included). Two days ago, when I was in the Bookstore, I took a look at all the flags, and naturally my eyes searched first for this country's flag. After I found it, I mentally slapped my wrist for showing preference, and went on to my next class.
3) I asked anybody with mission-call experience about when they thought I should expect to receive mine. There were just too many opinions for me to know anything for sure, but I was pretty positive that my call would show up sometime in the middle of the week, most likely on a Wednesday. This past Wednesday, a boy who sent in his papers a week before me received his call. I figured that meant I still had at least a week to go, so I stopped thinking about it. Then this morning I found out from my grandparents, who have a contact in the Missionary Department, that my call was mailed out yesterday! All of my focus disappeared instantly.
I came home from classes at 1:30 p.m., hoping to find the call, but no. I went to the temple for an hour and a half and came back expecting to find my call, since our mail usually comes by 2:30 p.m., but no. The mail had come, but it wasn't there. I went to my 4 p.m. class, content to wait until tomorrow to begin checking compulsively again. I got two phone calls during class that I didn't answer; I checked my voice mail as soon as class ended, and one of the messages was from the Helaman Halls Central Building. They said they had my mission call there! I was rather confused, since I live in Heritage Halls, but they had my call and I wanted it!
Unfortunately, I was already on my way to meet up with somebody for dinner, and we were supposed to meet up in five minutes! I rushed to dinner; we ate and talked for about an hour. I had to fight so hard to keep myself from jumping up and sprinting to the central building. And then I got the letter; it was about 6 p.m. by this time.
I tried really hard not to look at the postage; I've heard varying stories on what it means, and I didn't want to speculate. I wanted to open my call with my ward, but I also needed to pick a time when all of my family back home could be on the phone, so I chose 8:30 p.m. I texted all the people whom I'd promised to tell when I got my letter and passed the word around the ward.
Then I tried, failing miserably, to study for my test tomorrow. I couldn't concentrate for more than maybe 30 seconds at a time. "Two hours left . . . 1.5 hours . . . 1.3 hours . . . 1.15 hours . . . 1.12 hours . . . 1.11 hours . . . is time moving at all?!"
Another boy in the ward was scheduled to open his call at 8 p.m. The ward showed up, and he read that he was going to Brazil, and his report date was May 24! That scared me a little: if he put his papers in on the same day as me, and he's reporting on May 24, odds are pretty good that I'll report on the same day, and I'll miss my brother by one day!"
The last 30 minutes were by far the longest. I went for a walk to burn the time. And then 8:30 p.m. finally came.
I called up my family back home, hushed everyone down, my sister started recording, and I opened up the letter:
- Dear Elder Hancock:
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the RUSSIA SAMARA mission!
(my thoughts: "I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY GOT CALLED TO RUSSIA!")
You should report to the Missionary Training Center at Provo, Utah on Wednesday, 3 June 2009!
("I can't believe that I'm going to Russia, AND I get to see Travis before I leave!")
Then everybody clapped and cheered and congratulated me and I couldn't do anything but smile, thank them, smile, reread the letter, smile, and find where Samara is in Russia, and smile some more.
I'm not going to get any more studying done tonight. All I want to do is look up Russia, Samara, the Russian language, my application for a U.S. passport, my mission boundaries, stories from people who went to my mission, the list of supplies I'm going to need, etc. WOW, what a rush! It turns out that it is the exact same mission where my uncle went! I can't wait to hear stories, see pictures, and start learning all about where I'm going to be living and serving for the next two years!
I know that I would have been thrilled no matter where I was called. It's still so amazing to me that we 19-year-old boys are allowed to be called to such important roles in the grand scheme of everything! And I cannot wait to share the gospel with all of the good people in Russia! It's made me so happy! If I can just help them see how much they have to gain, how much easier and happier their lives will be with the gospel, they'll know that it's worth it. And even if you told me that not a single person I talk to will join the Church in all 24 months that I'm there, I'd still go in a heartbeat! This is going to be a wonderful two years!
And wow—to be called to the place I've always wanted to go AND see my brother before I leave AND not have to wait any longer to get my call—I'm certainly on cloud nine right now, and I'm not coming down anytime soon!
Opening It Tonight!
Posted by Braden
Oh my word! My mission call got sent to the wrong address, so I just barely got it at 6 p.m. today! I'm opening it up at 8:30 tonight in my dorm lobby. I'll post the full story later. :) This is killing me that I need to wait another hour and a half to open it when it's sitting right here on my desk...!
Oh my word! My mission call got sent to the wrong address, so I just barely got it at 6 p.m. today! I'm opening it up at 8:30 tonight in my dorm lobby. I'll post the full story later. :) This is killing me that I need to wait another hour and a half to open it when it's sitting right here on my desk...!
Dictate This
Posted by Brittany Karford Rogers (BA ’07), Associate Editor
Pick a piece of music; memorize it in a semester; then write it out, without listening to it, in class on the day of the final. For this semester-long assignment, given in Sini’s music violin master’s class, Sini selected Sarasate, by Zigeneurweisen. “It’s a gypsy song, something that all violinists have heard—but this one is horrible, it is so hard,” she says. “My master’s teacher even announced in class, ‘Hey, guess what Sini’s dictation piece is,’ he thought it was so funny.”
Pick a piece of music; memorize it in a semester; then write it out, without listening to it, in class on the day of the final. For this semester-long assignment, given in Sini’s music violin master’s class, Sini selected Sarasate, by Zigeneurweisen. “It’s a gypsy song, something that all violinists have heard—but this one is horrible, it is so hard,” she says. “My master’s teacher even announced in class, ‘Hey, guess what Sini’s dictation piece is,’ he thought it was so funny.”
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Floor Discrimination
Posted by Braden
During first semester I lived on the third floor of my hall. This semester I live on the first floor. Last semester I figured it was all the same, the only exception being that I had to climb two more flights of stairs whenever I came home from classes. Now I know the truth.
The third-floor people are a little more isolated. There is more activity in the first-floor lobby. If somebody's doing something stupid in the first-floor lobby, I'll hear it and get to watch. Before, I probably wouldn't have noticed the noise, or I wouldn't have cared if I had. On Thursday, three people wanted to play spades and they needed a fourth. My room is right there connected to the main lobby, so they hollered, "Hey Braden, wanna play spades?" and I did, so we played. Had I been on the third floor, that would not have happened, and I probably would have done something else or gone to bed 30 minutes earlier.
It's not just my hall either—I've noticed that in the girls' hall, too. The ones who live on the third floor have their own friends—roommates or corner buddies or whatnot—but they don't often spontaneously hop into activities with the first-floor girls; they don't really know the first-floor girls very well because they live two floors up! And since everyone enters their rooms from the outside staircases, there's no pressing reason to interact with other floors in your hall outside of planned hall activities.
Now, I don't think it's necessarily a terrible thing that needs fixing, or that the upper floors are purposely excluded in any way, but I did think it was interesting. Life really IS different on the first floor.
During first semester I lived on the third floor of my hall. This semester I live on the first floor. Last semester I figured it was all the same, the only exception being that I had to climb two more flights of stairs whenever I came home from classes. Now I know the truth.
The third-floor people are a little more isolated. There is more activity in the first-floor lobby. If somebody's doing something stupid in the first-floor lobby, I'll hear it and get to watch. Before, I probably wouldn't have noticed the noise, or I wouldn't have cared if I had. On Thursday, three people wanted to play spades and they needed a fourth. My room is right there connected to the main lobby, so they hollered, "Hey Braden, wanna play spades?" and I did, so we played. Had I been on the third floor, that would not have happened, and I probably would have done something else or gone to bed 30 minutes earlier.
It's not just my hall either—I've noticed that in the girls' hall, too. The ones who live on the third floor have their own friends—roommates or corner buddies or whatnot—but they don't often spontaneously hop into activities with the first-floor girls; they don't really know the first-floor girls very well because they live two floors up! And since everyone enters their rooms from the outside staircases, there's no pressing reason to interact with other floors in your hall outside of planned hall activities.
Now, I don't think it's necessarily a terrible thing that needs fixing, or that the upper floors are purposely excluded in any way, but I did think it was interesting. Life really IS different on the first floor.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Hunt
Posted by Laura
It's that time of the year: people are out searching for the apartments they'll be living in next year. A bunch of girls have knocked on our door, asking for a tour of my apartment and interviewing me about the ward, the boys in the ward, rent, and maintenance. Even though it's still the beginning of winter semester, you have to start thinking about the location and the roommates you are going to live with next fall.
The apartment complex that I am living in is really competitive to get into, and the management holds its drawing for contracts in February. I have loved my apartment! Even though I am one of the minority freshman who decides not to live in the dorms, I have loved the location, the ward, the roommates, and all of the new experiences that have come with my apartment.
I've also had a few of my close high school friends, who are planning on attending BYU next year, over for a weekend. Incoming freshman often don't know how important it is to start the housing search early, whether they are looking for off-campus housing or reserving a spot in on-campus housing.
It's that time of the year: people are out searching for the apartments they'll be living in next year. A bunch of girls have knocked on our door, asking for a tour of my apartment and interviewing me about the ward, the boys in the ward, rent, and maintenance. Even though it's still the beginning of winter semester, you have to start thinking about the location and the roommates you are going to live with next fall.
The apartment complex that I am living in is really competitive to get into, and the management holds its drawing for contracts in February. I have loved my apartment! Even though I am one of the minority freshman who decides not to live in the dorms, I have loved the location, the ward, the roommates, and all of the new experiences that have come with my apartment.
I've also had a few of my close high school friends, who are planning on attending BYU next year, over for a weekend. Incoming freshman often don't know how important it is to start the housing search early, whether they are looking for off-campus housing or reserving a spot in on-campus housing.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Being an RA
Posted by Braden
Being a resident assistant (RA) this semester has been so much fun! A few of my favorite moments this past month:
1) I got a call on my landline phone in my room from two girls that went something like this:
So I went on over, and sure enough, they were locked in! Their doorknob had come lose so that the door was stuck in the closed position, and turning the knob did nothing. Well, we (their hall RA saw me come in, heard their story, laughed, and came with me) got the master key and started jiggling, and the key grabbed onto something that turning the knob wasn't grabbing. We were able to get the girls out in time for class, and we called maintenance to come fix the door. So far I've helped eight people who were locked out of their rooms, and just those two girls who were locked in.
2) In the student development class that you have to take while you're an RA, they go over what to expect this semester. Here's the gist of it:
Then we went over how to handle all of those phases, of course. I found the cyclical nature of each freshman class amusing.
3) One of my dormmates, sick of answering the door when I'm not home for people who need their rooms unlocked, has posted a sign outside of our door that says:
4) Part of being an RA is organizing events and programs with which to spend our allotted hall budget for the semester! A few that I've incorporated since "taking office":
Being a resident assistant (RA) this semester has been so much fun! A few of my favorite moments this past month:
1) I got a call on my landline phone in my room from two girls that went something like this:
- "Hi, this is Braden, the RA of Kimball Hall. What can I do for you?"
"Um . . . we're locked in our room. Can you come help us out?"
"Ha ha, wait, what? You're locked IN your room?"
"Yeah, I know it's kind of pathetic. But I have class in 30 minutes, and I need to get out of here. So you can come unlock it?"
"Yeah, I'll be right over!"
So I went on over, and sure enough, they were locked in! Their doorknob had come lose so that the door was stuck in the closed position, and turning the knob did nothing. Well, we (their hall RA saw me come in, heard their story, laughed, and came with me) got the master key and started jiggling, and the key grabbed onto something that turning the knob wasn't grabbing. We were able to get the girls out in time for class, and we called maintenance to come fix the door. So far I've helped eight people who were locked out of their rooms, and just those two girls who were locked in.
2) In the student development class that you have to take while you're an RA, they go over what to expect this semester. Here's the gist of it:
- "Right now it's January and nobody wants to be back at school. By February everyone will have hooked up, so expect more PDA. In March residents are getting bored, so you'll probably see more pranks. In April all the boys are going to be experiencing reverse-trunkiness; they see no point to school, they just want to be on their missions already. Good luck!"
Then we went over how to handle all of those phases, of course. I found the cyclical nature of each freshman class amusing.
3) One of my dormmates, sick of answering the door when I'm not home for people who need their rooms unlocked, has posted a sign outside of our door that says:
- "Braden, the RA, is:" followed by a flippable sign that says, "OUT. Go Away!" on one side, and "IN. Come on in!" on the other.
4) Part of being an RA is organizing events and programs with which to spend our allotted hall budget for the semester! A few that I've incorporated since "taking office":
- a) The "stud- or dud-of-the-week" moment in hall meetings. Anyone who had a particularly brilliant date or terrible shutdown from a girl that week tells his story, and the person with the best one gets a candy bar! Now that's male bonding time if I've ever seen it!
b) Cleaning checks are not enjoyable. To make them less painful, I added an incentive: after cleaning checks each month, I'll have a drawing to see which room gets two free large pizzas. Tenants qualify for the drawing by signing up for a cleaning-check time on the sheet outside my door before a certain day, and by not having any rechecks. I've found that the boys are significantly more motivated with this added incentive.
c) For the hall activity this month, we had a mission-deferment party! Almost all of my boys needed to defer their academic enrollment and scholarships before leaving on missions this summer, so why not do it all at once and have food at the end? One of the girls in our ward who works at the administration building brought the forms and showed everyone how to fill them out, and we had chips and salsa as soon as we finished.
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