Springfest!!

This past Saturday was Springfest on campus, and it was amazing! Springfest is a day every spring when SMAC (the Student Media and Activities Committee) sponsors a huge fun day. There's a mechanical bull, an inflatable obstacle course, there was a drive in movie, and bands playing all day. Quiet Drive was here, which is really cool because they're a pretty big name. They even did the soundtrack for the movie John Tucker Must Die. Anyway, it was a great weekend.

Yesterday was the last day of classes for the semester! Woohoo! That leaves me with only 2 more finals to get through and then I'm home free! I'll have a couple days to relax and wind down before heading to Jamaica for two weeks on my Maymester program!! How exciting!!

As for right now, I have some major studying to do!!

~Jess

This post is an assignment for a class....

Interpersonal Communication Critique:

After looking at a couple blogs regarding Interpersonal Communication, it seems that most are just types of journals. They are posted by individuals who are recording their interactions with a certain individual. At first, that sort of turned me off just because it seemed so personalized that it would be harder for anyone who doesn’t know the people to gain anything from it. However, after I thought about it, I realized that learning from examples is very integral to the Interpersonal Communication field. Studying a textbook is not a great way to learn about communicating interpersonally! That being said, I think being able to read people’s experiences and blogs about their own interpersonal relationships can help me learn skills to deal with my own. And even if their interactions don’t apply directly to a relationship I’m in right now, perhaps they will come in later down the line as I interact with new people and I will then have the experience of reading the blogs to draw from.

Picnics, Ice Cream, and Mill Ponds...

The mill pond way back when!

...this is what every day at college should be like. Lucky for me, it was what yesterday was like for me! The commons meal was served outside in front of the Student Union yesterday- picnic style! We're talking burgers, brats, fruit salad... the whole nine yards :) It was amazing! After dinner there was also a live band playing on the Union steps in celebration of Earth Week. Next I headed downtown with two of my best ladies, Theresa and Lindsey. We walked to A&W to pick up some ice cream treats and then headed down to the beautiful little mill pond in Ripon. We even got to dangle our toes in the water- and the water was dramatically warmer than I expected! It was a marvelous night, topped off with a little homework and an early bed time :) Ahh- I love college :)

~Jess

Midwest Horse Fair!

This weekend I got to go to the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, WI to represent the Ripon College Equestrian Club at one of the three best horse fairs in the nation! It was so exciting! Mary Avery, Gail (the Vice-president of the club), and I gave a clinic called "Horse 101" which covered the basics of horse ownership to help expose people who came to the fair who didn't know a lot about horses to the essentials. It was an amazing trip but I'm glad to be back in Ripon and away from all that traffic!!

~Jess

64 Degrees and Sunny, baby!

I don't think there could be a more beautiful day! The sun is shining and it is simply gorgeous outside!

This morning I had class, led a Continuing Education class at the CLC, had a fabulous picnic lunch, and am now at work. This afternoon I plan on taking a nice long walk, grabbing some dinner and then hitting the books for a couple hours. Not a bad day if you ask me! :)

~Jess

Finding Some Time to Horse Around

This past weekend I got to go riding :) Mary Avery, a business professor, took me and three of my friends out to the stable to ride and it was amazing! We got to ride for hours on trails and hills and over pastures- ah! This is the life!

As far as today, I've already had a very exciting morning! I had an interview with a representative from Edward Jones Financial this morning for a summer internship. Then I had a really fun Computer Mediated Communication class. Today our professor introduced us to an online world called "Second Life." It was really fascinating! Anyone can create a free account and can participate in a virtual environment through their own personalized avatar. Pretty wild, I know, but it was fascinating!

Then I attended a lunch where everyone from the college who went on an Alternative Spring Break trip got together to share their stories, experiences, and pictures. This past year we had groups going to Colorado, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, and Panama! Talk about good opportunities!

This afternoon I'm working at the CLC for an hour, eating dinner with my friends, and then getting some homework done before my SIFE meeting at 9. I think I might be able to fit in some relaxation time too....I'm good at that ;)

~Jess

Panama, Check! Jamaica, Here I Come!

Yesterday our Jamaica Maymester group met and discussed the final details of our trip. It's coming up so quickly! Before I know it this year is going to be over and I'm gonna be a junior!! Time sure does fly!

I have plenty to get me busy before the end of the year, though! I'm taking over as the Mentor Coordinator/Center Manager of the Collaborative Learning Center (the CLC) next year, so I'm currently planning initiatives. It's an exciting new opportunity and I am looking forward to next year!

I also found out the my living group was granted our request to live in Tri-dorms next year which I'm stoked about! The rooms and closets in tri dorms are huge :) Plus, you can't beat the location!!

~Jess