Merry Christmas

Hey Guys, I was just laying in bed thinking (as I do a lot) and thought I would get up real quick and just give a quick update and wish you all a final Merry Christmas.

I have been home for a few days now, and, though I am not unhappy with home, I really miss Transy. I just got so used to the perpetual and convenient socialization it is hard to go back home where if you want to do something you have to call a few people, find a place to hangout, and drive. At Transy (and in fairness, probably most Universities) you just have to open your door and socialization awaits. Then again, I wonder, do all college students miss their school when they are on breaks? I called some friends up (both high school and Transy friends) and all of my Transy friends miss it, two of my friends who attend other universities do not, and one friend who goes somewhere else does miss school.

I have hardly done anything productive so far (which is a good thing!) but I keep stopping myself in the middle of a Christmas movie or playing The Sims 3 and thinking I have a paper to write or a test to study for.

Anyway, I hope everything is going great on your end. I'm sure you aren't missing school, maybe it is just me. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, which is when I essentially have all of my Christmas festivities-- I can't wait!


Merry Christmas!

JR Hawkins (My attempt to be more like JK Rowling)


PS- Please excuse the incredibly dorky Rugrats images. I was filling in touch with my inner child earlier and watched an old VHS of the Rugrats Christmas special. Yeah, I know, major dork move...

A Semester Gone...

My first blog post was titled "The Start of Something New" I don't think I could have put it better, now that my semester of college is over. I can't believe it, I really can't. It seems like not long ago I was a senior in High School eagerly anticipating the day that I would finally be a college student. Now, here I am a semester already under my belt. Yeah, I know one semester doesn't seem like much, but it is a dramatic life change.

One semester has brought me into a whole new world of experiences, new friends, new mentors, and, yes, new knowledge. My roommate and I had a conversation the other day about how, even though we have fallen into a routine and don't notice it, life is completely different than it used to be.

The differences of life, however, are not negative. While I do wish I still could throw my laundry in a hamper and not have to worry about how it got back into my closet clean, I wouldn't give up all the great experiences that independence brings just so I wouldn't have to do my own laundry.

It is also unbelievable how much I have learned. I can have a lengthy conversation about anything from Utilitarianism to the constant struggle of the individual versus society and vise-versa. I can talk about the etymology of the English words thanks to my Latin experiences, and I can take more from a news program after learning about framing, spinning, and other media tactics.

In less than 24 hours I leave the place know affectionately as "The Transy Bubble" for the longest time since I got here. I can't wait to be back in my hometown with family and just completely relax for a few weeks, but at the same time I am going to miss Transy, really miss it. Transy has become my home.

I hope you all have a great holiday. Eat plently, sleep a lot, have fun with friends, bond with family. For those High School seniors out there: enjoy it. Once scholl starts back in January it will be a race to graduation. This break will be your last chance to completely relax before Graduation.

Unless I have a great inspiration I probably won't write any blogs over the break. So this will be the last time I talk to you all this, well what do I say: semester, year, decade? Well, anyway, I will talk to you all again in January.

Until Then,

Jake Ryan Hawkins

Winding Down...

Hey guys! I am day or so late on this week's post, so I apologize. I do have a very good excuse, though. I was (and still am) sick :(. I woke up Tuesday morning really dizzy and light-headed, so I went to the nurse and discovered I have ear infections in both ears. Not fun at all. The good thing, however, is that Transy has amazing Health Services. They keep antibiotics in stock and was able to get my prescription automatically at no charge!

Sickness aside, this week has been great. The semester is winding to a close. At time of posting, I actually only have one day of classes left. It is amazing that the semester flew by so fast! For others, this is a pretty stressful time with finals approaching. I, on the other hand, have no formal finals at all. Don't ask me how I got so lucky; I can't find anyone else in this situation, but I am definitely not complaining.

Since I have extra time on my hands, I was able to spend a little time this weekend doing some volunteer work. If you remember my first post I told you about the First-Year Urban Program (FUP). Though the main focus of FUP is an intense week of community service projects before the start of term, it does provide some opportunities throughout the semester to volunteer. This weekend, a few of us got together and went to the Salvation Army's warehouse in charge of the Lexington Angel Tree Program.

We helped bag, sort, and take inventory of the donations made to kids. This program works through generous people sponsoring a specific child, so all we had to do was make sure that the gifts donated to the individual children were age/size appropriate. The warehouse also had a massive stock of spare toys, so we made sure that every child had at least two toys in their bag (a lot of times clothes were the big donations), if they didn't we went and picked some out for them.
It was very fulfilling work. It was a bit sad, however. There were tons of donations, but you could still see all the children who hadn't been sponsored. If you look at the picture, all of the white squares on the floor are empty bags of unsponsored children.
Next week will be my last planned blog until next decade (lol, meaning January of course). I plan for it to be a bit of a sentimental reflection on my first semester in college.
Until then, study hard for any finals you may have!

Jake Hawkins

Registration!

Hey guys, I hope you all had a wonderful, filling, and restful Thanksgiving Break. I want to apologize for the lack of an update last week. Those last few days were very hectic and I never found the time, and once I got home every minute was scheduled with something. The holidays are definitely busy!

Before the break, I went through what is considered by most to be a Transy "Rite of Passage" and that is Registration. At Transy, registration always goes from Seniors to Freshman and beyond that it goes by the alphabetically alternating each semester. This go around it went from Z-A so I was close to the end, and it definitely made things a bit complicated. I had experimented around with a bunch of different scheduling options. First I tried to put all my classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday then I tired to load them all into Tuesday and Thursday. Then I decided to put two in MWF and two in TTH-- and I stuck with that.

Once I made my final schedule I only had to make one major change. I was wanting to take Intro to Sociology, but both classes got filled up before my registration. It isn't really a big deal though, I can take it next semester! That is one of the good things about scheduling. Sometimes you are forced out of your comfort zones for classes, and it allows new discoveries to be made. I know an upperclassmen told me that she was put into a certain course just because it was one of the last available, and she loved it so much she has changed her major!

With registration and Thanksgiving Break over the countdown to the break begins. I finish up this week and next weeks of classes and then it is finals week, then I'm homebound for about four weeks! I love Transy, but I am definitely looking forward to the extended time home with family and friends.

Before I go I will paste my schedule for the rest of the year below. I am really looking forward to all of the classes. Most of all, however, I am looking forward to finishing the math class. Transy only has one math GE requirement so after it is over I can officially say that I will NEVER have to take another math class again!!

Winter Term 2010

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
DRA-1104-02 Introduction to Drama
J. Cole

11:30AM-12:20pm

Politics of the Middle East
Staff

1:30pm-2:20pm

Tuesday, Thursday
Foundations of Liberal Arts 2: Consumerism, Desire, and Identity
S. Fojtova

11:00am-12:15pm

Into to Contemporary Math
Staff

1:30pm-2:45pm

May Term 2010
Special Topic: Civil Liberties
D. Dugi

9:00am-11:00am

See you guys later!

Jake

Food!

With Thanksgiving fast approaching I thought that today would be a perfect time to talk about food on campus.

I miss home food. That is inevitable though. Every student, no matter what college, will always be a bit dissatisfied with campus dining options, no matter how great. That being said, I honestly think that Transy has great dining services. I have friends at other colleges and some of it sounds pretty bad (one friend complains that fast-food is basically the only option her campus offers. That would have to get old)

We have 4 dining options on campus. I will go through and give a little mini-review of each.

Jazzman's Cafe- This is a little coffee shop and bakery-esque restaurant that is somewhat reminiscent of a Starbucks. It is located on the academic side of campus in the same building as the bookstore. It has all kinds of specialty drinks from lattes to smoothies, and even plain black coffee. On the food menu it has some pretty quick options perfect for breakfast on the go. Muffins, Scones, Cookies, Bagels, and more! During lunch they also set out some premade salads, sandwiches, and wraps. The shining star of Jazzman's is definitely the workers. The staff at Jazzman's are probably the nicest people I know, and are incredibly high energy and friendly. They definitely make my morning brighter.


The Rafskeller ("The Raf")- This is basically a grill-style restaurant located on the academic side in the basement of the fine arts building. It is the place to go if you want "fast-food" style. The menu includes burgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, and cheesesticks. It also has a sandwich line where you can have the workers make you a self-designed sandwich (Subway-esque). Soup and Grilled cheese are also a great option for cold or rainy days. The cheesticks are my favorite offering, but you have to request them (most students here don't realize they are even on the menu!).

Forrer Dining Center ("The Caf")- This is probably where you will eat the most. It is the campus cafeteria. It is buffet style and has a very wide selection of food. There is always a salad/soup bar, pizza bar, and a burger bar. There is also a place to get self-designed sandwiches and wraps (my favorite). Then there is the international bar which has a new suprise everyday (I love the orange chicken). Then the everchanging general food bar where you will find assorted sides, entrees and stuff like that. The food here is really good, and the staff is receptive to any comments/suggestions you might have (SGA also has a liason specifically to foodservice)

1780 Cafe (The '80)- The late-night hotspot located in the lobby of Thompson Hall. This place has deliscious flatbread pizzas and specialty subs as well as some awesome cheesebread. If any place can be single handedly held responsible for the proverbial "Freshman 15" (which btw I don't think is true. I have lost 10 pounds this semester without trying) it is the '80.

So there you have it. I have to say that I think we have a lot of dining options on campus, especially considering the small size.

Before I go let me remind you of something VERY important. December 1st is the Early Action deadline for applying for admission. Definitely don't forget about it.

Enjoy your week,

Jake

Work Study

Well, I must admit, I was hoping to get a few comments from you guys for suggestions on blog topics. Never fear, however, I am sure I will manage (feel free to suggest anything at anytime though!).

I hope you all had a good week, because I surely did. It was parent weekend on campus, and while it did not produce anything "blog worthy" it did give me a chance to spend some time with my family.

I am coming at you this week from my on campus Work-Study job at the library. The fact that I am blogging while at work should tell you something about the work environment. It is extremely relaxed. After all, it is called "Work-Study" for a reason-- they care just as much about you having study time as work time.

Work Study is offered only through the financial aid office, but can be filled at multiple places on campus (and, if interested, community service hours can even go toward paid work-study hours). Here at the Library I have a great time. I always work at night, so it is a perfectly quite place to study. It isn't all free time, though. I do have to help people find books, check them out, return them, and all the other things associated with the Library.

To be honest, if it weren't for my work-study here I think I would have a much harder time budgeting my time. Work Study helps me have a set time and place to study.

As for the money, you get paid once a month, and for most people the check is somewhere around $200. It is enough money to last me a month, but if you do a lot of extra stuff a supplementary "call home" may be in order.

In another note, I am already in the Christmas spirit. I saw the new "A Christmas Carol"(in 3D) this weekend with my parents. After seeing it I had to go out and buy a mini Christmas tree for my dorm room and I am somewhat embarrassed to admit I have already put it up. I love it though, and have to share the picture (taken with my cameraphone so excuse the poor quality).

Let's Pause and Take a Blog Break...

Hey Guys! I hope some of you all got a chance to come to open house. It was a great turnout and I got to talk to several prospective students and their families. I greatly enjoyed it and I hope you all did too!

It has been pretty hectic on this end lately, in a good way, though. I haven't felt too incredibly overwhelmed, but I have had to budget my time very tightly. That's not to say I haven't had fun though! I am involved with a lot of campus groups and, while they may take up some time, they are very fun and rewarding! So I figured this was a great time to mention a few.

First, there is The Rambler. It is our student newspaper on campus. I am a Staff Writer and have had the opportunity to write some really awesome pieces. For ky first article I got to interview a pretty famous (or infamous depending on your politics) person, Cindy Sheehan. I wont go into too much detail about her, but it was pretty awesome to think that the person I was interviewing had also been interviewed by television journalists like Matt Lauer, Bill O'Reilly, and Chris Matthews (The picture to the right shows NBC's Brian Williams talking about Sheehan). In fact, only two weeks after our interview she was on CNN for a protest she was leading in D.C.! I still ramble (no pun intended) about how my first ever story was such a great oppurtunity.

Another organization I am proud to be a member of is Transy's SGA (Student Government Association). I am a senator, representing the first-year class, and absolutely love it. I am a guy who has political aspirations, so this is a great starting point to learn the basics of representation. I serve on the Student Life committee as well, so I have the honor of making sure that students are as happy as possible with the non-academic aspects of college. A week ago a fellow senator and I took part in Storm the Dorms. Which involves senators going door-to-door and asking feloow classmates about aspects of college life they would like to see changed. It was a great experience not only to talk to my fellow classmates about things on their mind, but I appreciate the part SGA will be playing in improving our campus.

An organization that I recently joined, but have enjoyed immensely is Crimson Crew (and I overslept this morning and missed my scheduled time slot to work! So so sorry guys!). Crimson Crew members work, on a volunteer basis, in the admissions office. For someone who loves Transy as much as I do it is an absolutely rewarding experience to play a part in getting the word out about Transy. In addition, we get to be around all of the admissions counselors who are, without a doubt, some of the funnest and coolest people to be around.

Those are just three of the many many clubs and organizations on campus. If you want to see the complete list just click here. (Yay for figuring out how to hyperlink!)

BUT before you go, I have an assignement for you! I need your help coming up with some things to blog about. I mean, I have a whole list of topics I would like to talk about, but this is about what you want to see, after all. So, if you would be so kind, please just drop me a comment with a question you may have about some aspect of campus life and I am sure I can include it in the next few blogs.

Until then,

Jake Ryan Hawkins