Exciting Opportunity!

As a member of Delta Gamma I am excited to announce the speaker for our annual Lectureship! Lectureship is a chance for my house to bring in an exciting guest speaker for a free special seminar somewhere on campus. This year we will be hosting Steve Ford.

Please check out more about this exciting guest to Purdue's Campus.
http://www.speaking.com/speakers/steveford.html

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, here are more details.

When?
Wednesday December 10, 2008
Time?
7:00 pm
Where?
Loeb Playhouse in the Stewart Center
Cost?
FREE!

Please join my sisters and I on this exciting opportunity!

Purdue Blackout?

So we all know what the Purdue blackout game is. But... that's not what my post is about today.  Today I have a question.  It goes out to the administration, staff, whoever is in charge of keeping campus fairly safe at all times.  Why aren't there more lights around; especially near the heart of campus? Recently I have noticed that campus is really dark at night.  Seeing as how this is a very large campus with about 40,000 students, it frightens me to walk through it when it is so poorly lit, especially by myself. You never know where someone could be hiding and just jump out and attack you.  I know, I know, this is a pretty extreme and irrational fear, but I know that I'm not the only one who has it.  I know most of the guys probably feel safe (because they're so big and macho and not afraid of anything, right?), but how many of you ladies can honestly say that if you were walking through campus at say 1a.m., that you would feel secure enough to walk alone, or at least without your phone in your hand.  I know I can't.  I think there should be a significantly larger amount of lights in the memorial mall, and in the engineering mall.  I don't know what makes people think that the lights on the side of buildings alone is enough to make people feel safe.  

I heard a story recently that a girl was walking around on campus, felt like she was being followed, and pressed the button on the blue light box.  At the time, that particular box wasn't working.  Luckily, the next box worked and the police came, but what if it hadn't?  It wasn't the middle of the night (just around 10 or so), so why wasn't there more people around?  This is something else I have noticed also; why are there no security guards around campus?  My small private high school of 500 even had security guards.  Reader's Digest ranked us 82nd out of 135 schools that they surveyed for campus safety.  THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!  Seriously, this has made me very concerned recently, and we don't need another Wade Steffey on our hands here, people.  

In my opinion, there needs to be more lights and, at the very least, some security guards on campus.  It is unfair to everyone who attends Purdue that they might even feel the slightest twinge of unsafety.  When looking for colleges, one of the main things my parents wanted for me was to be safe with no chance of being hurt.  Was I successful in choosing a school that met their expectations? I think not. 

BYOB

I assume that most 0f you have discovered the Purdue party scene by now. I mean come on, it's almost the end of the first semester, folks. If you are a sophomore then you might be noticing some distinct changes in how things have been going this year- especially after October break. As you may or may not have noticed, most open fraternity parties have required you to be on a "list" recently. Now for those of you who don't know, frats used to have parties where anyone could come, hang out in the rooms, wander aimlessly, etc. Yes, they would have the occasional "list" party, but those are restricted to one or two rooms in the basement and get way overcrowded really easily. Everyone who was on the list (sometimes getting close to 1000 people) would show up because they felt special to be on said "list." They really are not that much fun unless you are REALLY dedicated to waiting in a line for half an hour with 50 other sweaty, crammed together, kinda pissed people just wanting that half of a warm Keystone. And let me tell you, I'm not that dedicated. This year, IFC has passed new restrictions saying that all parties or functions must be b.y.o.b.

In theory, this is supposed to make it where you absolutely have to be 21 to drink. They say that you now either need a third party vendor (bartender who checks ID's), or you must bring your own. They all know that here at Purdue we like to have a pretty good time, but on some occasions it gets a little out of hand. Technically, these rules have always been there, but most people weren't aware of them, or if they were just ignored them completely. IFC said this would be strongly inforced after fall break, so naturally people have already started to find loop-holes or just blantantly disreguard the rules. Fraternities have been having more "list" parties because they think lower board (the guys who come in and bust the party who aren't cops) will be too overwhelmed to go around checking everyone's ID's, or be too intimidated by the door men to want to come in. Now, after the break I havn't been to any of these parties because honestly, they're just not my style. Crammed among 50 people grinding on me, spillinig my drink, and making it unbearably hot in that basement does not a good time make. So far I have not heard of any of these parties getting busted and people getting in trouble for under aged drinking, I just want you all to be aware. After these rules have been inforced, I have rediscovered the great art of apartment parties, but to be honest I kinda miss the old ways. If you have noticed any changes, or are just frusturated in the lack of good parties recently, fear not. It's only a matter of time before everyone starts ignoring the rules again.

I need your input!

Hello bloggers!
So a while back I mentioned the annual Purdue Fashion Show. It is a great show put on by student majoring in Apparel Design and Technology. The show is in the spring, but now is about the time of year when things start kicking into fast gear. We have selected our show theme, date, models, and now we are beginning the actual garments. Here are three sketches that I did the other day. I would love your feed back or even just a vote. Please pick 1, 2, or 3! Easy as that! One of these pieces is going to come to life and be walking down the runway this spring!

Green Team

So my last blog about going green was lacking images of all the cool graphic tees that are out for sale these days. I don't know why I feel so passionate about this topic. I think that Purdue over all as a campus needs to become more aware of easy and practical ways to make our earth more environmentally sound. I think an easy example would be with our Exponents. How many times do you walk into a class room and find random papers that have been read through a couple times just lying on the floor. I would guess seven times out of ten those newspapers could easily be recycled. That is such an easy habit to start! One thing I have noticed in my house full of 80 girls is how wasteful we can be. We have water jugs all through our house with paper cups. I don't even want to think about how many cups we go through a day. I for one was noticing that it is too easy to gulp half a glass of agua and then go back for another cup an hour later. A very easy solution is buying a water bottle that I can easily refill when I need to! Here are a few cool tees I found! You can be fashionable while spreading a positive message!

Green in the new black

In fashion black is a timeless color. You always hear about a black suit or a little black dress. It is sliming and looks good on almost anyone. It never goes out of style. But this season black has been given a run for it's money. Green has made it's move, but not just in the fashion scence. In the enviromental scence. Our country is making a big movement to "go green". Efforts include raising awareness of the current environment conditions, getting people to recycle, buying environmental safe bottles and many other examples. Just the other day I was watching some stupid reality show about Kimora Lee Simons, like anyone really know who that is. Anyways she was teaching her children to "go green". She bought them new bed sheets made out of bamboo. They changed all the light bulbs in their house to environmentaly sound light bulbs. Even though I hate random show about "D" list celebrities, I thought this was really cool that they were making a big movement to refashion their house in green. Today I am supporting this movement as I sit here in Panera bread. I am wearing my "Little Green Tee" shirt. For me this is just a little reminder to save my Exponents and dispose of them properly, or to re fill my water bottles instead of getting new one. Just little steps can make a big difference in the long run. So be fashionable and join the trend, Go Green!

Let there be light!

The other evening my friend and I were cruising around Waldron and Russell looking for a parking spot, when I noticed something twinkling in the distance. As we drove a few blocks I saw a beautiful display of Christmas twinkle lights! I was so excited because Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I personally don't think that 25 days before is enough time to enjoy all the wonderful festivities. My friend on the other hand was completely annoyed because it wasn't even Thanksgiving yet.
Maybe my Waldron neighbors just wanted to add a little light to their house since it gets dark out so early. Is that completely tacky that they are decorating so early? I personally think it's tacky when people leave their lights up all year round! Yikes! When is too early to beginning the holiday cheer? My room mates freaked out on me the other day when "Jingle Bell Rock" played as my ring tone. Okay so maybe I am a little too excited for Christmas. I just can't help it. If you go into a store like Target or Macy's you will see Christmas decorations and occasionally hear a little Christmas Carol played over the loud speaker. I am interested to hear what others think about Christmas in November. I for one am so excited for the most wonderful time of the year!

Home, Sweet, Kansas City

Well, as I have recently discovered, none of our 106 class lives more than a few hours away from the Purdue campus. Most of us live either in Indiana, or in the Chicago area. I, on the other hand, live slightly further away... in Kansas City. I live on the Missouri side (yes, most of KC is in MO, but since it has Kansas in the name people just assume I live there) and if you ever say otherwise we might have a problem. Granted, I live about a half a mile away from the state line, but it's still not Kansas! When people talk about Kansas City, they are usually talking about the MO side (it has all the shopping, downtown, cool areas, and tourist attractions), but once again, people like to assume it's the KS side. Being so close to the state line you may ask, "Why all the hostility? Why do you think Kansas sucks more than Missouri?" I'll put it this way, it's like the IU/Purdue rivalry. Both are basically the same, you just have to factor in preference and stubborn opinions.

One thing people don't expect when I tell them where I'm from is how far away it actually is. KC is about 8-9 hours driving distance from Purdue depending on how fast you go and how many stops you make along the way. Contrary to popular belief, flying doesn't make it much better either. Every single time I have flown home out of Indy, my flight has been delayed at least 3 hours. With the hour it takes to get to the airport, the THREE hours you have to wait before you board and take off, the 1.5 hour flight there, going through half hour baggage claim once you get to the KC MCI airport, and then driving the hour home, it ends up taking about the same amount of time to fly home that it does to drive!

On the other hand, that long drive is not something I ever look forward to. I pass a lot, a lot, A LOT of corn fields, and 8 hours of driving can make me uncomfortable, restless, and extremely bored. I have to start finding ways to entertain myself such as listening to music as loud as I can while still being able to sing(scream) over it, occasionally have an in-depth conversation with myself, count the white lines down the center of the road, or keep track of the number of silver cars I pass in 30 minutes. Sounds like a blast, right?

Actually, it is a blast once you finally get there, and I always look forward to/can't hardly wait for the next break to come up (whatever it may be at that time). There are lots of things most people don't know about my beloved KC. First of all, it has the second largest number of fountains in the world (just behind Rome), and is sometimes even called the "City of Fountains." It is also the largest city in Missouri, even thought most people think it's St. Louis.  Secondly, if you ever visit, you must go to the midtown/Westport area. This is where anyone who is between the ages of 15-35 go when they want to have a laid-back lunch or dinner, try unique food ranging anywhere from middle eastern to Ethiopian cuisine, maybe see some art or street performers, and not spend too much money. If you are the type who loves to shop (especially at high-priced designer stores) then the Plaza is the place for you with it's upscale outdoor shopping and entertainment. The shops there span from Lucky and Victoria's Secret, to Tiffany & Co., Dior, and Burberry.  Not only do we have some fab shopping, but we have so much art that sometimes we are unsure of what to do with it all.  Every first Friday of the month we have what we like to call First Fridays (original, I know) where local artists put their work in galleries down in an area known as the Crossroads district.  There's food, live entertainment, and of course great art.  There are 2 main art shows a year (which are much much larger than First Fridays), one at the Plaza, and one in Westport. Both are in the fall and totally worth the chilly September weather.  Lastly, Kansas City is full of so much history!  I won't bore you with all the details, but just know this: it was the site for many civil war battles, we are famous for our bar-b-q and steaks (ahem... the Kansas City strip, anyone?), and we are home to lots of national business headquarters such as H&R Block, Sprint, and Hallmark.

Now that you have the basic rundown of what to do when you arrive, I hope that some of you will at least consider going, and experience it all for yourself.  I also hope that some of you get an idea of why I am so in love with home... and so in HATE with Indiana.  Now I've got myself all excited for the holidays!

Where to Rest the Ride

I don't know why some of my posts have been so transportation oriented lately, but here we go again.  If you have a car on campus, or even have a friend who does, I'm sure you know how hard it is to find a parking space.  A lot of people don't have a parking pass, and have to resort to scavenging for a space that is within a half mile of their domestic or academic location.  Yes, there are parking garages such as the one on Grant St., but at times they can get pricey.  Plus, no one wants to park in a garage for too long.  Someone could break in, key your car, or do god knows what to your precious baby before you return to find her in a state of shambles.  

I am lucky enough to have a parking spot at my sorority house right now, but I know of many others who are forced to park on Waldron or Russell.  Since there are so many people who also find themselves in this situation it can often times get impossible and extremely frusturating when looking for a place to park your little Bessy, but there is nothing.  I live between 5th and 6th streets, and some of my sisters have their cars all the way down by State St.  That's a lot of hassle if all you are looking to do is take a quick trip to Walmart.  

What I want to know is, why won't Purdue spend some of their budget on finding or making some new parking for it's students?  I find it hard to believe that paving a new parking lot somewhere nearby would cost even a substantial fraction of what we spend on sports or their facilities each year.  I'm not taking this time to rag on the athletic department, but I do think there is the money for it out there, they just need to start spending it on things that benefit more people.  If there was more parking offered, game days might not be so hectic and confusing for everyone coming in from out of town, or even from just down the street.  

There is space around the university, but some of it has gone untouched.  The black fields are one option that could be utilized.  I'm not saying all of them, because they are used for sports such as all kinds of intramurals, philanthropies,  and lacrosse.  But using a section closest to campus wouldn't be too devastating considering people tailgate there and park their giant RVs on the grass every time there is a home football game.  Maybe they would like some actual pavement to park their vehicle on.  So come on Purdue, and start working on something we really need: room for our transportation.

Zip It

Since the election there has been much talk and continuous debate about the outcome of that night.  McCain supporters are up in arms because they think our country is going down the crapper.  Obama supporters are celebrating and gloating at the McCain supporters, telling them to get over it and there is nothing they can do about it now.  There are ignorant rants and opinions on both sides, but one that I'm sure a lot of you have heard about is something in the Exponent on Wednesday.  One particular freshman stated that she voted for McCain because she is not "poor and stupid."  I believe that comments like this one are the sole reason that that our country might actually end up with another epic economic fail under our belts.  Instead of harassing one another because of one man they put a "X" next to on a screen on Tuesday, we should focus on how we are all going to change to make where we live the place you want it to be. Instead of claiming you are leaving the country soon, you should focus on yourself  and make an example of what you want others to be like. You might be surprised.  Your positive actions could have more of an impact on people than your negative comments.  

I'm not saying I was for McCain, and I'm not saying I was for Obama.  That's not the point I'm trying to get across here.  All I'm saying is that we will get nowhere if we continue to bicker and argue.  If you want to continue to make yourselves look ignorant then take up writing in a journal because I'm sure I am not the only person who is tired of hearing it.  

Ugg Boots: In or Out?

In the world of fashion this is a very debateable situation. It sounds silly, but did you know that there is Ugg etiquette? I chose to write about these boots, because I have noticed many people on campus sporting Uggs recently. If you don't want to pay over $120 for boots, you can find many knock off brands, which I like to call "Fuggs" (fake uggs). I myself own a pair of "Fuggs" that I found on Alloy.com for half the price! Going back to proper etiqutte, here are a few tips I found to be very beneficial when it comes to wearing boots!

1) In Indiana, Uggs look most practically worn when the temperature is 40 degrees or cooler.

2) If you wish to wear your boots with a skirt or dress, please pair them with leggings or tights.

3) If you are wearing your boots with pants or jeans, tuck them into your boot. Do not roll your pants, it just looks messy.

4) No boots and shorts combo. This is walking the fine line of trashy.

5) Uggs are NOT rainboots. Side note, this is a huge pet peeve of mine. I don't understand how someone can pay over one hundred dollars on boots and then ruin them by wearing them when it rains! They are cloth, they soak up water! Water stains look really bad!

6) White and pastel color boots are out of style. Plus they get dirtier a lot easier!

7) Keep your boots clean! Try the protective spray!

These are just a few tips I found helpful since it is getting cooler out and people are whipping out there Uggs and Fuggs!

Changing Majors

How many of you have changed your major? Some of us maybe even a few times! Many students come to college with an idea of what they want to study and then realize that they couldn't spend the rest of their life with an ocupation in that field. I have many friends who started Undecided as freshman. This seems to be a very popular trend this year as well. I was lucky enough that I knew what I wanted to study when I applied to Purdue. I am also lucky that I have enjoyed my major and continued to stick with it.
I was searching the Exponent website searching for ideas for a topic for this blog when I came across and article that catch my eye. I was immediately attracted to it because it is about a Fashion Designer. Joelle Arondoski graduated from Purdue in 2002 as a fashion designer. That was not her orginal path or intention. She thought she wanted to be an engineer, but soon into the curriculum she realized that engineering was not her passion, fashion was. Arondoski is now a sucessful fashion desinger. She has designed clothing lines for Galyans, had her own accesory company in New York, and now is working for an active wear company in Oregon.
This article really inspired me. Not only because I hope to one day be a fashion designer, but because there are endless opportunities for all of us if we put our mind to it and work hard. I hope this article can also been encouraging for those who are out there still wondering if they are in the right major or are still undecided. I really admire Arondoski for realizing her real passion and pursuing it!