Monday, July 2, 2012
Financial Aid
Why, yes. It is costing me $0.00 to go to my university this year (if you don't count the loans, that is...) and I can actually pick up a check for the excess funds that are given to me in my financial aid package this year! That check is going straight into my savings account.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Fail
I've pretty much failed at keeping this blog updated with my life over the past 6 months. It's been a ridiculously busy past few months for me and I just haven't found the time to dedicate to blogging. This blog has also gone through yet another URL change. But this one will stick for quite some time, I promise.
So, let's do a quick recap of the past 6 months...
I got back from studying abroad, had a crazy semester full of choir, work, school, meetings, etc. I wasn't really happy to be back; I missed being in Vienna and traveling every other weekend and experiencing new things all the time. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't used to being back in the States until after Spring Break (mid to late March) and even then, I was just pummeled by work all the time. Of course, I loved being with friends and having a steady flow of income again, but I missed everything else about studying abroad. I took a lot of number-related classes this Spring and that's something I'm definitely not used to. But I got through it all, even if it was an uphill battle with some decent-sized obstacles.
This coming year is my senior year and it'll probably be a crazy one at that. In April, I was hired as the Human Resources & Marketing Manager of Diversions Café. I am so excited. So far, the job has already proven to be quite an experience and I'm learning a lot as I go. I love this café, it's been such a huge part of my college life. It's literally where I do everything - work, study, eat, socialize, and even the occasional nap. I'm looking forward to training all the new hires in August; I'm excited for all of them to start working at the café. In addition to being a café manager, I was also hired as the ASUPS Cultural Events Programmer for this coming year. Some of the work for that position has already begun and everything I do in this position will be a learning experience.
I'm excited to take on both of these positions, but I'm also a little nervous about my lack of free time. I don't know if I'll continue DJing for KUPS this year because I don't know if I'll have the time. It's something that I've loved doing since freshman year, but it might be something I have to cut out because of my other commitments. Completely taking out singing was already a huge thing for me...I guess we'll see what happens. There are just so many things I enjoy doing at Puget Sound and I hate having to limit my activities. But, I know I need to do it in order to focus more on the big things and excel as best I can. I just wish I had more time to spend here, to take all the random classes I want to take, be involved in every little thing that I've been interested in, and just take my time. But, somehow, senior year has creeped up on me and I'm realizing that I don't have the time to do everything that I'd like to do. Oh well, I'll just have to give it my all and enjoy senior year while it lasts - I know it's going to fly by.
Anyway, I'm spending most of this summer in Tacoma working at Diversions and on ASUPS programming. I also need to seriously work on my application for the Fulbright and Watson Fellowships...Oh, I guess I haven't mentioned that on here, yet. I'm hoping to apply for a few fellowships for post-graduation plans in South America. I just need to get my act together and really do them. In late May, I returned to intern at the Ojai Music Festival (remember when I blogged about my first internship there way back in 2010?). It was so much fun and I loved being there again! A lot of the interns from my first year were there and it was great catching up with them and getting to know each other better. It was another amazing Festival and I enjoyed seeing a different side of it - I was the Special Events Intern this time. I finished up in Ojai last Thursday and came back down to Los Angeles that afternoon.
Now, I'm home until I go back to Tacoma on Saturday evening. Then, I need to finish unpacking my life and officially move into my new house! Tacoma is constantly turning into more of a home for me; it'll be weird to leave it in a year...if I leave? Who knows what the future holds. I don't know if I'm too concerned, as long as I can find a steady job.
Okay, I think this post is long enough to suffice as a "quick" update. Hopefully I update this blog more often this year. But, like I said, this is going to be a very very busy year, so don't hold your breath!
Until the next time I have a few free moments,
Madeleine
So, let's do a quick recap of the past 6 months...
I got back from studying abroad, had a crazy semester full of choir, work, school, meetings, etc. I wasn't really happy to be back; I missed being in Vienna and traveling every other weekend and experiencing new things all the time. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't used to being back in the States until after Spring Break (mid to late March) and even then, I was just pummeled by work all the time. Of course, I loved being with friends and having a steady flow of income again, but I missed everything else about studying abroad. I took a lot of number-related classes this Spring and that's something I'm definitely not used to. But I got through it all, even if it was an uphill battle with some decent-sized obstacles.
This coming year is my senior year and it'll probably be a crazy one at that. In April, I was hired as the Human Resources & Marketing Manager of Diversions Café. I am so excited. So far, the job has already proven to be quite an experience and I'm learning a lot as I go. I love this café, it's been such a huge part of my college life. It's literally where I do everything - work, study, eat, socialize, and even the occasional nap. I'm looking forward to training all the new hires in August; I'm excited for all of them to start working at the café. In addition to being a café manager, I was also hired as the ASUPS Cultural Events Programmer for this coming year. Some of the work for that position has already begun and everything I do in this position will be a learning experience.
I'm excited to take on both of these positions, but I'm also a little nervous about my lack of free time. I don't know if I'll continue DJing for KUPS this year because I don't know if I'll have the time. It's something that I've loved doing since freshman year, but it might be something I have to cut out because of my other commitments. Completely taking out singing was already a huge thing for me...I guess we'll see what happens. There are just so many things I enjoy doing at Puget Sound and I hate having to limit my activities. But, I know I need to do it in order to focus more on the big things and excel as best I can. I just wish I had more time to spend here, to take all the random classes I want to take, be involved in every little thing that I've been interested in, and just take my time. But, somehow, senior year has creeped up on me and I'm realizing that I don't have the time to do everything that I'd like to do. Oh well, I'll just have to give it my all and enjoy senior year while it lasts - I know it's going to fly by.
Anyway, I'm spending most of this summer in Tacoma working at Diversions and on ASUPS programming. I also need to seriously work on my application for the Fulbright and Watson Fellowships...Oh, I guess I haven't mentioned that on here, yet. I'm hoping to apply for a few fellowships for post-graduation plans in South America. I just need to get my act together and really do them. In late May, I returned to intern at the Ojai Music Festival (remember when I blogged about my first internship there way back in 2010?). It was so much fun and I loved being there again! A lot of the interns from my first year were there and it was great catching up with them and getting to know each other better. It was another amazing Festival and I enjoyed seeing a different side of it - I was the Special Events Intern this time. I finished up in Ojai last Thursday and came back down to Los Angeles that afternoon.
Now, I'm home until I go back to Tacoma on Saturday evening. Then, I need to finish unpacking my life and officially move into my new house! Tacoma is constantly turning into more of a home for me; it'll be weird to leave it in a year...if I leave? Who knows what the future holds. I don't know if I'm too concerned, as long as I can find a steady job.
Okay, I think this post is long enough to suffice as a "quick" update. Hopefully I update this blog more often this year. But, like I said, this is going to be a very very busy year, so don't hold your breath!
Until the next time I have a few free moments,
Madeleine
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Seeing Red
What is this stigma that has been created around menstrual cycles? Why does it exist? It seems as though women are constantly ashamed of their periods and society continuously tells us to be embarrassed by them. I can't count the number of times I've tried to "hide" the fact that I'm going to the bathroom to change my tampon, or secretly handed a friend a tampon underneath a table, or slipped it in her bag, or whispered in her ear asking if she has a tampon. And I can't count the number of times that my friends have done the same to me. With something as natural as a period, why is everyone so embarrassed by it?
In the United States, women make up 50.8% of the population. That means that more than half of the population in the United States has (or will have, or used to have) a period. A period is one of the most common and normal things that a woman's body does. I just don't understand why we're constantly being told to hide it and to be embarrassed by it.
I'm not embarrassed anymore. Who cares? Yea, I have a period. Once a month. Every month. So do most of the women you know. Shocker. Don't act so surprised when you see me (or any other woman) carrying around a tampon...or two or three. I'm not trying to hide it anymore. Even if the cashier at my university's bookstore asks me if I want "a little bag for that" every time I buy a box of tampons. The answer is "no, thanks" I'm not trying to hide anything and I don't care for the judgmental looks.
In the United States, women make up 50.8% of the population. That means that more than half of the population in the United States has (or will have, or used to have) a period. A period is one of the most common and normal things that a woman's body does. I just don't understand why we're constantly being told to hide it and to be embarrassed by it.
I'm not embarrassed anymore. Who cares? Yea, I have a period. Once a month. Every month. So do most of the women you know. Shocker. Don't act so surprised when you see me (or any other woman) carrying around a tampon...or two or three. I'm not trying to hide it anymore. Even if the cashier at my university's bookstore asks me if I want "a little bag for that" every time I buy a box of tampons. The answer is "no, thanks" I'm not trying to hide anything and I don't care for the judgmental looks.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Singing
Watching people perform always makes me want to sing more. There are moments when I realize how large of a role music has played in my life. Sometimes, I miss my voice lessons - and then I realize how ridiculously busy I am and that there is no way I could keep up with lessons, if I had them, this semester. Next year will be a strange year. It will be the first time that I won't be singing in choir or taking private lessons since...well, since I can remember. Wow, I just realized that I have always been singing. Whether it be my grade school/high school choirs, the Los Angeles Children's Chorus, musical theatre productions, or private lessons, I literally haven't gone more than several months without singing in a formal setting. The longest I've gone without it was this past year, from the beginning of summer until the beginning of this semester in January, and that time away from music made me realize how much I really do enjoy it. There's just no way my schedule can handle the commitment next year and that's kind of sad. Let's see how this goes.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Just What I Needed
This song is a classic - it's so good on so many levels. I really don't feel like I need to justify that statement.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Neverever - Wedding Day by Slumberland Records
Neverever - Wedding Day by Slumberland Records
Just found this band's music while jumping around on the internet. It's pretty good stuff. LA natives!
Just found this band's music while jumping around on the internet. It's pretty good stuff. LA natives!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Wowzers
It's been quite a while since I've updated this and it seems to have been a pretty dead month on the readership-side of things, too. Sorry 'bout it.
Over all, this has been an insane semester. Taking 3 math-based classes along with a very....factually-based class has been pretty interesting for me and the math is uncomfortably out of my element. On the extra-curricular side of things, I had planned to take it easy this semester as a way to somewhat ease myself back into the Puget Sound lifestyle. However, that definitely did not happen. It seems as if I had to hit the ground running once school started back up. In addition to working at the cafe again, I'm still serving as the Events Coordinator for the Student Alumni Association, singing in Dorians, DJ-ing for KUPS, and am an active member of Sigma Alpha Iota (don't worry, it's not a sorority). Somehow, I managed to become even more active on and off campus by joining ASUPS Senate as Junior Class Senator and volunteering with Kids 4 Music at McCarver Elementary. I feel lke I've been running all over the place this entire semester, scheduling meetings, going to work, attending events, and squeezing in just enough time to get to classes on time and [maybe] finish all that homework... To say the least, it's been a busy semester.
Every so often, I find myself browsing through pictures from last semester and reminiscing on my time in Vienna. Being abroad definitely changed me and I came back with a different perspective on what I want for my future. Strangely enough, I'm afraid that I've started to lose a little bit of that. I feel that the longer I'm here, the more I find myself falling back into the same routines that I had set for myself before I was abroad. It's not a bad thing, it's just different from what I wanted when I first came back from Vienna. I don't want to lose that, though. I keep reminding myself of how I felt and what I realized while I was gone and that I need to keep that all in mind. I don't want the same old same old anymore.
Anyway, wow...this post took an interesting turn I was not expecting it to take when I first sat down to type it up.
So.....awkward transition riiiiight now.
Being back at KUPS has been great, I love having a radio show and I'm so glad to be back on air. Listen to Afternoon Delight every Thursday afternoon at 3pm!
Unfortunately, our playlist software shtufff isn't working right now, so you can't see our playlists via the KUPS website. So, because I've had a few people asking me about my playlists, I've decided that I'm gonna go back to the old-fashioned method of giving them to you by posting them up here - this is how my blog was started! Every week, I'll post my new playlist up here! I'll probably include some other little spiel with the playlists talking about something music-related. After all, this is supposed to be a music blog, right?
Back on track -
Here's the playlist from yesterday!
1. Andrew Bird
Dark Matter
2. The Raveonettes
Recharge & Revolt
3. Tennis
My Better Self
4. Lana Del Rey
Video Games
5. Feist
Monarch
6. Cate Le Bon
Falcon Eyed
7. Memoryhouse
Heirloom
8. Plants and Animals
Lightshow
9. Damien Jurado
Nothing is the News
10. Goldfinch
Elephant
*Local Band from Tacoma, WA
11. Human Highway
The Sound
12. Dinosaur Feather
I Ni Sogoma
13. Hospitality
Betty Wang
And there you have it! I hope you all enjoy this playlist and if you didn't listen in this week, DO IT next Thursday at 3pm!
Currently listening to:
Queen
Somebody to Love
MadDawg
Over all, this has been an insane semester. Taking 3 math-based classes along with a very....factually-based class has been pretty interesting for me and the math is uncomfortably out of my element. On the extra-curricular side of things, I had planned to take it easy this semester as a way to somewhat ease myself back into the Puget Sound lifestyle. However, that definitely did not happen. It seems as if I had to hit the ground running once school started back up. In addition to working at the cafe again, I'm still serving as the Events Coordinator for the Student Alumni Association, singing in Dorians, DJ-ing for KUPS, and am an active member of Sigma Alpha Iota (don't worry, it's not a sorority). Somehow, I managed to become even more active on and off campus by joining ASUPS Senate as Junior Class Senator and volunteering with Kids 4 Music at McCarver Elementary. I feel lke I've been running all over the place this entire semester, scheduling meetings, going to work, attending events, and squeezing in just enough time to get to classes on time and [maybe] finish all that homework... To say the least, it's been a busy semester.
Every so often, I find myself browsing through pictures from last semester and reminiscing on my time in Vienna. Being abroad definitely changed me and I came back with a different perspective on what I want for my future. Strangely enough, I'm afraid that I've started to lose a little bit of that. I feel that the longer I'm here, the more I find myself falling back into the same routines that I had set for myself before I was abroad. It's not a bad thing, it's just different from what I wanted when I first came back from Vienna. I don't want to lose that, though. I keep reminding myself of how I felt and what I realized while I was gone and that I need to keep that all in mind. I don't want the same old same old anymore.
Anyway, wow...this post took an interesting turn I was not expecting it to take when I first sat down to type it up.
So.....awkward transition riiiiight now.
Being back at KUPS has been great, I love having a radio show and I'm so glad to be back on air. Listen to Afternoon Delight every Thursday afternoon at 3pm!
Unfortunately, our playlist software shtufff isn't working right now, so you can't see our playlists via the KUPS website. So, because I've had a few people asking me about my playlists, I've decided that I'm gonna go back to the old-fashioned method of giving them to you by posting them up here - this is how my blog was started! Every week, I'll post my new playlist up here! I'll probably include some other little spiel with the playlists talking about something music-related. After all, this is supposed to be a music blog, right?
Back on track -
Here's the playlist from yesterday!
1. Andrew Bird
Dark Matter
2. The Raveonettes
Recharge & Revolt
3. Tennis
My Better Self
4. Lana Del Rey
Video Games
5. Feist
Monarch
6. Cate Le Bon
Falcon Eyed
7. Memoryhouse
Heirloom
8. Plants and Animals
Lightshow
9. Damien Jurado
Nothing is the News
10. Goldfinch
Elephant
*Local Band from Tacoma, WA
11. Human Highway
The Sound
12. Dinosaur Feather
I Ni Sogoma
13. Hospitality
Betty Wang
And there you have it! I hope you all enjoy this playlist and if you didn't listen in this week, DO IT next Thursday at 3pm!
Currently listening to:
Queen
Somebody to Love
MadDawg
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