All Good Things Must End

The school year is winding down... well... really is pretty much done for me except for one exam tomorrow... This year has definitely been a journey to say the least. I have more learned about myself and the places I want to go with my life than I could ever imagine I could in a school year. I have made friends I wouldn't have made with out being here this year. I am so glad that this year has gone as somewhat smoothly as it could for me and I am loving every minute of college life, except the dorms.... But all good things must come to an end. Each progressing year of being in the wonderful city of Tuscaloosa, I know, will bring its own perks and downsides but all good things come with new experiences. I am glad to say that I am finally realizing that Tuscaloosa is my home as much as Birmingham will be. My mom gets upset when I say I'm going home and I mean T-Town. I kinda feel bad but she knows what I mean. The next steps are moving into my apartment, finding a person to cut my hair that I like and get a job, then its completely home.

Home for the Birthday!

When I went home for my birthday dinner with the rents and grandrents, things had changed. First off my puppy... not so puppy anymore. I yell at her every time she jumps on someone but I'll let her jump on me when she comes to greet me from where ever I have been, but when I came home she was HUGE!!!!! You know how when puppies are puppies and they can be tall yet skinny? Well, Ivy is as tall as shes most likely going to get but has definitely filled out around the middle... She was not allowed to jump on me when I got to my house and had heels on. I finally realized what my grandparents feel like when they freak out when they come over and Ivy just wants them to pet her (she gets really excited sometimes...). She wasn't the only thing that had changed. I had a really old, was only in my room cause it came off my sisters bed at the beach didnt fit my bed headboard. But for my birthday my mom got me a new, amazing, pretty cloth headboard... and there was a new chair in my room... to fill out the space where my dad had taken my 120 gallon fish tank and stand out of my room and they were trying to fill the emptiness. And the fish tank was in my dads study... its a big difference to look into the rooms and how they're off to me. I also missed being told that we got a new back door... I come home one weekend, before my bday, and we had a new door... thank goodness someone was home because the lock had been changed. Another thing that is in the process of being changed is the lake house my family shares with my God family. The ceilings in the whole downstairs and our den are being redone and were getting new air conditioning. The ceiling in the den is very distinct. Its white with huge dark, wooden beams going up with the diagonalness of the ceiling. The things parents do when their last child is gone is beyond me... I'm just waiting to come home and them telling me that they're moving to Florida.... naw they'd never do that...

Art Museum

The art museum in the Ferg is something that I've noticed but never really looked into. The abuse exhibit was really intense. All of the pieces were really meaningful and had their own story. The artists were mostly those who had been abused before and were recovering. The most memorable ones to me were the series of butterfly ones in the back. It really makes sense because of the morphology that has to take place when overcoming something as traumatic as being abused. Its really sad and overwhelming to think about the things those who have been abused go through and makes me really grateful that I nor no one I am close to has gone through that kind of pain.
But aside from the fact of the pieces in the gallery, its cool that we actually have a place where students and other people can display their art. Its in a prime location for it because there is a lot of traffic throughout that area and it is readily available to students and anyone who goes into the Ferg. It allows people to try to connect with others through their art and it isn't as I guess as hard to get into like some other galleries. If I could paint or anything of the sort I would love to be able to hang my artwork up where I know people would be able to see it.

Parking... boo!!

I have been getting really really frustrated with parking lately. I really just cannot wait until next year when I'm not going to bring my car on campus. There are 6 dorms in my area that are served with one parking lot, a parking deck, and like one fifth of a parking lot behind Somerville and Mallet. It is so rare for me to get a parking spot thats not in the parking deck, and it is a pain to try to get from the parking deck with a bunch of stuff. And at night I don't walk from the deck to the dorm alone. I make one of my friends come let me pick them up and have them go with me to park and walk back. Its stupid. They really need to do something more about better situating the parking or putting up more light around and in the parking lots and deck. There is also a lot of room in front of the dorms to put at least temporary parking until they can figure out something better to do. There are always cars illegally parked outside both buildings of Ridgecrest. Its just so much easier and safer at times but of course you get a $50 ticket for it. It really needs to be handled a lot better than it is. All I can say is that Ridgecrest south is lucky that the university has finally thought of a good plan... a parking deck under the building.

Rush......

I know my sorority has as well as others but preparing for rush in the fall is serious business. There are so many things to do and practice before the week of rush workshop and the week the girls going through rush actually come through the houses. Looking on the other side from last year is a total difference! You really have no idea how much goes into that week until you’re doing it yourself. Everything is so planned out and practiced so much so that it looks like its not that big of a deal to coordinate all the times and songs and how people come in and everything that goes into having there girls in that particular house. The songs and everything is way more thought out that I would have ever imagined. There are also events in the spring that need to be worked out and function properly and Panhellenic weekend to get a sororities name out there. Panhellenic is the biggest and most important time for sororities to really step up their game and let everyone know who they are. And its not only the Panhellenic Association that does the most coordination. The only thing that they provide is the workshop one day out of the weekend to tell the girls who choose to go about every sorority our campus has to offer and to try to prepare them for the week before school they have ahead of them. The rest of the weekend is left up to the sororities. It is there job to offer other entertainment options and meet as many girls as they can before rush actually starts. Just thinking about it now is really taxing because there are so many things that lie ahead that have to do with rush and the preparations are never ending. Its still just amazing to me the things these girls don’t know we do for them. Being in a sorority, I think, is a great thing to do especially on such a big campus. Alabama’s rush is one of the hardest rushes in the country and I think its something to be proud of. The days are long and hard but really to me, in the end its all worth it to find the friends you’ll have for the rest of your life.

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer!

Another well known and very local place I went to eat breakfast was at Rammer Jammer. This place is Alabama full out. They have the Alabama “A” painted on the ground right before you walk in the door and the whole place is red and white. So many people go there to eat. You don’t have your own waiter or waitress but food is brought to you. You walk into the place and go to the counter to order. Youre given a number then you go and sit and wait for your number to be called and the person with your food finds you and there you go. Their food is really good too. My favorite was the hash browns… I guess I just like hash browns everywhere! But they also have more variety than Waysider. Its also bigger and more convenient than Waysider, although I don’t totally mind the trek to get out to Waysider. Its so close to campus and is right next to the stadium. I’m sure a million people go there to eat during football season! Like Waysider, it’s stock full of Alabama memorabilia and still manages to have a homey atmosphere. When we were there my friend pointed out to me one of the Alabama basketball recruiters with what we assumed was a high school basketball player and some other people with them. It’s a really good place to go when you’re up early enough on a weekend or before classes if you want something different to eat than what the Ferg or Lakeside or Burke have. These kinds of restaurants are the ones that make a college town seem less like one.

Alabama campus

The University of Alabama has been around since 1831. It has lasted through a lot, including the Civil War when almost the whole campus was set on fire. There were three buildings that survived: the Presidents Mansion, Gorgas House, the Little Round House, and the Observatory, now known as Maxwell Hall. The Presidents Mansion is still functioning as the Presidents Mansion. The Gorgas House now serves as a museum. The house was given to Gen. Josiah Gorgas when he got sick but before that it was a dinning hall, post office and infirmary. His wife became the university's librarian. The Little Round House was a guard house but now is also called Jason's Shrine which is the Mens Honor Society. It is supposedly haunted. The Mound is where one of the first dorms on campus, Franklin Hall, which was burned down during the Civil War. The Rotunda Plaza is where the original library once stood but was burned down during the Civil War. Denny Chimes is a large bell tower, clearly, that houses 25 bells. It is dedicated to former President of the university, George H. Denny. It was supposed to be a memorial to those who died in WWI but it was abandoned because of lack of funding but was then rededicated. Surrounding the tower are hand and footprints of former Alabama football captains. Foster Auditorium is the site of the "Stand in the School House Door" of George Wallace. There are so many historical places on this campus and its hard to imagine all that this campus has really been through.

SGA Elections

Student Government Elections are kinda a big deal... As they should be. Who we choose to represent us as a whole can have good or bad consequences. If we choose someone who has no idea what they are doing or someone who wont listen to our concerns and what we want cannot be a good thing. Campaigning actually kinda blew me away. Some people go to extremes to get there name out there. Chalking the sidewalks is insane and somewhat distracting. I know I would always walk down the sidewalk and try to read everything that was under my feet... luckily I never ran into anyone or anything. There are so many things that the SGA has to offer in student involvement and can be used as a great platform for students of all grades. Being involved in the SGA can not only open doors for things on and off campus. Those who choose to run for most any elected position have a lot of students supporting them and helping in anyway they can to get their choice elected into office. Those sidewalks can't chalk themselves! The promotion that I saw for almost every candidate was in great numbers. Not only for the chalking but there were also a lot of people passing out stickers and fliers. People wrote on the names of their candidates on their cars and joined groups on facebook and did almost anything they could to show their support. The biggest ad I saw was a car driving around with a huge ad in the bed of their truck that supported Kendra Key. That was big commitment to me right there. The debates were probably the most deciding factor for me though. They really showed what each candidate stood for, what they each wanted to do with their position, and it really showed peoples personalities. No offense to him and to be honest I really don't remember his name, but at the debates, the other guy running for president really proved to me that he was not fit out for the position. Anyone who says that just anyone can be SGA president is not someone that I would want as my SGAs president. I know a lot of people who would not be cut out for that position and it would bring our campus down as a whole. To me, for a president, it needs to be someone who knows how to reach their goals and has the means to do so. Not just anybody can do that. Needless to say, SGA elections cause a great commotion within the student body and as a freshman they have really shown me how important it is to elect someone who you think has the ability to work within the University and city of Tuscaloosa community.

Waysider!! yumm!!!

One of the few things that I actually felt local doing was going to Waysider Dinner. It was so good! If you haven't been there I really suggest going sometime in your college life at Alabama. Its this small little place that really feels homey. When I say small though I mean small. There are probably about 15 or less tables in the whole place and there aren't very many waiters or waitresses either. There are pictures of people that have grown up going there and what not who have gone on to do good things everywhere and newspaper clippings, signed pictures and a lot of Alabama football memorabilia. They also have someone who sells hand made elephants out of the restaurant. Theres a nice little front porch to wait on... There's barely any room inside to wait to pay if there are a lot of people in your group. Its one of those places that if you go in enough someone will call you by your name. The service is also quick. Their biscuits are really good! As well as their pancakes and hash browns. They also have lunch foods but I've never been for lunch. Its really just one of those places that makes you feel like youre home and I absolutely love it!

Kissimmee

Kissimmee, Florida is a totally different place than my home town or Tuscaloosa. The transition from home to Tuscaloosa wasn't too too different in the way that people go, especially being in the greek system. Most of the guys and girls at my high school just look like fratty guys and greek girls. But there are so many different things that go on down there. For one definitely there is a more variety not only from all of the tourists for Disney, Universal and Sea World, but also because there are so many different people that come from different places that actually live there. There are a lot of latin people. Almost everywhere we went someone was speaking Spanish. It was actually quite annoying.. not to be prejudice or anything.. its just so different to me and yeah I'm nosey and like to know what people are talking about sometimes. I do come from a small community and there aren't many minorities, so going to a place that was completely the opposite of what I grew up with was just a totally different experience for me. Even in Tuscaloosa I haven't seen as much diversity as I did there. I saw more people who talked different, looked different, acted different and dressed different in the same area than really I've ever really noticed. I've been to New York and Chicago and other Northern places that do have a lot of diversity, but there were just too many people there and so many more clearly tourists than the people that were in the malls and less touristy places in Kissimmee and Orlando. Their schools have a ton of gang problems and things like that, things that my school never really had. Their schools also had different sports. I went to my first water polo game while I was there and it was quite interesting. My roommate had told me about it and what not but I never really understood what it was like until I saw it. The houses are also very different. They have a lot more secluded neighborhoods than I've seen and all the houses are totally identical. Even in different areas they're all the same. To say the least this trip was definitely an adventure for me... and totally shows how small and alike my community really is.

troubles at the health center

First off as I'm sure everyone feels, being sick sucks. Its totally different being sick at college and being sick at home. Don't lie.. you all know you love having mommy around to make you feel better. Dealing with the student health center when you are sick, I imagine, is a really bad experience. I usually just end up going home if I don't feel good or what not... I will not go to the health center. But I did try to go when I had a rash and that failed miserably. I called ahead and asked if I could make an appointment and was denied. The receptionist just told me to come in and I'll be seen. That was a bad idea. I walked in the door and was amazed at how many sick people were actually there. I know, duh, its a doctors office but I still did not think there would be that many people there. Everyone around me was coughing and looking absolutely miserable. When i found out that it would be a 2 hour wait, I left. I was just really mad that they wouldn't let me get an appointment. I didn't understand why. I would think that the health center would try their best to not have so many patients so why would they not let someone who is not sick get an appointment. It also just really sucks for the people who really are sick and have to wait for hours in a lobby to be seen and have the possibility of getting medicine to feel better. But the other time I went to the health center it was so much better. I had cut my finger when my fishbowl broke in my hand and I called to make sure they would see me ASAP cause you know I was bleeding pretty badly but had wrapped my finger. They told me that they would and when I got there I walked into the back right after I signed in. I was impressed with the quickness for that situation, and yeah I was bleeding and what not but I still don't understand why I could be seen so quickly then and not even make an appointment before. In the end I just realized if I'm ever sick enough to need a doctor, I'm calling mommy to come get me.

English Adventures!!

Last semester I found out about the Natural History Museum and decided to go in with two of my friends. It amazed me then and amazed me when I went in a second time the things that Alabama has! Seeing a bear in your face when you walk in the front door is something very different! My favorite thing about the museum was the big turtle shell they have, and if i wasn't so bad at keeping up with blogs I probably could tell you exactly what it is... But anyways... The weirdest thing I saw in the museum was the meteor that hit that person! That is really one of the most unlikely things that could happen to someone. I was just really surprised at the artifacts they actually have here on campus.
I really liked the C.S.I. stuff they had shown upstairs too. One of my favorite shows is C.S.I. and even though thats not really how it works all the time and its everything is just made to look cool, but its fun to see some of the actual things that they do. My chemistry teacher used to be a forensic scientist and always tells us stories about the interesting cases hes worked on that are kind of tied to chemistry. Although I am going off on a tangent, everyone I talk to about my chemistry teacher I say the same thing... Im going to know how to make a meth lab by the end of the year. Clearly hes not going to tell us how to make a meth lab or encouraging it because he tells us all the bad things that happen like people blowing up, but a lot of the things we talk about somehow link to a chemical reaction or a metal or something that you need or happens when you make meth. I just think its really funny but he means well!!
BUT! Upstairs with the C.S.I. exhibit there was a shrunken head which actually creep me out... I knew that they were real heads but I never really knew how they did it, and again since I waited to do my blogs I forgot exactly how they did it but just remember that I really don't want it done to me.
The last thing that I think about when I think about the museum is the time line thats in front. I'm not positive that its part of the museum but I would assume that it has something to do with the museum. Its a time line of earth from beginning to end. It goes through millions of years and really gives you perspective of where humans lie in the order of things and how little we have actually been a part of the environment. As corny as that sounds its just weird to think about how short of a time we've been around. I got a kick out of really looking around the museum and knowing what was in it.

Bryant Museum

As everyone knows, being a student of the University of Alabama, you need to know about football. The fall is really not known as fall but as football season. Being on campus during a game lets you really see how dedicated Alabama's fans really are. I have been an Alabama fan for my entire life and have been coming to games for as long as I can remember, but until I went to the Bryant Museum I had only heard of but not really seen all the reasons Alabama football is as traditional as it is. A MAJOR part of Crimson Tide tradition is Paul "Bear" Bryant. you cannot be a student or even be near the University and not know who Bryant is. He is the epitome of southern football and the figure that keeps Alabama football through some of its worst times. One of the main things I noticed at the museum was the the change in style not only of the players and the pictures but also the feeling of the museum as you moved past Bear Bryant's era. The museum really does a lot to show all of the memorable and exciting moments in Bama football history. Although Robin thought it was the weirdest thing in the museum, I thought the glass sculpture of Bears hat was really cool. I also loved the red phone sitting on Bryant's desk; its very fitting. Football is one of the things that this University thrives on and something that can bond strangers instantaneously. Man, I can't wait until the fall!!!!

I have been coming to Tuscaloosa ever since I can remember. It's weird to me that something that should be so familiar is really quite foreign... When I am on campus, I feel at home, like I belong, but when I leave, it's a different story.
The city that I'm from is actually a very small city/ suburb. We have a town hall and jail(that no one ever really stays in...) and things like that but most everyone i know from my area just says they're from Birmingham. This area is the local I'm used to. Everyone knows everyones business and we have a "mommy mafia" who are the queens of gossip, but everyone is very open. Not everyone locks all there doors and with most of my friends, I let myself in. But here is totally different. I dont totally feel safe all the time, I dont know everyone around me, I dont know a lot of whats beyond campus. To me this is what local is... knowing and feeling comfortable where you are. Don't get me wrong, I love being here and wouldn't change it for the world... It's just getting use to and getting to know a completely different city. I would love and am going to try to do my best to get to know the Tuscaloosa area better, but since my home is just 45 minutes away, it's not going too well because most of the time I just go home for certain things I need that I dont know where to get here.
There are also things that I miss about home like the local family grocery stores that when you walk in you see about 10 people you know, and pretty much just going places and not feeling alienated or like a visitor. I guess just where I'm going with this is that the local that I am used to and the local I've been thrown into are totally different and Tuscaloosa just doesn't seem to be the kind of local that comes with home.