The campus is in high spirits as we all celebrate this beautiful winter wonderland and the start of block break! Already there are students setting up rails for snowboarding outside of Mathias and the Fairy Club has constructed a snowman on the Slocum quad. We have all completed our second block of the year and us freshman have finished up our First Year Experience course. It definitely flew by!
Looking back at my first two blocks at CC, the one thing that has really driven me is being involved! At the activities fair in block 1 I found myself signing up for everything because it all looked so interesting. I returned from my 10-day field trip to find my mail box flooded with e-mails from all sorts of organizations. I was super overwhelmed, but decided to throw myself in to as much as I could.
In the past two blocks I have regularly attended ORC meetings. With the ORC, I’ve been on day hikes, gone to a party in the woods, visited the sand dunes, signed up for a leader training trip for spring break, and gone on an amazing beginning kayaking trip. I am now working as an educational liason intern for Libby Bushell’s organization HoWL. I’ve also hiked the incline twice! I’ve been involved in Farm Club and helping to plan for the upcoming Green and Bluegrass festival. I’ve learned how to lead work days and helped to build the cobb oven. I love the farm and it’s so nice to take a study break and harvest some fresh veggies!
I am a new member of SOSS and look forward to working with the organization. Check out our flashy gold bulletin board that I helped to set up in Worner. I’ve been to student led yoga in Cossitt and an African Dance class during first block. I’ve picked up some great new moves from Salsa Club on Thursday nights. I’ve been to a zen class in the Olin Fishbowl and went to a spiritual finger painting session at the Interfaith House. I went to the amazing premier of the rescue for Invisible Children and am hoping to make Invisible Children t-shirts because I have open studio for fiber arts next block. I took a batik adjunct second block and made spirit animal batiks for all of my friends from home.
I am working with the North Boys Mentoring group and have been to several meetings with the boys. I will get my mentee assignment next block and I’m really looking forward to developing a closer relationship with one of the boys. I’ve been making bracelets for Knots for Nets. The bracelets are sold in the bookstore and different stores in downtown Colorado Springs and the proceeds go to buying nets for areas afflicted with malaria.
Sometimes it seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day for all of this, but the block plan really puts an emphasis on my time management skills. My class ended at noon every day and from then on it was up to me how I spent my time. I’ve met so many great people from different organizations and activities. I love it here and I love my hectic crazy schedule. Now I am going to pack for my block break trip to Southern Colorado. I’m going with the ORC to hike around searching for wild horses, visit hot springs, and camp out in a yurt that CC students built this summer! I’m really excited, but due to the wintery conditions I better start packing lots of layers. I hope everyone has a great block break!
