It's Dang Hot!

This snapshot of the weather forecast was taken this morning around 7 before I left for class.... believe me, it got much hotter....

Rain clouds skirted the campus today, but not a drop fell. Humidity, however, ensued.

Public Transportation + Rain = Ughhhh.

And that sums up my Sunday.

The rest of the weekend, however, went fairly well- my sister had a great time, and I made sure to keep her busy.
Friday was packed with things to do- we attended Shabbat services at Hillel, then visited friends of Jewish community on campus (who work closely with ChabadUM? I'm not sure...) for yet another Shabbat dinner- this time consisting of really good chinese food. Not that I don't absolutely love Hillel dinners, but I'll always have a weak spot for lo mein.
After dinner (which started around 7 and ended around 10:30), we got ready to go out for the night. We made a quick stop by the UGlow party held at the Rat and then went out with some of my floormates.

Saturday we were supposed to wake up early and go see my roomie's regatta- but alas, we woke up late. It's a real shame, too, because the U kicked some butt and earned first place. =D The sister and I used the HurryCane shuttle to get to Sunset Place for some shopping, then walked back. We stopped by the C-store for some dinner, then went back to the dorms and lazed around for the rest of the night.

OH, and our Ricky Martin 6th sense was a complete and absolute epic fail. It was actually Premio Lo Nuestro 2009 that was being held at the BUC. Some lucky students (by some means or another) found themselves on the red carpet and at the event itself.

I'm not familiar with the girl on the left, but the dude is definitely Wilmer Valderrama.

Enough procrastinating, back to facing the menace that is known as Monday...

How Could I Forget?! Marriage on the Rock!

No, not on the rocks, as in leading to divorce, but THE rock- the central meeting place on campus.

The Annual Marriage on the Rock (which sources tell me is nationwide) is a peaceful demonstration in support of marriage equality across America. They held ceremonies in which anyone could be 'married'- roommates, friends, classmates, couples. They had photographers, wedding cake, and even ringpops to top it off. It had to be one of the sweetest things I've seen in a while, and I'm so glad UM is a campus where people are free to express themselves. =)

While I was stuck in class, my two friends Meredith and Alec were 'married':

All you need is love =)

The Real College Experience... Part 4

This post will be kind of short- but no worries, the next one concerns weekend to-dos, so be prepared for quite a long blog.

"does miami have gym facilities? the other schools im looking at have free weight rooms and gyms available to students, and while it might say online, i haven't found this info."

Yes! We have a GREAT gym- a huge track, outside / indoor courts, olympic sized pool, sauna, racket ball courts, cardio area and equipment, classrooms, etc. I'm not athlete and even I can appreciate it. One of the greatest things about Freshmen being concentrated in Hecht / Stanford is that they're right next to the gym, and this can help create the habit of going more frequently (those Freshmen 15 pounds are real and out to get you- take my word for it). While some of the classes may charge a small fee, all of the equipment and practice areas are free of charge. I've found that after a particularly stressful day, there's nothing like going for a run around the track on the second floor to get those endorphins flowing. That is, until I start wheezing and complaining because I'm so out of shape. But nevertheless, it's a great resource available to students from sunrise to midnight.

Fridays are better because Ricky Martin says so.

There's no equation to prove this, but I'm forming a strong theory.


Yesterday, as every Tuesday and Thursday are for me, was crazy busy. Maybe it was the fact that I had a couple of quizes, a few paintings, and some writing assignments due that made it feel particularly jam packed. This might also be influenced by the fact that I can't find my floor under the massive mess I've created since the end of spring break- just another thing on my very long to-do list!

After this particularly exhausting day (which was actually quite beautiful- it's such a shame I had to spend the majority of it inside) I decided I had to find my way off campus for a bit to unwind. A bunch of floormates and I decided to go to the movies and began our venture to the shuttle stop closest to Hecht.
As we walked outside, we began to notice something was very different- there were limos. A lot of limos. And tour buses. Very big tour buses. Not to mention the surplus of barracades, policemen, and flashing lights. We deducted (by some method or another) that it was the 2009 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Someone swore they felt the presence of Ricky Martin, and I find that good enough evidence (although there are no websites reporting this event...). Yes, sixth sense of Ricky Martin should be good enough evidence for just about anything (see above).

The HurryCane shuttle picked us up not much after our Ricky Martin proposition, and we headed towards Sunset Place (every Thursday is student night- you can't go wrong for $7 a ticket). We were a few minutes late to the movie (I Love You Man), but I'm pretty sure no one ever misses anything all too crucial in the first five minutes of a romantic comedy. Once the movie was over (awesome, by the way- totes mgoats.) we picked up the HurryCane once again and returned to campus. While others prepared for a night out at the grove, I headed straight towards bed.

As for this weekend, my kid sister is coming to visit for a few days. I'm determined for her to have the classic weekend here- there's Shabbat for dinner, a Glow Party at the Rat, and tons of other festivities to enjoy.
I've just got to make sure I clean up my room.... finding the floor could turn out to be extremely useful.


Have a good weekend!

Just finished CollegeWeek Live...

I walked in not knowing what I was getting myself into! All in all it was fun, I'm a bit awkward and clumsy when it comes to things of that nature but I hope I was able to help everyone.
Most of the questions were respectful and related, which I'm happy to see- definitely gave me some ideas for future bloggings. =)

I've been sucked into the Tweetmosphere.

Oy vey.

I tweet.

Still not sure what it means, but I do it.

At least I think I do.


I feel really old for not adapting quickly to the newest form of communication via internet.

The Real College Experience... Part 3

"miami has built a reputation as a big time party school, yet princeton review hasn't been placing it as high on the lists anymore. how much partying really goes on there?"

After I had received my admission to both UM and UF, our local news channel decided to do a report on the biggest party school. I was nervous because I knew UM had a 'reputation', and with my parents watching, I didn't want them to think that I should go to UF instead. Luckily, UF got the top billing.

As for here at UM, there are rarely parties on campus- very rarely. Occassionally a frat will hold a party in one of the suites (for St. Patty's day or the like), but that's it. These parties are registered and the UMPD are always down the road to ensure a safe night.
And as for dorm partying? Not here- but who would want to party in a tiny dorm room?

As for off campus.... it's Miami. And just a word to the wise concerning any shin-digs; Miami police don't play around. Do something stupid and irresponsible- or simply find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time- and you will pay for it. Your RA will know, your RC will know, and your parents will know, so make sure to use the brain that got you into UM in the first place!

You'll quickly discover who throws the best house parties and whose are always broken up by the cops at midnight- but thats another story.

If you're not into house parties and the sort, there are clubs in Coconut Grove and SoBe, as well as hangout spots such as Hookah bars. It goes without saying, however, that the majority of places are strictly 21+. When you arrive on campus, the UMPD will remind you that fake I.D.'s are a federal offense in Florida- this will follow you through all of your job interviews years after college, so I'd do yourself a favor and just wait a few years (better safe than sorry).

I'm pretty good at following all of the rules, and I have a blast going out with my friends every weekend- there's always somewhere to go and something to do. :-)

There's nothing wrong with enjoying college- just be smart about it!

The Real College Experience... Part 2

Although I couldn't post these entries during Spring Break (*shakes fist at Comcast*), I was able to work on them a bit.

As for the first segment of the original message I received:

"...number of attractive girls? (i realize you're a girl, but girls don't seem to have a problem with judging how hot other girls are, much unlike guys)...."

I don't always actually laugh out loud when I say LOL, but I definitely did with this one.
Let me just put it this way- Miami is known for its beautiful people for a reason, and UM students just seem to have a glow about them.
A glow of awesomeness.

Seriously though- check out the Sunsations.

I'm pretty sure that's what you're talking about, correct?

And if you see a great looking person on campus, you can bet they've got the looks and the brains- not a bad combination.

Spring Break

During spring break, many students traveled to nearby tropical getaways (such as the Bahamas) or stayed in Miami to enjoy the sights and sounds.

For some reason I decided to go home- not sure why, but I've learned my lesson. Being stuck in an empty town with no internet is not how I want to spend my time off next year!
In all seriousness, however, it wasn't too bad- I was able to catch up on some much needed sleep, enjoy the beach, hang out with some old friends, and ignore my homework quite efficiently.

As always, it's great to be back at the U- despite the papers due, projects to complete, and assignments to finish.

To officially end spring break festivities, some friends and I found our way to Miracle Mile for dinner at Benihana's. The cab took forever to pick us up, took us to Merrick Park instead, and we had to wait almost 2 hours for dinner, but it was fun all the same. The food was great and there was tons of it, and the habbachi dining was an awesome experience. The dude even flipped shrimp into his hat- pretty impressive. That being said, I won't be spending that much on dinner again.... at least not for a LONG time.

As promised, I did work on answering the rest of those questions sent to me- the posts will be coming up shortly.

The REAL College Experience... Part 1

I got a message asking me to truthfully evaluate the U- beyond the brochures and website.

It reminds me of a poster we have hanging up in one of the offices-

It makes me laugh each time I see it- mainly because it's so true. The poster, as well as the message, give me a great chance to tell you what to REALLY expect. I'll answer it in parts, because the questions bring up many layers that should be given the chance to answer fully.

Let us begin with the beginning... seems like the obvious thing to do, right?

"so the website and the welcome guides can say what they want, but it's basically the same thing everyone else says: our college is nice, kids have fun, come here.if you wouldn't mind, could you please tell me what the truth about the university of miami is? the stuff that they don't put in the brochures?"

I wanted the same kind of information when I was debating whether to go to UM or UF- sometimes it's difficult to evaluate what kind of experience you'll really have.  Quite honestly, I hated receiving those sugar-coated answers; they're generic and are always in the confines of being politically correct.

Just some starting points:

- One of the main points that is pushed about the U is how diverse the student population; and this is true.... in some senses.  We have students from various US states and many other countries, but it's mainly white-collar students (as opposed to blue-collared).  At first I thought this would have a big impact, but in the end the only thing it changes is how much of the cab fare you have to pay when with some friends.  I'll admit that it was a bit of a culture shock to me when I saw girls spending $150 on flip flops every other weekend, but everything is a learning experience.

- On a related note.... it's expensive here, regardless of scholarships.  Books, supplies, food, and fun all cost money at some point in time.  I've come to find that being able to budget yourself is very important.  This may be why I work two jobs.

- People here really do have a general crush on President Shalala- I know I'm not speaking for myself, because everyone stops and stares and pretty much bows down in front of her when they are graced with her presence.

- This school DOES offer challenging classes; that's why it's ranked higher than many others. Just be aware that a 101 class is definitly easier than a 232.... and sometimes easier isn't always better. Figure out where you belong, and you'll enjoy the academic side (yes, it does exist) to this college business much more.

That should get us off to a good start.

And if you were wondering-

As for the frisbee throwing that you so often see in various college ads,

that actually does happen.

Frequently.

I'm Very Conflicted About This Matter of "Tweeting"

Should I get a Twitter?

Or, more importantly, should I figure out how Twitter works? Because I don't know- not even in the most basic sense. Something about facebook status?

All I know is that Congress uses it (and you know they start the coolest trends...) as do many college students.

Perhaps it's worth looking into...

Do U Tweet? Follow the University of Miami at:

http://twitter.com/univmiami

The Unwritten Roommate Agreement

... seems to be that when your roomie is sick,
so shall you be.

When Nicole came back from her regatta in St. Petersburg (she's on the University's sailing team), she seemed to be under the weather. Try as I might, living a couple feet away from a person means that it's nearly impossible not to catch a cold or something else along the same lines. So I missed Purim celebrations (but I did have latkes that day at the dining hall, so....) and have lost my voice, but hopefully I'm feeling better soon, because spring break is just a couple days away. :-)

I'm not letting this cold get the best of me, and have been taking as many vitamins and advil as it takes to get me through classes. And days off from class don't mean I can sleep in, either- today, for example, I have my weekly meetings, work, revision sessions, studying, homework, and the ULecture series to attend (which I'm very excited for). Not to mention the Miami Film Festival- I definitly need to get a movie in before heading back home.

As for Miami in general, the weather has gone back to being absolutely beautiful- no more cold fronts, it seems! I envy those who lounge around at the pool until their next class. Lately it's been inside with the AC for me, but we'll see. Perhaps my pale complexion will start workin' with me and cooperate with the sun?
(It won't, but it's nice to think that someday I'll be tan.)

Just one more day of classes...

Then one week where everyday is a Lazy Sunday.

Yessssssss.

PurimPalooza 2009

I'm no fan of Daylight Savings- especially when it means losing an hour of precious weekend time. As I mentioned in my last post, there were some great concerts (it's taking a lot of self control not to blabber on about the Britney Spears concert...) and events this weekend- one of the many pros of living right outside of a city like Miami.

Tonight marks the beginning of even more celebrating, namely for the Jewish holiday of Purim (although all students are welcome to join the festivities). Much like a carnival, there will be free food, a dunk tank, bounce castle (I'm personally very excited for that), and DJ. Because it is in celebration of Purim, costumes are encouraged and there will be a performance by Chassidic rapper Dr. Laz (known for his community work in Brooklyn after the race riots in '91) Tuesday.

Spring break is at the end of this week (the second Friday the 13th of the year for those of us lucky enough to have classes end on Thursday). This seems to mean that professors feel the need to pile on the workload- many (including myself) have exams (other than midterms) this week, as well as papers and projects due now as well as when we return after break. Everyone is spending more and more time at Club Richter (don't get excited.... it's just the library), and I may find myself amongst the stacks if I can't leave facebook alone long enough to write some rough drafts.

American Idol, Green Gardens, and more...

I admit I'm a bit late in reporting this, but UM's own Alex Wagner-Trugman was fortunate enough to be on this season of American Idol. Although he did not make it to the top 12, we all had a great time cheering him on and hope he continues to pursuit his dreams.

Wednesday night I attended a GreenU initiative; an event that showcased companies that are working towards a cleaner environment. I got a great mini-interview with the coordinator of the entire event, I just have to figure out how to get it on the computer....

In related news, students are attempting to establish a community garden outside of the Richter Library.

Although many Florida schools have gardens, this one will differ in that it will not only serve for aesthetic purposes, but also for students to cultivate it.

This weekend should be a lot of fun- Perez Hilton is visiting South Beach for a book signing, my floormates and I are taking a short trip to the everglades, Britney Spear's Circus concert hits Miami, and Girl Talk is performing on Sunday.

It's 51 degrees outside and I'm freezing...

...weaksauce.

On a different note (although maybe she could explain why it's not as warm as I would like), Christine Todd Whitman (governor of New Jersey from 1994-2001) will be speaking on campus today about environmental issues of the 21st century. As former head of the EPA (from 2001-2003) and current president of The Whitman Strategy Group ("...a consulting firm specializing in energy and environmental issues."), she definitely has the knowledge and experience to shed some perspective on solutions to enivornmental challenges.

I once met her at the Monmouth County Fair- I think I was 8. I was really intrigued by the cotton candy stand.
I'll definitely take the opportunity to learn more this time around.

Speaking of environmental affairs, an Earth Day Fashion show is in the works. It will showcase earth-friendly clothes (made of eco-friendly and/or "up-cycled" material) by local designers (and when Miami is local, that means a lot!).

With only 9 days left until spring break, the University has taken the initiative to circulate knowledge about having a safe and fun vacation. It goes beyond a lot of the most obvious information (such as honoring the buddy system) and offers advice on what to keep in mind when visiting a place such as Cancun (quite the hotspot for college students).

I should also mention that the University presents tremendous volunteer opportunities during spring break. UM Alternative Breaks (UMAB) organizes great chances to help those in need across the country.

This year's work concerns women's & children's issues, disabilities, foster care / child abuse, Native American issues, rebuilding West Virginia & New Orleans, animal rights, education & immigration, the environment, homelessness & children, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, LGBTQ rights, and poverty & immigration.

While the rest of the country freezes...

Mozoltov, Sebastian!

Last week, Sebastian the Ibis celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at 11 Leprechauns in the Grove (a bit of an odd place to hold a bar mitzvah now that I think about it...). All students were invited to enjoy a night of great music and food. Tickets were $5 presale and $7 at the door, with all of the proceeds going to an event for Cystic Fibrosis.

The Rat also held another Belly Bust- this time with comedian Jay Phillips (Def Jam Comedy, Semi Pro, Baby Mama, Kath & Kim). He put on a great show for the packed restaurant and held a meet and greet afterwards.

The next Belly Bust is the continuation of the student stand up comedy contest; whoever wins will open for the Rat's next guest- Bo Burnham! I can't lie- I will be staking out a spot in the front row for days on end with signs proclaiming my love for him. Just saying.