Kohawk Pride

After attending my first Iowa football tailgate a couple weekends ago I've come to realize how much I love football.  Even though the Hawkeyes lost to ISU and Central Michigan, you can't help but love the game.  Then the Packers lost to Seattle last night... for real?  Come on now.  Coming from Mason City, Iowa I have to root for the Packers.  If you watched the game you had to of noticed the refs... and that's all I'm going to say.  Thank goodness I'm a Kohawk, and hopefully this losing streak among my teams can stop this week.

This is the week I always looked forward to in high school, and it's no different now.  This week is full of powderpuff football, boys volleyball, all campus capture the flag, Kohawk Rock, a pep-rally, one heck of a football game, and last but not least, a dance.  This week is... HOMECOMING!

Powderpuff football started tonight.  Because there were more freshmen then any other grade, it turned into Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors on one team against us.  It was a tough game; They scored first, making us think that it was going to be lonnnnnggggg.  Then we scored at the end of the first half and with a little pep talk from our coach the second half went a bit smoother.  We managed to score at the top of the half, and then held up our defense throughout the rest of the game.  That means that the Freshmen won 2-1 AGAINST ALL OTHER GRADES!  I don't know about you, but I feel like that's not supposed to happen.



Part of our powderpuff team!  From left to right: Gretchen Lilienthal, Me,
Arran Weeces, Jacqueline Naeve, Emily Jaeger, and McCall Meade 

Anyways, tomorrow is all school capture the flag and I'm ready for the freshman to pick up another win.  I have no doubt that we'll be able to do it!  Homecoming week is amazing, but it's hard to stay focused.  I have no motivation to do homework, but I know that I have to because I'll regret it later.  I think that I vouch for everyone when I say us Kohawks are going to enjoy this week and weekend to the fullest.  Hopefully that includes a win against Buena Vista this Saturday.  Can't wait for the rest of this week.


With love,
Alexis

Freshman Fundamentals

After being on Coe's campus for about a month now, I've already begun getting into the groove of things.  Going from a high school senior to a college freshman puts a dent in your seniority- in fact it doesn't give you any.  Being a freshman all over again has given me a new perspective and these are a couple of the lessons I have already learned:

1) Living in a freshman dorm is a great way to meet people.  I live in Armstrong, and I have been able to form new relationships and make plenty of friends who are freshman.  I guess it's true, you do get closest to your class, though, and this is no exception to the class of 2016.  Again, it's like starting high school all over again. (but WAY better)

2)  While the freshman dorm has it's perks, don't plan on getting ANY homework done in that place.  I swear there is no downtime in Armstrong; there is always the constant running down the hallways, yelling, and loud rap music (someone even has a sub in their dorm room!).  Of course you would think that simply closing your door would keep people out, but never.  Unlike some, I love the hustle and bustle of it all.  Those close friendships you make that I was talking about earlier makes everyone think that they can just randomly walk into any unlocked room- and I love it.   In that case, though, forget trying to do homework on the comfort of your futon- you're better off going to the library instead.

3) School is not necessarily hard.  You get up, go to class, and in my case- get done by noon every day.    Sounds great doesn't it?  Having the whole day to do whatever you want... WRONG!  Time management is probably the hardest thing to grasp in college.  Especially if you're in a sport, a sorority, or one of the many clubs here on Coe's campus.  You don't really have time to loaf around and watch T.V. when you have a quiz, two exams, a paper due, a sorority meeting, BOD meeting, volleyball game to watch, and a Bio lab to do all in one week. (and that's beside going to class.)  Yet, being involved is one of the best things you can do in college.  It almost forces you to schedule out what you have to do that week, and this past few weeks a calendar whiteboard has been my best friend.

4) Money does not grow on trees. I can't just walk into the next room over and ask my dad to give me $20 because I want to go to a movie or go out to eat with my friends.  While yes, you do have more freedom in college, there will be a time when a college student realizes that their mom or dad isn't there to hold their hand anymore.  The bittersweet reality is that we're not at home anymore.  No more big comfy bed or even home cooked meals.  Yet, this makes going home that much more enjoyable and looking at your mail box that more exciting.  I'm always waiting for a letter or care package from someone at home.  It's nice to know that they're thinking of you, especially when you think of your family and friends back at home all the time.

5) COLLEGE IS FUN!  Subtract the homework, time management, noisy dorms, and home-sicknesses, and you have one of the best experiences ever.  I'm sure that within this next week I'll learn plenty of more fundamentals for my freshman year, but I think for now I'm on the right track.

With love,
Alexis

Freshman First

It's official- not only am I starting a new life as a college freshman, but I now have the opportunity to start a blog tracking my experience as I go.  Throughout these next four years I am looking forward to the memories I make, friends I meet, and goals I achieve.  I have only been here for about two weeks now and I know that Coe College is the place where all of this will happen.  I can only look forward to the future and reminisce on my past.

Although my college adventure has just begun, so much has already happened.  People think they can come to college and waste the day away because they only have three or four classes, yet I find myself busier than ever in my free time.  Whether it's cleaning out the 40 daily e-mails I get, finishing up homework, going to work at Coe Campus Information, attending a Tri- Delta meeting, bonding with my CAP group, working out, eating, or going to study groups- there is ALWAYS something going on here on Coe's campus.  I never knew how involved everyone was on campus until I actually arrived here for orientation week.

Orientation week is something I'll probably never forget.  This is the time right before classes started where there was only freshman (and sport players) on campus.  It was through these couple days that I made relationships I know will last me throughout my four years here at Coe.  From Dragon Boat races, to kickball, a hypnotist, and several speakers- it was a week to remember.  I can't give enough thanks to all those who put this activity-packed weekend together.

Since being on campus I, myself, am trying to get involved as well.  Not only am I the newest blogger for the admissions office ( I am SO happy they asked me to) but I also recently went through sorority recruitment.  After orientation I never thought I would have such a packed, exhausting weekend, until I went through the recruitment process.  Growing up with three older sisters, I have always lived with girls.  As we all grew up and went to college I knew that I wouldn't want the sisterly love to fade away.   Joining a sorority proved to be my fix to this problem.  My last Thursday through Sunday  was full of talking to the girls in each sorority, seeing skits presented by them, and hoping that I would get invited back.  On Sunday I knew I had found my place where I belonged: Delta Delta Delta.  I hoped that as I lined up to find out which one I had been placed in that it was Tri- Delt.  To my pleasure, I was thrown a Delta shirt and ran outside of Vorhees Hall to meet all of my new sisters.  The running of the stairs down to the Delta girls has been the greatest experience of college so far.  I felt welcome and comfortable as they hugged me and referred to me as their new "baby."  Enjoy this embarrassing picture of me running to my new sorority family.

Going into my third week of classes, I know things are going to start picking up with classes, sorority activities, and overall my college experience.  There is one thing that is going to get me through this week: going to the UNI/ Iowa game this weekend in Iowa City.  Having an older sister who goes to UNI and an identical twin sister who goes to Iowa, this game will be interesting.  I can't wait to see them both and bond a little bit before we all go back to our daily routines at school.

With that, I can only hope to make these next years the best of my life.  People always say that high school are the years to remember, but I beg to differ.  I know that this is my time to make a place, a stand, and make something of myself.  While I went to being at the bottom of the totem poll again as a freshman, I couldn't be happier.  I can't wait to see what the rest of my college years bring me.

With love,
Alexis