What do you do for fun?

"What do you do for fun?"  I hear that question all too often when there are prospective students and curious parents on campus.  They know that there is always comedians, performers, and activities to do on campus, but what about off campus? 

Coming from a town much smaller than Cedar Rapids, I find it easy to stay entertained.  Personally, I find Cedar Rapids HUGE, and often times this leads to my fellow classmates from Chicago and Colorado to laugh in my face.  Yet, this puts me at an advantage.  I love walking from Coe to downtown and admiring the little shops and stores you pass by.  Czech Village also provides this atmosphere, and WOW do they have some good food.  Then there's NewBo Market, which I have YET to go to.  Now that the weather is getting nicer and the sun is finally shining- I'm definitely going to make that a priority to go see.  I can't wait for the Cedar Rapids Kernels games to start up again.  Who doesn't like a good baseball game?

This past weekend I was also able to go to the Justin Moore, Josh Thompson, and Randy Houser concert that was at the U.S. Cellular Center right down the road from Coe.  I absolutely LOVE country music and Cedar Rapids always finds a way to get some of the best country stars here.  Justin Moore is the newly-crowned Academy of Country Music's new artist of the year.

My roommate and me all ready and excited for the Justin Moore concert! See my touch of plaid?

So yes, I may be from a small town in Iowa (there are smaller, trust me), but I tend to keep myself busy off campus, as well as on campus.  It's not hard to find something to do, and I can't wait to explore even more!

Kohawk Love,
Alexis

President's Ball Goes Down In History

This weekend proved to be one for the books. David McInally was inaugurated as the 15th president of Coe College.  The night after, the school was encouraged to partake in the Presidential Ball, a celebratory event where students can spend time with friends, faculty, staff, and alumni in a formal setting not found at many other colleges.  This year marked a special one with it being a part of history as we welcomed our 15th president to the Coe College family.  We celebrated and enjoyed an evening of food, music, dancing, and fun.  It is always a good time getting dressed up and spending a night dancing with friends.  Check out some pictures below!

Hannah Torry and me!

Erin Pisarik and me!

Kohawk Love,
Alexis

Delta Delta Delta

Last semester in Delta I was Continuing Education Chairman.  As Continuing Education chairman, it was my duty to make an overview of the things our Delta Elta Chapter of Delta did during the first semester of this school year.  Reading over what I wrote, I can pick out inside jokes, funny memories, and relive all the amazing times I had with my sisters.  For anyone who is considering Greek Life as a possible route to take in college, I strongly advocate for it.  I wouldn't be who I am today without Delta.  Here are some of the few things Delta did during the Fall Semester:

First semester of the 2013-2014 school-year at Coe College started on August 26, 2014.  We started the semester off with a bang by beginning to practice, plan, and set up our formal recruitment.  Our Vice President of Membership, Savanah Schott, had come up with an amazing theme- Egyptian.  Immediately our dorm wing, center pieces, and decorations consisted of all gold, everything.  We truly brought the Delta Dynasty to campus!  Formal recruitment was a success as we gained 20 amazing new minis and eventually initiated members!  Running of the stairs, or bid day, was full of chanting, laughing, smiles, and plenty of gold glitter as our new minis ran down the stairs into our arms.  We couldn’t have been happier with them, and immediately we saw the potential our new member class would have.  They have proved to be a great asset to our Delta Eta chapter.

On top of gaining new members, our chapter was able to have a great experience by going to Memphis, Tennessee and visiting the St. Jude Children’s Hospital.  It was truly a life-changing trip that consisted of touring the St. Jude Hospital, visiting Elvis Presley’s Graceland, attending the Civil Rights Museum, toured the historical Beale Street, and overall enjoyed bonding time with our sisters.  It was a good 9 hour drive from Cedar Rapids, IA to Memphis- and it was completely worth it.

A new tradition was started this year when we had a great family weekend set up by our Social Chair, Cinnamon Moore.  Many parents, siblings, friends, and other relatives attended this weekend event full of pot-luck tailgating before a football game, afternoon brunch, and a showcase of skits we did during Formal Recruitment.  It was a great opportunity for our sister’s to not only get to know the new members better, but also the people that mean the most to us!  Parents were hitting it off, friends coming over to play bags, and there was surely enough food to go around.  This weekend truly introduced a new realm of the term “sisterhood” to our chapter.

Homecoming week quickly crept up on us as the semester started to hit high gear.  We were fortunate enough to have our lovely senior Delta, student body president, and Vice President of Chapter Administration, Anna Barton, on this year’s Homecoming court!  Although she didn’t win overall, she will always be our Queen! 

Fall of 2013 was a big semester for a couple of our sisters! One night we had our first candle lighting of the semester- not for one girl, but three! Senior Jillian Reynolds, junior Kortney Paustian, and sophomore Maddy Fangman were all happy to announce and show us their promise rings.  They kept their secrets well, because the rest of the chapter grew with excitement as we discovered each girl’s beautiful rings!

Our Philanthropy Chairman, Megan Hurlbert, was on top of planning our biggest fundraising event of the semester- letter writing.  One night we all met in the Voorhees lobby, a dorm on campus, and started filling out and personalizing letters to send to friends and family asking them to donate to St. Jude Hospital.  This event usually lasts all night, but we turned it into a great night to bond with sisters and pig out on pizza.  We also had the opportunity to sit and listen to our St. Jude representative talk about certain children at St. Jude fighting, and also some facts and present day numbers of how our Delta Eta chapter is affecting and helping the children of St. Jude.  Letter writing is usually where most of our donations and fundraising comes from, so we make sure that every girl takes their time and sends out a total of 50 letters a piece.  We all are excited to see what this year’s letter writing event has raised for our philanthropy!

Being Continuing Education, I had help from Loxley Grafe, our Alumni Relations Chairman, and help from Anna Barton, our Vice President of Chapter Administration with planning this year’s Founders’ Day!  It was a big year for Delta Delta Delta as we celebrated 125 years of sisterhood.  We reserved our Alumni House and served hot cocoa, coffee, and several sweet desserts.  We had some amazing Delta’s from all around the Cedar Rapids area of all ages come and spend the night socializing, writing a pearl, or a kind note, to a sister in another chapter, and listening to our President, Sarah Thielen, give a speech.  We had almost every member attend this formal event!  Our chapter enjoyed reading the fun facts about the history of Tri Delta and looking through old scrap books that had been put together in previous years.

After gaining our new members, our New Member Educator, Molly Wickam, made it apparent that they were all up to something. They spent the first half of the semester brainstorming themes for the new member dance that they throw for the entire chapter. The catch is, the dance is a secret to everyone but the new members and educator. The only information that the rest of the chapter received was an invitation that was given in the mail with a riddle on it, and each grade had a different riddle to decipher. Their theme turned out to be good ol’ Miley Cyrus! New members had “Party in the USA” Miley, sophomores had “Best of Both Worlds” Miley, and juniors/seniors had new and improved “Wrecking Ball” Miley.  This deemed to be fitting since Miley’s new album had just come out!  We had a great time dancing and singing to Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus songs all night and dressing up appropriate to the theme.

This semester was also filled with some great socials with other Greek chapters on campus.  One night we had game night social with Lambda Chi Alpha consisting of several minute to win it games.  Who knew they could be so hard!?  We had an amazing turn out of girls showing up.  We also had a social with ΑΣΑ, ΣΝ & ΦΚΤ where we met on the quad between the dorm buildings and had a giant colored water balloon fight.  Our clothes we’re dyed blue, green, pink, and yellow by the time the water balloon fight was over!

I couldn’t have asked for a better fall semester of my sophomore year then by spending it with my sisters.  The past year has been dedicated to sisterhood and I believe that this past semester showed how strong our Delta Eta chapter can truly be.  The support and encouragement I see from all of my sisters is what sisterhood is about.  This fall semester many memories were made, friendships developed, and doors of opportunity opened.  I can’t wait to see how much our chapter grows.

Kohawk Love,
Alexis

Where Does the Time Go?

Seriously though, where does the time go?  I feel like time has just been slipping between my fingers ever since the semester started.  And now its March.  It's crazy how when you stay busy, time just passes by.  Every day a step closer towards the end of my second semester of my sophomore year here at Coe.  I read that and I only think of one word- how exciting.

These past two months have been FILLED with good memories, events, and opportunities.  So many in fact that I haven't found the time to be able to sit down and write about them- until now.  These two months I haven't been able to watch Netflix (I went through a stage where I watched it every night- no joke) or even take my usual naps- and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Lets start of by saying a of February 14, 2014, I am now a Certified Nurse Assistant. WOOHOO! This little stepping stone has started to pave my path and journey towards becoming a Nurse.  That class kicked my butt from the beginning of the semester until now- taking it from 5-9 every night took a toll on me!  I learned how to manage my time, handle my stress, and say no when things got overwhelming.  I learned how to take care of myself because when the going gets tough, the tough get going. 

The following weekend after that was Delta Delta Delta's Annual Dessert Gala. This event is our biggest Fundraiser of the year.  We get donations from different places in order to have a silent auction, and also ask or donations from bakeries for a donation of desserts to supply our silent auction goers with.  That way, they get to eat yummy desserts of literally ALL kinds, and bid on wonderful items that all goes to a good cause- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  This event alone raised over $6,600 to and was donated to help kick cancer in the butt.  It's event's like these that make me realize why I am in Greek Life, and how amazing of an experience it truly is.

Shaina Winn (left), Christina Albrecht (right), and myself at Dessert Gala!

Then came Spring Break... at the most perfect timing for everyone.  February 28th was the last day of classes and I was on a plane to California to see my sister.  It was tough leaving the beautiful warm weather of San Diego, but we had a eventful drive home back.  My grandmother was out there for the winter (I like to say she was hibernating from the cold) so we all drove back to Iowa together.  One stop in Vegas, one stop in Denver, and BAM back to Iowa we were.  It was a great time spent with family and friends after a hectic two months of classes!  Several other people went to similar warm places, went home, or even stayed on campus!  That week long break has helped rejuvenate everyone so they could power through the rest of the semester.

Me in front of the Santa Monica Pier!

And here we are, trying to make it through the rest of the semester.  Flunk Day, St. Patty's Day, and President's Ball, all on our minds. They keep saying Flunk Day is tomorrow, but it always is.

Kohawk Love,
Alexis

Things I Wish I Knew..

Sitting in class today I realized how much of a learning experience these past two years have been.  Teachers in high school always tell you that they are preparing you for college, but there are a lot of things they don't tell you as well.  This compelled me to make a list.  I also asked some of my friends what they wish teachers would have told them before going to college.  This is what I learned:

1) You don't need to have your major picked out your freshman year, or even your sophomore year if that.  At a liberal arts college you take your general education courses to help you find what interests you and what you like- take advantage of those classes!  People often times switch their major one, two, or even three times!  Heck, I'm one of them.

2) GPA and ACT/SAT scores can actually get you more scholarships towards a college.  That 30 ACT looks a lot better than a 29 (even though both scores are great) and you can probably get more money for it too.  Who doesn't want more money?

3) Take college courses if able.  When you come in with more credits that allows you to skip some of your general education courses and take more classes that you want!  You'll also get to choose your classes before others and actually get into the Psychology class instead of fighting for the last seat.  At Coe it also puts you higher on the housing list, so you're more likely to get to live where you want on campus.

4) Ownership is on you.  Your parents can't call you in sick anymore- it's up to you to be proactive when contacting professors. Forming relationships with your professors is essential and attending office hours and asking questions in class can make that little bit of difference.

5) How to study.  This was probably one of the hardest things to learn first semester of freshman year.  Everyone has different study habits and ways that work for them- it's up to you to find a way that works best for your class needs.  For me I found reading the material over and over again and rewriting my notes helps me study.  For others it's getting in groups at the library and talking about it, or making note cards and reviewing those every night before bed.  Try all of these techniques out to see which method allows you to be the most successful!

6) How to cope with stress.  Your freshman year you experience some of the most stressful situations you have ever had before.  Again, this proves to be a learning experience for us all.  A lot of people work out, take naps, go to bed early, or schedule out their days and prioritize what needs to be done.  My planner has become my best friend and it allows me to be a little more stress free when everything is laid out for me.

7) Time management will be key.  Yes, you'll have three or four classes a day compared to the seven in high school.  No you won't be going to school from 8-3 every day (unless you plan it that way).  Looking at that makes it seem like you have a lot of free time, but I realized quickly how precious that extra time can be.  It's spent learning those study habits, getting a quick nap in, or doing homework for a class.

8) Last but not least, enjoy it and have fun.  College isn't only about class time and studying, and it's not always stressful.  You have to make time for yourself and do the things you love.  Get out there, join a club, make friends, watch too many hours of Netflix, make mistakes, and learn more than what you can just in the class room.

Since none of this was told to me before going to college- I'm telling you now!  I'm a sophomore and I'm still learning about myself and what college is all about- I don't think you can ever master the ins and outs of college- and no college student has their life completely together.

Kohawk Love,
Alexis

I'm In!

It's official- I have been accepted into Coe College's Nursing program this coming Fall semester.  I can't even put into words how excited and blessed I am to have this opportunity.  I think that a lot of people outside of Coe underestimate it's nursing program, especially since the University of Iowa and Mount Mercy (two schools known for Nursing) are right in arms reach from here.  To be honest- Coe's nursing program wasn't even on my radar until I came here.  As a freshman I declared my major as Biology, because I intended to go Pre-med.  The nice thing about going to a liberal arts school is that I quickly figured out that is not what I wanted to do at all.  Through my general education courses and going to the Pre-health club meeting- I realized that Medical School probably wasn't for me.  In fact, the thought of med school scared me intensely.  So that's when I switched to Nursing and realized how rewarding being in the Nursing program would be- this is where I belonged all along and I just needed to figure it out.  I'm still learning and discovering myself, and I love it. I will be spending a lot of time with the same people and my peers will essentially become my support group.  I know how demanding this major will be, but it's nice knowing that when I'm out of college I know what I'm going to be doing. Plus,  I love the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area and through the clinical experiences and being with a preceptor one-on-one, I will form great networking and relationships.

It's crazy to think that I have one semester left before my gen eds are done and I jump right into nursing.  Time goes by so fast!  I have almost made it half way through my college experience.  Is it selfish for me to not want it to end?  I guess I love Coe College a little too much...if that's possible.

Kohawk Love,
Alexis

Christmas Fever

I can feel it in the air... everyone has Christmas fever.  You could walk down the hallways in the dorms and see mini Christmas tress in everyone's rooms, Christmas lights hanging on the walls, and snowflakes and Christmas tree decorations covering people's doors.  And yes, I am one of those people who have gotten into the holiday spirit.  Since I was unable to decorate a Christmas tree at home this year, my roommate and I decorated our own mini Christmas tree in our room.  Now all we're missing is a fireplace, hot chocolate, and Christmas movies. I'm so excited to participate in not one, but two secret Santa's, as well.  Goodness, who doesn't love Christmas time?

Even through all the Christmas spirit, everyone has to get into finals mode once more.  This isn't my first rodeo, though, and I'm lucky I kind of have an idea as to what to expect.  Finals are the end of this week and you can see the stress on everyone's faces.  People who haven't been in the library all semester are finally going in to unfamiliar territory in hopes of it helping them study and get those grades up at the last minute.  This past weekend was full of people catching up with their own procrastination and finishing up those last minute papers, presentations, and extra credit opportunities (never said I wasn't one of them).

So through it all, there is a light of the end of the tunnel- being done with my first semester of my sophomore year and being able to go home for Christmas.  While it will be extremely weird not being at Coe for a whole month- I admit I am excited to relax and not have and worries when it comes to school.  Yet, by the time January rolls around I will be ready to get back on campus and kick out my last semester before summer.  Now time to go get on my study grind and make it through this next week of finals.

Kohawk love,
Alexis