Summer Options

I have the phone interview with Astrocamp at 2 tomorrow.
I would need to be there June 1st to Aug 2nd or so.

There aren't a lot summer blocks that fit into the schedule, but this one caught my interest:
PS 255 9910
Studies at the National Political Convention: The 2008 Democratic National Convention (in Denver)
Two weeks of lectures from party, media, political scientists, and interest group officials, along with an intensive internship.

Isn't that exciting?

Not Mono

Not mono. Just fatigue. Yay!

Study Abroad

Parents! It's already time to think about my study abroad future. I have discussed this with Chelsea. We know what we want, and we're excited to work together.

Study Abroad at CC: http://www.coloradocollege.edu/international/study_abroad.asp


INDIA!
We want to spend a semester after sophomore year in India. Here's the lowdown.
Credit: equivalent of 4 units
Location: Pune, Maharashtra, India
University: Tilak Maharashta Vidyapeeth.

Housing: first few weeks of the program - hotel. After that - host family.
Program Cost: regular CC tuition plus $1900. cost information.
Date: Mid-July to early December.
Application due: March 1 of that year

The Indian subcontinent provides a rich and complex background for the study of a non-Western civilization. India Studies program participants live with Indian host families in Pune, a city that is at once both traditional and highly industrialized, offering students an excellent opportunity to observe the interaction of tradition and modernity that characterizes contemporary India.

Courses over there: sociology, political science, Indian philosophy, art and architecture, Marathi literature, Ayurveda medicine, philosophy. Required: Marathi (the major language of Maharashtra . . . one of India's 22 languages) and an independant study project.
Our project idea: Extent of community's problems with STDs/domestic issues, and formulating a simple, practical solution. We could work at a clinic/hospital.
You know what would be really bomb? Making a running club or teaching women Aikido.
Extracurriculars: traditional dance lessons! cool cool cool cool cool cool cool and other stuff; whatever.

CC's Program Description: here.
ACM (Associated Colleges of the Midwest) runs the program. Their Program Description: here.

Residential Life Assessment Forms

They asked me if I had any comments or suggestions at the end of the mandatory questionnaire. I did:

You know when you're in you dorm room and you really have to pee, but you just lie in bed wishing the need would go away but it doesn't so after 15 minutes of tossing and turning you decided to roll out of bed and you're so tired you almost kill yourself tripping over your backpack and your roommate's chair comes over and punches you in the gut, thanks a lot for that, and finally you make it to your door and you're like, "Finally" and all you're thinking about is bed and perhaps the possibility of running into that mystery person from down the hall that's been living there for two months but you still don't know their name, and then you open the door and you get snowblinded for like a minute, just totally burnt out through the eyeballs by this beam of blinding light, and it's just about the most uncomfortable experience of your life, so uncomfortable in fact that you contemplate getting to the bathroom peeing in the dark but you're so tired that you're afraid you might miss so you turn on the light there, but it isn't nearly as bad as outside in the hall, and then you have to go back out in the hall and do it all over again, and when you finally get back in bed it's monstrously difficult to fall asleep again but you eventually do, mostly because you're all worn out from the trauma, and the next morning you're a total douche to your roommate and you get into a silent argument and don't speak for 24 hours, all because you're irritable from lack of sleep, and while the roommate's silence is uncomfortable, the eye pain caused by those hallway lights is much more so.

Boettcher Health Center

Made an appointment today. I noticed that I've been excessively exhausted for a week.
It might be mono. Results of blood tests in tomorrow.

Victory Bowling

What's victory bowling? It's a little awards ceremony that you put on for yourself, whether it's winning a war with your roommate or passing a test.
"We get medals for running and all that. But this is a chance to celebrate all the little victories in life."
- The Sheldo


Everett: "I might pass my MCATs!"
Brooks: "I got this tattoo!"


Sheldo: "I got more than 12 people to come to bowling this week!"
Christy: "I was the fastest runner in 5th grade!"


Chelsea: "I deadlifted 55 pounds!"
Rafter: "I went a week with no major accidents!"

Packages

Got 1) big box of clothes and
2) printer ink. Yay!
And Mom, Doggy? Really?

Listen to the body

When training gets intense my body starts to get really specific about things.

Dad,
Ask Dr. Jonathan what it means if I'm craving raisins like mad.
I need antioxidants? Tryptophan? Potassium?

Mom,
"I feel really smart now" was said without sarcasm. The meaning: I feel really smart now.
I took chemistry and understood it. And I wanted to take it. Why be a wimp and go for a softie lab class?

Rest My Chemistry

I think I passed the chem final. What a miracle that would be.
More than half of the class consisted of pre-meds, some of whom had already taken advanced general chemistry twice. Hard to keep up with my deficient education, indeed. I feel really smart now, however.

Mailroom not open on weekends or during break. I'm looking forward to Monday. The event of receiving a care package shares rank with major holidays.

("Rest My Chemistry" is a song by Interpol, you know, one of my all-time favorite bands, off their new CD Our Love to Admire, which I do not have.)

I got a check in the mail from Colorado College Accounts Payable for $380. What do I do with it?

Shoppin' Shoppin' !

We're going to Target! and then to find some junk 4 x 4s, but I don't know where . . .
I'm going to get things under these broad categories:
- school supplies (hole puncher)
- eating-ware (tupperware, bowls, spoons)
- foodstuffs (fruits, cereals)
- hygienic stuffs (like tissues)
- emergency/first aid
- vitamins, medicines (like Sudafed)
- earbuds (all my headphones broke)

Oh, why we need 4 x 4s. Our "euro futon" broke. It lasted longer than anyone else's Target futon, at least in Slocum. However, we are not going to throw it out like the others, but we shall try to fix it and make it more comfortable than ever.

Will you parents be heartless and count my expenses as luxury goods?

Knee Update: A Tale of Victory and Woe

The VMO exercises and hamstring stretches that the OHSU sports doc gave me have been working great, but there's more to it. I've been working a lot with the trainers.
What we've found:
It's not the knees' fault. It's my hips! They are ridiculously weak, and they tire easily. So the hamstrings get tight, and the stress goes to my quads and the knee, mainly the IT band and patellar tendon, resulting in inflammation and injury.
What we're doing:
I'm taking care to stay in cardio shape (mostly swimming and some biking), and I'm working with the physical therapist Jonathan about five days a week. We're focusing on hip strengthening, knee stabilizing, and specific core conditioning.
Last week I went on a 60 minute run. (Yay!) Today they hurt, but this Block, walking around campus pain-free has been the rule rather than the exception.

For Dad

Swimming

Lifeguards: "You should be on the swim team."
Me: "Why ?!"
Lifeguards: "You swim as much as we do."