Ben, ‘11

May 2, 2008

Freshman year is officially in the books now. My three finals are officially complete. I had a take-home final which I had already finished and I didn’t have one for sculpture, but I did have one on Monday and two on Tuesday. I moved them up so I could be done as soon as possible. However, that does put a little extra stress on you. I left all three finals less confident than when I had walked in. However, I worked hard all semester and was in a great position in two of the classes already. The other one I had spent hours studying for and now I can only pray that I get a good grade. Irregardless, it’s done with and I am now a sophomore.

My books from second semester
(I didn’t have to read the entire book for some)

Because there isn’t any homework except for studying for finals at your own discretion, I had some free time this past week. I participated in a project called Rebuilding Together through my local church. We volunteered to fix up some houses that needed to be repaired. I helped sledgehammer through a cement sidewalk that was falling apart and then helped to pour a new sidewalk to replace it.

Showing off our brute strength as college students

After I returned to campus, I had another opportunity to do the high ropes course on-campus. Since it’s new, they’re testing it out and seeing how timing goes with it. So, I got a group of friends together and had a fun time up there. However, there is a University policy, apparently, that states we couldn’t do the whole course since we’re only alloted an hour of “fun time” because it was finals week. So, we did half of it, in half an hour at that. In my opinion, I need all the time up there that I can get because I’m spending the other time studying and I need as much stress relief as possible. But that’s just my opinion and how the situation was explained to me.

My friends whom I did the ropes course with

Maneuvering the Matrix

After the ropes course, I went out to dinner with my scholar group. It was paid for through our awesome scholar family and we finally got to get together as a group since we don’t do it very often. We bid our seniors farewell and good luck and enjoyed a very nice, relaxed evening. The weather was spectacular all day and we saw several students all dressed up from Prom. I was slightly envious because that was always such a fun time. Getting together with close friends and just having a fun night together. In my case, I went back to campus and kept on studying for finals.

Some of my fellow scholars

Our amazing dessert

Once finals were done, I had a few more items of business before I was free. I met with the other members of leadership for the Collegiate Disaster Relief Team and we’re already planning next Spring Break’s trip to New Orleans. I also met with my group for Campaigns 2008. I finally met the professor and am really excited. He’s allowing us to plan most of the class. We got to throw out ideas for texts that we’ll read, such as the candidates biographies and other non-traditional texts, as well as projects that we’ll do. We’re looking at creating media ads for the campaigns as well as visiting Washington D.C. several times and also getting speakers whom are very close to the campaigns. Besides those things, I decided to fill my free time by giving four tours through the Admissions Office. There weren’t many visitors, but it does make a nice break to give a one-on-one tour.

However, I definitely need some fun times and to celebrate the end of the year and all that I’ve accomplished. We UR students who attend my church went out to dinner with our church leaders at a local Thai restaurant. We bid farewell to our seniors and wished each other good luck this summer. Afterwards, we went to Bev’s, a local ice cream shop, for dessert.

Eating out as a church group

My delicious black raspberry ice cream cone after dinner

Finally, I have to mention my birthday. I turned 19 on May 1st and I didn’t anticipate celebrating too much. I didn’t even think I’d get together with a lot of my friends since some of them had two finals the next day. However, they surprised me by throwing a party for me. I had no idea they were doing it. It was really nice of them. I have some awesome friends. They even bought a cake, sparkling cider, and other snacks. We watched movies and just had fun. However, it was slightly sad since we didn’t know if we would see each other again until August. That’s almost four months away and no one really wants to recognize that aspect of having school end.

Someone in the Admissions Office baked me a whole
plate of cookies for my birthday.

My friends got me a personalized cake, cookies, and even sparkling cider

I believe that it has come time for me to end my freshman year. Looking at it one way, I made it and I got really involved and received the grades that I wanted. That’s a lot that’s been accomplished. However, it is the end of something. The campus has been bustling the past two days with parents arriving to pick up their students and all of their supplies. I’ll be on my own and stay here until August, which is difficult, but it’s not worth it to go home right now. I just talked to a friend of mine who’s an international student and he hasn’t been home since the beginning of the school year, so I guess I could have it worse.

I am all packed up and ready to move out

My friends decided to throw out their refrigerator in style

The landfill that was created behind my dorm on move-out day

The aftereffects of everyone moving out. Tons of trash was left
in the lounges and, as you can see, right in the hallways

I’m having to say goodbye to my friends and it’s just starting to set in that the year really is finished. Giant moving vans are being packed up and everyone is clearing out their rooms and departing. It’s bittersweet. However, I won’t have to say goodbye to you, my faithful readers. I’ll keep on blogging through the summer, I believe, and will most likely return in the fall. Thanks for reading about my freshman year and I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed living it. That’s all for this year. This is Ben, signing off on freshman year. Over and out.

Our geese have some cute little babies wandering around now

Quote of the Week: “For what it’s worth, it was worth all the while. It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right. I hope you had the time of your life.” - “Time of Your Life” by Green Day
Thought to Ponder: Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard?
Shout Outs: All of the friends I have made this year and all of my faithful readers who have been tracking me as my life has progressed
YouTube Video of the Week:

This is crazy. Keep replaying this a few times. I don’t have any idea how it works.