Happy [almost] summer everyone!
Well… at least for those of us at Richmond and other colleges that have finished by now. I know that school doesn’t [unfortunately] end this early for most high school students. I didn’t finish high school until almost the end of June!!! But anyways, yes, officially 39 hours away from summer (or a little less, and trust me, when you’re this sick of finals, you really do start getting so concerned about specifics!). Oh goodness. It will feel good, but I still can’t totally indulge in such feelings of liberation because I still have two essays to start and turn in before then (craziness).
Anyways, spring is completely here (of course, since summer’s already almost here!), and there are just-born little critters running around campus that I just love to photograph. Two sets of ducks and geese were born not too long ago, and it is really the cutest thing to see them doing whatever around campus. I mean, really, they can do whatever and look incredibly cute. Lucky, huh?
A true UR family: Mom, dad, and kids 
Also, I don’t believe I’ve mentioned it in any of my other posts, but I organized weekly French dinners this semester, following a tradition set up by former UR students that have since graduated. The French dinners were dead for a few semesters, but wanting to personally keep my French since coming back from France last semester, as well as talking with many other UR students who wanted to 1) keep up their French after coming back from abroad 2) practice French before going abroad in the next year or 3) just meet other French speakers, we got contacts of interested people and have since then been meeting once a week for dinner to speak French and eat together. It’s really been a super nice experience. Everyone’s been really friendly, and I’m definitely going to miss this weekly tradition.
Many of us “regulars” to the weekly French dinners at our last dinner of the semester
Also, my Global Health and Human Rights class that went to Peru for spring break put on a “Benefit Celebration” last Friday night to raise money for the town Pampas Grandes that we went to in the Andes. While we were there, we attended a town hall meeting with the mayor of the village, and he told us that they don’t have an ambulance. He said they were $3,000 short of purchasing one. It was interesting because he didn’t want us to just give them money. They wanted to somehow earn it, or have some part in helping raise money. Then someone suggested putting on a benefit dinner for them, where some of the raffle prices would be some of people’s own work (blankets, etc.). Anyways, since then, we’ve been organizing it (or more like two of the super-organized girls in the class, Melissa and Sandra ;)), and it all came together last week with a $10 entrance fee, raffle prizes, performances by two of UR’s acapella groups (The Octaves and Choeur du Roi) since there were 4 people from our class in the two groups, a short slide show of some pictures from the trip, awesome hors d’oeuvres, and a ”sharing” of the class’ experiences while in Peru. It was over all a super special time with wonderful people coming together for a great cause. I think we raised almost $1500, or close to it. We hope that Pampas Grandes will soon be able to buy their ambulance.
A picture of the UR acapella group “The Octaves” performing at the Pampas Grandes Benefit Celebration
Also, being the end of the semester and whatnot, there have been many goodbyes. Some harder than others… as I’m going abroad next semester, I miss seeing my friends that are going to either be staying at UR or going abroad for the semester. Then, there are those friends that are going abroad second semester next year, so I don’t even know when I’ll see them again since I’m graduating in a year… 
And that’s not even to mention my friends who have been abroad this semester and who are returning to Richmond next semester when I’m going abroad again :( Oh, and those exchange students who were just here for the semester with whom I became close… yeah, so as if the end of the semester isn’t hard enough with finals, you have to say goodbye, and who likes goodbyes? Talk about *emotional, mental, and physical drainage.*
Some close friends that I will miss a lot
Well anyhow, I believe this is also my last post (of the semester? ever? I’m not sure yet myself!). It’s been so much fun doing this. I hope you all have enjoyed reading my “blog” for the last academic year since I was in France (wow, that feels like so long agooo!!!! but doesn’t it always?). It’s even been great for me in seeing what I’m doing/what’s on my mind. Just to give you all an “update”, I will indeed be studying abroad next semester (1st semester of my senior year, which isn’t too common, but it’s not like no one’s never done it before) in Lima, Peru. My classes start mid-August, my mandatory 4-week Intensive Spanish course starts there mid-July, but I’m leaving for Lima on June 17th (already going to be here so soon, I know!) to do some traveling through some countries around there with my friend Christine, who I was in France with last semester. I think (?) we both have our tickets to Peru (I know I for sure do… not so sure about her yet!), and then we as of right now have no concrete plans for what we’ll do while we’re there. We pretty much will finally have the time to figure that out once finals are done with. What we do know is that we want to go to Machu Pichu (even though I’ve already been there, I don’t mind going again!), Lake Titicaca (yes, a pretty funny name for us anglophones), Buenos Aires, different locations in Argentina, Chile (Santiago?), and hopefully Paraguay and Brazil. It should be pretty intense and adventurous… we’re planning on a super duper cheap, hostel/couch surfing (look it up if you haven’t heard of it!), fun, adventurous trip :^) Once the semester starts, I’ll be busy with classes, volunteering (I’m SUPER excited about this!!!), improving my Spanish, meeting people/going out, etc. etc. It should be great
And voila! There you have it my friends. Have a lovely, wonderful, relaxing, inspiring summer. Just breathe and chill and enjoy every second of it.
Gros Bisoux (lots of love)!!!!
*Shannon Renee*
Hey everyone!
So yes, one week ’til finals. “The Great Countdown”, wouldn’t you say? I’m at the point where, if I work diligently every day, my life won’t be this horrible disaster next week (as I have about one paper due every day plus a take-home test…). I just think back to a year ago, and yeah, we won’t get into my extreme procrastination/irresponsibility right now (or never on here ;)), but let’s just say I don’t want to go through that again. *awkward chuckle* Thus, I have begun to construct my master finals plan, detailing what I should do each day/what I need to get done by when, etc. Let’s see how it goes… I’m usually much better at making plans than I really am at following through with them. Also, you always know when midterms -but especially finals- are *in the air* (sorry if I just ruined such a beautiful association with this expression and *love*), because you go to the library, and it’s pretty difficult to find a spot to work nonetheless to find a computer to work on (I’ve begun taking my laptop around in the last week- something I haven’t done all semester long- so that I can still work on a computer in the library). It makes me wonder what people were doing the rest of the semester…??? Hahaha…
Anyways, there was some coolio/neato stuff that happened on campus last week that I thought I’d tell you all about.
First off, I attended a discussion panel on safer sex hosted by the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood last Monday. I thought it was an excellent panel. There were three guest speakers: a woman involved on the political side of sex education legislation, a Richmond community worker who does sex education, and a retired Reverend (who was really a delightful, funny person, although really all of them seemed to me to be great people) who is part of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. Basically, they were all advocates for changing the “Abstinence Only” sex education that most American teenagers are still currently being taught and which American taxpayers are still funding. They were very knowledgable of different issues, legislation, religious responses, and affects of the Abstinence Only education, and made great points as to how this is affecting teens, teen pregnancy, teens knowledge of safe sex practices, and even basic knowledge of the human anatomy for both females and males. I have a picture below of the panel.
Discussion Panel on Safer Sex hosted by the Virgina League for Planned Parenthood
Also, as you all know that stress levels are getting precariously high on campus, the administration/different organizations are trying to do things to help students take a study break/chill. The other day they had a “Free massage/Come play with dogs!” afternoon. It was pretty sweet (esp. the “come play with dogs” part. Seriously! What better way to get all happy and forget about everything you have to do).
All the different greyhounds we could play with on the “Free Massage/Come Play With Dogs!” afternoon last week
Finally, I wanted to mention a “teach-in” we had last week, which I think was by far one of the coolest things I’ve seen on campus since I’ve been here. I’m not going to go too into detail as far as the history of the event is concerned, but basically there was an act of rascism that happened on campus about a month ago involving a doll with curly hair being hung by a noose in the student’s theatre on campus. The doll had a note attached to her with the words “Art is dead. Long live art.” or something similar written on it. Everyone interpreted it as an act of rascism, with the obvious and unfortunately common symbol of the US’s history of racism against black people being the noose. However, I’ve heard other rumors that it was actually done by some art/theatre students who wanted to show the administration that they were angry that two professional actors were chosen to play the two main roles of the spring play “The Meeting” on campus instead of students. This rumor says that the fact that the doll had curly hair was just a coincidence, and maybe they were really trying to “hang” art, going along with what they wrote about it being dead. I really have no clue. But anyways, there’s been this huge anti-rascism reaction on campus over the whole incident, which I think is really great. Sometimes you need things to happen to actually stir up emotion/discussion about topics that don’t get half the amount of attention that they need to be getting in order to really change society for the better.
Some of the University’s faculty also came together to organize a “teach-in”, that was held in the Game Room of our student commons. For 3 hours, students could come and go and hear interesting discussions from the professors about different elements the whole incident brought up: racism, history of racism in the US particularly against blacks, art, etc. What I liked the most about the whole thing was that students were themselves invited into the discussion, creating an open environment in which to address rascism and prejudice on campus, and in the whole world, really. Any student that wanted to speak/say something could raise their hand, and a mic would be passed to them so they could voice their opinions/feelings about different issues. I was personally really surprised at seeing so many students and faculty there, and I even saw our Vice President stop by for a while to listen to what many students had to say. I think discussions like this need to happen more often on-campus, in the rest of the US, and reallyyyy in the whole world if we want to bring about a better, kinder, more understanding society.
A picture of the “teach-in” happening in our Student Commons attended by students, faculty, and staff to discuss the doll-hanging incident that happened on campus over a month ago.
Anyways, I’m off to start researching for a French dissertation I have to do- oh joy! Here come the papers…
I hope everyone’s admissions decisions are going well!
Happy Monday,
Shannon
