Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Eve 2011

Another year has passed and with it, both happy and sad memories and experiences. I've lost both my grandfather and my aunt, but I have gained countless friends. I have traveled, I have tried many new things, I have gained many new skills, and I have learned much. This year has been amazing and I cannot wait for another year to begin.

With the ringing in of 2012 comes my last year of college. I have less than a year at Virginia Tech, which has been my home for nearly three years. While this makes me sad, it also makes me realize how far I have come and what I have to look forward to when I graduate. I am excited for what I still have to learn and what I will have to do to prepare myself for "the real world". I feel very fortunate to begin my GIS job at Virginia Tech, which will be a nice sort of training ground for what a GIS job will really be like.

I also feel that while I am away from both my immediate and extended family for the majority of the time, this year has brought us closer together. I'm not sure if we all just had the urge to keep better contact or if social networking has made it easier, but just the love that I have felt from my family this year has been amazing and has provided tremendous support for what has been a very challenging school year.

Well, as I have found it tradition to do, I have made my annual list of New Year's Resolutions. I know that I am not the best at keeping them (then again, who really is?), but I know that I need to make some changes, both in a gradual and immediate sense. So, here it goes:

1) Better monitor what I eat (lay off the sweets!)

2) Exercise at least twice a week

3) Get my Driver's License (for goodness sake!)

4) Stay organized; don't let messes build up

5) Speak up more often

6) Ask; the worst they can say is "no"

I know, pretty general goals, but I really need to improve on these things. I realize that not have my license can be a hassle for others as well as myself. Having a job during the summer will be great, but only if I can get to it and I can't always rely on the bus.

I also gained a bit of weight this year and it is in part because I do not eat very well when I am at school and I do not exercise nearly enough. I am going to try to prepare more home-made meals instead of eating out so much and I am going to try to cook more often with meats, as horrifying as that thought is to me.

What are some of your New Year's Resolutions? Did you accomplish any from last year?

I hope that everyone has a Happy New Year, ringing it in with a new hope and an optimistic outlook for 2012.

Monday, December 12, 2011

It's Meteoancienthistoryremoteseningaladocious!

Finals are here and with that comes the lovely realization that some of them are really, awfully, terribly squished together into a very short time. Today marks the beginning of a 24 hour period in which I will take not one, not two, but three exams. I opted for this option because I honestly work better under pressure, but I think that the title of the this blog accurately depicts how I'm feeling just about now.

The first exam will be today at 1:05 and will be meteorology. Altogether not a difficult subject, but I have found that the professor isn't exactly fair with what is put on the tests, with the graduate students scratching their heads wondering if they could have passed them. I will have ample time to study for this one, but I honestly wonder if it will do me any good.

The next exam will be at 7:45 tomorrow (that is in the a.m.) and it will be Ancient History. This one I am not too worried about, as I love this topic and have had it several times before in other classes. I am simply not thrilled that it is that early in the morning.

The last exam of this round will be at 10:05, directly after Ancient History, and it is Remote Sensing. This subject I have a pretty firm handle on, but it does require a good bit of studying.

These are just the middle three finals. I have already completed French and will still have to do GIS. This is the most finals I have ever had to take for one semester, but I think I can handle it :)

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Strength in Numbers

Today I experienced something that has left me both shaken and with a sense of pride in my school. Today, Virginia Tech, my home for the past three years, had a shooting. While the April 16th shooting was shocking and still moves me to this day, I was actually on campus today when the sirens started and the phone calls came in. The initial reports stated that shots had been fired on the other side of campus from where I was working on a project. Then the suspect was reported much farther away. And then he was reported just a few buildings away from me, where they had started to evacuate students into a safer area. Even though I was a in a very secure room in a very secure building, I was scared. My group and I continued to work on our project but the room was filled with the buzz of incoming news, concerned chatter, and students receiving worried phone calls from relatives, of which I received quite a few and am glad to have such a loving family.

There were two deaths today: the initial death of the officer and another victim. While tragedies like this are terrible and full of sorrow, they do prove the strength and unity of our community. The ability for thousands of different people to come together and support each other under such trying circumstances is incredible and I am so proud to be a part of such an extraordinary group of people.

We are all safe after being under lock down for several hours. I am home and happy for it. My biggest worry now is studying for finals.

I would ask that you continue to pray for the Hokie community, as I am sure that this will continue to affect us.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

A World Away



Yesterday I was able to experience something that was nothing short of miraculous, overwhelming, and awe-inspiring. Through the power of technology and social media, Virginia Tech was able to have a Skype conversation with democratic activist, Aung San Suu Kyi. Aung San Suu Kyi is the leader of the Burmese democratic revolution who has spent a lifetime fighting for freedom in Burma. Living in the midst of a dictatorship, she has been under house arrest for years, only having recently been released. She is an inspiration to all and we are some of the lucky few in America who have had the opportunity and honor to speak with her.

This whole thing started with a simple YouTube video of Virginia Tech's World Regions course pleading for this opportunity. Just a few weeks later, it spread like wildfire and our request was answered. If the chance arose, she would speak with us. And she did.

Here are just a few of the clips I was able to capture of our (Virginia Tech's) conversation with her:













And, just as proof that Matt and I were there, let's play a quick game of spot the boyfriend:



Did you find him? I'm sure you did.

This was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience that I will not soon forget. It was made possible by technology that has been only developed in my lifetime and will continue to bring people closer and allow for such amazing interactions as this. We were able to talk with someone who is literally on the other side of the planet, someone who otherwise we would have never been able to talk with.

Aung San Suu Kyi is an amazing woman who has achieved so much for her people and she will continue to promote democracy until her goal of freedom has been achieved.