I don't often talk about my work, but seeing as I'll be doing it 40 hours a week for the next seven weeks, maybe it's not such a bad idea to give everyone a little 'splaining.
If you followed the other blog linked to this account, you probably know I'm a writing consultant, as I used that blog to discuss the training process and the challenges I expected to face as a writing consultant. But what you may or may not know is that for the last three years, I have worked at the UR Digital Scholarship Lab.
The DSL is a Digital Humanities research lab. To a lot of people, digital humanities sounds like something of an oxymoron, because the humanities (history, philosophy, etc) tend to be pursuits we naturally link with neo-Luddism. Okay, no, most people don't think it's an oxymoron -- mostly, they just kind of look at me like "huh?"
Our work in the lab is some bizarre hybrid of historical research and computer science skills that come together to create interesting historical resources which match the modern age -- interactive maps, updated digital archives, things which make often inaccessible research or concepts modern and graspable.
My pet project since I've worked there has to be Visualizing Emancipation -- an interactive map of the emancipation process during the Civil War. A lot of people think (and we're certainly taught) that Emancipation happened when Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation and, like a magic spell, all the slaves were free. Maybe, if your education was a little more in-depth, you were taught that what gave the emancipation of slaves legal teeth was the passing of the 13th Amendment. Yay no more slaves!
What VE shows is the fact that the process was much more complex than that, and also precisely that -- it WAS a process. Every emancipation event in the database corresponds to a primary or secondary source which can point to the exact date at which a slave ran away, was liberated, was re-enslaved, or any number of other major events which focus on the fact we're not just talking about a historical or political moment in time. We're looking at the lives of people with real agency and whose freedom was not simply given to them.
This is not even to touch on the continuing plight of slaves and human trafficking victims which persists in a country that points to a point in history as the time when Americans stopped owning other Americans. But that's a topic for another day.
For the time being, if you want to check out what I've been up to or the Visualizing project, you can go to http://dsl.richmond.edu, http://dsl.richmond.edu/emancipation, or follow the project on twitter at @vizemancipation.
Historically (and digitally) yours,
Rachel Leigh
This is a blog about things, about thinking about things, about talking about things, and about being as snarky and poignant as I can manage. I hope you enjoy it.
Showing posts with label university of richmond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label university of richmond. Show all posts
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
On Summer in the City
Greetings, reader-type people!
I moved in yesterday to THIS lovely space:
That's right -- I'm living in a single (well, a single room in a suite) for the next eight weeks while I work at school. I'll be spending the summer in Richmond for the first time ever, which is both really exciting and kind of bizarre. As you can tell, I am clearly doing fun things all the time since I am clearly not blogging ever at all ever.
But I'm actually looking forward to the chance to get to know myself and this area/city a lot better over the next few weeks -- I'll get to experience what an actual 40-hour work week feels like (and figure out if I'm cut out for it at all), and hopefully get to spend time with some of my favorite people when I'm not at work.
Looking forward,
Rachel Leigh
I moved in yesterday to THIS lovely space:
That's right -- I'm living in a single (well, a single room in a suite) for the next eight weeks while I work at school. I'll be spending the summer in Richmond for the first time ever, which is both really exciting and kind of bizarre. As you can tell, I am clearly doing fun things all the time since I am clearly not blogging ever at all ever.
But I'm actually looking forward to the chance to get to know myself and this area/city a lot better over the next few weeks -- I'll get to experience what an actual 40-hour work week feels like (and figure out if I'm cut out for it at all), and hopefully get to spend time with some of my favorite people when I'm not at work.
Looking forward,
Rachel Leigh
Monday, January 7, 2013
On Richmond
In a few days, we'll be loading up the car to take this show on the road, again. And by "on the road," I mean about 275 miles down south to my second home, the River City, Richmond, Virginia.
Over the last three years, I've heard a lot of people say a lot of things about Richmond. From my friends in high school who promised they'd send Sherman in after me if I wasn't surviving the South to friends from much further south commenting on how far North RVA really is, I've pretty much heard it all.
Which got me thinking -- Is Richmond really Southern or is it Northern?
On the one hand, Richmond was the Capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
And trust me, riding down Monument Ave, it's easy to tell that they'll never forget it. And Virginia itself isn't exactly known for being a beacon of northern ideals, though who doesn't love a little Southern hospitality from time to time? (Although if you so much as dare to say "Bless your heart" in front of me, we might have a problem.) Besides, I have never been called a Yankee so many times in my life (you know who you are).
But at the same time, Richmond itself is a relatively Northern city -- more progressive than a lot of its more-Southern counterparts, and I dare you to find someone with a twang. Go ahead, try.
In a lot of ways, it's almost like this little Northern Bubble inside a very Southern state (and don't get me wrong, the University itself is even more a Northern Bubble (two words: Nantucket. Red.)). Never truly Northern and never truly Southern, not really belonging to either.
Confusedly yours,
Rachel Leigh
Over the last three years, I've heard a lot of people say a lot of things about Richmond. From my friends in high school who promised they'd send Sherman in after me if I wasn't surviving the South to friends from much further south commenting on how far North RVA really is, I've pretty much heard it all.
Which got me thinking -- Is Richmond really Southern or is it Northern?
On the one hand, Richmond was the Capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
And yes, this is what the ACTUAL Confederate flag looks like. Learn some history, fools.
But at the same time, Richmond itself is a relatively Northern city -- more progressive than a lot of its more-Southern counterparts, and I dare you to find someone with a twang. Go ahead, try.
In a lot of ways, it's almost like this little Northern Bubble inside a very Southern state (and don't get me wrong, the University itself is even more a Northern Bubble (two words: Nantucket. Red.)). Never truly Northern and never truly Southern, not really belonging to either.
Confusedly yours,
Rachel Leigh
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
On My Fake Major
It's no secret that I'm a Political Science major -- I blog pretty often about politics (although I do try to keep it non-partisan (...I said "try," people, no writer is without bias!)), and it even says in my bio that I'm an "aspiring political activist." I am quite proud of my studies and the work I hope to do in the future, and I'm not ashamed of my major.
Which is why I get really annoyed when people treat me like my major isn't real. I almost feel like I didn't even really choose my field; Political Science chose me. By the time I came to college, the gravitational pull in that direction was so strong that no one I went to high school with even has to question what I decided to major in. I chose my major because it's what I'm passionate about, because the work I do for it is good, and because I'm very excited about what doors it may open for me when I graduate.
So let's get down to the nitty-gritty of why people seem to think my major is "fake."
My favorite question, by far, is, "What are you planning to do with that? Become the President?"* Now, if you're an Actuarial Studies major, an Astrophysicist, or studying Chemistry with plans to take up Pharmacology later in life, feel free to ignore this part of the discussion -- your unemployment rates are literally zero and you are therefore pretty much exempt from this whole issue. You will always have jobs because your fields are either too depressing, too boring, or too complicated for the vast majority of students, so we will always need people like you! Go you! But if you are planning to major in pretty much anything else, you can expect your job prospects to be pretty grim. Almost every field sees an unemployment rate of around 7%. Interestingly enough, the unemployment rate for students with Political Science degrees? 6%, according to a study done by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce**.
Let's face it, there are only so many Fortune 500 companies in the world to run (incidentally, there are 500 of them), which I'm pretty sure means that, even if everyone in charge of every one of those companies either retired or died, there STILL wouldn't be enough available positions for all of the Business School graduates from just my tiny University alone from the last three years. So I guess that makes your "job prospects" question a moot point. I appreciate your concern.
The other major (get it?) question I get a lot in relation to my major's legitimacy comes down to the number of units in my major. My major has a 10 unit class requirement (which equates to about 35-40 credits for all you crazy credit-system students out there), which is, admittedly, on the lower end.
There are a few reasons I think this complaint lacks legitimacy. First, we're all still required to complete the minimum 32 classes to graduate that everyone else is. We don't suddenly get to call it a day after a year and a half. Second, part of the reason the major is so small and flexible is because they encourage us to pick up minors, second majors, research, or study abroad semesters, and they want the major to be flexible enough to accommodate that. I actually feel bad for some of my friends in the hard sciences or business programs who just don't have the flexibility to go abroad. Third, and in my opinion, most importantly -- trying to take an entire semester of Political Science courses is crazy. If your brain doesn't explode from all the readings (which often contradict each other because theories contradict other theories and often those contradict practice), your fingers will probably freeze up and develop early-onset carpal tunnel from all the papers you'll write.***
It's not that I think other majors don't deserve credit -- I absolutely do. Most students I know work hard and get stressed, and everybody has their own skill sets. I, for one, am glad my best friend from high school is the Engineering major and I am not, because I would build bridges that would collapse and kill people. But while most people I know in my field recognize and respect the legitimacy of other majors, it makes me sad that we don't get the same respect in turn. Our skills are different than yours and our paths and passions took us in a different direction. Why does that make us any less worthy?
Studiously yours,
Rachel Leigh
* Leaving aside the fact that very few of the Political Science majors I know want to become politicians. That's a post for another day (one which is currently in the works).
** Source: http://graphicsweb.wsj.com/documents/NILF1111/
*** Shout out to Dr. Dagger and Dr. McDowell for combining to make me write more papers as a first semester freshman than many of my friends will write their entire time in college!
Which is why I get really annoyed when people treat me like my major isn't real. I almost feel like I didn't even really choose my field; Political Science chose me. By the time I came to college, the gravitational pull in that direction was so strong that no one I went to high school with even has to question what I decided to major in. I chose my major because it's what I'm passionate about, because the work I do for it is good, and because I'm very excited about what doors it may open for me when I graduate.
So let's get down to the nitty-gritty of why people seem to think my major is "fake."
My favorite question, by far, is, "What are you planning to do with that? Become the President?"* Now, if you're an Actuarial Studies major, an Astrophysicist, or studying Chemistry with plans to take up Pharmacology later in life, feel free to ignore this part of the discussion -- your unemployment rates are literally zero and you are therefore pretty much exempt from this whole issue. You will always have jobs because your fields are either too depressing, too boring, or too complicated for the vast majority of students, so we will always need people like you! Go you! But if you are planning to major in pretty much anything else, you can expect your job prospects to be pretty grim. Almost every field sees an unemployment rate of around 7%. Interestingly enough, the unemployment rate for students with Political Science degrees? 6%, according to a study done by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce**.
Let's face it, there are only so many Fortune 500 companies in the world to run (incidentally, there are 500 of them), which I'm pretty sure means that, even if everyone in charge of every one of those companies either retired or died, there STILL wouldn't be enough available positions for all of the Business School graduates from just my tiny University alone from the last three years. So I guess that makes your "job prospects" question a moot point. I appreciate your concern.
The other major (get it?) question I get a lot in relation to my major's legitimacy comes down to the number of units in my major. My major has a 10 unit class requirement (which equates to about 35-40 credits for all you crazy credit-system students out there), which is, admittedly, on the lower end.
There are a few reasons I think this complaint lacks legitimacy. First, we're all still required to complete the minimum 32 classes to graduate that everyone else is. We don't suddenly get to call it a day after a year and a half. Second, part of the reason the major is so small and flexible is because they encourage us to pick up minors, second majors, research, or study abroad semesters, and they want the major to be flexible enough to accommodate that. I actually feel bad for some of my friends in the hard sciences or business programs who just don't have the flexibility to go abroad. Third, and in my opinion, most importantly -- trying to take an entire semester of Political Science courses is crazy. If your brain doesn't explode from all the readings (which often contradict each other because theories contradict other theories and often those contradict practice), your fingers will probably freeze up and develop early-onset carpal tunnel from all the papers you'll write.***
It's not that I think other majors don't deserve credit -- I absolutely do. Most students I know work hard and get stressed, and everybody has their own skill sets. I, for one, am glad my best friend from high school is the Engineering major and I am not, because I would build bridges that would collapse and kill people. But while most people I know in my field recognize and respect the legitimacy of other majors, it makes me sad that we don't get the same respect in turn. Our skills are different than yours and our paths and passions took us in a different direction. Why does that make us any less worthy?
Studiously yours,
Rachel Leigh
* Leaving aside the fact that very few of the Political Science majors I know want to become politicians. That's a post for another day (one which is currently in the works).
** Source: http://graphicsweb.wsj.com/documents/NILF1111/
*** Shout out to Dr. Dagger and Dr. McDowell for combining to make me write more papers as a first semester freshman than many of my friends will write their entire time in college!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
On The Things I Assume About You Based on Where You Study
You know that scene in Mean Girls when Janice and Damien are explaining the layout of the cafeteria to Cady, going around and pointing out all of the stereotypes and social groups? Of course you do, because it's one of the greatest scenes in a movie that will define our generation. My school is kind of like that. And while I could go on for days about the stereotypes about the layout of our dining hall, I have something else to vent about.
With finals right around the corner and the entire population of the school (except the seniors who are so close to graduating that you can physically feel the number of f*cks they do not give) is going to start marking territory around Boatwright like some possessive, tiny-bladdered puppy, it seemed like the right time to do this. I give you: "Partially-Unfounded Assumptions I Make About You Based on Where You Study"
Finally,
Rachel Leigh
With finals right around the corner and the entire population of the school (except the seniors who are so close to graduating that you can physically feel the number of f*cks they do not give) is going to start marking territory around Boatwright like some possessive, tiny-bladdered puppy, it seemed like the right time to do this. I give you: "Partially-Unfounded Assumptions I Make About You Based on Where You Study"
- Boatwright (the Library): As a general rule, you're checking Facebook more than your textbook and probably using 8:15 and potty breaks as just another excuse to procrastinate. Then again, so are the rest of us. But there's more to it than that.
- B2: Aww...the group study area. Couples that want to be obnoxiously coupley in the not-so-private privacy of the bottom level, a couple awkward study rooms, and the bathroom that people use when they really need to poop and don't want to be around other people.
- B1: Fratstars and the sorority biddies who love them (also known as the B-school in exile). Also, the socially awkward people who actually WANT to sit and study on the silent floor. I assume you have no social skills, no friends, and a generally sad future ahead of you.
- First Floor
- Open Area: I get it. You're here with your sorority fam and you'll get on each other's cases to get work done after you finish catching up on the gossip you couldn't catch up on at chapter, fam dinner, and that time you got lunch like two hours ago.
- Quiet Section: Also known as the "We came here to get shit done" section of the library.
- Second Floor
- Open Area: Frat guys and loud Internationals. It's funny that you expected to get work done.
- Quiet Section: No really, who ARE you people? I'm pretty sure I've never seen you in my life, probably because you never leave this room, and PLEASE stop glaring at me for slamming the bathroom door. I can't help it that it's so dead silent in here that you could hear a fly land on a table.
- MRC: Don't even pretend you're doing anything other than checking Facebook and watching movies. I can see your computer screen.
- Gottwald (Science Building): I assume your life is sad, you probably haven't slept in anything other than that chair in the lobby in about a week, and I'm sincerely concerned about the last time you showered.
- The B-School: You couldn't even detach yourself from outside Dean's office door and dress like a college student rather than my 40 year old math professor long enough to leave the B-School to study somewhere else. You worry me.
- Your Dorm Room: You say "studying," I say "watching Netflix and ordering Jimmy Johns"
Finally,
Rachel Leigh
Sunday, December 5, 2010
On Exam Week
It's a Sunday afternoon around 12:30 and you're beginning to wonder where everyone is. Campus is completely deserted except for the occasional resident of the city of Richmond who has wandered over to campus to find a place to walk their dog and, for some reason, pay $8.50 to eat lunch in an overpriced cafeteria. You wander in circles aimlessly, stopping to get some food in said overpriced cafeteria (because meal swipes are cheaper than real money) until it gets to be 1 and you decide to get coffee in the library. It is at that moment, as you close in on a line of 30 people that has somehow formed in the 2 minutes since the coffee shop opened, that you realize where everyone is. The library. And then you remember that it's the day before finals begin and you should probably have spent your weekend doing something more productive that screwing around on tumblr, hopelessly refreshing webcomics, TFMs, and Texts from Last Night, or skypeing. Like maybe studying. Maybe.
...Just finished my last major (non-exam) assignment of the semester, which is due tomorrow at noon! Congratulations to ME!
And, to those of my readers who are:
a) Still reading
b) In college...
Happy Finals Week and Good Luck on Your Exams!
...Just finished my last major (non-exam) assignment of the semester, which is due tomorrow at noon! Congratulations to ME!
And, to those of my readers who are:
a) Still reading
b) In college...
Happy Finals Week and Good Luck on Your Exams!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Random Thoughts
It's been a while, anonymous readers! Since then, I've found myself wasting a lot of time on sites like CollegeACB.
Why is it that people get so cruel when they're anonymous? I mean, seriously, the UR CACB page is just a bunch of trash-talking (particularly different sororities and fraternities bashing each other) and people talking smack about each other. I guess another major question is why I read it.
On another note: I REALLY love Blaine on Glee. I mean really. Darren Criss is adorable. And so talented. Have you heard his cover of "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Chris Colfer? It's amazing. Plus, I mean, I fell in love with "Teenage Dream." All. Male. Acapella. It's THE quickest way to my heart, I'm pretty sure.
Sorry. I'm just...guh. In. Love.
Lovingly,
Rachel Leigh
Why is it that people get so cruel when they're anonymous? I mean, seriously, the UR CACB page is just a bunch of trash-talking (particularly different sororities and fraternities bashing each other) and people talking smack about each other. I guess another major question is why I read it.
On another note: I REALLY love Blaine on Glee. I mean really. Darren Criss is adorable. And so talented. Have you heard his cover of "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Chris Colfer? It's amazing. Plus, I mean, I fell in love with "Teenage Dream." All. Male. Acapella. It's THE quickest way to my heart, I'm pretty sure.
Sorry. I'm just...guh. In. Love.
Lovingly,
Rachel Leigh
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Just a Random Update / On When You Shouldn't Be Surprised
Wow. It's been almost two weeks since my last post. Sorry, my darling readers! I have been trying to do better, but clearly I've been failing a little. The last five days have been part of a much-needed chance to relax known as Fall Break. Prior to said relaxation, there were about two consecutive Hell Weeks of a rather absurd amount of work and a mid-term that I felt certain I was going to fail, so the break was definitely appreciated.
What can I say about life recently?
Well, first of all, I've been shown the best possible site to check the weather, which I now use religiously. Seriously, check out http://www.thefuckingweather.com/. It makes my day.
I feel like all of my recent posts have been really UR-centric, which I guess makes sense because it's really my whole life now, but I also feel like it makes my blog insanely boring to read. I really hope I'll find other things to talk about.
A friend and I were having a conversation in the dining hall the other day, because we were watching CNN and a story about a lion in a circus mauling a man. We both seemed to agree that there really isn't a reason this should be news. Lions are fierce, ferocious, wild animals. You really shouldn't be surprised that one (even one raised in captivity) would attack someone. COME ON. They're predators. That's what they do. They attack things. Maybe you should be surprised if someone got mauled by a sloth. I mean, that would be unexpected. They're lazy and they're herbivores, so if one went insane and mauled somebody, THAT would be news. But don't be surprised when bloodthirsty predators decide to be bloodthirsty and predatory. That's dumb.
Carnivorously yours,
Rachel Leigh
What can I say about life recently?
Well, first of all, I've been shown the best possible site to check the weather, which I now use religiously. Seriously, check out http://www.thefuckingweather.com/. It makes my day.
I feel like all of my recent posts have been really UR-centric, which I guess makes sense because it's really my whole life now, but I also feel like it makes my blog insanely boring to read. I really hope I'll find other things to talk about.
A friend and I were having a conversation in the dining hall the other day, because we were watching CNN and a story about a lion in a circus mauling a man. We both seemed to agree that there really isn't a reason this should be news. Lions are fierce, ferocious, wild animals. You really shouldn't be surprised that one (even one raised in captivity) would attack someone. COME ON. They're predators. That's what they do. They attack things. Maybe you should be surprised if someone got mauled by a sloth. I mean, that would be unexpected. They're lazy and they're herbivores, so if one went insane and mauled somebody, THAT would be news. But don't be surprised when bloodthirsty predators decide to be bloodthirsty and predatory. That's dumb.
Carnivorously yours,
Rachel Leigh
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Even MorOn College
So the last couple weeks have been pretty hectic. I've had papers due left and right (thank you, professor, for making us turn in a two page written assignment analyzing every reading we do for the next 3 weeks. I appreciate that, especially when I have three other classes to do work for), and it seems like I have club meetings or lectures or chances to hang out every time I turn my head. So, needless to say, my blogging (and many other things) haven't gotten the attention they quite deserve.
So today, in between my 10:30 class, which ended early, and my 1:30 class, which I don't need to leave for for another hour, I have gotten in touch with my roots. Namely, I've spent the last hour on RollingStone.com catching up on all things musical. I just finished reading every album review they have posted since July. The fact that I had to go that far back should tell you how badly I've been slacking. The results were about what I expected: mixed reviews on Lady Gaga's Remix album, praise for Brandon Flowers' solo work (while mocking his hair...understandably), and a commentary on Of Montreal's new album that left me incredibly confused about what I might be getting myself into.
I then proceeded to walk myself to D-Hall (the UR dining hall) in the pouring rain (Thank god for new rain boots!), where I have set up shop with my laptop, a bowl of some kind of crab soup that smells delicious but I don't particularly want to eat, and a glass of delicious BLUE DRANK. I had intended to just sit by myself and blog, but a friend of mine and her big walked up and are now eating with me. We've been discussing...poverty! It's really interesting to be discussing this at a school where very, very few people have any conception of going without.
So...needless to say, college has been intertesting thus far.
I'm going to actually interact with the people I'm eating lunch with now.
Don't Stop Believing,
Rachel Leigh
So today, in between my 10:30 class, which ended early, and my 1:30 class, which I don't need to leave for for another hour, I have gotten in touch with my roots. Namely, I've spent the last hour on RollingStone.com catching up on all things musical. I just finished reading every album review they have posted since July. The fact that I had to go that far back should tell you how badly I've been slacking. The results were about what I expected: mixed reviews on Lady Gaga's Remix album, praise for Brandon Flowers' solo work (while mocking his hair...understandably), and a commentary on Of Montreal's new album that left me incredibly confused about what I might be getting myself into.
I then proceeded to walk myself to D-Hall (the UR dining hall) in the pouring rain (Thank god for new rain boots!), where I have set up shop with my laptop, a bowl of some kind of crab soup that smells delicious but I don't particularly want to eat, and a glass of delicious BLUE DRANK. I had intended to just sit by myself and blog, but a friend of mine and her big walked up and are now eating with me. We've been discussing...poverty! It's really interesting to be discussing this at a school where very, very few people have any conception of going without.
So...needless to say, college has been intertesting thus far.
I'm going to actually interact with the people I'm eating lunch with now.
Don't Stop Believing,
Rachel Leigh
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
On Things About College I Still Don't Understand
So I've been here for a month now. I had hoped I wouldn't still be really confused by things, but there are some that still persist.
-If lanyards are the mark of a freshman, what do upperclassmen do with their keys? Do they not HAVE keys? Is this possible? ...Actually, given the number of people who don't lock their apartments (HELLO TICKLER), that's actually a pretty reasonable assumption.
-Was the person who numbered the apartments on crack? So 1300 and 1400 are over here...but 1500 is on the other side of the apartment blocks? And 100 is somewhere in between? Knowing WHERE the apartment blocks are does not keep me from being deeply concerned about the logic behind numbering them.
-In a similar vein, why is the Health Center over by the apartments? Upperclassmen are far more likely than underclassmen to have cars. So let's put it close to the people who CAN drive, and force the people who can't to walk their sick/injured selves to the Health Center from across campus? Does this make sense?
-Why is the bathroom in the Quiet Study Section of the library? Doors slamming, toilets flushing, and god forbid if someone is sick... Let's put one of the most disruptive activities in the entire library right where people are trying to work quietly! That's a great idea, right?
-A question which I believe still confounds seniors: Why are 8:15 (the on-campus coffee shop) and Tyler's (on-campus fast food stuff) closed on weekends, when they could be making a lot of money from hungry/caffeine-craving people?
I'm not pretending to be the most logical person in the world, but this complete lack of logic in these areas completely confounds me. If anyone can explain, I'd love it.
Confusedly yours,
Rachel Leigh
-If lanyards are the mark of a freshman, what do upperclassmen do with their keys? Do they not HAVE keys? Is this possible? ...Actually, given the number of people who don't lock their apartments (HELLO TICKLER), that's actually a pretty reasonable assumption.
-Was the person who numbered the apartments on crack? So 1300 and 1400 are over here...but 1500 is on the other side of the apartment blocks? And 100 is somewhere in between? Knowing WHERE the apartment blocks are does not keep me from being deeply concerned about the logic behind numbering them.
-In a similar vein, why is the Health Center over by the apartments? Upperclassmen are far more likely than underclassmen to have cars. So let's put it close to the people who CAN drive, and force the people who can't to walk their sick/injured selves to the Health Center from across campus? Does this make sense?
-Why is the bathroom in the Quiet Study Section of the library? Doors slamming, toilets flushing, and god forbid if someone is sick... Let's put one of the most disruptive activities in the entire library right where people are trying to work quietly! That's a great idea, right?
-A question which I believe still confounds seniors: Why are 8:15 (the on-campus coffee shop) and Tyler's (on-campus fast food stuff) closed on weekends, when they could be making a lot of money from hungry/caffeine-craving people?
I'm not pretending to be the most logical person in the world, but this complete lack of logic in these areas completely confounds me. If anyone can explain, I'd love it.
Confusedly yours,
Rachel Leigh
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
On The Freshman 15
Maybe it's because I go to one of the fittest colleges in the country [ranked #10 in 2006...I have yet to find a more recent list (http://www.mensfitness.com/college_rankings/79 )] or because of personal behaviors, but to be honest, I'm not especially worried about the Freshman 15.
The food in the dining hall is relatively healthy and (kilo)calorie counts are pretty easy to access. I live RIGHT next to the on-campus fitness center, which is open (and, weirdly enough, in use) until midnight every night. Seriously, I've seen people in there at 11 at night. I regret to admit that I haven't yet used it, but to be honest, I really don't feel like I need to.
I walk everywhere on campus, and with the exception of a small portion of the population, so does everyone. Except when the GreenUR bikes are around. Then you see lots of kids on bikes. Because they're faster. (Drunk kids on bikes are funny. Really funny.) It also helps that the farthest walk I usually have to make in a day is actually to the Dining Hall. It keeps me from walking there to bored-eat, which has always been a problem, AND it helps burn off the calories I consume while I'm there.
To be honest, most college campuses are at least as big as this one, and it surprises me that there are so many people who gain a lot of weight their freshman year. I...don't see that happening to a lot of the people here.
We are fitness (Hannah!),
Rachel Leigh
The food in the dining hall is relatively healthy and (kilo)calorie counts are pretty easy to access. I live RIGHT next to the on-campus fitness center, which is open (and, weirdly enough, in use) until midnight every night. Seriously, I've seen people in there at 11 at night. I regret to admit that I haven't yet used it, but to be honest, I really don't feel like I need to.
I walk everywhere on campus, and with the exception of a small portion of the population, so does everyone. Except when the GreenUR bikes are around. Then you see lots of kids on bikes. Because they're faster. (Drunk kids on bikes are funny. Really funny.) It also helps that the farthest walk I usually have to make in a day is actually to the Dining Hall. It keeps me from walking there to bored-eat, which has always been a problem, AND it helps burn off the calories I consume while I'm there.
To be honest, most college campuses are at least as big as this one, and it surprises me that there are so many people who gain a lot of weight their freshman year. I...don't see that happening to a lot of the people here.
We are fitness (Hannah!),
Rachel Leigh
Monday, September 6, 2010
More On (but not Moron) College
So, as a proud college student, I feel the need to talk about some things about being a proud college student in my blog.
In my previous post, I referenced being a Westhampton College student. Which, to some people, produces a "lolwut" response because, well, I'm a freshman at the University of Richmond. When originally founded (like most colleges), Richmond was an all-men's college. In 1914, they decided to incorporate a women's college into the University: Westhampton College. To this day, though classes, housing, and most activities are now not separated by gender, the women entering UR enter Westhampton College and the men enter Richmond College. The things that stayed separate? The deaneries, the student government, and a lot of the traditions. For example, the girls have a tradition known as Proclamation Night which is apparently a pretty big deal, but I don't quite understand it yet. Maybe I'll elabor (credit: Max) after Proclamation Night once I understand it more.
Other things about college:
Well, I just left the URMUN (University of Richmond Model United Nations) interest meeting. There are SO many interest meetings. Last week there was a Student Organization Fair and I, like most freshmen, signed up for about 10 different clubs. I do not fool myself into believing I will be able to participate in every single one. I will feel accomplished if I manage to participate in like...3. But it's just insane the number of things there are to do: activist groups (UR Body, UR Choice; Dems; Global Health), fun things (like Ballroom Dancing, which I wish didn't conflict with my Wednesday night class), general nerdliness (URMUN, Quidditch, etc), and...about a million other things. Like Meditation Club. Which sends out really funny emails. There is literally just more stuff to do than I previously imagined possible. Which is funny, because there are other things that have to have time, too.
...Like class. I have it pretty easy most days. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday I only have one class. Friday I have two. But Wednesday? The same day that they have Ballroom Dancing, which I really wish I could participate in? Well, I have three classes on Wednesday. One of which runs from 6:30-9:30 every Wednesday night. Head, meet desk. Desk, meet head. The rest of the time, I love my schedule, but Wednesdays, I want to kick small children.
What I find with college stuff is just that I have so much I want to talk about, and so little of it that fits with what I'm trying to say. There is no overarching, deeper theme to this post. It's just college.
Future posts (honestly, this list is as much for my reference as yours, because I don't want to forget what I wanted to talk about):
-When really awesome/important people come to UR and what I think about it
-Why I'm not worried about the Freshman 15
-Probably some reflections on things I've learned in class
...Speaking of, my classes:
-Introduction to Public Policy
-Introduction to American Government
-Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: Sexual Violence and War
-First Year Seminar: Shakespeare and the Politics of Leadership
...yeah, it's awesome.
Cheese and rice (the topic of the last Meditation Club email),
Rachel Leigh
In my previous post, I referenced being a Westhampton College student. Which, to some people, produces a "lolwut" response because, well, I'm a freshman at the University of Richmond. When originally founded (like most colleges), Richmond was an all-men's college. In 1914, they decided to incorporate a women's college into the University: Westhampton College. To this day, though classes, housing, and most activities are now not separated by gender, the women entering UR enter Westhampton College and the men enter Richmond College. The things that stayed separate? The deaneries, the student government, and a lot of the traditions. For example, the girls have a tradition known as Proclamation Night which is apparently a pretty big deal, but I don't quite understand it yet. Maybe I'll elabor (credit: Max) after Proclamation Night once I understand it more.
Other things about college:
Well, I just left the URMUN (University of Richmond Model United Nations) interest meeting. There are SO many interest meetings. Last week there was a Student Organization Fair and I, like most freshmen, signed up for about 10 different clubs. I do not fool myself into believing I will be able to participate in every single one. I will feel accomplished if I manage to participate in like...3. But it's just insane the number of things there are to do: activist groups (UR Body, UR Choice; Dems; Global Health), fun things (like Ballroom Dancing, which I wish didn't conflict with my Wednesday night class), general nerdliness (URMUN, Quidditch, etc), and...about a million other things. Like Meditation Club. Which sends out really funny emails. There is literally just more stuff to do than I previously imagined possible. Which is funny, because there are other things that have to have time, too.
...Like class. I have it pretty easy most days. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday I only have one class. Friday I have two. But Wednesday? The same day that they have Ballroom Dancing, which I really wish I could participate in? Well, I have three classes on Wednesday. One of which runs from 6:30-9:30 every Wednesday night. Head, meet desk. Desk, meet head. The rest of the time, I love my schedule, but Wednesdays, I want to kick small children.
What I find with college stuff is just that I have so much I want to talk about, and so little of it that fits with what I'm trying to say. There is no overarching, deeper theme to this post. It's just college.
Future posts (honestly, this list is as much for my reference as yours, because I don't want to forget what I wanted to talk about):
-When really awesome/important people come to UR and what I think about it
-Why I'm not worried about the Freshman 15
-Probably some reflections on things I've learned in class
...Speaking of, my classes:
-Introduction to Public Policy
-Introduction to American Government
-Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: Sexual Violence and War
-First Year Seminar: Shakespeare and the Politics of Leadership
...yeah, it's awesome.
Cheese and rice (the topic of the last Meditation Club email),
Rachel Leigh
Sunday, September 5, 2010
On Freshmeat
So, this is the first time since having left for the University of Richmond (UR, Richmond, U of R, and any number of bad puns involving the abbreviation "UR") that I have taken a seat and flipped open my laptop with the intention of putting my fingers to the keys to blog.
I have been a college freshman for almost 3 weeks now. And everyone on campus can tell. Forget the obvious trademarks of the Class of 2014 (or, traditionally, any freshman class): an overabundance of lanyards, the green Westhampton College (I'll explain this in a later post) t-shirts (our class color), that predominant look of complete confusion and disorientation when you stumble outside of your normal stomping ground. And don't even get me started on the troves of lost freshmeat wandering around the University apartments, completely lost. Guys: there are maps. Find them. Learn them.
The fact of the matter is that, while I've tried to overcome these obvious freshman-markers, there are other things. Like, for example, the fact that I have braces. In college. I met a girl the other night who said it was cute and reminded her of Indonesia, because apparently it's a trend there to have braces into your 20s?
I just wish it weren't so obvious. It's like having a target placed on my back that says "I'm new, I have no idea what's going on. Please, take advantage of this." It's frustrating.
In future posts:
-Why I'm a Westhampton College student and how coordinate colleges work
-When REALLY Important/Awesome People Come to Richmond
...and more
Ta for now,
Rachel Leigh
I have been a college freshman for almost 3 weeks now. And everyone on campus can tell. Forget the obvious trademarks of the Class of 2014 (or, traditionally, any freshman class): an overabundance of lanyards, the green Westhampton College (I'll explain this in a later post) t-shirts (our class color), that predominant look of complete confusion and disorientation when you stumble outside of your normal stomping ground. And don't even get me started on the troves of lost freshmeat wandering around the University apartments, completely lost. Guys: there are maps. Find them. Learn them.
The fact of the matter is that, while I've tried to overcome these obvious freshman-markers, there are other things. Like, for example, the fact that I have braces. In college. I met a girl the other night who said it was cute and reminded her of Indonesia, because apparently it's a trend there to have braces into your 20s?
I just wish it weren't so obvious. It's like having a target placed on my back that says "I'm new, I have no idea what's going on. Please, take advantage of this." It's frustrating.
In future posts:
-Why I'm a Westhampton College student and how coordinate colleges work
-When REALLY Important/Awesome People Come to Richmond
...and more
Ta for now,
Rachel Leigh
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