New tagline!

It's been a crazy semester here in Rochester. Senior year has meant more work both in and out of the classroom. I welcomed 28 new residents in August. I choreographed for BPG, stepping back onstage for the first time in a year. I'm tackling new research for my upper-level and graduate level writing requirements while searching through options for next year. Luckily, one of those is now off my plate!

I have officially enrolled in the Warner School of Education beginning this May. I will be pursuing a Master's Degree in Teaching and Curriculum with initial certification. My specific degree will be in elementary education, bringing me one step closer to my ultimate goal of becoming a teacher. I couldn't be more excited!

This all leads to my ultimate announcement: after my graduation, my blog's tagline will change to "knitting through graduate school, one skein at a time". Be on the lookout for this exciting new chapter of my life!

Giving Thanks

I know, I know - this is a little late. Thanksgiving was 2 days ago, but between all the travel and then spending time with family, I never got around to blogging like I had hoped. But hey, better late than never, right? So, here it is: a list of (a few of) the things I'm thankful for this year.

This year, I'm thankful for music. I've been singing with Roc Hakol since my sophomore year, but this year we're finally starting to come together. There are so many amazing opportunities opening up for us, and as excited as I am for all of those, the best part is spending time with these amazing girls. Some weeks, we spend more time laughing and joking around in rehearsals than actually singing, but we still get our work done. I'm so grateful to have them in my life.

This year, I'm thankful for dance. Dance has been my place of refuge for as long as I can remember, but after a few injuries during high school (and then a repeat my sophomore year of college), I wasn't really sure that I would be able to keep dancing as much as I wanted. Simply stepping back on stage this fall was a blessing, and being able to do so with some of my closest friends was more incredible than I could ever imagine. There's something so special about the bonds I've formed with these dancers through hours spent together. I can't imagine how different my life would be without them, and to be honest, I wouldn't want to try.

This year, I'm thankful for adventures. I had the amazing opportunity to spend 4 months abroad this year, and I can't begin to explain how incredible this was. The people I met and the places I went have become such an integral part of the person I am. In truth, the semester I spent in Bath was one giant adventure in the littlest ways. I've barely gotten to see the others who were on my program since we got back, but that doesn't lessen the space they hold in my heart.

This year, I'm thankful for friends. I've already mentioned Roc Hakol, dancing, and my program abroad, and to be fair, these three groups have shaped who I am in more ways than I can count. However, others have also played a role - friends from my trip to Israel, friends who have moved away over the years, even a few friends from high school who are still around - and I'm so happy that they have.

This year, I'm thankful for family. My siblings and I were never close growing up, but now that we're older, we get along a lot better. I don't get to see any of my family as often as I did when I was living at home, which makes the we spend time together even sweeter.

This year, I'm thankful for change. I'm not the same person I was 4 years ago. In fact, I'm not even the same person I was at this time last year. The person I am today is a combination of all of the amazing experiences I've had and the choices I've made, and I am so thankful that I can say I have no regrets and that I am truly being the best version of me that I can.

First Day Jitters?

Something tells me that after 16 years of education, I'm not supposed to have first day jitters. I'm probably supposed to dread the first day of school, and in some ways, I do. When I start to think about the amount of work I'll have this year for my classes, I balk. I haven't even looked at the graduate school applications I'm supposed to fill out this fall. The start of the school year means that I have to face those things, despite the fact that I don't want to.

At the same time, though, the first day of school is still a little exciting. I can't wait to step into my classrooms, meet my professors, and start to learn. I want to know who else will be in my classes this semester. I'm excited about the material my courses will cover this fall, because being a senior in college means that I'm taking courses I really want to be in.

Maybe this is why I want to teach so badly. Because I know how it feels to be excited for the first day of school, despite dreading the start of classes. Because I know that the two emotions go hand in hand, and that that's probably a good thing. Because I want to harness that excitement for the whole year.

Happy First Day of Classes!

Lucky Number 4

As I tried to sit down and write this post, I was at a loss for words. I didn't know where to start. There seemed to be no way to sum up the time I had spent abroad. No way, that is, until I started to think back further to my trip to Israel. That's when I realized today's date, and suddenly, everything came together.

Exactly 4 years ago today, on June 23, 2010, I left on my first trip abroad. I packed my giant suitcase and a small overnight bag and piled into the car. At JFK Airport, I met the 25 other students I would be traveling with that summer for the first time, and boarded my first international flight. We studied and traveled together for 45 days, and I will never stop being grateful for the friendships I made and the ways that travel changed me.

Fast forward to today. Not only has it been 4 years since my first trip began, Saturday marked 4 weeks since my semester abroad - which lasted 4 months - ended. A journey that started when I first landed in England on February 4 came to its conclusion at JFK Airport, where my first journey had begun.

At times, it feels like lifetimes have passed in the last 4 years. I'm so different today from the girl I was then. Even spending just 4 months abroad has changed me in so many ways. In the weeks since my return, I've started to pick apart the 4 months I spent in England, and here's what I've boiled it down to.

Number of visits made to St. Andrew's: 10 (to a class of 23 students)

The school placement program was one of the main reasons I had initially chosen to apply to ASE. I liked a number of things about the program, but the education program had been the first thing that pulled me to it. Thanks in part to friends in Rochester who listened to me rant about ASE and another program that had accepted me, I eventually decided to go to Bath for the semester, which was the best decision I could have made. The students in Year 4 welcomed me with open arms, and I had a fantastic time joining their class every week. 

Number of formal essays written: 6 (plus a 40-plus page education portfolio)

That's right, I did take classes this semester. It's called "STUDY" abroad for a reason. I did plenty of reading, took lots of notes, and even learned a few things in the classroom. As torturous as my Shakespeare class was, it taught me quite a bit. My Tudors and Stuarts course was equally as informative, although significantly more enjoyable thanks to a friendlier environment. My favorites by far were the education courses (one theory and one based on our placements) when the seven of us in the education program basically just hung out with Mike Rix and Andrew Butterworth. 

Number of cities visited: 19 (spanning 6 countries)

Traveling, whether with the program or for personal reasons, was one of the most fun things I did all semester. I took more train rides than I can count, and saw more landmarks and museums than I'll probably remember. I got a taste of so many incredible places, which only made me want to see more. 

Number of blog posts related to my trip: 38 

Even though I knew not many people would probably read my blog posts, I was so glad I decided to write about my journey. I would get back from a new place and pour all the memories out. I realized I became a bit of an adjective junky, but I simply couldn't find any other way to describe all I had seen.

Number of photos uploaded to Facebook: 1252 (plus 1 video)

Where words failed, my camera at least came closer. So many people have yelled at me for not being in many of my own photos, but as cliche as it sounds, I loved the way that the world looked through the lens of my camera. There were so many moments I wanted to capture, and looking back, I'm so happy I did. 

And, of course, the reason you all probably read this post, my grand total.

Number of miles logged: 269.28

I still can't believe all of the experiences I had this semester, or how long it's been since I returned. Looking back to my first summer abroad, I never saw this coming. I never imagined these opportunities, or the wonderful people I would meet along my journeys.

Here's to my next 4 amazing years.  

"If I had a Roman Sword, I'd run on it!"

As April turned to May, ASE - and particularly my Mythologizing Shakespeare class - got ready for a slew of Shakespeare exposure, starting with our class's study trip.

As with most trips, our class's outing to the Globe Theater started early in the morning. North Parade was the first pick up point, where we were joined by Andrew Butterworth, our chaperone for the day. Next was Widcombe, followed by Northampton, where we hit our first snag of the day. Because of a miscommunication, we waited for 20 minutes for Carrington, who had already traveled to London the previous evening and would be meeting us at the theater. Not the most auspicious start to the day.

Regardless, we set out for London, where we arrived a few hours later. We hopped off the coach and walked around the corner to the theater, although we managed to pass the street the first time around. When we finally arrived at the Globe, we met our tutor Brian Hazel, his wife Ruth, and the elusive Carrington. We were escorted on a tour of the theater and explored the neighboring exhibition before breaking for lunch. Megan, Chelsi, Carrington, Bella and I grabbed a bite at Wagamama, a noodlebar around the corner, and then headed back to the theater to rent cushions for the show.

The doors opened, and we took our seats for a particularly gory production of Titus and Andronicus. I couldn't watch much of it (as my classmates discovered, I don't exactly do well with blood), but the rest of the group seemed to somewhat enjoy it. We gathered at the gift shop following the show, where Andrew did a final head count and we said goodbye to Carrington, Kendall and Ola (who would all be staying in London) before we walked back along the river to where the bus would pick us up.

As we waited at the curb, Uriel spoke up from the back of the group. Somewhere between the theater and our pick up point, we had lost one of our classmates! Uriel and Miranda turned around to find him, and Andrew rushed after them. The bus pulled up a few minutes later, so those of us who had remained piled on, scouring the sidewalk for our classmates and chaperone. A few minutes later, Uriel, Miranda and Andrew returned with Brian and Ruth in tow. Andrew, unfortunately, looked extremely frazzled as he searched for his phone to call the student. As it turned out, the student would be staying in London for the evening and had neglected to tell Andrew. As he walked onto the bus so we could finally leave, Andrew blurted out the title of this blog.

The rest of the evening was uneventful, and before long, we were gearing up for our 3-day residency in Stratford-Upon-Avon starting on Tuesday. We piled onto the bus, where I took a seat next to Kris as we set out on our way. About halfway through the trip, Ali blurted out "Look whose face I'm wearing" from across the aisle, at which point I decided to start collecting potential blog titles. Keep a look out for those throughout the post.

We unloaded the bus and gathered in the park, where we sorted into groups based on our Bed and Breakfasts for the week. I scoured the crowd for Kendall and Rachel, my roommates for the week, and together we joined the rest of the Adelphi House group. Lindsay escorted us across the road and dropped us off with the owners, who welcomed us openly. Once we found our rooms, we returned to the park, which would be our meeting point for the week.

We split into two groups and took a quick tour around Stratford, which is a fairly small town. The tour ended in front of the Shakespeare Center, where we would need to meet for lectures during our visit. We broke for lunch, at which point Megan dragged me off to have my first fish and chips of my trip here (in my defense, I don't eat french fries, and I'm not a big fan of fried foods).

Our first lecture began with Brian Hazel, who discussed the history of Stratford and the theaters. His wife Ruth took over halfway through to introduce Henry IV part I, the first of 3 plays we would be seeing that week. After the lecture, a few of us visited Shakespeare's birthplace. A few of us grabbed a light bite before returning to the Royal Shakespeare Theater for the show. Jonathan and Lindsay met us at the entrance to distribute tickets. We found that our seats constituted 3 clumps - one group sat in the Orchestra (referred to as the "Stalls" here) and two groups sat on either side of the Mezzanine (which they call the "Circle"). After Henry IV part I, we split into smaller groups to either go out for a drink or go back to the B & B's. As Emma, Alyssa, Grace and I walked past the Dirty Duck - one of Stratford's best-known pubs - we started to talk about the name. This, of course led to a discussion of pub names in general, at which point Emma asserted that "If something sounds fairly improbable, it's probably the name of a pub".

Wednesday started early once again, this time with breakfast and a morning lecture. As in Oxford, breakfast was a chance to see other students in the program we might not otherwise see, in this case those staying at the same B & B. Lucy, who was staying at our B & B, walked us back to the Shakespeare Center, where Ruth led a talk-back session on Henry IV part I, followed by an introduction to Arden of Faversham - the non-Shakespeare play we would be seeing on our second night - with Brian. After the lecture, we had free time, so Emily, Rachel, Megan, Jasmyne and I grabbed sandwiches and set off on our adventure of seeing the city!

We started at the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was baptized and later buried.The church was much simpler than many we had previously seen, which was a welcome change. From there, we walked down the street to Hall's Croft, which had once been the residence of Shakespeare's granddaughter. One of the most interesting parts of the house was actually outside of it, in the gardens. The flowers that have been planted in the garden all come from Shakespeare's works, and a sculpture in its center features the two heads of Bottom - human and donkey - fused into one.

From Hall's Croft, we visited Nash's house, beside which New Place once stood. The former was the home of Thomas Nash, while Shakespeare lived in the latter. Nash's house featured a dress-up station, which we of course latched onto. As I prepared to photograph the rest of the group wearing crowns, Emily turned to me seriously and said, "You may bow to us". This elicited a round of laughter from us all, and we continued through the exhibit, testing our knowledge of Shakespeare's plays (which sadly was fairly low). Unfortunately, New Place was destroyed many years ago when its owner became tired of the multitude of visitors who would flock to the site. However, the gardens behind the house still remain, and we wandered through, visiting the various sculptures depicting scenes from Shakespeare's plays. From there, we crossed the river Avon to visit a monument that once stood in the courtyard of the Royal Shakespeare Theater. When fire destroyed the original theater and it had to be rebuilt, the monument was moved to its current location. We stopped in the theater on our way back to the park, where we met Lindsay and Lucy for a trip to Anne Hathaway's Cottage.

Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife, grew up about a mile outside of Stratford. The house in which she lived remained in the family for over 400 years. Surrounding the house is a vast garden, including a small lavender "maze" shaped as the comedy mask. We eventually walked back into town, picking up Sarah on our way. As we got ready for dinner, Emily yawned, which Sarah pointed out, saying "Let's go take you a nap". We were all so exhausted from the long days that it took us a moment to realize what she had said, but eventually we caught it. I split off from the rest of the group I had been with to meet Kendall and Rachel in the park. We had decided to get dinner that night at a local Greek restaurant, which was definitely one of the best meals I ate all week. Afterwards, we walked to the Swan Theater (a small theater right beside the Royal Shakespeare Theater) for the performance of Arden of Faversham.

We mingled as we waited, and suddenly, Sarah turned to me and aggressively asked "DO YOU HAVE A DOG NAMED HUMPHREY?" (for the record, she insisted that I use all capitol letters). Sensing her disappointment that I did not, in fact, have a dog named Humphrey (or any dog at all for that matter), I attempted to help her determine whose dog she was thinking of, recalling the conversation from when I sat beside her the previous night. We soon discovered that Humphrey (as well as a dog named Teddy) belonged to Emma, who had been sitting on my other side for Henry IV part I. We had decided that their names, "Humphrey and Teddy," sounded like a sitcom, which was why it had stuck in Sarah's mind. After the show, we milled about the lobby, deciding what to do next. Emily and I opted to go back to the B & B while others went to the Dirty Duck. When Bobby was asked what he would be doing, he looked at us and replied, "gotta ask the boss lady", waiting patiently for Emma to join us.

On our last day in Stratford, we packed our bags before we assembled for breakfast, sad to have to say goodbye to the wonderful hosts of our B & B. Brian began the morning's lecture with a talk-back of Arden of Faversham, followed by an explanation of what we would see at Kenilworth Castle that afternoon. The lecture ended with Ruth's introduction of Henry IV part II. We broke for lunch, taking with us instructions to meet back at the park just after noon so we could load our cases onto the coach and ride to the Castle.

The first thing we did when we walked off the coach was take a group photo, after which we spent the afternoon wandering through the remains of Kenilworth Castle. I had a wonderful time practicing my photography skills on some of the ASE students as we climbed through state rooms, dungeons, and more before finally strolling through the Elizabethan Garden. A few hours after we arrived, we loaded back onto the coach to return to Stratford, thoroughly exhausted.

Before our final play of the week, most of us grabbed dinner at a local pub called the "Golden Bee", which is part of the Wetherspoons chain. The UR students gathered in front of the Royal Shakespeare Theater to take a picture with our mascot Rocky (our first time all semester!) before we watched Henry IV part II. By the time the show ended, we were ready to go back home and happily piled back onto the coach for the ride back to Bath, where we finally arrived at nearly 1 AM. Our last big adventure had come to an end.

"They wanted their independence, and when they got it, they didn't like it"

Although our spring break had ended, students in England got another week of holiday, so on the first Tuesday back, Andrew Butterworth led us on a field trip to the local American Museum. Housed in an old country house on the outskirts of Bath, the museum is the only one of its kind in the UK. There, we got a special tour courtesy of Emily, who interns at the museum.

Our afternoon started in the heritage rooms, the museum's display on Native Americans. The space often hosts school groups and was designed to be very kid-friendly, including many interactive displays and a few dress-up stations, of which we took full advantage. Although the whole museum was fun, I have to say that one of the greatest moments was watching Andrew Butterworth don a cowboy hat.

All joking aside, we did have a task embedded in our trip. Andrew asked us to look at the exhibits not as visitors to the museums but as future teachers, bringing students of our own on a field trip. We talked about what ages would do well in the setting as well as how it could tie into different aspects of the curriculum. Emily shared some of her experiences working with school groups and developing materials for younger students.

From the heritage rooms we moved into the period rooms, which are extraordinarily unique. Each room is a space that has been transplanted directly from the US. Every aspect comes from the original room - wallpaper, furniture, everything. The rooms are arranged to move through history from just after the Revolutionary War (known here as the War of American Independence) through the early and mid 1800s. Each room features a volunteer who is knowledgeable about all the details of the room. For instance, the man who worked in the first room - an old tavern from the period immediately following the Revolutionary War - told the story of an early rebellion, which he summed up in the quote I pulled for the title of this post.

The woman who works in the lush New Orleans room, dated from the early 1800s, had a wonderful time pointing out the mustache comb and teaching us about the mirror, which was slightly curved so that no matter how close you stood to it, you could always see your feet. Although Andrew didn't quite understand why, we all delighted in walking up to it and discovering this fact for ourselves.

One of the other features in the museum is their vast collection of quilts and textiles. On the day we visited, they were actually hosting a quilting bee in the room where the quilts are displayed. The perfect place for a quilting bee, right?

At the end of our visit, we stopped in the café for tea. The chef appeared with a beautiful cake, which we topped with candles to celebrate Tory's birthday, which we had missed while on our break. When we cut into the cake, we discovered that the batter had been colored, revealing a bright, colorful tie-dye effect. Andrew brought out tea for the table, and we listened to a few of the folk tales Emily shares with students on her tours until it was time to go.

Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Lacock

What a day! The bus picked us up at 9 AM to take us away through the vast English countryside. One of our tutors (we don't call them professors), Andrew Butterworth, became our tour guide for the day, pointing out historical sites along the way. In addition to being a member of the staff, he's a certified blue badge guide, which means that he's one of the most knowledgeable people about the South of England. On top of that, he's decidedly everyone's favorite person. We liken him to the best Grandpa you could have - he makes jokes, tells stories, and is genuinely interested in your thoughts. I'm so glad he's in charge of the Education programme!

When we got to Stonehenge, we got to explore the new visitors' center, which has a simulation of Stonehenge through history. The simulation places you in the center of the stones, projecting the images on the walls. The simulation, of course, was no match for the real stones, which probably would have been even cooler if the wind hadn't been strong enough to freeze my hands. It wasn't long before we all trekked back inside for something warm to drink (in my case tea).

After Stonehenge, we hopped back on the bus to go to Salisbury. We kicked off the afternoon with a tour of the local cathedral, which is over 750 years old. After a tour led by the wonderful Andrew Butterworth, we grabbed lunch at a local cafe before continuing our journey to our third and final destination of the day: Lacock.

Lacock has its share of history, but the most exciting part is that it was one of the locations at which Harry Potter was filmed! Specifically, Lacock Abbey held the corridors from the first and second films as well as the early potions classroom and Quirrell's DADA room. Since the Abbey was closed, a few of us are making plans to go back and take a look around. We got the chance to see the house featured in the first film for James and Lily, which was a treat, and supposedly Slughorn's house from the sixth movie is around there too, so we'll have to find that.

Anyway, after our little Harry Potter tour, we finally sat down to dinner for the night. I had a lovely roasted chicken with veggies, and a slice of chocolate fudge cake for dessert. After dinner, we hopped back on the bus for one last leg of the trip - coming back to Bath. I have to admit, it feels good to be back in my little flat :)

Time for bed - classes start tomorrow! Cheers!

Final Countdown

I've spent the last few weeks busily preparing for my semester abroad, which kicks off this Sunday at 6:30! I've been joking that I'm flying out of the Meadowlands (aka Newark Airport) right as the Superbowl starts, so folks should root for my plane getting out on time as well as their favorite teams :)

I had a chance to visit Rochester over MLK weekend, which was absolutely wonderful. I had a great time seeing friends and watching Frozen (which I highly recommend to anyone who still hasn't seen it). Once I got back, I've had a hectic pair of weeks trying to get everything done before I finally leave. I hit the mall to pick up an adapter (so my laptop will function in the UK) and a few sweaters (it doesn't get as cold as in Rochester, but it does get chilly). Today I hit the salon for a quick haircut ("quick" meaning it took 2 hours instead of the usual 3).

Right now, I'm tying up the last of my loose ends - literally! As I had mentioned, I've been taking regular breaks from my first ever sweater to knit my own mug cozies, including one that's pictured here. I haven't sewn it together or added the button yet, but other than that it's done. The fire engine red (poor photo quality doesn't do it justice) wool yarn came from my extensive donated stash and the button will be from my collection of random buttons. Side note- yes, I have a collection of random buttons.

I've been keeping up my advocacy work while I'm home as well. This week was especially tough because it was Eeva's birthday. For those who don't know, Eeva was a classmate of mine growing up. We were in the same second grade class, and though we weren't close in the years that followed, I still distinctly remember the day she joined my group of friends on a field trip. On January 27, she should have celebrated her 21st birthday. However, she passed away in May 2009 after a lifetime battle with Leukemia. She was only 16 years old. 

Tomorrow, I'll spend one last Friday night with people from home. Saturday, I'll go to lunch with my family and pack up my life. Sunday, my adventure across the ocean begins. 

But tonight, I'll just remember Eeva.

Ribbon Ready

It's hard to believe I'm already moved in for my Junior year! I had quite the whirlwind summer, and am finally settled in for my newest challenge - being a freshman RA!

I've been busy all week with training and preparing for move-in day, but I wanted to write a quick little note about my keychain project. My newest shape may be my favorite - awareness ribbons. Pictured here are multicolored ribbons for autism awareness, which can be made as either keychains or pins. Because I've created the pattern, I can make these ribbons in any color. Whether it's Gold for childhood cancer, Teal for tourette syndrome, or another color, I can create ribbons for all your awareness needs. Ribbons are available either with or without the tail shown in the larger photograph.

Please remember that all the proceeds from my keychain sale will go to Natalie Grace's fundraiser, the information for which can be found at www.willyousendusadollar.com. Interested? Contact me at www.facebook.com/PerfectPurls for more details! 

Summer's End

It has been an incredible 12 weeks at the Children's Defense Fund, and I am amazingly grateful for the opportunities I've had this summer. I've traveled to conferences, met other young advocates, explored the wonderful city of Washington DC, spent time with a fantastic group of interns, learned to crochet, and more. But, as with all great things, it must come to an end.

As I get ready to pack up and head back to Rochester, I've been trying to figure out how to balance all the different things I want to do. On top of classes, dancing with BPG, services at Hillel, singing with Roc Hakol, knitting/crocheting, and learning to be an RA, I'll be preparing for my sister's wedding! At the same time, I'm currently keeping up my work on social media for The Truth 365, transitioning to watch over the new volunteers we're recruiting instead of doing it all on my own. It's going to be a busy semester, to say the least.

One thing I'm getting ready to restart is my keychain fundraiser for The Truth 365. September will be National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and we will see the first anniversary of Monique Williams' death, as well as mark what should have been Hanna Monte's 23rd birthday. At some point, you have to ask: when does it stop? When will we say, we've had enough? And then, once we've said it, when will we start working to make it better?

Photograph from Natalie's facebook page

Natalie Grace, a 3-year-old warrior, and her amazing mother have had enough for quite some time. They're tired of Natalie's treatments poisoning her body to try and get the cancer out, and they're sick of knowing that they're the lucky ones. When Natalie was diagnosed, the doctors knew that they could cure her. They knew that she would be ok. It has been nearly a year since little Natalie's diagnosis, she's officially in the maintenance phase of her treatment, and the light has appeared at the end of the tunnel. But in that year, how many other kids have met a different fate? Monique Williams wasn't one of the lucky ones, and 7 kids follow her footsteps every day in the US alone.

It's time to start working to make it better.

For just a $5 donation to Natalie's "send me a dollar" fundraiser, I will send you a keychain in the color & shape of your choosing. All you have to do is send her a donation, and then send a message to my Facebook page that includes either a picture of your card + donation if you send it in the mail, or a screenshot of your donation online. That'll be your chance to let me know what color & shape keychain you would like as well. In addition to hearts and bows (pictured here) I have previously made owls and flowers, and I am always interested in learning new patterns - peace signs, letters, animals, other symbols, you name it and I'll find a way to make it.

Will you help me be a part of Natalie's 4th birthday?

Seasonal Knitting

This year has been a rollercoaster, if nothing else. New friends brought new adventures. I had a chance to reevaluate a lot of things during my recovery, and I'm so ready to take on another year. Right now, I'm home for a week before heading off to my summer internship. I'll be working in Washington DC for the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), which is an incredible organization advocating for children's rights. Look out for my posts about my experiences, as well as how it's shaping my opinions, this summer. That, of course, and my knitting. 

Summer seems like an odd time to knit, don't you think? When we think of "knitting," we think of scarves, and blankets, and curling up at the fireplace with a cup of cocoa. We can't imagine knitting when it's warm out. I used to be one of those seasonal knitters, but not anymore. Pictured below is one of my favorite summer pieces: summer shawls. This particular shawl was knit from one corner, increasing to center and then decreasing back to the other end. I especially love the yarn color, called "Denim Mist." If you look at the piece up close (the lower center image) you can see the different colors woven through, ranging from a blue so pale it's nearly white, and one that's so dark it's just about navy. Looking from further away, though, reveals the beautiful texture that these colors create when combined. 

The photographs above are from last summer. Pictured is the lovely Lori, one of my wonderful dancing friends who came out on a summer afternoon, walked around the block with me, and trekked through the field. While wearing high heels. Kathryn, another friend from my studio, also came out and took the beautiful photographs you see in this image. Lori is also an accomplished photographer, whose work can be seen HERE. Many thanks to both of them for joining me for this summer afternoon.

Midterms

Originally, I decided I was going to post this blog to chronicle my travels through knitting and college. It seems fit, therefore, that I would go from my injury in November to midterm season, which it fell in the middle of.

Personally, I'm not really a fan of midterms. Not only because they all seem to occur during the same time in the semester, or because suddenly the library is packed, or because I can study for days and still walk into the exam feeling completely unprepared. While those are all valid reasons to despise midterms, they aren't mine.

Midterms have become the sole method of evaluating students' understanding in most college courses. While elementary, middle, and even high schools have begun to move away from formal midterm exams - allowing teachers to decide how they wish to evaluate students at the mid-way point - colleges still rely on them heavily. For many classes the midterm and final exams make up the entire grade for the class. No other assignments, no essays, just exams. This isn't true for smaller discussion-based classes, only for larger lecture classes. However, when your classes fall between "big" (over 100) and "small" (20 or less), the evaluations tend to lean more towards examinations, which most of my courses have done so far.

So that's the problem. What's the solution? Consider what some of my Psychology professors have adopted:

We have exams that evaluate our understanding of the material. There are three during the semester, and each covers 4 chapters of our textbook, paralleled by about 4 weeks of lectures in class. During these 4 weeks, 3 smaller assignments are administered. Each is about 1.5-2 pages in length, and tests our ability to apply the material we have been studying. The material goes beyond the classroom.

However, the system isn't quite where it should be. While these smaller assignments are extraordinarily valuable, they count for very little of our grade. In fact, all of the smaller assignments combined are worth less than a single exam. In some ways, this makes sense - on average, students spend less time working on a smaller assignment than studying for an exam. On the other hand, by valuing the exams - which only occur 3 times during the semester - over the more constant smaller assignments, universities promote cramming & other forms of last-minute studying. By increasing the value of the smaller assignments and diminishing the impact of exams on grades, students may not need to cram as much, having reviewed and applied the material prior to exam period.

That said, let's get on to the fun part of my blog: my knitting.

The scarf pictured above was my project during midterms. The yarn came from my former dance teacher, who donated much of her yarn to me before I left for my sophomore year. The entire collection is made up of wool and wool blends - this particular yarn is virgin wool. The red caught my eye as soon as I first spotted it - not too bright, but still distinctly red. I designed the diamond lace pattern on a study break, experimenting with different ways to create the corners and different sizes for the diamonds. After playing with a few different options, I settled on a pattern that was 12 stitches across and laced it on a stockinette background. I love the way that the scarf curls back when I base my pieces in stockinette. I had considered blocking the scarf, but decided that I preferred the additional warmth that comes from a scarf that curls in on itself. Overall, not including the design stages, I spent about a week on the scarf, including putting on all the finishing touches. For more information on this scarf and my other works, check out my Facebook Page

Pictured is Alesa, one of my closest friends ever since I started college. Special thanks to her for coming out on a chilly day (there was snow on the ground the night before and the night after, but it was gone when we took the pictures around midday) and to my wonderful photographer Emily.

Spring break!

I really did mean to write last semester. And earlier this semester. And generally in college. It looks like time has gotten away from me again, and now I find my self on Spring Break, about 6 months after my last post. I'll be spending some time this week updating this blog with everything that's been going on, and the pieces I've created since I last posted. Until then, knit on!