Clara- Botswana Intern

Posted on August 30, 2012 by cwb003

This summer I worked for a company called Universal Research Company in Gaborone, Botswana. I was an intern for two months working in the capital city. I assisted an office with paper work and making calculations on data that was collected from clinics. The work atmosphere was a struggle to adjust to because the work culture in Botswana is different.

Though overcoming the different work culture was difficult it was an overall good experience. I was able to meet people from many different countries as well as work closely with the Ministry of Health in Botswana. The research allowed for me to learn more about my interests in my field of study (Sociology). I was able to apply statistical research to creating pamphlets and presentations to better assist Botswana in their health programs.

During my stay I also made connections with people from various fields. I stayed in an ex-pat house and met people from South Africa, Thailand, the U.K. and the U.S.A. The opportunity to meet and connect with different cultures and people working in different fields allowed for me to discuss my work with others and learn about how different operations in Botswana were interconnected. At one point my fieldwork led me to be working with another friend who was interning at a hospital.

Overall the internship was a very unique and beneficial experience. I set it up on my own without school support, and through my own research, but the time it took to search for and apply to it was well worth the effort. I have gained valuable field experience as well as insight into how my Sociology degree can be applied in the future. This summer has helped me develop new ideas and goals for my post-graduate plans.

Continuing My First Week

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Annie Brown

It’s been a fun last couple of days for me here at McDaniel. Yesterday, Wednesday, was a pretty light day for me since my only class was grammar in the afternoon. From 11 to 1, there was a farmers’ market at Red Square, where vendors came to sell fresh produce, bread, honey, and even jewelry. I picked up a free nectarine. Apparently, yesterday’s farmers’ market was such a success that they’re going to have one on campus once a month from now on. I hope the vendors bring strawberries, pumpkin bread, and other more dorm-ready foods next time!

One of the great things about college, as opposed to high school, is that there’s time during the day that can be put to good use by taking naps. I’m not afraid to admit that I took one before grammar yesterday—I needed it! I felt pretty good going to grammar. We discussed our textbook, spent more time getting to know everyone’s names, and took a diagnostic test.

Wednesday evening is one of the most fun nights of Welcome Week, since that’s when the annual activity fair takes place. Student organizations and a few local businesses have tables all along the quad to give students more information about their organizations and let students sign up for their email lists. There’s even some free stuff! In conjunction with the event, dinner is held outdoors in Red Square with choices of hotdogs or hamburgers and brownies and cookies for dessert. Though the event was a lot of fun, I didn’t stay out for the whole two hours because I wanted (and more importantly needed) to get some homework done for Thursday.

Today, Thursday, was busier than yesterday. I got up this morning to finish my readings for Everyday Discourse, but I left enough time in between reading and going to class to go pick up a free ice cream sundae outside of Glar. Both of my classes today went well. In The Nature of Science, we got into groups and using sets of data given to us, we played a game and tried to determine its rules, an activity designed to simulate how scientists think and are able to either determine or not determine things. Once we collectively came up with a set of rules, we played the game tournament-style. Unfortunately, I didn’t fare too well in the game play, as I lost in the first round.

I still feel like a winner though! Tonight, after making a couple of quick stops to both the Free Press open house and the part-time job fair, I went to the annual Honors picnic, which had been rained out on Sunday. In addition to having burgers and hotdogs from the grill, we played games with each tables. Each table was a team, and the first round of the contest was a scavenger hunt in which the tables had to find various items and bring them to a table of judges. The second round involved trivia about McDaniel, science, and the ‘90s. My team, District 13, tied with another team for first place. Each of the two teams sent up a representative, and I represented my team. The winner of tie-breaker, much to my enjoyment was the team representative with the smallest hands, meaning that my team took home a bag filled with candy, water guns, play-dough, Ring Pops, and popsicle molds. I also met a few nice people at the picnic, and I hope to see them again at future Honors events.

I haven’t quite decided yet what I’ll do tonight. I don’t have anything due tomorrow and I have a three-day weekend coming up, so there’s no urgency to do homework right now, which is just fine with me! I think I’ll probably see if there’s anything fun going on at the Pub, our fast-food place on campus, and then I’ll come back and continue to straighten up my room.

Though I have a lot of reading to tackle this weekend, I’ll be able to do it at more of a leisurely pace.Despite the homework, I think I’m in for a fun weekend!

Clara- Introduction

Posted on August 29, 2012 by cwb003

I feel that I should introduce myself, since this is a new blog site. Here is a little bit of information. I am a senior at McDaniel college. I am studying Sociology. I plan to join the Peace Corps once I graduate. I studied abroad in Ghana my Sophomore year and had an internship in Botswana this summer. I absolutely love traveling! Adventure and excitement are things I enjoy and I participate in a lot of clubs including Environmental Action Club, Philosophy Club and International Club. I am also member of the McDaniel Honors Program. I hope you enjoy reading my blog!

Day Two

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Annie Brown

I didn’t expect to be so tired by day two, but considering that I had an evening class and a pretty busy last three days, I guess I’m not surprised. It takes a lot of energy to get readjusted to being at college, but I guess if I weren’t at least somewhat tired, it would probably mean that I’m not having enough fun.

This morning, I didn’t do much, but I eventually went the poster sale to look through some of the posters one last time. I didn’t find anything else I liked, but that’s not so bad because I bought three yesterday. (And if I ever need more, Amazon is just a few clicks away and very reasonably priced.) Then, I chatted with more people I hadn’t seen yet and had a pizza lunch at Glar before going to my 1:00 class, Approaches to Everyday Discourse with Dr. Kate Dobson. The class is offered by the English Department and can be applied toward the English major or writing minor. It’s my first 3000-level class, so I’m definitely a little intimidated by the workload and the degree of difficulty, but I’m happy to be taking it because I love the subject matter. Essentially the course looks at and requires us to analyze discourse (verbal and non-verbal communication) that we encounter in our everyday lives—what we read, watch, and even wear. Also, I’ve never had her for a class, but I think Dr. Dobson is pretty awesome. When I was a senior in high school considering coming to McDaniel, I got to meet Dr. Dobson, who helped me learn enough wonderful things about the English Department and McDaniel itself that the choice to come here was obvious.

Immediately after Everyday Discourse, I went to my science class, The Nature of Science. While I like science, I’ve never been a fan of science classes, so I’m a little intimidated by this class too. What I think is interesting about it though is that it focuses on how science is done, how scientists think, how science interacts with society, and what science is and isn’t. According to Dr. Marx, the professor, the course is unlike any other college science course he’s encountered, making the course unique to McDaniel. I hope the class is interesting and that it goes well for me!

It’s nice not to have an evening class tonight, since I got to spend more time relaxing and socializing than I did last night. I spent a nice chunk of time sitting and talking with some of my friends on the Quad and even got a couple of pages of reading done while I was out there. After that, my friends and I went to dinner, and from there, we went to Red Square, the center of campus, for a free root beer float event sponsored by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. I also took a moment to pick up a few copies of the McDaniel Free Press orientation issue, since I wrote an article about the resources at our Hoover Library for it.

Eventually, I moseyed my way back to my dorm, where I now hope to accomplish some homework and continue to unpack and clean my room before I go to bed—hopefully earlier than I did last night!

My First Day of Class

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Annie Brown

Today was the first day of class! Unfortunately (to me), my first class wasn’t until 1:50 this afternoon, so when people asked me at lunch how my classes were, I wasn’t able to give them an answer! (And because I also have an evening class on Mondays, my answer to that question was pretty much the same at dinner.)

I guess it’s not such a bad thing that I had to wait for my first class though. I actually got up at around 8:30 this morning to work on unpacking more of my things and to go print out some course materials at the library. After a little downtime, I went to Decker to check out the annual Welcome Week poster sale and then had lunch with a couple of friends in Glar.

On my way back to my dorm from lunch, I stopped by the brand new Center for Experience and Opportunity (CEO), which is still under construction, and was able to say hi to Jim Mayola, who officially is CEO’s Associate Director of Student Employment and Employer Relations. (I know him better as the really awesome and helpful guy who worked for what used to be Career Services on campus.) It was nice to chat with him, as it is to chat with a lot of people on campus, and because I told him that I had class right when CEO would be giving away cupcakes in Kriel Lounge by Glar, he let me have one early.

At 1:50, I finally had my first class, Grammar and Usage. The instructor is very friendly and enthusiastic, and I think it’s going to be a great class. I’m an English major, but grammar was my first “love” within the realm of English, so between that and the fact that I’m actually pretty good at math, I think things are going to go smoothly.

After class number one, I stopped to chat informally with my adviser, English professor Dr. Becky Carpenter. Becky was my First Year Seminar (FYS) professor last year for a class called Gender, Literature, Culture. She’s a wonderful professor and person, and I was glad to be able discuss my summer and other random things with her.

My afternoon didn’t end there! After I left Hill Hall, where the English department is located, I returned to the poster sale to continue to look through posters, and this time, I left with three. My walls are so much more cheerful with the new posters, but I still need to hang up all the smaller wall decorations I collected over the past year. (Not to mention, I still need to finish unpacking!) I also walked to Rite Aid to get some things that I had left at home and managed not to pick up at Target. Rite Aid is easily within walking distance of campus, but the trip there seemed longer than I remembered; it must have been the heat. From Rite Aid, I went straight to dinner at Glar, which I left 20 minutes before my next and final class of the day.

My evening class is called “The Hero’s Journey,” and it’s taught by psychology professor Paul Mazeroff, who after one class, I can already tell is a great professor and person. The class is my SIS, which stands for Sophomore Interdisciplinary Studies. Similar to how all McDaniel freshmen are required to take a First Year Seminar, all sophomores on campus are required to take an SIS. The Hero’s Journey takes a look at the concept of the hero’s journey throughout myth and storytelling while also introducing concepts in psychology developed and made famous by Carl Jung. Though having a class that’s over three hours long is a little brutal, given the content of the course and the great professor, I think I can survive my first ever evening class!

In the meantime, I’m pretty tired after my first day, so I’m going to go easy on the homework tonight and try to go to bed as early as possible. There will be plenty more time to unpack tomorrow, and with two more classes to attend for the first time, I’m looking forward to what day two has in store!

Sophomore Year, Day One

Posted on August 26, 2012 by Annie Brown

Sometimes rain happens for a reason. Today, Sunday, one of the major highlights of my day was supposed to be the annual Honors picnic, an event that helps freshmen Honors students meet upperclassmen Honors students. Unfortunately, though, the picnic was rained out.

To compensate for this, I staged a “picnic” in my common room; I spread out a blanket on the floor of my common room, brought out some snacks I was willing to share, and invited my suitemates to join me. It was a little awkward, since not a lot of my suitemates showed up at first and we’re still getting to know each other, but I enjoyed it, especially since one of my suitemates microwaved s’mores for us.

Still, I was disappointed that I would not be able to enjoy a delicious, freshly-grilled burger at the picnic, but then I realized that because the picnic was cancelled, I could go to Glar for dinner and play bingo in the Office of Student Engagement’s annual Bingo for Books event. I almost didn’t play when I got to Glar because I wanted to eat quickly and return to my room to sleep and unpack some more, but I decided that I really shouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to win money for books and other expenditures. So I got some bingo cards, found a table of friends, and started playing after I ate my meal. After several rounds, I got very luck y and won a $100 Visa gift card! Thank goodness for rain, good fortune, and the very good choice to play.

Speaking of choices, early in the afternoon, I met up with a number of my Honors friends and attended a showing of “Choices” for upperclassmen. “Choices” is a McDaniel tradition for freshmen that takes place the evening of the last night of orientation. According to tradition, I (nor anyone else), am not supposed to tell you what exactly “Choices” is, but I can tell you that it’s hands down one of the best events that takes place during orientation, and though it’s mandatory, skipping out on it is a really poor choice. I definitely enjoyed this year’s “Choices” quite a lot!

Otherwise, my day was pretty low-key. I spent more time unpacking (which I’m nowhere near finished) and also started to hang up my posters and wall decorations to make my room start to feel like home. Class starts tomorrow, and though I’m excited, I’m not ready! I’m still trying to settle in! But nevertheless, I think tomorrow’s going to be a pretty good day.

Move-in Weekend

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Annie Brown

The problem with having the privilege of an upperclassman to move in at any time I want, is that inevitably, I’ll show up a lot later than originally planned. This of course, is what happened. Though I had planned to move in at some point during the three o’clock hour yesterday, on Saturday, I didn’t get here until three hours later. (I’m very much at fault though since I left most of my packing for yesterday morning. An unplanned pit stop to Ikea, my first trip ever, also resulted in a delay.)

When I finally got here though, it really didn’t feel like I had been gone for four months, except for the fact that most of the people I saw on my way to get my key weren’t people I recognized. Besides the inevitable new faces, the other major change is the fact that I’m in a different room than I was in last year but because I live in Honors housing, I still live in the same building. I’m thrilled to be living in a single this year. I love being able to have my own space, and because it’s a super single, it’s nice and spacious.

Honors students, like me, can choose to live in Honors housing, which is housed in Daniel McClea Hall, much more commonly known on campus as DMC. What’s neat about it is that it’s suite style, meaning that the building is divided into several suites which each have a varying number of bedrooms, at least two bathrooms, and a common room. DMC is coed and freshmen Honors students are also allowed to live in DMC, so though I’m a sophomore, my suite is actually mostly comprised of freshmen (seven in all).

When I moved in, I got to meet a few of my freshmen suitemates pretty quickly, and they seem like nice people. I’m definitely still trying to figure everyone out and what living with them will be like. It’s certainly an adjustment living with new people, especially ones you’ve never met, but I think it’s an important part of the college experience. My friend Sam lives in my suite this year, so there is a familiar face, which I appreciate.

After moving all of my things up four flights of stairs, my parents and I went out to a quite a late dinner at Harry’s Main Street Grille on Main Street right here in Westminster. I’d been there once last spring when my uncle and cousin visited me, and we liked it, so I thought my parents would enjoy it was well. Harry’s menu has a lot of options and prices are reasonable. (And since it was the end of restaurant week, prices were even lower.) Afterward, we picked up some forgotten and needed items (including the ever-necessary snacks, cereal, and soup) at Target on Rt. 140.

It was a little bittersweet to say goodbye to my parents when we got back to DMC, but once they left, I was able to reconnect with Avery, one of my best friends on campus and her housemates, many of whom I’m also friends with. I’m not sure what I did without late-night chitchat for four months, because it was awesome to laughing and talking with people my age again.

Overall, I’d say that though I had a late start, I had a great start to the semester. I definitely didn’t have time to unpack it in one evening, and I’m not finished yet, but I’ll get it done over the next few days!

Returning to the Hill

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Annie Brown

It’s a little amazing to think of how different one’s life can be (and will be) in just a week. Right now, I find myself at home at 8:30 on a Monday evening, in bed working on computer stuff. But exactly one week from now, I will be sitting in “The Hero’s Journey,” my sophomore interdisciplinary studies class, being introduced to Jung and the course itself. (Yes, it’s an evening class. Truth be told, I’m a little nervous about falling asleep during it, but I imagine I’ll adapt. Learning to adapt is another part of college life, after all.)

Sitting in class will definitely be different from sitting at home. More than likely, I’ll use the word “surreal” numerous times throughout the first week to describe being back on campus. Yet at the same time, I have a feeling it will feel so normal! Having already completed a year at McDaniel, I imagine that returning and getting back into the swing of things will fit just like a glove.

Part of what I like about attending a small college like McDaniel is that I’ll be returning to a nice level of familiarity. I know where most things are, I know plenty of friendly people who I can’t wait to be reunited with, and as an Honors student, I’ll even be living in the same dorm again!

Things definitely won’t be the same old, same old though. Like everyone else, I have a new batch of classes this semester, and though I definitely expect some of them to be harder than the courses I took last year, I’m really looking forward to what I’m taking, especially my English classes. Right now, I’m even more excited to meet new people on campus, and living in Honors housing means I’ll be living suite style with freshmen. And of course, I’m excited for what’s new at McDaniel. We have a beautiful new website, a new ID card system, and a brand new Center for Experience and Opportunity that I definitely plan to pay multiple visits to!

Though you wouldn’t be able to tell based on how much I’ve packed so far, excitement is in the air for me as the number of days before my return to McDaniel has reached single digits! I am energized for the days and weeks ahead and I am optimistic that this will be a fantastic semester!

Stories from the Hill

Monthly Archives: August 2012