INSANITY!!!!

So last week Ben Taylor, one my nearest and dearest friends, decided that he was going to start a workout called INSANITY (http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity.do?code=BBHOME_CONTROL_INS). It's by the same company that does P90X. One of Ben's RAs bought the program and he opened it up to anyone that wanted to take part. So starting last Thursday me, Ben, Derek, and Harper joined together in the Bruce Concert Hall at 7:15 am and started our 60 day transformation.

Day 1 was a 15 minute physical fitness test. Sadly none of us brought pen and paper to document the number of reps we were able to accomplish for each exercise. We will do the test every two weeks so we figure we'll just start tracking then.

Day 2 was apparently the hardest workout. Apparently if you can make it through day 2 the rest of the program won't be easy but it won't be impossible either. Day 1 didn't leave me too sore which was a plus. Day 2 was definitely tough but we all got through it. The video stresses that technique is more important than speed so we take our time on some of the exercises if necessary. The first step out of my bed on Saturday was very painful. There are a lot of cardio moves that keep you on your toes. I don't think my calves have ever been so tight before.

We've decided to only do the program during the week giving us the weekend to rest our bodies and sleep in.

Tomorrow we've got day 3. Woot!!

Another Weeked O' Fun

This time Denton and Dallas being the location. It has come to my attention that I have been rather lax on my summer movie watching. Usually the summer I hit up every movie that comes out. This summer I have found myself pondering over the listing not finding anything of great interest. That was until this weekend.

I like to think of this weekend as comedy weekend. It was the perfect weekend to go catch a movie if you really wanted to laugh. Friday a small group of us went to see The Proposal.

If you like to see Ryan Reynold with no shirt...GO SEE THIS MOVIE! You won't be disappointed. It was also really funny. Sandra Bullock is still the awesome, glad she made her way back to the big screen. Betty White is also hilarious as the grandmother. So be sure to check it out. And if you don't like it, then that's your problem I guess.

Saturday I ventured into Dallas to meet up with my friend Wilson for lunch. It had been almost a year since I last saw her so it was great to get to catch up. Whilst down south and being so near to the Angelika I took the opportunity to see Sam Mendes's new masterpiece, Away We Go. He didn't disappoint. The movie opened with his great room shots that he's so well known for. I've gotta say that this is probably the best movie I've seen in a long time. It was funny, sweet, and at time even a little sad. John Krasinski and Mya Rudolph were phenomenal. So if you're near a theater that play this. GO SEE IT!!

The Summer O' Fun Continues

I just got back from spending the weekend in San Antonio with my big sister and her best friend. We went to go see the amazing show, WICKED! If you have yet to see this play I highly recommend it. It's worth traveling anywhere in the country you can get tickets to see it.

We also took in the other sights of San Antonio. We had lunch on the Riverwalk before heading to the Alamo. It's funny how much smaller things get when you grow up. Upon walking up to the Alamo my sister and I both looked at each other at the same time and said, "I remember it being much bigger."

After the show we went to Pat O'Brien's for some Hurricanes and then headed back down the Riverwalk to Dick's Last Resort for some dinner.

It was a really great trip. I hate that it was so short. The only thing missing was my best friend.

Summer's Off to a Great Start

So far this summer looks to be one of the best so far...and it's only been three weeks. Here's a little run down of what has made it awesome so far:

*Steady stream of ultimate frisbee games have started. I decided to dust off my shoes and come out of retirement. My mom insists that I wear a helmet since I once got a concusion from the sport. I have chosen to defy her and go helmetless. So far no head injuries.

*We have had not one, but two amazing cookouts with Ben and Derek at the healm of the grill. We've cooked enough meat to last an entire summer. We have had steaks, pork chops, chicken, ribs, brats, hot links, burgers, and hot dogs. That's right...all that food between 2 cookouts.

*Ben and I went to the No Doubt concert. One of the best concerts I've ever seen. It's safe to say that I would rank it in my top 5. The only down side was that my knees were in pain for two days after because of all the jumping around.

*I've had the chance to spend some time with some amazing people. Nothing major, just hanging out, making dinner, stuff like that.

*I got to spend a relaxing week at home with the fam. Caught up on much needed rest and started my summer tan lounging by the pool.

*I have fallen in love with another great TV show thanks to Paige Poole. I'm addicted to Bones. If you have a chance, watch it. You won't be disappointed.

So that's just a few things that have made this summer wonderful so far. Things yet to come include a trip to San Antonio with my sister to see Wicked, a possible weekend trip to Austin with Derek, Amanda, and Ben, and who knows what else. As always I'm hoping to meet the man of my dreams. Maybe this is the summer it will happen.

Master's, Check!...Closedown, Check!

So last Friday I graduated with my Master's...what, what!! It was a pretty boring ceremony but a milestone I know I would have regretted if I didn't walk. So the painful two hours was worth it. Friday also marked the end to another year in Housing...so summer if officially here. Bring on the summer camps. Closedown was actually pretty smooth this year...no big complaints and pretty much everyone got out on time. I will say that I'm going to miss my staff tremendously. This bunch was really special and the ones that are leaving are going to be truly missed.

No other major developments in my life really. Sarah and Matt moved to Africa and I miss them dearly but still talk to them quite often, so that's a plus. Be sure to check out their blog to stay up on their African Adventures (nowery.blogspot.com).

I plan on spending this summer reading what I can, watching lots of tv, and rewatching Lost from the beginning. Exciting I know, don't be jealous. Ultimate will also play a big role in my summer plans. Game 2 is tonight...woot!

What I've Learned

I know we've all said this at one point or another, but I really enjoyed this class. I feel that I was somewhat aware of my surroundings and things that were going on, but now I feel like I make it more of a point to look for things. I'll be the first to admit that I'm still very naive about a lot of things. This class has helped to open my eyes more and make me realize that the issues of our past our still very much present. This week while walking around for my section of the diversity audit I was able to draw more conclusions or make more assumptions about my observations after all we've talked about in class. I won't go into detail at this time because I don't want to take anything away from my presentation.

I feel that this class will greatly benefit me when it comes to dealing with students in the future. I think now I'll be more prone to think twice about what they might be going through in life, especially if it's a student from a different background than myself. Before this class I would have been one of the white kids in the sample group thinking our campus had a great campus climate and was open to diversity, not saying that it's not. But now I know that my perceptions might not be entirely correct. As evident by many of our reading, student development still has a long way to go to make everyone feel completely welcomed on college campuses around the world. More than likely it will never be perfect, but at least we're trying to move in the right direction by putting our best foot forward.

It's Been A While

My apologies for lack of blogging.  I have no excuse other than I just haven't been doing it.  

I can't believe that this semester is almost over.  Where did all the time go?  

On to the readings.  This week I found it hard to stay focused on the readings.  I'm not sure why.  I guess I just had a hard time finding them as interesting as previous readings, which is odd since most of these readings seemed to deal with actually implementing things we've been reading about in class and trying to make campuses more inclusive.  I did like Understanding Leadership Strategies.  I feel like the sample obtained for this study was one that was truly diverse.  I like that 50% of those that actually were interviewed were people of color and that women made up a good portion of interviewees as well.  It made me believe more in the study since they made it a point to really diversify and find programs that have tried embracing diversity.  I feel like most of our earlier readings focused on colleges or universities that would have an obvious outcome when it came to measuring diversity or campus climate.  For instance, when you survey the minority and a PWI you know that those surveyed are going to feel negatively about the racial climate.

Another topic that seemed to keep popping up was that of the role of affirmative action and the admittance of students of color to college based on their race/ethnicity.  To me this would seem like a double edged sword.  While I believe that a student population should be diverse I also think that a University should still be able to have standards that they wish for students to meet.  I'm sure this is a hot topic for debate but I can't say that I strongly support one side over the other.  

On a complete side note...as we have all mentioned at one point or the other, being in this class has made me look at things in a different way.  The other day I was at the UNT bookstore.  There have been numerous occasions where I've been there and seen people leaving that set off the security system near the entrances.  More often than not the sales people don't even acknowledge the sound and if they do they give a courtesy wave to those walking out that implies, "it's cool we know you didn't take anything."  The other day I was at the bookstore and this occurred.  A young, African American gentleman set off the alarm.  Upon doing so an older sales associate, who happened to be a Caucasian female, rushed over to him and immediately questioned what he was doing.  The guy informed her that he had nothing on him that would make him set off the alarm.  The lady continued to question him and even asked to search through his bag and show his pockets.  This just took me a little by surprise, especially since I've seen students in the same situation be totally disregarded.  So it just made me wonder if this was an act of racial profiling or if the sales associate had a good reason for her actions.