This site is moving to WordPress, so be sure to update any bookmarks, etc!!
New site - dukestudentblog.wordpress.com
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
More sporadic updates!
Sorry again! (That seems to be my usual opening line). Every time I come back here, I can't believe it's been so long. It seriously feels like I just updated last week!
Anyway, it seems like Spring Break is upon us, and I am currently sitting at my mom's office musing over what has happened the past month as well as things to look forward to. I think that I better way to remind myself to update this is to keep a running MS Word document with things that pop up in my mind because I always want to post but manage to forget it somehow.. Blame my self-diagnosed mild case of ADHD.
Today, I've decided to spice things up by bringing up current things on my mind (random, of course), then a rundown of how everything has been.
BREAKING NEWS - Not really, but cool stuff, nonetheless. My friend just texted me telling me that Bridgette Mitchell (graduated from Duke last year & was one of the top players on our women's basketball team) just showed up at Wilson Gym to play pick-up basketball. Super casual.. Oh, the life of an average student. SO stellar. Anyway, moving on..
First off, current tune stuck in my head - a song from a cute YouTube video of animals nibbling on food.. It reminds me of the days when I used to own a hamster, a guinea pig, etc.
Next, current thoughts circulating in my mind are more or less related to internships. I've been fortunate enough to get an internship at ESPN (working on espnW) through the Sports Journalism Institute and will be working in New York City this summer! Exciting news for myself and the blog. So why exactly is this on my mind? Well, with internship results coming back for a lot of people, it's no wonder I've been thinking about it. Now, prepare for my Duke pitch. How does being a Dukie help you get internships? Simple, your qualifications and a really great alumni network. I can't tell you how many emails I've received from Duke eRecruiting (or the Career Center), The Chronicle, or Chi Omega from former Dukies telling us that their company wants to recruit more Duke students. With one foot in the door, the only thing left is a strong cover letter, resume, and references? And with each Duke student being involved in so many things (I can easily list at least three things my friends are involved in: Caroline - Global Water Brigades, club swim, The Chronicle; Stephen - works at OIT, Freewater Films, Asian Students Association; Stephanie - Chi Omega, club tennis, BME Society), there's no doubt they're well-qualified for the job. Just one of the perks of being a Duke student.. Because tradition never graduates, and once you bleed Duke Blue you never go back.
Third, Dukies / Duke fans are EVERYWHERE! I went to Foot Locker at our mall the other day with Stephen and Will, and they were both wearing free Duke t-shirts (I'm at 7 for the year, I think). All three of the workers (on separate occasions) told them to check out the Duke Kobes (pictured below), and one guy told us, "Yeah, people think we're out of the tournament for losing the other day, but they don't even know." It was awesome finding a Duke fan (or former Dukie) thousands of miles away from Durham.
Also, this reminds me. At dim sum the other day for lunch with my family, we saw three Duke students that we recognized--all in the span of 30 minutes! One was my little, Jenny, so that was pretty awesome. What were the chances?!
I had something in mind for the fourth, but I forgot what it was, so on to how the last month has been!
First off, I'll start with classes and what I've been doing/learning (which is a lot, to say the least).
EOS - It's a great way to catch up on things I was supposed to learn in elementary school/middle school but never really paid attention to.. Seeing actual samples of things is awesome. Reminds me of how science was done in the old school days instead of just working on programs and etc. in labs. Hands-on.. Just the way I like it!
Non-State Actors - Just finished up a midterm two weeks ago, and now we're working on a long-term research project due at the end of the year. My topic? A focus on Amnesty International's role in influencing governments to release journalists who were there to report. I'll have to look more into past cases of this as well as discern how much of it was the result of AI's pressure, how much of it was the origin country's pressure, etc. Interesting topic that I'm super excited for!
Institutions in Rural China - This past month, I've been learning about granary systems and burial societies, not just in China, but from all over. All of the students were required to research a different burial society, and I did mine on the Chevra Kadisha, the Jewish burial society. It definitely was really interesting, and I got to learn about burial societies in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tibet, Rwanda, and South Africa, among others. Definitely really fascinating, and a lot of my professor's research includes transcribing Chinese manuscripts, so I've been able to practice my reading ability, too!
Holocaust - Our readings have been getting increasingly more intense and emotionally-powered. The most recent book we've read has been Peter Weiss's The Investigation. It's written in the style of an Oratorio in 11 cantos, and it includes actual courtroom transcriptions from the Auschwitz Trials. It was a very emotionally straining read and incredibly difficult to read. On multiple occasions, I had to put the book down and rest for a little bit because it was too much to handle. It definitely helped to make the entire experience more real since I hadn't really known about what really happened at the camps related to medical experiments performed on women, etc. We have been discussing that book for several sessions now, but we are also learning about memorials to the Holocaust and assessing them based on our own opinions', critics' opinions, and general purpose and location.
Advertising - I'm still seeing subliminal messages and advertising, but now we're learning about ethics in advertising, advertising to children, and research in advertising. I guess I never really thought about ethics much in advertising, but discussing it during both lecture and discussion sections has really made me realize how close the two are. Should companies like McDonald's warn against high consumption of their food causing health problems? If no, why not? What about tobacco companies--they have to put warning labels. It all just becomes a very convoluted and highly debated topic, one that we weren't able to settle, even over two discussion sections. As for advertising and children, I learned that a lot of places around the world ban advertising during children programs or limit the amount of advertising allowed during a show. It got me thinking about how American companies could very possibly be taking advantage of kids' naivety to start establishing brand loyalty in children..
Well, that's all for now! Updates for next time include pictures that I have to compile/upload and maybe a site change!
Anyway, it seems like Spring Break is upon us, and I am currently sitting at my mom's office musing over what has happened the past month as well as things to look forward to. I think that I better way to remind myself to update this is to keep a running MS Word document with things that pop up in my mind because I always want to post but manage to forget it somehow.. Blame my self-diagnosed mild case of ADHD.
Today, I've decided to spice things up by bringing up current things on my mind (random, of course), then a rundown of how everything has been.
BREAKING NEWS - Not really, but cool stuff, nonetheless. My friend just texted me telling me that Bridgette Mitchell (graduated from Duke last year & was one of the top players on our women's basketball team) just showed up at Wilson Gym to play pick-up basketball. Super casual.. Oh, the life of an average student. SO stellar. Anyway, moving on..
First off, current tune stuck in my head - a song from a cute YouTube video of animals nibbling on food.. It reminds me of the days when I used to own a hamster, a guinea pig, etc.
Next, current thoughts circulating in my mind are more or less related to internships. I've been fortunate enough to get an internship at ESPN (working on espnW) through the Sports Journalism Institute and will be working in New York City this summer! Exciting news for myself and the blog. So why exactly is this on my mind? Well, with internship results coming back for a lot of people, it's no wonder I've been thinking about it. Now, prepare for my Duke pitch. How does being a Dukie help you get internships? Simple, your qualifications and a really great alumni network. I can't tell you how many emails I've received from Duke eRecruiting (or the Career Center), The Chronicle, or Chi Omega from former Dukies telling us that their company wants to recruit more Duke students. With one foot in the door, the only thing left is a strong cover letter, resume, and references? And with each Duke student being involved in so many things (I can easily list at least three things my friends are involved in: Caroline - Global Water Brigades, club swim, The Chronicle; Stephen - works at OIT, Freewater Films, Asian Students Association; Stephanie - Chi Omega, club tennis, BME Society), there's no doubt they're well-qualified for the job. Just one of the perks of being a Duke student.. Because tradition never graduates, and once you bleed Duke Blue you never go back.
Third, Dukies / Duke fans are EVERYWHERE! I went to Foot Locker at our mall the other day with Stephen and Will, and they were both wearing free Duke t-shirts (I'm at 7 for the year, I think). All three of the workers (on separate occasions) told them to check out the Duke Kobes (pictured below), and one guy told us, "Yeah, people think we're out of the tournament for losing the other day, but they don't even know." It was awesome finding a Duke fan (or former Dukie) thousands of miles away from Durham.
Also, this reminds me. At dim sum the other day for lunch with my family, we saw three Duke students that we recognized--all in the span of 30 minutes! One was my little, Jenny, so that was pretty awesome. What were the chances?!
I had something in mind for the fourth, but I forgot what it was, so on to how the last month has been!
First off, I'll start with classes and what I've been doing/learning (which is a lot, to say the least).
EOS - It's a great way to catch up on things I was supposed to learn in elementary school/middle school but never really paid attention to.. Seeing actual samples of things is awesome. Reminds me of how science was done in the old school days instead of just working on programs and etc. in labs. Hands-on.. Just the way I like it!
Non-State Actors - Just finished up a midterm two weeks ago, and now we're working on a long-term research project due at the end of the year. My topic? A focus on Amnesty International's role in influencing governments to release journalists who were there to report. I'll have to look more into past cases of this as well as discern how much of it was the result of AI's pressure, how much of it was the origin country's pressure, etc. Interesting topic that I'm super excited for!
Institutions in Rural China - This past month, I've been learning about granary systems and burial societies, not just in China, but from all over. All of the students were required to research a different burial society, and I did mine on the Chevra Kadisha, the Jewish burial society. It definitely was really interesting, and I got to learn about burial societies in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tibet, Rwanda, and South Africa, among others. Definitely really fascinating, and a lot of my professor's research includes transcribing Chinese manuscripts, so I've been able to practice my reading ability, too!
Holocaust - Our readings have been getting increasingly more intense and emotionally-powered. The most recent book we've read has been Peter Weiss's The Investigation. It's written in the style of an Oratorio in 11 cantos, and it includes actual courtroom transcriptions from the Auschwitz Trials. It was a very emotionally straining read and incredibly difficult to read. On multiple occasions, I had to put the book down and rest for a little bit because it was too much to handle. It definitely helped to make the entire experience more real since I hadn't really known about what really happened at the camps related to medical experiments performed on women, etc. We have been discussing that book for several sessions now, but we are also learning about memorials to the Holocaust and assessing them based on our own opinions', critics' opinions, and general purpose and location.
Advertising - I'm still seeing subliminal messages and advertising, but now we're learning about ethics in advertising, advertising to children, and research in advertising. I guess I never really thought about ethics much in advertising, but discussing it during both lecture and discussion sections has really made me realize how close the two are. Should companies like McDonald's warn against high consumption of their food causing health problems? If no, why not? What about tobacco companies--they have to put warning labels. It all just becomes a very convoluted and highly debated topic, one that we weren't able to settle, even over two discussion sections. As for advertising and children, I learned that a lot of places around the world ban advertising during children programs or limit the amount of advertising allowed during a show. It got me thinking about how American companies could very possibly be taking advantage of kids' naivety to start establishing brand loyalty in children..
Well, that's all for now! Updates for next time include pictures that I have to compile/upload and maybe a site change!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Kville + UNC Game!!
The game we've all been waiting for.. UNC vs. Duke. & Though we trailed in the first half, we came out strong in the second half (with great help from my favorite player, Nolan Smith!!) and won 79-73!! Anyway, pictures from Kville (personal checks and more Chiddy Bang ones) and from the game itself and burning benches after! (Pictures are from Gabby & Stephen!)
First - throwback to mine & Gabby's awesome poster for the Maryland home game!
Coach K talking to the Crazies Tuesday night!
Dickie V!
(Our tent picture isn't up yet.. booooo)
We're on TV!
Overall it was a great experience, something every Duke student has to do at least once in his/her time here. It was really crowded and squished inside, but that definitely added to the intense feel of the place. And, as a final note--GTHC, GTH!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
2010 Pictures Continued (& Some from 2011!)
Cameron for the Maryland game! Super pumped for tomorrow's game against UNC!
Duke in the Fall.. It seems like so long ago. The sun is starting to come out and the weather is hitting 60s these days!
Plate & Pitchfork - Our own dine-in restaurant right here on campus.. on food points!
So there they are! The summing up of my adventures from last fall. Up later this week will be pictures from the UNC game, the Chiddy Bang concert, Coach K's talk to the Cameron Crazies, etc. But of note from the first semester:
Last last Sunday, my Germany Confronts the Holocaust class visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C., so that was a very intense experience, though I had already been twice before--once in junior high, once in high school. We even got to talk to one of the ladies who helped put together the exhibit, and it was great being able to ask her questions after reading about controversies surrounding the opening and display of the museum, articles in which she was mentioned! The class is definitely a very enriching one, and it definitely forces me to think a lot about history and the actions of the United States, not just of Germany.
Also of note is that last Thursday was Chinese New Year, and one of my classes--Institutions and Reforms in Rural China--went out to have a Chinese New Year dinner at Eastern Lights! It was awesome to be able to talk with my professor, classmates, and other prestigious Duke instructors in a very casual, light setting, and I definitely had very interesting discussions. Plus, it was great food on the university's tab, which is always awesome. The dinner definitely helped me think more about political science, especially the possibilities I have in the future being a political science major.
Oh! And I just thought of this one, but I'm taking an advertising class (Advertising/Society: Global), and all throughout the Super Bowl, every time there was an ad (the silly Dorritos one, anybody?), I would analyze it and try to find the message and intended audience--all subconsciously. I realized this halfway and was sort of embarrassed but then realized how good of a job the professor and TAs had done in getting me critically thinking about advertising around me.
All right, more pictures and adventures later! Sorry again for the ridiculously sporadic updates! I'll definitely try and do my best to post regularly, but it's been really difficult recently with sorority recruitment (Oh, I'll definitely put up a picture of that in a bit), midterms coming up (one paper due next Tuesday and midterms Wednesday and Thursday), and covering Chronicle games (women's basketball yesterday against UNC and Duke at Maryland). Oh--and how could I forget tenting?! Tent twenty--Dre All Day! Pictures for that will definitely be below this, too! And that's all for today--more later!
Our new babies!!
Incoming executive board!
My tent!!
Personal Checks (Chiddy Bang in Kville!)
Duke vs. NC State game
And--look what I found on YouTube. A video of Chiddy Bang freestyling to topics the students threw out!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
