t-minus two weeks

Now that Thanksgiving Break has come and gone, there are only two weeks of class left before finals! I cannot believe how quickly this semester has gone. My planner and time management skills are going into overtime to get everything done! Long nights in the library aside, there are a couple of things I am really looking forward to in the weeks ahead. On Wednesday, our Student Senate Exec Board is hosting a thank you dinner for all of our senators. Some members of Coe's administration will also be in attendance, including the President of the college. I think Coe's administration is unique in the way that it genuinely cares about all students. During my time at Coe I have definitely appreciated how much the people who work for Coe are willing to help me out in any situation-- write letters of recommendation, advise on anything, and even serve as life coach if needed! It's great to be a part of such a strong community and support network. Also, next Thursday U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser will be speaking at Coe, and a few English majors and I have the opportunity to eat dinner with him. It should be so interesting!

Breaking new ground...

Greetings from Cedar Rapids, Iowa!

Thanks for visiting Coe’s website and welcome to my blog! I hope that my entries will give you an idea of what life at Coe College is like. As a senior this year, I can tell you first hand that being a student at Coe is exciting, challenging, and full of possibilities. This semester has been chock full of events already, so to catch you up on my life, I thought I’d leave you with some of the highlights thus far:

1. Orientation Week: No, I am not a first-year student, but this summer it was my job to plan New Student Orientation for all incoming Coe students. No small feat as this years’ first-year class was the biggest in Coe’s history! It was amazing to see the week come together, thanks to the awesome staff of student volunteers. We had the first-years busy with activities like a hypnotist, a chainsaw juggler, ice skating in August, and Dragonboat races, but there was definitely enough time to meet lots of new people get everyone registered for their fall classes.

2. “Coe Bikes!” Kickoff: In September the Coe Environmental Club premiered our newest project, a bike library that features free bikes for all Coe students and staff to check out. We hope it will promote alternative transportation on campus and in the CR community. Let’s ride!

3. Student Senate elections: Each semester the student body elects new senators to represent them in student government. As the current Student Body Vice President, I was so excited to welcome and train our new group of senators. They have been working hard as we have been discussing issues that matter most to students.

4. Thesis Colloquium: While I do spend a fair amount of time out of the classroom, academics are definitely the focus a student’s time at Coe. This semester I have logged a lot of library time working on my Senior English Thesis. My subject is American poet Marianne Moore, and the Thesis Colloquium was a chance to present my work to Coe’s English faculty and majors.

5. Mat Kearney Concert: If you every watch Grey’s Anatomy, then you know of the musical force that is Mat Kearney! Student Senate brought him to Coe in October to put on a concert in Sinclair Auditorium. The crowd was awesome, Mat’s music was awesome, and meeting him backstage was even better!

6. Sorority recruitment: As a member of the Tri-Delta sorority, recruitment is a time for all of my sisters to come together and get a great class of new members. This year was no exception, and we had a blast writing and performing a skit (theme: “Delta Airlines”), cheering at Running of the Stairs, and getting to know all of our new members.

Well, believe it or not, that does not even begin to touch the surface of everything that has happened so far this year! I wasn’t joking when I said Coe has a lot to offer. Future entries may touch on my classes and course projects, quest to determine my future plans, and the day MTV came to Coe, but for all that you will just have to stay tuned!