HURRICANE??

So I'm certain you've all had your fair share of events abroad, but now G-town is in for its own little weather surprise. We're in the midst of Hurricane Sandy and it's only supposed to get worse over the evening. But we have 2 days off school! So that's a positive, right?? Though you know you're getting older when you're thinking about all the unfortunate people whose homes or lack thereof are going to suffer in the storm (curse you broader world perspective!) Plus, to add to my fun and games I'm currently stuck (and have been since 1pm our time) until 9am tomorrow to "guard" the frosh from any impending dangers of this storm. Right now DC just looks like it's getting a lot of wind and rain but apparently it's going to get worse? All I can think about right now is how much I HATE this.

But the residents are fending off craziness by baking; i get to wear sweats all day and I'm basically just being lazy. Whoot whoot.

Hope you're all staying safe out there! Things are getting crazy, but hopefully people will stay mostly safe!

Love from the Hilltop! 

Wow! So this blog was somewhat short lived. Ok everyone updates on what's been going on around campus since the last post:

1) It passed! The "more likely than not" standard for evidence at georgetown has been replaced by "clear and convincing" for all incidents involving students that occur on campus. While it's still "more likely than not" off campus, at least they're changing things! (so get ready to get crazy when you roll on back to campus)

2) Pandas! (?) one of the baby pandas at the national Zoo died (so sad) but we had Pambassadors(?) come to campus to raise awareness and boy were they cuddly! Shoot, I almost mistook the furry jolly creatures for the man himself (DeGioia) but on closer inspection they were just cute! That's my friend Katie just swimming in a sea of cute!!











3) Senior night @ the Tombs IS LACKING. I know you all are going to come out in full force come spring semester, but you should be mocking all your friends on campus for choosing to refrain from one of our most sacred Georgetown traditions. It's wednesday nights and really what else do people have to do that night? I mean, come on, it's senior year.

4) She's back! Hilary visited yesterday and talked about international energy diplomacy. And, as usual was amazing.

















5) Speaking of politics. Can't believe you're all missing all of this. From Paul Ryan's "malarky" to Obama's claim of"act of terror" and Romney's apparent loss of any ground from the last debate, it's been one electric election season around these parts! Don't worry, though, I'm sure you're getting plenty of updates from facebook. Did I say updates? I meant completely unnecessary tirades from both sides of the political funhouse. Whoops.

6) NHS Fall Ball happened. Oh yeah. It was actually my first year going and a pretty good time all around. Sort of like an awkward wedding where the 20-something guests want to get shitty and hook up, but the grandparents, parents and cousins are kind of cock-blocking everything. It was hilariously awkward but all around a great time had by all. BUT THEY WOULDN'T LET ME TAKE A SENIOR I-health PHOTO! jerks.

Really, that's about life here in a nutshell. My life specifically isn't too terribly exciting. I bounce between St. Mary's, Darnall and Tombs and that's about it outside of the weekend shenanigans (oh, have I mentioned I only have class mondays and tuesdays and therefore everyone here hates me, but I have 5 day weekends so I don't care? yep. love it). I've turned in my first 20 pages for my thesis and have absolutely zero for the next chapter. But ladies in Ghana, I'm writing about barriers to access of maternal/reproductive services in west Africa, so I'm researching your home base a lot! Miss you all very much, but really am making sure to represent for you all in DC and on the Hilltop!

xoxox

little things

It's fall!! Well, almost fall anyway. The leaves are beginning to brown, mornings and evenings actually manage to dip below 70 degrees (do they do things in Celsius where you all are right now? That would be so trippy. ha) The sun is just beginning to peak out over visitation's field and I've really never been happier for the weather to turn. It just puts me in a good mood! I mean, for goodness sake, I can wear pants now!

                                                                (my view from my room; so perfect this morning!)

It's moments like this morning when I can peacefully sit and enjoy the sunshine and crisp morning air that I'm reminded everything is going to be OK. This year has been going pretty well thus far, but with one good friend from home in the hospital, an uncle who just discovered he has late-stage cancer, and two friends suffering from depression there are a lot of 'whys' in my life right now. But sitting here, sipping my coffee and listening to the melodies of "WASHfm"'s blend of 80s classics and hits of today, I am inexplicably at peace. I kid and make fun, but seriously, couldn't really ask for a better way to start a 14-hour day (yep, headed to the Tombs in 30 min for a double. yay!)

I guess the point is: enjoy the little things while you're out there! I know most of you are having a blast but some of you are having a rough go of things, so take a moment to watch a beautiful sunrise, play with one of the local kids, enjoy a sensuous new flavor, find something amazing and I promise you'll all have a great story to recall years from now.

Also, if you could keep these two amazing gentlemen in your thoughts/prayers/whateverelseyouputintotheuniverse, that would mean a lot to me:

 My Uncle Mike who found out he has late-stage throat cancer a week ago with his beautiful granddaughter, Lila.

My friend Jack who's in the hospital coming out of a coma aiming to avoid long term brain damage.

THANKS EVERYONE! You're all always in my thoughts and prayers. Hope you're having a ball! 

Well folks, it's week 2 and little has changed except for Dis-O round 1 signups! We've once again been asked by our class committee to take our cool-caps off and open our wallets for what promises to be a somewhat exciting and most definitely moderately thrilling week of what I usually do for about half that price. Bt hey, what's a little paycheck lost for a week of bonding with our fellow '13 Hoyas? (whom I'm sure will be equally as thrilled about the prices and locations as I'm sure to be)...

Ha, alright, cynicism aside, I am still really excited to have an excuse to drink during the work week. Plus, I'll have turned in my research paper proposal by then, so what better thing to celebrate?? Oh by the way, yep, already working away on the project. St. Mary's computer lab has never felt so empty... Just me and my lonesome since no one else is doing research projects the second week of the school year.

Plus, I'll also be running programs with my babies that week (not the real, cute kind but my frosh) so there's going to be even more reason to partake in the mid-week indulgence. Also, the new science center opened three days ago! We have Einstein's bagels, more study space and NO MORE CONSTRUCTION between the Dirty-D and Leo's (great news for we North campus-dwellers). But leave it to Georgetown to get cool just before we graduate (Oh yeah, in other news there's no more party-registration rules, the administration is paying food trucks to hang out on campus during the weekends and all campus-events that used to include alcohol will continue to do so in order to lure students back to campus in the late night. partayyyy!)

Hope you're all out befriending awesome tour-guide children, viewing the natural wildlife and sampling some local fare. Miss you all, but as always, love from stateside.

Flyin' like a G- (town?)

Disclaimer: I promise this is not meant to make you miss life back at G-Town. But I'm not going to say it won't. Life here is pretty freaking cool (but then again so are your lives). 

So the sophs, juniors and our awesome class are back, the frosh have moved in, and life on the hilltop is in full swing. After 2 weeks straight of training for Residence Life, I was basically left for dead for the helicopter parents and nervous freshmen to pick at during move-in. It got a little dicey there for a bit, but the staff pulled through and now all my froshies are all settled. Which means: I LIVE WITH 319 freshmen. As a 4th-year native to Darnall, watching watching them in their new habitat is pretty hilarious. Last night I wandered into my common room, already somewhat "phased" from my earlier trip to Tombs (a new environment to be described later) and they were literally having an 'Alcohol Edu' party. Ah, gotta love 'em. 

But yes, the Tombs. The Georgetown watering-hole. Such great memories from the past two years working; it is an entirely different animal now that our entire class has invaded. I'm now a guest almost as often as an employee. Totally crazy mixing and mingling with other c/o '13-ers. Which, consequently, I realized senior night last week that I know only a very small percentage of our actual class. Hopefully Wednesday $3 Vodka nights for seniors will help change that :) And country-night Mondays! (yep. that happened) facebook/events

And next, not to be too all over the place (but how can you not be in week 1 of an entirely sleep-deprived, high-frosh concentration week?): our lovely profs. Have already had a chat with McGreeves. He misses you all "terribly" but knows "it will be so good for [you]". He wishes you all well if I ever get the chance to say hi. So a big Hi! From WPM. Dr. Liese is really stoked for all of you to get going on your projects. He trusts that Calvin is treating you well and keeping good tabs (#jokes) and has been spending much of his free time with the international travel office making sure that nothing falls apart for his program this year or next. Don't worry, he's totally on the job. Haven't heard anything from Tania, Maggie, Juang or Willie, but I'm sure we'll run into each other at some point. 

I could go on, but....I don't want to. Plus, who wants to read more ramblings? I'll just leave you with the blog post that's been circulating all over these days what with all the new frosh, but I think really is something for us to remember as seniors: A Love Letter to College Freshmen. Enjoy! 

Miss you all! Keep your posts coming! 

-- Maura 

 

RA Staff being SUPER cool during training

Corralling the freshmen and parents while the pep band welcomes them. 

G-town doin' its thing

Our RA staff this semester (minus one chaplain) don't we clean up nicely?!