It’s definitely getting to that busy part of the semester. Just five more weeks though. That’s hard to believe. I registered for student teaching this week. So weird! I’m old :p I do feel like I’m ready though. Our program is VERY field experience intensive. In the course of a week I find myself in a practice room with eighth grade percussionists, at a before school strings program working with first year players, and at New Horizons Band working with senior citizens. With four days a week of field experience on top of an overloaded course schedule, it’s a lot, but the growth in all of us is really incredible. My general music methods professor, Dr. Loong, left to teach at the University of Hawaii after last year, but she was in town this week and I several of us got to have coffee with her. She was laughing at how much different we all look, but we told her too how we watched our teaching videos from her class at this time last year and it’s comedic now. We’ve all grown up so much in that way too.
I hope the weather is as gorgeous where you are

Last night I had the opportunity to be a Guest Griller at “bd’s Mongolian BBQ” in downtown Cleveland! MNM did a fundraiser with Mongolian BBQ to raise money for our organization. We sold $20 tickets which included All You Can Eat Stir Fry, a drink, and dessert (which, if you’ve never been there, is such a GREAT deal on price!).

So, last night, on top of selling tickets for people to come, I got to be one of the Grillers for the evening. It was SO much fun! All of the other grillers were very nice and helpful in getting me “trained” and comfortable working the grill. They all had high energy and were young, so I felt very at home working in such a friendly and enthusiastic atmosphere. By the end of the night I had learned a few tricks with the long metal “swords” that they use to grill, so I wasn’t quite the amateur as I made out to be

All in all, the fundraiser went really well and the restaurant was SO helpful! They had even made signs for MNM to hang up in their windows and by their door. Hopefully we can do it again in the future, and if so, I’m sure I’ll be there to help in some way, or if nothing else, to eat!

Time definitely flies! I still remember the first day I stepped foot on B-W’s campus and today I had to register for classes for fall semester of my senior year. That is scary! I have just another year before I graduate from college. The statement that these 4 years fly by is so true! Kind of makes me nervous. But on the other hand, I’m glad time is flying, which means I get to go home soon! Yay! I just talked to one of my best friends from home, and she made my night when she told me that she had a little countdown for me. 1 month and 11 days!:) I can’t wait!

First off (i can’t remember if i’ve said this before) i want to tell everyone that giving blood is a great thing. Tomorrow the blood drive is coming to BW and i plan on giving four times (actually, only once) but i would give four times if i could. Plus at the end, you get oreos and pineapple juice. Score one for robin. anyway, on to other business. this week i have a conference with my Eng 336 teacher on my 12 page paper and that will be fun because i’m in the process of writing (cough my thesis cough) and it isn’t going too well. aside from that, there is 3v3 basketball and cornhole for MNM this week. but all the cans (you have to pay a canned food to get in) go to hunger people or something. Oh, by the way, last friday the NOTT event of the tour of cleveland and the dinner at hard rock was very good and completely worth while. always, i say always, do the NOTT events. they rock. well, that’s all i have to say for now. i’ll get back to you. have a good day.
-Robin-

Several things to talk to you about:

1) The Price is Right event went AMAZINGLY smooth! We had so many people there and everyone seemed to have a good time! The hard work of our staff was appreciated and worth it!

2) The Student vs. Faculty Basketball game went just as well! The Students won (again ) and they raised a great deal of money to take to the people in Africa when they go on their trip.

3) Dance Marathon! What a huge success! We raised over $20,000 for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation! Everyone had tons of fun, and there was plenty of dancing to be had by everyone

Whew, I think that’s all for now. I’m still recovering in terms of sleep and such, but this past week was SO much fun! For now, I’ll let you all go and I’ll talk to you again soon!

So, I’ve been waiting to tell everyone about the super good news I’ve been keeping since spring break. I get to go home this summer:) And I booked my ticket over break, I leave on May 9th, so that means less than 2 months before I go to the motherland:). I am extremely happy with my decision to go home and I don’t think I would have survived another year of not seeing family and friends.
And this year when I go home, something a very special occasion is taking place and I can’t wait to be a part of it. My cousin, who is more or less like my own sister is getting married. And coincidently, the wedding is on the same day as my 21st birthday:) So that calls for double celebration. She is the first grandchild on my mother’s side of the family to be getting married, so it is very special. I can’t wait and you probably will be hearing lots about me getting to go home in my future blogs:) I promise it will be interesting.

Well, this week was pretty good. It could have been better, but i’ll get to that. On tuesday, me and my buddies got an apartment in apartment draw. You are looking at the future resident of apartment 26!!! So that was amazing. Then on Wednesday, i went to the hypnotist that was on campus and i got hypnotized. It was surreal. He told me i was on a beach, even though i was only in the SAC but i still have vivid memories of being on the beach two days ago. I felt the sand and the breeze and everthing. It was great, if you get a chance, try it. It’s fun. the only depressing part of this week was revenge was got at MNM The Price is Right. My buddies and i won nothing, nothing to replace the lost tv, stereo and x box 360 last year…but at least the girl who won the Wii last night is menenite, which i find funny (and depressing that a menenite owns a Wii before me…). What can you do? Tonight is NOTT’s tour of cleveland in Rolly the Trolly and then dinner at the Rock Hall, so yea, that will be fun. it was only ten bucks and you could pay with your BW Card. And after that, we are going to TMNT the Movie!!! YEA, and we’re dressing up (TMNT=Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (we aren’t actually dressing up ( hopefully))). Well, that’s all for now. Til next time.
-Robin-

The weather has been amazing recently, I’m so glad that winter is finally winding down. I started a new class last week “Catholic sexuality” which the name is pretty much straight forward. Other than that I’m excited about the Price is Right! I’ve been waiting all semester for it to happen.

Well, apartment draw went pretty well. I got an apartment; not the same one I have now, but it has almost the exact same layout - which means it’s relatively large and familiar.

Since that is taken care of, now I’m just having last minute stresses about The Price is Right. I’m sure it will go well, but there are always last minute surprises for us to work around.

I also have Dance Marathon on Saturday, which, really isn’t causing me too much stress other than knowing that it will be physically draining and tiring after I’ve had such a long and busy week - but it’s so fun and for such a great cause, I’m sure I’ll be excited throughout and then crash all day Sunday.

An extra thing that I have going on is the Student vs. Faculty Basketball Game on Friday night. All proceeds for the event go to benefit the student group that will be going to Africa for a month to do service this summer. I’ll have to let you know how that ends up.

At least everything will calm down after this weekend

So I am in my fifth week of classes over here in the Land Down Under and things are starting to pick up! My family is coming next week and I am SO EXCITED… so I am trying to get allllllll my stuff done before they come. The weather has been beautiful here as of late, sunny and low 80’s! I hope it continues for when they come. I am finding it really difficult to be in “school mode” when the alternative is going to the beach or laying out by the pool. I went to Sydney last weekend at it was amazing! What an awesome city, I wish we would have had more time there. We were there four days and three nights but it didn’t seem nearly enough. We went to the Sydney Opera House, went on a cruise of Sydney Harbour at night, went to the top of the Oz-Tower (like the Seattle Space Needle), went to the Sydney Aquarium, walked through the Royal Botanical Gardens and Chinese Friendship Garden. We were busy for four days but it was so worth it. I am still reeling from the weekend and trying to catch up on sleep. We were there for St. Patrick’s Day which was a TON of fun. I wish I would get to go back and take my family there, but I don’t think we’ll have enough time. Definitely was one of the best cities I’ve been in! Well I can’t wait to write more and update you all, but I got to get this work done!