Major: English

Minor: Political Science

Year in School: Freshman

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Interests and hobbies: I really enjoy writing and reading, along with playing golf and video games.

Clubs and activities: Varsity Golf Team, Film Society, and Law Club

Why did you choose B-W? I chose B-W because it has a very home-like atmosphere while still allowing me to learn. I feel very comfortable and really enjoy all of the people here, who are friendly and kind.

Tell us about yourself in 100 words: I’m Brooke. I have many nicknames, one being Tributary. I currently play for the golf team here and enjoy every minute of it. I love language, especially looking at connections between English and Latin. I’m a hard core Latin buff. I’m really enjoying my college life. The friends I’ve made are amazing and I’m looking forward to making so many more.

Major/Minor: Major: Music Theatre

Year in School: Freshman

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Interests and hobbies: Singing, acting, songwriting, writing, drawing, music, listening, and sleeping.

Clubs and activities: All the classes in the Music Theatre curriculum keep me pretty busy, I haven’t even had time to think about doing anything else!

Why did you choose B-W? The Music Theatre Program is among the top three in the country, and the location and atmosphere at the school are perfect.

Tell us about yourself in 100 words: My name is Dryden Meints, I’m a freshman music theatre major this year at B-W. I’m from Omaha, Nebraska, which is a slightly larger city than you think it is. I’m obsessed with music. Thom Yorke of Radiohead is my idol, and if I saw Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls on the street, I would get down on one knee and propose. I’m always willing to discuss music. Other than that, I’m just a pretty laid-back guy who like to get along and do his own thing!

Major: English

Minor: Political Science

Year in School: Freshman

Hometown: Medina, Ohio

Interests and hobbies: Music, books, history

Clubs and activities: Big Brother Program, playing music

Why did you choose B-W? Because of the positive energy the campus radiates.

Tell us about yourself in 100 words: I am a guy who loves to seek the deeper meaning. I am very critical of ideas, while still giving the idea holder respect. Music and literature is my forte, but I also enjoy going to sporting events. Also, I have a great love for writing! My favorite book is 1984, and my favorite poet, as of now, is Charles Bukowski.

Major/Minor: Athletic Training / Pre-Physical Therapy

Year in School: Freshman

Hometown: Akron, Ohio

Interests and hobbies: Poetry, Football, Music

Clubs & Activities: Black Student Alliance (BSA), Voices of Praise (VOP), Students Taking Action for Darfur (STAND), Promoting Our Womens’ Resources and Experiences (POWRE), and Collegiate Organization of Athletic Student Trainers (COAST).

Why did you choose B-W?: I choose B-W because of the financial aid and experience that I got during my overnight visit.

Tell us about yourself in 100 words: I am a freshman at B-W and an Athletic Training and Pre-Physical Therapy Major. I work as an equipment manager for the B-W football team. I love football; it is by far my favorite sport of all time. I graduated from Archbishop Hoban High School last year, in the Akron area. I come from a family with all boys, one older brother and three younger. My family is very close and I am the first to go away for school. I absolutely love the B-W experience so far and cannot wait for more to come.

The trouble with college is that doing homework with friends is always an option. Already this week I feel like i’ve completely embraced unproductiveness. By more by accident than on purpose. It’s not that I’m neglecting my work, cause I’m not. I’ve just convinced myself that taking a pile of books and papers over to friends’ rooms/apartments to hang out/do homework “together” will absolutely lead to completion of all involved assignments. This is not true.

Though I must exclude last night from these sweeping generalizations about communal homework times. If all parties involved are dedicated to productivity and institute silence for solid ten minute periods, I can actually accomplish something. I really do think it depends on what class I’m working on though. Because if i’m trying to read some outrageous eighteenth century text for Lit, it’s almost impossible to absorb anything. But if I’m doing Chemistry problems, I will probably be able to get through them.

There is really no moral to this homework saga. I’m not altogether ready to condemn doing homework around friends because, well, I like it. Yet I do get a lot more done a lot faster if I’m at my desk, in silence, focused completely on “the task at hand”. So i guess it’s really up to you. You can’t pick the homework you are assigned but you CAN choose in what environment you will complete it.

Let me tell you a story about how my life got turned all upside down. I have this crazy test coming up in micro economics. Economics is a very different type of class than what I am used to. I am a social science major at my core and things to do with business thinking is not my cup of tea.

When it comes to studying, I try to understand the concept and all aspects first before I tackle the problem. Well, last night I’m studying the most recent material and I’m working on the practice quiz my professor, Dr. Chen, put up. I get about half way and I realize I have no clue where he get’s the answers that are given for the said problems. So at about 11:15pm I send him an email explaining my problem and how at the same time I am unable to attend his open office hours for assistance. I get a phone call at about 11:20pm and its Dr. Chen. He helps me through my dilemma and it turns out I’m just not focusing on the problem but other things. It is just amazing how much the professors are willing to help, if you are willing to seek help. So do it.

Dr. Chen is just one of the many professors that I’ve had at B-W that is more than willing to help you. Even at obscure times at night. So my equation for super heroes is that they do good and help those in need, well, Dr. Chen is that. Dr. Chen = Super Hero.

-David Tran

Yesterday was the first orchestra concert of the year, and from the results, I’m thinking this year is going to be great. There were two pieces on the program, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3. Both are amazing works by any standards, some of the greatest repetoire I could have the chance to play in my college career. Gamble Auditorium was packed practically to full capacity for last nights concert.

Playing the piano solo for the Beethoven concerto was one of BW’s piano professors, Dr. Sungeun Kim. She gave a truly moving rendition of such a beautiful piece and recieved an enthusiastic standing ovation (she had to come out three additional times to accept the applause! They just kept clapping). The second half of the program was the powerful Symphony “avec Organ”, or with Organ, which also went wonderfully. There is nothing more exhilarating than a well performed concert, and ovation of the listeners at the end. To know that you performed to the best of your abilities, and conveyed the deepest emotions and feelings of the music you performed.

Come to a concert sometime, and enjoy the experience.

Here I am visiting my friend at Ohio State, and I find myself not doing anything but watching their game on tv when I think, wouldn’t it be interesting-bear with me-if I posted a Balwin-Wallace blog while at Ohio State? But anyway, I often like to visit old friends who go to different colleges, and this year I finally have a car on campus I can use to travel on weekends. I’ve been plagued by owning a junker of a car for years now, and over the summer I bought a brand new Chevy Cobalt.. my mother helped me a little with the payment, but it’s mostly my investment. But it’s a good travelling car that I intend to put to use, even though it was one of my roommates who drove this time. I got dropped off at my highschool friend’s house yesterday and went out last night, and have just been hanging out today. Ohio State has an immensely different vibe to it than BW. It’s bustling nonstop (especially today on game day) and has a very alive campus. The entire area is devoted to the fact that college students live there, unlike the residential Berea with BW. Not to sound like I prefer one over the other, but it’s nonetheless two distinct feelings between the two. Regardless, as much as I may hype up another campus, I remain partial to BW. Visits to other places are always fun, but I chose BW for a reason–I like the campus and most everything about it. I like being able to recognize people walking down the street, something you can’t appreciate at huge schools. It’s just nice to have a change of scenery sometimes, which is exactly what this weekend is.

Let me make this clear, I do not enjoy taking tests. Those who do, more power to you… I had a test in my personality psychology class that I am taking, and I was just going crazy because of how nervous I was… It covered 5 huge chapters of the book and the provided study guide was about 11 pages long… Hundreds of terms, millions of letters, etc, etc…

So I arrive to class early, do a lil refreshing on my notes and I was kinda ready…. The test gets handed out and I start going through it. Some of the test was easy, some was challenging, and some was just like… WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? moment, but you know what, I think I did alright.

I have a test in Micro-economics in a bit and I think I’m prepared for it, but let’s hope for the best.
So here’s to taking tests, we don’t like ‘em, but we need them.

-David

P.S.

Tonight’s Midnight Madness Event is SALALLASAAA NIGHT!!!!’
time to get my feet a dancing.. and salsaing
and eating chips with salsa… Woot

I can’t remember if I already mentioned this in one of my previous blogs but because I live in Carmel Living Learning Center (the best dorm on campus by farrrr), I have to take a corresponding class in the building. My class is called Documenting American Violence. It involves a lot of reading and evaluating historical instances of violence. And of course, an incredible amount of corresponding discussion. Sometimes it reminds me of a history class that allows for a lot more opinion than usual. Other times it reminds me of my LAS class where we read authors like Locke and Hobbes (we read them in this class too) and Plato.

Tonight when I was writing Reflection Essay#1 for Professor Thomas Sutton and Professor Jack Winget, I felt free from all traditional educational stereotypes. Liberated from syllabus-related structure. I felt like I could finally write an essay where I could be 100% honest about my opinions. I didn’t have to bend or compromise my thoughts or ideas to fit the professor’s expectations or requirements. I like having my Carmel class because I can do well and take a somewhat relaxed and less formal approach to my work. So Tuesday and Thursday mornings are not only a little history review, but also a chance to take new approach to familiar topics.