Jaelyn

Hey everyone, since arriving back in Iowa City a few weeks ago, I’ve reminded myself at least once or twice a week that I need to keep up with my blogging. I’m quite busy this semester, but here are a few highlights so far:

1. I celebrated Chinese New Year. There are a few international students from China living on my floor, and they were kind enough to put together a Chinese New Year celebration for everyone. They did a fabulous job! I was able to sample authentic Chinese food, learn about Chinese culture, and even received a few goodies!
   Candy, money, and red envelopes are common gifts that children receive from their parents during Chinese New Year.
2. I became CPR certified. Student Health & Wellness puts on Red Watch Band, a program that provides CPR and alcohol bystander training for anyone that’s a student at the university. I figured this would be a great opportunity, especially since I now have training that could possibly save someone’s life.
3. I started volunteering. After visiting the Volunteer Fair at the beginning of the semester, I found a local organization to volunteer with. Giving back to the community and being able to help those in need is very rewarding, and I’d highly recommend it to everyone.
4. I’ve studied… a lot! Compared to last semester, I’m putting in a lot more time outside of class. I easily study at least three or four hours a day. It can be extremely exhausting, but hopefully my hard work will pay off in the end!
5. Hawkeye basketball. The atmosphere in Carver is AMAZING! Nothing’s better than getting to cheer on a nationally ranked basketball team with 15,000 of your closest friends!
   
   Seconds after a big win against Michigan a few Saturdays ago. Go Hawks!
6. Snow. I have come to really dread snow, especially because I’m pretty sure it’s snowed at least once a week since the semester started. Hopefully spring is right around the corner, because I’m not sure how much more snow I can take!

The temperature is cooling down and the leaves are beginning to change colors. Fall is in the air! This also means Midterms (yuck!) and Homecoming Week (yay!), which are both going on this week for me. Luckily, I only have one Midterm. I’ll definitely be busy studying for that and doing homework for other classes, but I’ll hopefully have time to take part in a few Homecoming events here and there throughout the week. I’m super excited to see how Homecoming is handled here in Iowa. I’ve noticed that people around here have a LOT of Hawkeye spirit, so I’m sure this week will be awesome. The atmosphere at Kinnick on Saturdays is always amazing, and I’m sure this Saturday will be no different. My dorm hosted a “Prep Rally” on Saturday to prepare for this week’s festivities, complete with ice cream and crafts – a great combination if you ask me! My floor designed and decorated our bulletin board for the campus-wide bulletin board competition. I think it looks pretty good, so hopefully we’ll win! To my surprise, the lobby of my dorm was also beautifully decorated and decked out in tons of black and gold. So here’s to a great week of Homecoming events and Midterms! Go Hawks!

In just a few hours, the lobby of Daum was transformed!