Elana
type: channel
date: 2025-05-13T19:48:29Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
generator agent: https://wordpress.org/
items: My Top 10 Moments for My Final Semester at the University of Iowa
items: 10 Standalone Books That Hawkeyes Are Reading This Summer
items: My Final Goodbye to On-Campus Literary Magazines
items: A Trip to Los Angeles to Attend the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Convention!
items: Iowa City’s First Cat Lounge: A Purr-fect Place to Meet Some Feline Friends
items: Iowa City Cookie Crawl
items: 10 Books That Hawkeyes Are Reading This Winter
items: Winter Essentials for Every Hawkeye
items: My Top Six Moments This Semester!!!
items: How I Plan to Spend My Thanksgiving Break in Iowa City

My Top 10 Moments for My Final Semester at the University of Iowa
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2025-05-13T19:48:29Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: I always end every semester with a top ten memories countdown, so it was only fitting that I do the same for my final blog post for Experience Iowa. It’s so hard to narrow down which moments over the past five months have meant the most to me, but after some thinking (and excessive scrolling through my camera roll), I’ve finally picked the most memorable days/events that I’ll be thinking about as I move into ...
encoded: I always end every semester with a top ten memories countdown, so it was only fitting that I do the same for my final blog post for Experience Iowa. It’s so hard to narrow down which moments over the past five months have meant the most to me, but after some thinking (and excessive scrolling through my camera roll), I’ve finally picked the most memorable days/events that I’ll be thinking about as I move into post-grad life. Below, check out some of my favorite moments as a college senior and a sneak peek at my future plans this summer and fall! Getting Published in Multiple On-Campus Magazines For the Last Time <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-700 alignright" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/05/IMG_0640-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/05/IMG_0640-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/05/IMG_0640-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/05/IMG_0640-300x400.jpeg 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/05/IMG_0640.jpeg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />Over the course of five months, I’ve had seven different pieces published in on-campus magazines. I had a fantasy piece and a romance piece get published in Wilder Things, an experimental romance piece published in Fools, a nonfiction piece published in Catharsis, a romance piece published in Venus, a translated piece published in Boundless, and finally, another romance piece published in Broken Clock. I absolutely adore on-campus literary magazines, and it’s bittersweet to be published in all of my favorite magazines one more time before I head on out! Celebrating My 22nd Birthday With All of My Best Friends After making so many wonderful friends over the past four years, it was so much fun to be able to celebrate my birthday with every single one of them! My party’s theme was just an ugly sweater …

10 Standalone Books That Hawkeyes Are Reading This Summer
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2025-05-07T19:38:25Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Hi everyone! The warm weather is signaling the end of classes and schoolwork, but for those who enjoy reading, this summer also marks the opportunity to fall back into some good books! I know I have some books that I want to catch up on, and the chance to read outside and enjoy the warm weather is exactly the kind of boost that I need to kickstart my reading goals! If you’re looking to catch ...
encoded: Hi everyone! The warm weather is signaling the end of classes and schoolwork, but for those who enjoy reading, this summer also marks the opportunity to fall back into some good books! I know I have some books that I want to catch up on, and the chance to read outside and enjoy the warm weather is exactly the kind of boost that I need to kickstart my reading goals! If you’re looking to catch up on some reading and you don’t know where to start, here is a list of ten standalone books that my Hawkeye friends and I have recommended for incoming students to enjoy as much as we did! Blackouts by Justin Torres Starting off strong with this historical fiction novel, Torres discusses queerness and the suppression/violence that history has towards the queer identity. The novel centers on two old friends as one of them is slowly passing away. Their last few discussions are surrounding queer erasure and slowly but surely, the past bleeds into the present and the future. One of the coolest aspects of this novel is Torres’s use of multimedia photographs, texts, and nonfiction documents that make the readers question where Torres has fictionalized the narrative and where these things actually happened. This is an insightful queer read from an award-winning author that you definitely don’t want to miss! Summer in the City by Alex Aster How else should you spend the summer besides reading a book set in the summer? Aster’s debut romance novel is, quite literally, meant for summer romance readers. Set in New York City, the main character, Elle, is struggling to finish her next big movie script, and she enlists the help of her next-door neighbor turned billionaire, and the two embark on an enemies-to-lovers and fake dating plotline. If you’re looking for a fun, fresh, and quick read, this is worth reading! Future Feeling by Joss Lake This is one of my favorite recent reads, so I just HAD to add it to the list! In this surrealist, futuristic, and dystopian novel, a dog-walker, Penfield…

My Final Goodbye to On-Campus Literary Magazines
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2025-04-21T13:10:13Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Hi everyone! I can’t believe there’s less than a month of school left! I’m definitely feeling the senioritis, but I’m trying to push through and appreciate my last couple of classes along with all the fun events happening on campus right now! For me, some of my favorite on and off-campus events are the literary magazine launch parties that happen almost every weekend in the spring. This year, I was fortunate enough to help run ...
encoded: Hi everyone! I can’t believe there’s less than a month of school left! I’m definitely feeling the senioritis, but I’m trying to push through and appreciate my last couple of classes along with all the fun events happening on campus right now! For me, some of my favorite on and off-campus events are the literary magazine launch parties that happen almost every weekend in the spring. This year, I was fortunate enough to help run and participate in the earthwords launch party for Issue 45, and it really made me think about my time at the University of Iowa and the major influence that literary magazines have had on my growth as a student. For those of you who don’t know, one of the things I’m most proud of is how involved I’ve been with literary magazines for the past four years. As soon as I stepped foot on campus, I got involved with Ink Lit magazine, which is a first-year-only literary magazine. This publication is considered a stepping stone for freshmen students who are interested in either working on a magazine’s staff or having their work published within their first year. Somehow, I did something right, and I was trusted with the position of being the Editor in Chief! From there, I led team meetings, handled deadlines, brainstormed event ideas, advertised to the community, and championed the team to a successful launch party. After that, I knew how much I loved literary magazines and that I wanted to continue working on one for my next three years. However, I was no longer a first-year student, so it was time to say goodbye to Ink Lit and pick a new magazine to join and work on. The University of Iowa has a dozen literary magazines on campus (if you’re curious, you can find a list of all of them here), but I found myself applying for earthwords. I really liked how earthwords had the legacy of being the oldest literary magazine on campus, and that it was unthemed, so any piece could be published regardless of what it was about. So, I applied, interviewed, and jo…

A Trip to Los Angeles to Attend the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Convention!
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2025-04-07T15:14:02Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Hi everyone! With the help of my literary magazine, earthwords, the Magid Center for Writing, and the University of Iowa Undergraduate Student Government, I was able to go on a trip to Los Angeles, where I attended the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference. I was able to watch a handful of panels, browse the bookfair, and explore the city of Los Angeles, so for this post, I wanted to shine some light on all the ...
encoded: Hi everyone! With the help of my literary magazine, earthwords, the Magid Center for Writing, and the University of Iowa Undergraduate Student Government, I was able to go on a trip to Los Angeles, where I attended the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference. I was able to watch a handful of panels, browse the bookfair, and explore the city of Los Angeles, so for this post, I wanted to shine some light on all the cool things I did on this trip! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-671 size-medium" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/04/IMG_9958-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/04/IMG_9958-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/04/IMG_9958-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/04/IMG_9958-300x400.jpeg 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/04/IMG_9958.jpeg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />To start off strong, my team and I (five other girls who are also members of earthwords magazine) had an early morning flight on Wednesday, where we flew to Charlotte (that’s right, we went in the opposite direction) before we hopped on our second flight to Los Angeles. Upon arrival, we were picked up by a shuttle and brought to our absolutely beautiful Airbnb! With the rest of the afternoon in front of us, we walked around downtown Los Angeles, explored the shops of Little Tokyo, and ventured inside the famous bookstore called The Last Bookstore. For those of you interested, The Last Bookstore is a multi-level bookshop with hundreds of used books for sale, gift shops full of literary trinkets, a coffee shop for relaxing, and plenty of spots for aesthetic photos to add to your social media! After walking through the bookstore, we met up with a couple of other Iowa friends, where we enjoyed dinner, caught up, and finally decompressed before the conferen…

Iowa City’s First Cat Lounge: A Purr-fect Place to Meet Some Feline Friends
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2025-03-20T20:16:22Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: When talking to my college friends, I think we can all agree that saying goodbye to our pets was one of the hardest parts of leaving home. For my entire life, I grew up in a household of cats, so coming to college and not having a feline friend to snuggle with was definitely a missing piece of my life that made me homesick during the semesters. But now, I’m super jealous of prospective students ...
encoded: When talking to my college friends, I think we can all agree that saying goodbye to our pets was one of the hardest parts of leaving home. For my entire life, I grew up in a household of cats, so coming to college and not having a feline friend to snuggle with was definitely a missing piece of my life that made me homesick during the semesters. But now, I’m super jealous of prospective students and current students, because they get the added benefit of having a cat lounge right in downtown Iowa City! Iowa City’s newest experience is its first-ever cat lounge called Kitty Corner Social Club. The lounge opened its doors in early March 2025 as a way to build a community for cat-loving locals who wanted to spend time with some kitties. The space also serves as an adoption center, and already, almost half a dozen cats have been adopted in the few weeks that the lounge has been opened! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-656 size-medium" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/03/IMG_9521-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/03/IMG_9521-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/03/IMG_9521-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/03/IMG_9521-300x400.jpeg 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/03/IMG_9521.jpeg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />Local organizations have also used the lounge as an event and community space. For example, last week, senior citizens from the senior living community down the street were allowed to come into the lounge and pet the cats. This is just the start of everything the Kitty Corner Club has to offer, and the positive buzz is making it the hot new business that everyone needs to check out! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-657 size-medium" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/03/IMG_9520-22…

Iowa City Cookie Crawl
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2025-02-25T14:14:48Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Hi everyone! I hope you’re staying warm! Myself and the rest of the student body are hopeful that this is the last week of super cold winter weather before things start to warm up in March. Until then, though, we’ll keep our fingers crossed (through our gloves, of course) as we weather this last bit of snow together and head into the rest of the semester. It can be easy to want to stay inside ...
encoded: Hi everyone! I hope you’re staying warm! Myself and the rest of the student body are hopeful that this is the last week of super cold winter weather before things start to warm up in March. Until then, though, we’ll keep our fingers crossed (through our gloves, of course) as we weather this last bit of snow together and head into the rest of the semester. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-645 size-medium" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/02/IMG_9325-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/02/IMG_9325-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/02/IMG_9325-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/02/IMG_9325-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2025/02/IMG_9325.jpeg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />It can be easy to want to stay inside when the weather is in the negatives or it’s snowing, but lately, my friends and I have been bored of watching television and reading, so we decided to go to downtown Iowa City and find a local event we could attend. The downtown area always hosts events for the community whether it’s concerts, farmer’s markets, festivals, or more. This winter, the city decided to host an Iowa City Cookie Crawl that would span across twenty stores, and since my friends and I needed to get out of the house (and satiate our sweet tooths!) we signed up for the event! On the day of the event, we were able to check in and get a handheld, red cookie tin where we collected and held our cookies as we went from store to store. The shops that helped run the event all had different purposes; there was Blick, the art store, Cielo, the jewelry/clothing store, Beno’s, the flower shop, Wedge, the pizzeria, and so many more! It was so much fun going to all my favorite shops and then a few that I had never been inside of before! That’s the amazing th…

10 Books That Hawkeyes Are Reading This Winter
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2025-02-12T14:19:40Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Hey future Hawkeyes! The winter season is upon us and the snowstorms (and ice storms?) are keeping students home these past couple of days, but being cooped up in the house is a great opportunity to start on that reading goal you declared for the new year! If you need some book suggestions to add to your list, here is a short list of novels that myself and my literary friends have compiled for you ...
encoded: Hey future Hawkeyes! The winter season is upon us and the snowstorms (and ice storms?) are keeping students home these past couple of days, but being cooped up in the house is a great opportunity to start on that reading goal you declared for the new year! If you need some book suggestions to add to your list, here is a short list of novels that myself and my literary friends have compiled for you guys to enjoy! Silver in the Bone By Alexandra Bracken If you’re looking for a two-in-one combo, Silver in the Bone, is book one in a duology! The series is young adult (though, as an adult, I do think it’s a step up from the typical YA series) and it follows Tamsin Lark as she searches for a cure to save her brother, Cabell, whose curse has taken a sharp turn for the worse. With the help of a new witch and her rival, Emrys, the group finds themselves in Avalon, the famous land of King Arthur to save Cabell, but also, to discover more about Tamsin’s father who left her and Cabell to go to Avalon in search of a magical object. In this new retelling, the Arthurian myths and legends are brought together in a stunning modern tale. If you’re someone interested in reading more about King Arthur and Celtic folklore, this is definitely the duology for you! No Judgments By Meg Cabot With Valentine’s Day in just a week, why not pick up a fun romance novel? If you’re missing the warm weather, you might enjoy Meg Cabot’s standalone romance, No Judgments, which follows Sabrina Beckham and her experience remaining on Little Bridge, a small island off the coast, when a massive hurricane destroys the town. With the help of Drew, the island’s biggest heartthrob, they work together to rescue all the pets left behind and, maybe, fall in love in the process. If you want a fun and easy romance read, I’ve heard this one is perfect! The Song of Achilles By Madeline Miller Speaking of retellings, if you’re a huge fan of Greek mythology, The Song of Achilles, is one of the best retellings that my …

Winter Essentials for Every Hawkeye
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2025-01-31T18:02:05Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Hi everyone! We’re officially back for a brand new semester! This is actually my last semester since I’m a graduating senior and yes, it’s super bittersweet to know the end is near. I still have fourteen weeks to go though, so let’s not dwell on it too much! Right now, my main concern is how I’m going to survive the winter, so I figured I would write a quick blog post about what future Hawkeyes ...
encoded: Hi everyone! We’re officially back for a brand new semester! This is actually my last semester since I’m a graduating senior and yes, it’s super bittersweet to know the end is near. I still have fourteen weeks to go though, so let’s not dwell on it too much! Right now, my main concern is how I’m going to survive the winter, so I figured I would write a quick blog post about what future Hawkeyes should buy and bring to campus to stay warm during the colder months. In case you didn’t know, I’m originally from New York which has the winter season, but it’s NOTHING like the Iowa cold! Even if you’re from a state that gets chilly winds and snowstorms, I would definitely recommend investing in warm clothing. Below are some ideas if you need some inspiration! An expensive winter coat (yes, I said expensive) This might seem obvious, but seriously, I see so many people walking around without a warm coat! I would invest in a coat with a hood and/or one that goes down to your knees just so you’re keeping more than your torso warm. This is also one of the few items that I would invest and spend money on since you’ll be walking to class every day and it’ll make the walks so much less uncomfortable. A good winter coat is your main and most important essential for the cold, so if you haven’t already, find one that you can buy and wear for the many, many winter seasons! Hats or Earmuffs Having cold ears can hurt, so invest in hats or earmuffs! If you’re like me and you don’t like having frizzy hair in class, I would buy a pair of cute earmuffs. Lately, they’ve been a staple for me, and if you wear them enough times, your friends will notice you from halfway across campus because you wear them THAT often. Hats and earmuffs keep your ears warm, and your hair down, and add a cute detail to any outfit, so definitely grab one before you come to campus! Gloves I love to bring homemade coffee to class, so having a good pair of gloves keeps my hands from getting red and cracked which is su…

My Top Six Moments This Semester!!!
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2024-12-11T19:07:53Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Hi everyone! We’re officially at the end of the semester! Personally, I’m super excited to be finishing up my classes and my final projects even though I have to spend this next week grinding on my homework. Fingers crossed that I finish everything in time before I head out of town in less than a week! It’s always during the final week of school that I start to get sentimental about the end of the ...
encoded: Hi everyone! We’re officially at the end of the semester! Personally, I’m super excited to be finishing up my classes and my final projects even though I have to spend this next week grinding on my homework. Fingers crossed that I finish everything in time before I head out of town in less than a week! It’s always during the final week of school that I start to get sentimental about the end of the semester, so I wanted to use my blog post this month as an opportunity to look back on some of my favorite moments. For future Hawkeyes reading this, check out some of my most memorable moments to get a sneak peek at some of the fun activities that you can take part in as a Hawkeye too! Getting to See My First Queer Cabaret <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-616 alignleft" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2024/12/IMG_6966-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2024/12/IMG_6966-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2024/12/IMG_6966-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2024/12/IMG_6966-300x400.jpeg 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/elana/files/2024/12/IMG_6966.jpeg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />One of my favorite things about Iowa City is its emphasis on the arts. All throughout the year, downtown Iowa City has art showcases, live bands, plays, and more events for students to enjoy. This year, one of my favorite shows was the queer cabaret and it was absolutely amazing! The performers were so talented, and I was in awe of the musical numbers, dance performances, and some of the personal stories shared throughout the show. It was a fantastic performance and it was even better because I got to support one of my best friends who ended up performing. (Sidenote: She’s the one holding up the disco ball in the photo!) Celebrating Birthday Parties with Friends The joy of being a senior studen…

How I Plan to Spend My Thanksgiving Break in Iowa City
type: item
creator: efwalters
date: 2024-11-26T21:00:35Z
subject: Uncategorized
description: Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving week! This is one of my favorite weeks to be in Iowa City, because the city is completely empty of students and feels like a ghost town. That might be weird of me to say, but this is the third time I’ve spent Thanksgiving in Iowa, and I’ve come to really enjoy/anticipate the alone time. It gives me the space to pursue my hobbies, so in celebration of that, I thought ...
encoded: Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving week! This is one of my favorite weeks to be in Iowa City, because the city is completely empty of students and feels like a ghost town. That might be weird of me to say, but this is the third time I’ve spent Thanksgiving in Iowa, and I’ve come to really enjoy/anticipate the alone time. It gives me the space to pursue my hobbies, so in celebration of that, I thought I’d give you guys a list of some of the things I plan on getting done. At the very least, this article is my way of holding myself accountable to my own plans! Getting Caught Up on Homework + Taking Work Shifts This is probably the least exciting part of my break, but still important nonetheless! Even though Thanksgiving break is supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation, I usually find myself catching up or getting a head start on homework for the following week. I’ve found that this makes it easier for me to focus on my finals when the time comes! To help motivate myself, I usually find a local coffee shop to grab a warm drink and get into the working mindset. That way, I feel more productive and comfortable! Similarly, I like to grab work shifts (I work in the Office of Admissions at the university!), so I can make a little bit of extra money. Since so many students and workers have left for break, it’s nice being able to grab whatever shits I want. I’m also someone who likes a routine, so this is something I personally find myself needing as the days go by. Catching up on TV Shows This year, my goal is to finish all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother, and I’m currently on season eight! I started watching back in January and it’s been a slow year as I’ve chipped away at the seasons. This week, though, I promised myself that I would do my best to finish season eight, so I’ll definitely be spending my nights binge-watching the show in an attempt to finish it before the year is out. I can’t wait to make myself some hot cocoa, kick back, and relax! Going to the Movies…