Hey everyone! I’m back again, but halfway across the country in my hometown of Chandler, Arizona!
I got to spend fall break in seventy-degree weather and sunshine, while Iowa steadily dropped in temperature and got some snow. I thoroughly enjoyed my week off and reconnected with my family and dogs, who I haven’t seen since August!
I also caught up with friends back at home! We went to our favorite coffee shop Dutch Bros – highly recommend it! Pictured is my friend Grace, who goes to a rival school Penn State.
I baked chocolate chip cookies because I miss having an oven, and prepared Thanksgiving Day food – brown sugar sweet potatoes are my favorite.
However, with finals looming around the corner, I spent some time working on projects, like my podcast project for rhetoric.
I watched Home Alone, slept in, read The Secret History, got Olive Garden with some friends, and went running outside! I cannot wait for winter break.
I attended the first women’s basketball game of the season Monday night against FDU. I was lucky and got court-side seats, thanks to Hawks Nest. Seeing all the plays up close was great, especially when Molly Davis made the buzzer-beater! Caitlin Clark is a phenomenal player and I can’t believe I get to attend Iowa at the same time as her and watch the team play.
It was nearly full at Carver Hawkeye Arena and the energy was insane. The cheers were fun, the pep band was awesome, and we won!
Try a Carver ice cream cone when you go. Season tickets are sold out but student ones are still available. Let’s continue to support all women’s sports! You can catch the games on TV as well.
I am going to talk about one of the student organizations on campus – a literary magazine! There are multiple lit magazines on campus, but Ink Lit is the only magazine run and written by first-year students.
I am the editor-in-chief for the fall semester and for Issue 25. This is my first time having experience in a magazine outside of being published in some in high school. Since I am a Creative Writing major, it is a great way to gain experience and see if working in publishing is the right fit for me.
While submissions are currently closed, they will reopen in the spring and so will staff applications! I cannot recommend enough submitting to or working in Ink Lit.
Here is what it is like:
When submissions were open, the editors and executive board (editor-in-chief, managing editor, publisher, and assistant publisher) helped promote the magazine.
Once submissions closed, we had a reading period to automatically reject and accept pieces. Afterward, we debated pieces that fell in between those two categories at a big meeting. After that, our typesetter created a proof of the magazine and then proofreading began! After, we send the manuscript to the publisher and await the printed final copy. I also wrote a letter from the editor.
There will be a release party in the spring, all are welcome!
Ink Lit accepts poetry, fiction, art/photography, drama, and nonfiction!
You can also follow them on Instagram and Twitter @inklitmag
I am also part of the Broken Clock and Translate Iowa, two other great magazines!
I went to Crossover at Kinnick yesterday, the preseason exhibition game for the women’s basketball team held at Kinnick!
I got there early so I could have great seats and I lucked out. We broke the record for the most attendants at a women’s basketball game with 55,646 attendees. We made HERstory yesterday and I was so proud to be there to witness it as a former student-athlete. Support for women’s sports is important y’all. Let’s crowd Carver and some of the other events this coming semester!
The team played smoothly with some great assists and a triple-double from Clark herself! The wind definitely made things difficult but we still won with 94 to 72!
I watched the Iowa basketball team make it to the Final Four on TV last year and knew I had to see them play in person. It was a dream come true to have this experience that many never will. I will be attending games this season for sure!!
The halftime show was so neat because the Hawkeye Marching Band formed Caitlin Clark making a basket.
There are a couple other exhibition games coming up, so be sure to go!!
It is officially Homecoming week and here is a recap of a few of the events I attended!
The parade on Friday was so much fun! It went from being 80 degrees the day before to being 50 but I bundled up and braved the cold. Lots of university departments and different businesses local to Iowa City participated. Our very own basketball and wrestling stars Caitlin Clark and Spencer Lee were this year’s Grand Marshals!
After the parade, I caught the interview with Clark, Mark Shapiro, and Stephen A Smith! The Swae Lee concert followed shortly after.
Saturday was the game against Purdue and man it was crazy! There were lots of plays under review and we were getting very frustrated with the referees. The alumni marching band and some other former athletes and students came out to celebrate! We came out with a 20-14 victory.
Before the game, I checked out the Hawkeye Marching Band Pre-Game show and it was really neat to see some of the songs and tricks that were in the performance!
Finally, the famous Corn Monument is up on the Old Cap hill for all to enjoy!
Hey y’all! As I head into my first midterm week I’ve got a lot on my plate. Good luck studying, and for you future freshmen, it is not as bad as it seems.
I had the opportunity this week to go on a tour of Kinnick with the Hawks Nest team. The Hawks Nest is only the best student section in the Big Ten, and they have so many awesome opportunities for members! We get exclusive events, tickets, and a tour of Kinnick.
We started off the tour with a visit to the press box. The view is amazing from up there. You can really see the entire field.
Then, we went down onto the field and took some super fun photos and one big group photo.
Next, we got to go into the tunnel the players exit out of, which is pretty iconic.
We got to see the pink locker rooms our opponents get to enjoy before they lose to us. Even the toilets are pink haha!
The craziest thing of all was @gfed, a TikToker known for visiting football stadiums, got to come out and speak to us! He filmed a TikTok with us in it and took a group photo. So keep an eye out on his socials!
As football season continues, good luck Hawkeyes!!
These past couple weeks the football season has gotten into full swing once again. I attended the Utah State game, which was my first Hawkeye football game ever. The energy was insane! Everyone was cheering and participating in the fight songs. When I did The Wave for the first time, it was the most magical moment ever. We love ya, UI Children’s!
We won, which was a great start to the season. There is so much to do on game day, lots of people had tailgating (plenty of non-alcoholic ones!).
This past weekend was THE game, the Cy-Hawk showdown. I didn’t go, but plenty of Hawkeyes did represent! I hosted a watch party in my dorm and we had a blast. I’m so glad we won this year! It’s shaping up to be a great season.
For those interested in the games: You can get tickets via Facebook groups, and remember the clear bag policy and stay hydrated!! Keep that pregaming to a minimum.
Today, I am going to do a quick breakdown of how the first couple of weeks as a Hawkeye has been going.
I am taking twenty semester hours, which is A LOT as a freshman, but so far it has been doable. Time management is essential to succeed though, so remember that.
Starting off Monday:
I have Rhetoric and my Foundations of Creative Writing Class.
In Rhetoric, I am in the honors section since I am in the Honors Program. There are no more than twenty students, which is a perfect size. The professor, Dr. O, as she likes to be called, is an extremely kind and reasonable instructor. I have an essay due in a few weeks, but she does contract grading which is a great way to focus on writing well without the grade pressure.
In class so far, we have done lots of reading and a mini rhetorical presentation.
In my Foundations class, everyone there is an English major. My professor, Dr. Ziliak is amazing. He always starts off class with an icebreaker about the best/worst books we’ve ever read or our favorite food.
We have read some really great poetry and our textbook is interesting, detailing writing descriptions. We have tri-weekly discussion questions to answer, one where we write whatever we like based on a prompt, and the other about the reading.
Tuesdays:
I have my Honors First Year Seminar: Exploring the World’s Languages. It is a great discussion class with little homework. We have great conversations there, and since I’m bilingual in French and English, I care a lot about language. The professor, Dr. Destruel, is from Toulouse, France, so I enjoy talking in French with her.
After the seminar, I have Oral Expression in French I. There are only a couple other freshmen in there, but everyone is really nice. I like the fact I get to practice my speaking more than anything and that both the professor and a few other students speak French well.
To end the day, I have Natural Disasters. It is fairly simple and straightforward, so it is a good science/sustainability Gen Ed, but I’m still learning how to study!
Wednesday:
I have Rhetoric and Foundations again, normally we just discuss our readings.
Then I have my Writing and Community Outreach class. It is a really cool class, where we get to volunteer and gain experiential learning as well! I’m volunteering for Porch Light Lit, a literary-themed organization putting events on in town.
Thursday:
I have French and my Natural Disasters lecture, with the discussion for the latter today. We normally work in small groups and have a project we work on throughout the semester.
Friday:
I only have my foundations class, so it is my designated laundry and homework day! My roommate and I like to do movie nights as well, so catch us watching BBC’s Merlin.
Throughout the week, I go run on campus or go lift in the rec center, which has so much equipment for whatever you want!
I also checked out the club fair this week and they had hundreds of clubs. From Running Club, Sunset Club, Greek Life, lit mags, and more, there is something for everyone!
So far, I have had a good but long week of settling in and tackling homework. Catch ya next time!
Here is a photo from a study spot on The Mall! Studying outside is my favorite thing.
The time has finally come!! The Class of 2027 has descended on campus. Here is a small breakdown of my week and why I LOVE being a Hawkeye!
I arrived Friday, August 11, which gave me the perfect time to explore the beautiful campus and town of Iowa City.
On my first night, I witnessed one of Iowa’s iconic sunsets, which illuminated the Old Capitol in a gorgeous haze of blue and gray.
Throughout the weekend, I enjoyed live music, Iowa City’s amazing froyo place, Yotopia, the classic Airliner Bar, and the delicious Zmarik’s Noodle Cafe.
I moved into my dorm, Daum Hall, Sunday morning. While saying goodbye to my family was bittersweet, I quickly felt at home. My roommate and I hit it off quickly and had a blast decorating our dorm! We met some of the other people on our floor and had some people to go do On Iowa! activities with.
Monday, I attended the Honors Welcome Ceremony and block party. There was delicious ice cream and tie-dye to be enjoyed by all.
I tackled the dining hall for the first time that afternoon and evening. Between Burge, Catlett, and Hillcrest, Burge is best! They have this amazing Thrive Market, which serves allergen-friendly food. As a gluten-sensitive person, I appreciated this option. Burge also has a fantastic coffee bar, so save your Starbucks money, folks!
Tuesday, I started my Honors Primetime course “On Paper, In Print.” It was a small group, but our instructor, Professor Meginnis, was fantastic and offered great insight into the publishing industry. We went on a field trip to the bookstore Prairie Lights, which has the neatest cafe and a short-story dispenser! Staff from various literary publications and the Iowa Youth Writing Project came in and spoke to us as well. I submitted some writing and applications for staff positions, so wish me luck! As our final to the class, my classmates and I created a poster summarizing our experience. Come check it out in the Blank Honors Center Friday, August 25!
Some memorable events include floor dinners with the fifth floor and going on a Target run in the evening with some friends.
The Pitch Perfect movie night was one of my favorite events. The room was filled with laughter and singing. Right after, Thursdays on the Terrace started with karaoke from students! They all did fantastic.
Friday was Kickoff at Kinnick and I loved it! We learned a few fight songs, performed The Wave, enjoyed free food, watched fireworks, and started a massive frisbee game.
On Saturday, Top Gun was shown at The Chauncey, and it was a perfect ending to my week.
On Iowa! ended with the iconic Block I photo on the Pentacrest, Convocation, and the President’s Block Party.
I am so excited to start my school year and proud to call myself a Hawkeye. Go Hawks!!
