Ducks @ Oregon - University of Oregon

Top Three Best Places to Sleep on Campus

Korrin B.

February 8, 2010 - 12:47 PM

This weekend has caused my sleeping pattern to reach a new level of dishevelment. It's nearly one in the morning and I have class at 8:30am. I'm up attempting to study for the midterm that I have in that class tomorrow. I'll be on campus until 3:00pm at which point I have to go to work until 5:30pm. It's going to be a long, sleep-deprived day. Therefore, it only seems right that this blog post should focus on the perfect places on the University of Oregon campus to take a midday nap. Unfortunately, I have stuff I have to get done tomorrow during my breaks between classes, but on days when I don't, these three places never fail me.

3. EMU Skylight Lounge
It's quiet, it's warm, and it's perfect for some shuteye. There are a few couches up in the skylight lounge in the EMU that are perfect for lying down and passing out. However, you have to time it just right because they do fill up quickly with sleepy students. The nice thing though is that there are still plenty of tables that you can sit at and lay your head down upon. Being centrally located, your nap can last a little longer because it won't take you too long to walk to your next class from here.

2. Robert D. Clark Honors College Library in Chapman Hall
The couches are to die for. This library is a hidden gem. There are usually few people in it, so it stays quiet and you don't feel too awkward being "that person snoring on the couch." You are able to fully extend your legs on the long couches and even have access to some relatively comfortable decorative pillows. This library is the perfect place to escape school for anywhere from a half hour to two hours and drift into dreamland.

1. Student Parking Lot Near UO Bookstore
Ok, I'll admit it, I'm not a super sustainable, super green-minded student when it comes to getting myself to campus. My house is far from campus and quite a walk from the nearest bus line. I drive to school. Now that I have that guilty truth out there in the open, I can move on to why it isn't so bad. It's like renting your own personal hotel room at the UO. There is a little parking lot for students located near the bookstore. Therefore, it is close enough to stop by quickly after class for a little catnap. All you need to do is store a blanket in your trunk and you're good to go! Recline the seat back, bundle up, set an alarm, and you are free to snooze for as long as you please.

[ 0 Comments ]

American Sign Language 102

Korrin B.

February 7, 2010 - 11:00 PM

As I've said before, I love my class in American Sign Language. This is my second term taking the class with Jo Larson. Jo is an amazing instructor and really makes the class more than just a language class, but also a look into the culture of deafness. These are some of the ways in which we have gotten to further explore the topic this term.

Guest Speakers
During one of our classes this term, we had three different guest speakers come in to talk to us. Each of them was a mother of a deaf child. However, they were each from different generations, which was very interesting. The first speaker had her child about forty years ago, the next about twenty years ago, and the third only about five years ago. It was fascinating talking to them and learning about how the resources available to parents of deaf children have changed and how technology is now affecting the culture of the Deaf community.

Movies
We got to watch a movie called "Sound and Fury." This movie was a documentary that followed around a deaf family as they tried to decide whether to get their daughter a cochlear implant. It was interesting to watch how the family worried that the implant would makes the Deaf culture disappear or would make their daughter feel less connected to them. I didn't know that so many Deaf people are worried about the new technology of the cochlear implant taking away their identity.

Readings
We all just finished reading a novel called Deaf Like Me by James Spradley. This book talked about how a family dealt with finding out that their baby was deaf in the seventies and their journey to finding sign language as a way to finally be able to communicate. It was a nice addition to the class and I was so happy in the end when the family finally started using sign language with each other instead of trying to force only oral education onto their daughter, which wasn't working very well at all.

I'm looking forward to spring term of this class as well and also to my second year of the language sequence next year.

[ 0 Comments ]

Preview of Applications to Come

Korrin B.

January 31, 2010 - 11:37 PM

Yes, it does seem as though I have a one-track mind. However, I'm learning that's what it takes to actually be able to stay focused enough to really create an application that is quality enough for some of these competitive internships. Plus, it's almost midnight, meaning that in less than thirty minutes, this glorious weekend is over and it is back to the grind. Week five, here I come. Hooray, for midterms that add a little more stress to the picture! I need to invest in some more good herbal teas, I think.

Anyway, since my mind does seem to be focused on one thing and one thing only, I thought I'd do a little preview of what's to come this month in the life of applying.

1. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - Washington, D.C., due March 1. This is an organization that works on policies that affect low-income individuals and families in terms of several different topics such as health, social security, welfare reform, and more. I would love to work in their housing program as it deals with many policy issues surrounding homelessness (my main subject interest).

2. William J. Clinton Foundation - New York City, due February 28. This one has a particular position working with domestic policy surrounding economic opportunity for families. Plus, I am a huge Clinton fan!

3. The Carter Center - Atlanta, GA, due March 1. I'm trying to figure out right now if I can actually apply for this one. The dates for the internship are assuming you are on a semester system and are therefore done with school in May. Since the UO is on the quarter system, I'm trying to see if they will be flexible with the dates for me. I think the Carter Foundation does some pretty amazing work though and it seems to offer a lot of resources for its interns.

4. American Red Cross Presidential Internship Program - Washington, D.C. I'm not sure when the due date for this one is quite yet, but the application and information will be posted by February 15, so I'm assuming it will be due sometime in late April. I would love to go work in D.C. this summer and the American Red Cross is such an incredible organization.

There are some other smaller internships I might apply for as well if I have time, but for now these are my main focuses for the month of February. Here goes round two!

[ 0 Comments ]

Time to Celebrate

Korrin B.

January 30, 2010 - 5:00 PM

For the past month, I have worked meticulously on creating the best possible applications to send off for the Charles G. Koch Summer Fellows Program and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development internship. Although the one with HUD was not due until Monday, I set a goal that I wanted to have both applications (and one scholarship application for the School of Architecture and Allied Arts) done and submitted by 5:00pm on Friday. Well, success is mine!

I had it all in even earlier than that. It felt so good to finally hit that submit button after working so hard on these applications all month. I have been through so many essay and resume drafts. I have learned how to fit my entire life story into a CARC (context, action, results, challenge) statement. I have re-checked my applications 5,000 times to make sure they're flawless before I hit the submit button. Now, I get to wait until I hopefully get to be nervous again about a phone interview.

It's definitely not over. I still have other internships (and scholarships) to apply for. However, I wanted to get everything in by 5:00pm on Friday so that I could finally have a weekend again. It's almost like a beautiful little vacation for me. A few days where I don't have to think about anything school or work related. Relaxation time.

I started my freedom by meeting up with some old coworkers for dinner. I have worked with some amazing people over the years and I am always inspired by all that they are doing. Afterwards, I spent the rest of the night hanging out with other friends. It felt great to once again be a part of the world instead of cooped up in my abode in the hills trying to pick the perfect action verbs.

So, in true relaxed fashion, this blog is going to be short and sweet. I need to zone out while I can.

[ 0 Comments ]

Computer Screen, Oh, Computer Screen

Korrin B.

January 25, 2010 - 1:23 AM

I think that Microsoft Word has officially, permanently burned itself into my retina forever. I close my eyes and it is what I see. I look out to a distant landscape and it is surrounded by one-inch margins. I can only assume that when I finally get to bed tonight, Microsoft Word will be what I dream.

With a combination of scholarships, internships, schoolwork, and my blog job, I don't think I've ever written so much in a three-week period in my entire life. Practically all of today has been spent typing away about varying topics. I must say, practice does indeed make perfect because I happen to think I'm getting pretty good at this whole writing thing. Although, unfortunately, this blog had to come last on my priority list this evening, so I apologize if it becomes rambled and incoherent. I've been on Microsoft Word for a long time now.

Today, I started by rewriting my main essay for the Charles G. Koch Summer Fellows Program that I am applying for. Word limits are hard. After hours of editing, I am still 59 words over the limit. However, the essay is not bad! It is on the significance of the homelessness issue, the problems with the current policies surrounding it, and my policy approach to dealing with it.

Next, I moved on to work on my application for a position with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. For this one, there are five questions that have to be answered in the form of a KSA, or Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. I had to read up on the best way to structure my responses for these questions, as it is a little different for government positions than it is for a scholarship application or other organization. I was able to get one out of the five done. It was on explaining if I had ever written a term paper in school. I managed to write 462 words about how I wrote a research paper.

My third Sunday task was to write a paper for my art history class that analyzed a piece of art from the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art  on campus. I chose to write about Mark Rothko's Landscape (View of Portland). It is a very nice piece and I highly recommend going into the museum to check it out, along with the many other fabulous things in that museum. I love that we have that museum on campus. I go in there sometimes when I just need to escape and relax for a while. Looking at the art puts my mind at peace. Anyway, this paper was a little harder to write than I expected it to be. I realized that I don't have a lot of experience in this type of analytical writing. I'm interested to find out how well I did on it. I like that I'm learning this skill though. I've been doing so much coursework on policy that it's nice to have these art classes for my minor where I get to use a different part of my brain.

Anyway, that brings us up to date, my blog, which I'm writing about writing in. But you already know that because you read it. Goodnight, Microsoft Word, we are done here.

[ 0 Comments ]