The Calm Before the Storm, Plus a Storm

For some students, the week before final exams, known as Dead Week, actually does feel dead. For others, it comes with a slew of group project deadlines, oral presentations, and general anxiety and panic. I was lucky enough to experience the former. My only project was due Monday, and we had been given the whole previous week in class to work on it. It caused me zero stress, and it was great practice for the final exam. Essentially, I killed two birds with one stone. I pursued two grades at the same time (the project and the final), and probably won’t have to put in more than an hour to round out my study time for the final! In case you were wondering, this class is MGMT 231, Business Research Methods. Its only prerequisite is STAT 216, which is seems like every undergraduate at MSU is required to take. So even if you aren’t a business major, you can take this class with minimal schedule shuffling. I was not a fan of statistics, but after taking this class, I am! And if you are a business major, take this class in lieu of STAT 217. You learn so much more, and have 500% more fun in the process. Because of all the free time I’ve had this week, I’ve been able to reflect a little bit on my semester. However, I had anticipated that this free time would be spent outside on the grass, soaking up the sun.

However, these plans feel apart Friday afternoon. I had spent the week enjoying the high 70s and then woke up Friday mornings to inches of snow on the ground, and worse, found that is was sticking to the road! Really, another winter storm? Repulsed by this influx of cold, I decided to boycott winter in late April and wear shorts and Chacos to class. I was happy to find that I was not alone; other students had dressed for summer in protest of the weather.

So Bozeman, this is not a request: Give us back our summer. Don’t give us a repeat of last year. We don’t want slush the day before the semester ends.

Return the warmth to us. Thank you.

Summer Came Early!

 

This past week has been fantastic! Temperatures have been climbing, starting in the mid 60’s and finishing today at 76! It’s been super hard to devote time to schoolwork when the weather is this awesome and the sun draws your attention out the window during classes. The dead brown landscape is emerald green, and the precipitation has been all rain and no snow! While I’m not quite grilling corn on the cob, here is a laundry list of stuff I’ve been able to accomplish due to the early summer rays.

• Resurrect the Chaco tan

• Ride my bike in a t-shirt without getting cold

• See the ducks wander really far away from the pond
• Sit in the grass on campus without fear of a wet butt
• Drink smoothies in class without feeling weird
• Slackline
• Play Frisbee in the street
• Smell the flowers
• Feel happy about living in a cold basement
• No homework
• Have a fire in the backyard
• Read in minimal clothing in the backyard without getting goose bumps
• Drink iced coffee instead of hot coffee
• Devote 30 minutes a day to thinking about swimming in the ocean
• Hike on dirt instead of ice
• Rocking a fine sheen of sweat
• Buying cheap strawberries at Safeway
• Being able to see street  signs at 9PM
• Rock a different pair of sunglasses everyday
• Use solar powered gadgets
• Getting free food from clubs on campus that are having their meetings outdoors
• Ditch the vitamin D supplement
• Never wear socks
• Never wear pants
• Love on Bozeman!

What are you doing with the heat wave that is sweeping the nation?

Cowboy Up…and down

Spring is in the air, and so is the smell of cows. This means one thing in Bozeman, MSU Spring Rodeo. The rodeo is an all weekend event, with championship performances in the evenings and free slack in the mornings. People come from all over Montana to attend, and subsequently, every hotel parking lot, and every campus parking lot, is overrun by pickup trucks and trailers. It really is quite a sight to see. If you’ve never been to a rodeo before, here is the rundown:

The Crowd: A mix of young and old, plaid-clad and not, and a perpetual sea of cowboy hats and boots, both weather-worn and for-show-only. By the end of the night, the ends of the spectrum begin to nod off. In front of me on Saturday night around 10:00PM, four kids and an old man had fallen asleep.

The Events: We’ve got saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, tie down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and goat tying. On top of all that, you get a banter loving rodeo announcer, talented pickup men, and an annoying but well intentioned rodeo clown complete with Nerf football and suspenders! What’s not to love?

My one complaint about rodeo is the fact that all the participants wear cowboy hats. Now I know it’s part of the outfit, but I feel that it’s hard to form an emotional connection to an athlete of any kind if I can’t see their face. It’s just like football; everyone is dressed the same, and are distinguishable only by name and number. Rodeo team members get even less. They are all wearing the same things and have neither a name on their vest, nor a number. The best you can do is flip through the program all night and try to identity who exactly is in the arena before they leave. Okay, I’m done.

Also, congratulations to our MSU lady bobcats who brought home the national title!!!

All in all, the MSU Spring Rodeo is pretty rad. Something you should definitely not miss!

When Weekend Plans Go Awry…

At Montana State University, the weekend that Easter falls on is always a 3-day weekend; we get Friday (which just happens to be Good Friday) off under the guise of ‘University Day.’ However, no one is complaining because who doesn’t want fewer days of class?

As any normal college student would, I consented to spending an exciting day in Livingston, MT, touring the towns museums and art galleries. The drive time (which usually takes about 20 minutes) was increased by the onset of heavy snow flurries and parade of slow moving semis.

The agenda was to first hit up the Yellowstone Gateway Museum of Park County to educate ourselves about the rich history of Livingston as well as that of Yellowstone National Park, just a short drive to the south. Next, we would go to the Livingston Depot Center to satiate our desire for all things train-related. Much to our chagrin, both museums were closed. Whether this is because of the season or because it was Good Friday, this much is certain: Emmy and I were going to be deprived of history for the time being.

While the snow continued to fall, we drove around the 6 blocks that is downtown Livingston, searching for entertainment and/or food. As I usually do, I suggested that we look for an awesome thrift store to peruse. We found a gem in the east part of town, Bob n’ Lu’s Second Hand. After an hour, both Emmy and I walked away with a plethora of treasures. For $10, I scored a couple funny political buttons for my backpack, a sticker about saving whales, two books, and an old Neil Diamond vinyl.

We topped off the day back in Bozeman by first petting the ponies behind the high rise dorms, before retreating to my basement for gummy worms, old episodes of Saturday Night Life, and Dustin Hoffman movies. Oh yea. What an awesome start to my last three day weekend!

 

Life of an Intern

I work for Outside Bozeman, the magazine publication portion of a company called Outside Median Group, which brings such things as the MSU Pocket Guide, and the Outside Bozeman calendar.

In the fall, an email notice from the College of Business informed me that Outside Bozeman was looking for interns in a few departments, and one of them was sales. Although I’m no marketing major by any means, business experience was business experience, something I had very little of. After a short email courtship, I was offered an interview downtown, and subsequently a position.

Now I knew the internship was unpaid (as many are), but I didn’t mind. This is something I suggest you do too: don’t mind. If you are looking for experience in your field, an internship is a great place to start. It’s a learning experience, and a chance to look at a potential career field (or may not) and ask yourself, is this something I like? Class work for your major and practical application of those skills in the real world is drastically different. I knew I wanted to go into business in theory, but I wanted to know if it was something I wanted to pursue in actuality.

As it happens, I love my internship, and this spring, when I was offered the opportunity to take on some accounting/bookkeeping tasks and responsibilities, I jumped at the chance. Good things come to those to wait. And apply for jobs. And send follow up emails.

Some people may think that being an intern is like bring a free laborer, but it’s not really true. Companies make an investment in you, by using time and resources to make you a productive part of their team. If you can’t do your job well, then they have to clean up your mess. You want you to do well, and they want you to do well. They also want you to stick around long enough for them to get a return on their human capital investment. In the case of Outside Bozeman, because we do trade with so many of our advertisers sometimes Boss man Mike doles out some goodies from the trade treasure chest. Tuesday was one of those days. I got an hour massage and $75 to a couple of boutiques downtown.

If you get a chance to intern in a field that interests you, go for it.

(Check out Outside Bozeman here!) The magazine is free and available at tons of businesses around town. Or take a look at the digital edition on the webpage!

Scavenger Hunt

There are few things in this world that college students like more than scavenger hunts and free food. Fortunately for us, La Parilla brings the two together on a monthly basis. Here is the deal: La Parilla posts a list of ten tasks to complete during the month. You make sure you do all of them and get photo documentation. Then you bring your proof into La Parilla to win free burritos for a month! Now these tasks are not for the faint of heart. The way to go about it is to make a game plan. First day of the month, print off the list. Decide how many tasks require weekends to complete and which you can get done during the week, working around homework and such. Then, make it happen. Free burritos cannot be beat. All your friends will be jealous. Here is a March’s list.

1. Bring the La Parilla crew some Irish Car Bombs.

2. Dress as a leprechaun and do your best Irish jig in front of 317.

3. Bring Lucas a 5 dollar gas card or cash and write him a love sonnet.

4. Spend at least an hour volunteering at Heart of the Valley animal shelter.

5. Go sledding in the nude at Peet’s Hill.

6. Perform a ribbon dance in a leotard crossing Main Street.

7. Post a video of you singing your favorite Whitney Houston song on our Facebook page.

8. Eat at Bow River Burgers in traditional Irish Garb.

9. Shave a clover into a friends back or chest (must be huge).

10. Take a shower with ten friends at the same time (nudity optional but as always highly recommended).

I have decided to take on the La Parilla challenge this coming August in order to secure free burritos for the first month of school. If you think you have what it takes to secure a free lunch (no matter what your grandpa tells you, there is such a thing), then pick a month and get going!

A Cinematic Experience

As a prospective student, visiting Montana State University during the winter months (as many do) can be a very one-sided experience. Contrary to popular belief, Montana does warm up eventually. My friends and I like to reminisce about warmer times under the Big Sky by picking one of the many movies filmed in Montana. They are of course filled with wonderful scenes of sparkling rivers, green pastures, and rocky mountainsides all warmed by bright dawns, the midday heat, and fiery evening sunsets. Of course the winter snows are featured as well. So I suppose that if you are considering MSU, but can’t come out to visit for whatever reason, watching films full of Montana’s beauty will make you feel like you are really here. I have compiled a list of some of the most popular movies filmed in Montana. Enjoy.

1. A River Runs Through It
2. Broken Arrow
3. What Dreams May Come
4. The Untouchables
5. My Sister’s Keeper
6. The River Wild
7. Forrest Gump
8. The Horse Whisperer
9. Hidalgo
10. Far and Away

All the A-listers want to pretend as though they live where we live! These films star names such as John Travola, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Viggo Mortensen, Robert Redford, Cameron Diaz, Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Costner, Robery DeNiro, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Robin Williams.

Although it was not actually filmed in Montana, the drama is set here. It’s one of my favorites, Legends of the Fall, starring none other than the irreplaceable Brad Pitt as Tristan Ludlow, and the incomparable Anthony Hopkins as Colonel Ludlow. It must be added to the list.

 

 

 

Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Summer

Friday, March 9, 2012 was the best kickoff to Spring Break I’ve experience in a while. To start with, because I’d had three tests during that week, I didn’t have class for those three classes on Friday. That left me with two classes to attend. I thought about going to campus long and hard for about a second and then decided Friday would be a class-less experience. The sun was shining when I woke up and the temperature was in the low 50’s. Alissa and I decided that breakfast at Nova was in order. Praise be to the forces of the breakfast world, there was no wait! (You should plan your classes to start late-morning at least one day of the week so you always have the option to hit up Nova for breakfast.) After our leisurely morning meal and chat, we stroll out of Nova just shy of three hours later into a balmy bliss. Bozeman you really outdid yourself.

High noon brought dazzling bright sunshine and 69 degrees. Consider this a major weather mood swing. The Tuesday prior had brought 20 degree weather and a snow storm. We were literally giddy with excitement. Alissa spend some quality time with the dogs while I speed-packed for break. Then we threw on shorts and sandals and hit the streets for some Frisbee action. (I am embarrassed to say that the next day my shoulder was sore.)

That Friday felt like the Friday at the end of finals week and not the end of midterms. It was sunny, and I was packing up my suitcase. It really could have been May. I know that ski enthusiasts have been unhappy with the mild winter and thus the lack of snow. I say, change gears friends! Instead of mourning winter, eagerly anticipate the coming of spring and summer! Gosh it feels great to have the sun on your toes.

 

You better believe I just spent an entire blog talking about the weather. It was glorious.

Shadow an Engineer

Information provided by Alissa Bleem. Summarized by Katie Chamberlin.

What is Shadow an Engineer day?

The College of Engineering puts this event on once a year (although they should probably invest in it more often) to inform high school students about the engineering programs MSU has to offer. Touring high school students get to witness engineering student in their natural environment, attend engineering classes and tours the facilities.

Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society on campus and the Society of Women Engineers help organize the event and provide volunteer tour guides. Students from all over Montana, and sometimes from beyond, trek to Bozeman to check out what the COE has to offer them.

Volunteers from all the engineering concentrations are available so high school students can shadow a student in their intended concentration if they wish. Or, they can be randomly assigned and get to see a concentration that they wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to. The laboratory tours are often the highlight of the day, especially for students who have an interest in scientific research, either as an undergraduate or as a graduate student. Labs opened to tours this year included the bio-chemical lab, the high temperature corrosion lab, and the snow science lab.

The most useful or perhaps the most unique aspect of Shadow an Engineer is the student-to-student interaction. This event is not about getting talked at my professors or administrative staff or admissions officers. You get a day to day look and the program you are considering and get a student all to yourself for the duration of the school day. They will be happy to sit with you and answer all your questions. They love engineering too. Talk mass transfer, statics and dynamics, circuits, fluids, materials, or senior design. Get psyched.

Alissa’s advice: If you are going to be an engineer, congratulations. Your journey will be long and your time will be eaten by school. But you will love it. And if you don’t love it, at least it will grow on you. Remember: there are lots of engineering stereotypes. Mix it up a little and add something new to the list.

Bio of an engineer:

Behold Alissa Bleem. A native of Fort Collins, CO, AB is a second year student in the College of Engineering. She is a Chemical Engineering major, and works in the Center for Biofilm Engineering on campus as an undergraduate research assistant. While she does not have her own desk yet, she aspires to someday have her lab cubby back. Alissa is a 5’4” curly-headed Italian with green eyes who enjoys candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach. Her hobbies include mind-numbing mathematics, drinking coffee and trail running until she pukes. When not in class or the lab, Alissa can be found hunched over textbooks with her fellow engineering cohorts in the Strand Union Building, furiously scribbling down equations and cleaning drool spots off her homework.  While the proud owner of a humidifier, Alissa likes nothing more than to discuss de-humidifying air into the wee hours of the night.

Tunnel of Oppression

It always feels good to see a project through start to finish. After weeks of sending executive board members to planning meetings and designing visuals and concepts, Sustained Dialogue’s involvement in Tunnel of Oppression is finally a reality! Sustained Dialogue is the student organization that takes up most of my time and love. Our aim is to promote and educate people about the importance of inclusive communities, and how these can be constructed and sustained through dialogue.

A little background on Tunnel of Oppression (with permission from Ms. Phenocia Bauerle): Tunnel of Oppression is an interactive event that highlights contemporary issues of oppression. It is designed to introduce participants to the concepts of oppression, privilege, and power. Participants are guided through a series of scenes or exhibits that aim to educate and challenge them to think more deeply about issues of oppression. At the end of the tour, participants are provided with the opportunity to discuss their experiences with each other. Facilitators help participants reflect on their experiences and put their newfound knowledge to use in their everyday lives.

Sustained Dialogue’s room is a representation of the oppression surrounding identity. Along with advertisement and information about our semi-annual De-Stereotype Me Day (happening this week as well), we have created an environment that allows people to understand the ways in which they judge other people’s identities and the ways that others judge theirs. On the walls are photos of random MSU students and questions such as “What do you think this student is majoring in?” “Do you think this student is a first-generation college student?” “Do you think this student comes from a wealthy background?” etc. Paper covers a table in the middle of the room with markers with which people can write down their initial reactions based on the images. On another wall are images of the memes that have littered facebook, twitter and Pinterest this semester. They show generalizations and cultural perceptions for groups like ‘writers,’ ‘science students,’ ‘yogis,’ ‘vegetarians,’ ‘Republicans,’ and ‘Mexicans.’ Mirrors are propped up around the entire display to remind participants how they see themselves and how others see them.

Other groups involved include American Indian Council, Baha’i Campus Club, Counseling and Psychological Services, Diversity Awareness Office, Family and Graduate Housing, Interhall RHA., NECO, Queer-Straight Alliance, Residence Life – Diversity and Social Justice Committee, Students Against Sexual Assault, Students for Choice, Students for Life, Students in spring Sculpture classes, The VOICE Center, and The Women’s Center.

Take the tour! Come to Tunnel of Oppression!