The week began with a major scholarship deadline. The Bailey Scholarship is awarded to Arts and Sciences students applying for study abroad programs. Although I had prepared the application prior to that afternoon, I needed to deliver it to the appropriate office on time.

Tuesday was the first Merchandise and Apparel Design Association meeting of the semester. As usual, the speaker provided an abundance of information. Brad Jackson, from Jackson Jewelers in Stillwater was generous enough to speak to us about his career, their business, how they got started, and what to look for in a diamond. The Hearts On Fire diamonds which Jackon's carries, has the world's most perfectly cut diamonds. Now, I will admit that I'm not exactly the most giddy person when it comes to the topic of marriage, but discussing what makes a diamond shine the way it does was pretty neat! Fifty percent of a diamonds value is due to the way it is cut. This becomes important when shopping for a diamond, which may seem easy, but as I found out can be an extensive process. Although, with the CAD (Computer Aided Design) systems available in many jewelry stores, you can see the exact ring you want from all angles before purchasing it. In the short time that we listened to Mr. Jackson speak he also had a chance to tell us many delightful stories he has experienced with couples throughout the years, having been in the jewelry business since he was born. I don't know when I will be in the market for a ring but when I am, Jackson Jewelers seems like a very friendly and helpful environment!

Thursday was a stressful, but exciting day consisting of two tests, two meetings and class in between. Both tests were luckily on the easier side and I had studied earlier in the week, so I wasn't too worried. The OSU Student Foundation Exec. meeting brought more planning and reminders for Cowboy Spirit which is approaching so soon!! I'm really looking forward to this year's battle of the bands! Circle K International followed shortly after, in the Student Union, where we began by discussing upcoming events. We were all looking forward to hosting the District Spring Rally on Saturday! Then we started cutting and tying blankets that we will give to DHS. Here are a couple pics from the meeting.

Saturday morning came with lots of enthusiasm due to all the Circle Ker's who were on their way from different parts of Texas and Oklahoma to meet for the Spring Rally. I love district events with CKI because almost everyone has been a friend from a previous CKI or even a Key Club event! So in a sense these events are an excuse for friends from long distances to get together and perform service projects - what could be better?! We all met at the Renaissance Living Center in Stillwater and decorated the residents' doors for Valentine's Day; they were so happy to see so many smiling faces. Builder's Club also met us there so we had plenty of help ensuring that the doors were wonderfully decorated for the upcoming holiday! After finishing, the CKIer's met at the Student Union and had lunch. An interactive ice breaker got everyone going and really made the afternoon entertaining. Then the business of the day was conducted. Normally, the purpose of Spring Rally is to elect the division's next Lieutenant Governor, but due to predicted weather the Governor of CKI couldn't be present; therefore, the election was postponed to the District Convention. It was a great afternoon of service, leadership, and fellowship nonetheless! Here are a few pictures from Saturday.

CKI & Builder's Club!	The ice breaker at the Student Union

When Sunday arrived I was headed to the library for the duration of the day. Another two tests next week doesn't leave room for much down time. Luckily friends were texting updates on the Super Bowl haha. Congrats Saints!

This week brought good times and challenges, but without the work what are you really achieving? I truly believe more each week that attending Oklahoma State brings opportunities and challenges that help me grow in ways I could do nowhere else!

GO POKES!

Between meetings, Cowboy Spirit preparation, scholarship deadlines, snow days, and Cowboy basketball it was another exciting week at Oklahoma State University!

Tuesday during a break between class, I delivered a Cowboy Spirit t-shirt and tickets to a donor who generously aided in our fundraiser for student scholarships. Then I mailed a scholarship application, and bought large bristol paper for my next art project. I've learned that in order to get everything accomplished, you really have to utilize any spare time wisely. Later that evening, there was a general OSU Student Foundation meeting, with Cowboy Spirit remaining at the top of the agenda! After we broke up into our committees and composed our thank-you notes, we were dismissed with posters in hand, ready to tackle the campus with Cowboy Spirit advertisements.

Wednesday, also during a break between classes, I visited local businesses down Hall of Fame and asked if they would agree to advertise Cowboy Spirit. Most happily obliged and I was on my way to do a little grocery shopping before the impending snow storm. I wasn't alone. Walmart was overflowing with people stocking up in preparation for the worst. I tried to maneuver my way around, get what I needed, and was on my way back to campus for my last class. The concrete had already been salted all over campus; I was really impressed!

As expected, Thursday brought bitter cold air and freezing rain. Luckily I only had to go to math lab in the morning; most of my classes were after the 1 p.m. time that the campus closed. The weather certainly caused cancellations of some sort in most people's schedules. That evening, I was planning on helping with the Rt. 66 Tour event, hosted by the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Special Guest speaker Jullien Gordon was going to discuss “The 66 Things A College Student Must Do Before Graduation.” They're hoping it will be rescheduled in sometime in May. The Thursday night CKI meeting was canceled as well, but it's always better to be safe!

Friday brought snow, snow, and more snow. The snow days and the weekend gave me much-needed time to get ahead on everything and catch up on my sleep! Here are a couple pictures from outside of my dorm.

Although men's basketball wasn't what we hoped for this weekend, they played a great game against Mizzou who have a tough home winning streak. Our Cowgirls, however, had a monumental victory over the No. 8 Aggies at Texas A&M!

 

GO POKES!

As the second week of the semester comes to a close, normalcy has returned and I hit the ground running once again. The spring semester always seems to be more of a challenge between balancing scholarship work and school work and with the summer season rapidly approaching, it can be hard to stay focused. Although still in the beginning of a semester, things are exciting and I look forward to each day in class.

Wednesday was definitely full new experiences, starting with a 4:30am wake up call to wait in line in hopes of receiving a study abroad scholarship. The Provost (SAO) Scholarship application is a first come-first served scholarship opportunity for students who plan to study overseas for short periods, like spring break and summer, or longer periods, like a full semester. I have heard there is a lot of competition for this cycle that includes the summer scholarships. I arrived at the union at 5:10 a.m. and was about 25th in line. As the time slowly passed, more and more students trickled in and the aroma of coffee filled the basement as we all occupied ourselves until 8:00 a.m. rolled around. Then one by one we went into the office, turned in our application and that was it!

Although somewhat drowsy throughout the day, everything went well. I had an adviser’s appointment to discuss a letter of recommendation I had requested and was looking forward to the first AIGA meeting of the semester. When I got out of my drawing lab at 6:20 I conveniently walked up stairs to the AIGA meeting, scheduled for 6:30. I'm very thrilled the meetings are on Wednesday nights this semester; last semester they were on Thursday nights, and I was not able to attend. We started out with a great game that dealt with common labels of products, food, clothing etc., and then discussed all the upcoming events. There are always great opportunities available, like contests to enter and places to go to have your work reviewed. Although I feel I may not be at that point in my degree yet, I think it's great to hear about what's out there. Also, there's a department-wide event coming up, a career weekend in Dallas, Texas, and a resource page for OSU graphic design students to utilize in the works - all very exciting!!

I always say, “there's never a dull day,” and Thursday was no exception! A productive Student Foundation executive meeting centered on Cowboy Spirit started the evening off. It's really getting to the “crunch time” phase with this awesome philanthropic event, and I can't wait until Feb.12th!! There's still a lot to be done, but I think each year we're learning more, working together as a group, and I have no doubt it'll be a successful night!

After that, I rushed to the union to make it to the first Circle K International general meeting of the semester. It was great to see some new faces! We discussed all the upcoming events, informed them that they still had a chance to go to District Convention and played a fun ice breaker. The room was full of laughs that evening as we played a mixture of Catch Phrase, charades and Password. Everyone wrote a person, place and thing on 3 separate sheets of paper; then we split into 2 teams. A person on team 1 drew from all the papers and that team guessed, like in Catch Phrase, as to what they were. When time ran out it was the next person's turn on team 2 and this continued until the papers were gone. The next round all papers went back into the box and the same process was done but with charades and then the 3rd round was similar to Password. Acting out Burns Hargis, Las Vegas and a paper clip got quite entertaining haha.

When Friday finally came around, I decided it would be best if I went home due to the amount of progress I needed to make on scholarships, not to mention homework. It's not that I don't have a conducive work environment here, but I felt if I separated myself from any social possibilities (haha) and really focused on what I needed to get done, I would get the best outcome. I completed 2 scholarships and most of my homework so it was a pretty worthwhile weekend. If it wasn't for Cowboy basketball though, it definitely wouldn't have been an exciting weekend! “How 'bout them Cowboys!” It was a great weekend for Oklahoma State basketball with the boys win over Kansas State at Manhattan and then the girls win over Colorado!! The guys getting a record-setting win at that; first win on the road against a top 10 team since 1958! Now that's impressive. Here are some pics from this weekend!

Photos courtesy of Newsok

GO POKES!

Life was as busy as ever the first week of school, and I happily jumped right into my normal routine at OSU. New classes, fresh faces, and the same incredible Oklahoma State atmosphere made for a great first week of the semester!

Monday was filled with last-minute activities such as purchasing my books at the overflowing Student Union bookstore, getting my insurance ID made for my study-abroad trip, running to the bank and buying all the art supplies needed for my Drawing II lab. Also, I had some important tasks to complete for a couple of the approaching scholarship deadlines.

With Cowboy Spirit just around the corner, Tuesday brought a special OSU Student Foundation Exec. meeting and the general meeting that followed. There are so many exciting projects going on right now with STUFU and the Foundation; I’m very grateful to be a part of such a truly philanthropic organization. We were fortunate to have Becky Endicott, the senior director of marketing and communications, and Jonathan McCoy, the assistant director of marketing and communications, of the Foundation speak at meeting that evening. The news that they delivered to us about the upcoming campaign launch on Feb. 26 was so incredibly compelling I could barely contain my excitement. Experiences I’m sure witnessing or hopefully being involved in this monumental campaign will bring prove to me why OSU is such a unique university. I’m so lucky to be afforded the opportunities to participate in such life-changing events.

Thursday was definitely full of excitement as well, with the reception for Benjamin Harjo Jr. in the Gardiner Art Gallery. If you haven’t had a chance to see his incredible pieces displayed on the first level of the Bartlett Center, I would highly recommend it! Every piece is so wonderfully mesmerizing and unique, yet somehow cohesive with the next. I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Harjo and share my appreciation of his talents. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to attend the lecture due to a conflicting meeting, but I was happy to mix and mingle with his supporters. Here is a picture from the event.

After the reception, I went to a CKI exec. meeting, which will be our last meeting that is formatted in this way. This semester we have decided that for member recruitment purposes, it might be more effective to have slightly shorter meetings every Thursday, instead of only on alternating Thursdays. We will have an exec. meeting following each general meeting. We’re hoping that this gets members more involved! We also discussed many upcoming events, such as Fall Rally, which we were chosen to host here in Stillwater and the annual District Convention that is quickly approaching.

 

Friday arrived and it seemed like it had been almost two weeks, haha. Needless to say, despite my awesome week, I was ready for the weekend. It was a great one; I got to see some friends that came from Texas who hadn't been to Stillwater before. Let's just say, when it comes to talking about OSU and Stillwater they came to the right person! Haha. We went to “Joe’s” the first night and I think they really enjoyed the rest of their time here. Since this weekend is longer than most, I’ll have a chance to get ahead on a little homework and make sure I get plenty of rest for the upcoming week - a very rare occurrence!!

 

Go Pokes!

This winter break, although different than usual, was just as enjoyable and seemed to fly by as quickly as most. The highlight for me was definitely working, which kept me occupied from the beginning to the end of the four weeks. Fortunately, due to the holidays, I got to spend a couple long weekends with my family!

As mentioned previously, I feel extremely fortunate to have been hired on at Uptown Marketplace in Weatherford for the duration of Christmas break. It was a great learning experience and honestly just a lot of fun! The people that I had the pleasure of working with were wonderful and so welcoming. Also, growing up in Weatherford, it was nice to see many familiar faces that frequented the store. As a college student, money is always helpful; however, it was particularly pertinent that I obtain a job over the break in order to help finance my upcoming study-abroad trip in May. I am applying for scholarships to assist in funding as well, but the recipients are not informed until after full commitment to the program has already been made.

On the subject of scholarships, numerous deadlines are rapidly approaching and preparation for most of them is not easy. So I spent as much time as I could when not wrapped up in holiday festivities trying to organize the needed information for the respective scholarships.

In addition, I had a couple opportunities to work at catered Christmas parties. These are always fun for me because I love interacting with people. Also, it's a pleasure because many of the guests are familiar faces! 

FAMILY: what I think the holidays are all about! My family definitely makes every holiday more wonderful than the last. This year was certainly no exception - minus a little deterrence due to the weather that covered the state of Oklahoma. A majority of my family still arrived to celebrate Christmas at my grandparents, but my uncle was unable to make the trip from St. Louis due to the hazardous conditions. We’d much rather have our family safe, but it wasn’t the same without him there. Luckily, he arrived the next weekend and we had a great time. Also, it was very nice to spend time with my brother over the holidays! Especially since he didn’t make it home over Thanksgiving this year, the 10 days that he was here were a blast. Although we still have sibling rivalry in all the games that we play, haha, it’s all in good fun! He had so many stories about his life in California; I want to visit him! It was a white Christmas and Happy New Year for me in Weatherford.

A couple things Santa brought me...I think he likes OSU too! haha.

Cowboy football season came to an end in a well-earned, respected bowl game. Although the outcome wasn’t favorable, the successful season gave all OSU fans high hopes for the future. No matter the circumstances, Oklahoma State fans are ever-present, exemplifying orange power!

Photo courtesy of Newsok

Although the breaks never seem quite long enough, I am always ready to return “home” and become immersed once again in the life that I am so passionate about: the life of an Oklahoma State Cowboy. Just pondering my opportunity-filled future remaining at this prestigious university, motivation kicks in to press on into another promising semester!

Go Pokes!

December 14, 2009

The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.  - George Eliot.



Finals week had arrived at Oklahoma State University this time last week. Long hours of studying, little sleep, and stress accompany this period of exams each semester. Some semesters are better than others, this semester, however, might have posed the hardest finals schedule I have yet encountered. Mainly due to the days the tests were scheduled, last week was quite stressful for me. When all was said and done though, everything went well. When I completed my finals on Thursday, I felt like the world had been lifted off of my shoulders!

Wednesday served as a much needed break point in between the beginning portion of my finals and my remaining one on Thursday. I was extremely honored to be invited to a lunch at Mike and Anne Greenwood's home. Anne had prepared a wonderful afternoon for a few guests that were fortunate enough to view her extraordinary Christmas decorations! With the numerous beautiful and meaningful Christmas trees, and warm wassail, I don't know who wouldn't feel right at home It was a very pleasant afternoon and I was so grateful that I was able to enjoy it with such wonderful people!

The rest of the day, continuing into the night was spent studying for my remaining final - Art History. I was so relieved to be finished on Thursday. Although I was a bit on the tired side I was happy to fulfill a commitment that evening that I had made a few weeks prior. A friend had asked if I would help cater an event in Oklahoma City on Thursday evening. I knew I would be done with finals, and a little extra money is always needed; it turned out to be fun, I'm glad I had that opportunity! We left at 4pm and returned to Stillwater at 11pm - I definitely slept well that night!

I had been looking forward to Friday all week because my good friend from Texas A&M was coming to spend the weekend with me! We've known each other for a long time so it's always great to reminisce over old times and make new ones! Saturday night, we spent in Bricktown with another friend and I left from there to go back to Weatherford!

Seeing my family and my puppy is always wonderful, but this break I have something else to look forward to! I was fortunate enough to get a job for the length of Christmas break, which I wasn't sure was possible. Some may not find that appealing, but I'm always looking for a change of pace or something new and challenging! I'm working at a local home décor shop in Weatherford, I start the 14th, so I'm not quite sure what my duties will entail but I'm really looking forward to the job! I found out for the first time last Christmas break that a month is a very long time to not have a steady schedule and I enjoy staying busy. So I'll be sure to update on how it goes, I'm sure it will be great.

Another sensational semester at OSU has come to an end. It seems like just yesterday I was composing my first blog!

December 7, 2009

Well, where to begin with this past week? I definitely don’t understand why it’s known as “dead week.” I’m quite sure it’s one of the busiest weeks I’ve had in awhile, haha. Keeping the end in mind, knowing that this was the last leg of the race, of this semester anyway, I kept my motivation high. Although I would’ve liked to accomplish a little more on the studying side, it was an overall productive week!

Tuesday evening was the last Merchandise and Apparel Design Association meeting of the semester at the Beadery, downtown. These meetings are always a lot of fun because it gives the members a chance to socialize and browse around a really great boutique. Not to mention, the owner generously offers a discount to all members who attend! After catching up with a few people I had to meet with my 3D Foundations group to finish our final project. Needless to say, we didn’t leave the Visual Art Annex until the middle of the night. The project counted as our final though, and we were very pleased with the outcome.

After a full day of classes on Thursday, I changed into my tacky Christmas sweater and reindeer antler headband and made my way to the OSU Student Foundation Christmas tree decorating party! Tables were set up for the Adopt-a-Family gifts that members had signed up to bring, dozens of orange and black ornaments and presents, and another that was full of food Christmas cheer was definitely in the atmosphere! The Greenwoods, who are such avid supporters of STUFU, generously donated a new Christmas tree to the Foundation last year and they are always there to help decorate it as well! Here are a few pictures from the party.

It’s hard to believe that the semester has come to a close, but I’m more than ready! Finals and Christmas break, here I come!

GO POKES!

November 30, 2009

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year; I love spending time with family, and the large amounts of delicious food certainly doesn't hurt I had only been home once since summer, so Tuesday couldn't come soon enough!

Monday, my Nutrition test that I had been worried about for weeks prior was finally out of the way! A final paper for that class was also due. So after my classes on Tuesday, I packed and was on the road, headed home!

I was greeted with open arms, a super excited dog, and a home cooked meal! I honestly think I forgot what real food tasted like, haha. My grandma spoils me so much with her wonderful cooking. This Thanksgiving happened to be quieter than most years, with 5 of the family members whom are normally a part of the festivities unable to make it to Weatherford. The amount of food seemed to be the same, however, which meant a lot of leftovers!! You can't beat a turkey sandwich on a homemade roll. Saturday morning, I went over to my grandparents house to help put up her beautiful Christmas tree that has about 11 layers of branches, but the finished product is aways worth it! Here is a picture of our amazing Thanksgiving feast and of the Christmas tree - without the ornaments.

And this doesn't include dessert!

As we were finishing up the tree, the Bedlam game was about to begin!! I will say that my hopes were very high for this year’s rival match-up. Obviously the outcome was far from what many of us expected, but I don't feel that that changes anything about the successful season the Cowboys have achieved. One thing that did surprise me was all of the extreme comments about the game from the Oklahoma State fans in regard to how our team performed. I feel that a true fan is proud of their team - win or lose. Personally, I am thankful to the coaching staff for all they have done this season and to the players for their hard work when faced with adversity and injured teammates. Regardless of their Win-Loss record as a football team, I will always cheer them on as a proud Oklahoma State Cowboy.

Cotton Bowl here we come!

Here's an action shot from the game!

Photo courtesy of Newsok

GO POKES!

November 23, 2009

Those words seemed to replay over and over in my thoughts and were reflected in my actions throughout this entire week. I have enjoyed my nutrition course, and have truly learned a lot; however, to be honest, I feel like I'm majoring in nutrition this semester, haha. The last test is this upcoming Monday and I have been attempting to study as much as possible throughout the week. Although, I had to take my focus off of nutrition in the middle of the week to prepare for my Art History test that was Thursday. My involvement in activities continued as normal, which although filling my schedule, always keeps me going!

Tuesday there was an OSU Student Foundation general meeting, scheduled on an alternate week due to Thanksgiving break. Cowboy Spirit, which will be February 12, is definitely fast approaching! There is so much involved in planning this event, but I'm so thankful to be a part of a group that truly has been working together toward raising funds to support students’ futures! The OSU Foundation itself has been so helpful as well. I don't know how the marketing/design team produces all that we may need on top of their other duties. I am sure this exciting battle of the bands will be here before we know it; it's a night you won't want to miss!

Due to the Thursday night game, my Circle K International executive meeting was on Wednesday night. We are also planning numerous upcoming events which include decorating for Christmas at a nursing home and ringing bells for the Salvation Army. Our major district event of the year, CKI District Convention, is the last weekend in February. It happens to be in San Marcos, Texas, this year, which unfortunately isn't exactly in economic driving distance from Stillwater. We're trying to figure out flight prices, etc. Luckily with club funds and an extremely supportive Kiwanis club, the price for the members attending should be significantly lower than the actual cost.

Thursday, the Cowboys faced Colorado in a very exciting game! It was a little “too close for comfort” for me, haha, but with the teamwork and leadership that are present on our team, OSU came through victorious! The adversity that the Cowboys have overcome this year is truly incredible! I'm so proud to be a student at Oklahoma State and to cheer on the team every week! Here's a pic of the Cowboys in their special black uniforms from the CO game.



OSU Student Foundation twice in one week?! “Yes please.” Also due to the game, our Thursday evening executive meeting was moved to Friday afternoon....in the Murphy House!! It was the first time that the exec team had gotten a chance to see the newly renovated space across from the Foundation! The board room was perfect for our meeting and we continued planning and preparation for Cowboy Spirit, as well as upcoming Christmas themed events!

On Saturday morning, Kiwanis was hosting a Flapjack breakfast at Applebee's that I was more than happy to attend. Kiwanis, as mentioned so frequently, supports our CKI chapter in so many ways! So we try to help in any way that we can to express our gratitude! It was a great morning, the Kiwanians are always so extremely sweet and cheerful . The pancakes were delicious too! Here's a picture from the event!



After the breakfast that morning, I planned on visiting the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee to obtain my last two possible extra credit points for Art History. Unfortunately, when analyzing how much studying and drawing I had to accomplish that day and the next, I felt like I couldn't afford that time commitment. So the remainder of the weekend consisted of lots of studying...and daydreaming about turkey

GO POKES!

	Dennis Rudasill, last year's Scholar Blogger, excited about contacting donors!

This was a pretty crazy week as far as school goes. My six-week Drawing I portfolio was due, I had a Philosophy test, and a six-page paper for Art History, but adequate sleep or not, haha, everything seems to work out in the end.

Thursday, Circle K International was fortunate to have Detective Kyle Bruce from the Stillwater Police Department as the guest speaker at our meeting. He discussed his job and many other important situations that involve college students and the police. Detective Bruce is a part of the Special Projects Investigation Team, or SPIT. His discussion was very informative and down to earth. Here's a pic from the meeting.



When the weekend finally rolled around, and people were filing into Stillwater for the Texas Tech game, it was time for one of my very favorite events. The President's Club Event is one of the few times that OSU has the opportunity to thank such a large number of donors at once. Eleven hundred donors RSVP'd to this year’s event! I am so thankful that I was given the chance to interact with so many kind-hearted people that truly love OSU. Participating in events similar to this one through STUFU honestly makes me so proud to be a Cowboy; I can't wait until I can give back too! Being in a room as large as this, one completely overflowing with orange pride, is really awesome, and I'm glad I got to be a small part of that. Kirk Jewell, the president and CEO of the OSU Foundation, and Burns Hargis, our university's president, delivered inspirational words that made the Cowboy spirit in the room grow even more! Here are a couple pictures from the President's Club event.

Getting everything set up for the event!	STUFU members anxiously awaiting the donors’ arrival.

After this event, everyone was pumped up to go watch the Cowboys play Texas Tech. As always, Boone Pickens Stadium was packed and we cheered our team on to victory! That definitely wrapped up another great week at Oklahoma State University!

Go Pokes!