Who Are You?

This particular Christmas holiday has me doing some soul searching. My mother underwent major surgery and for the first time in almost two years, I'm staying in my hometown the entire break with no fancy vacation planned.


And that really got me thinking about all the opportunities I have when I'm at Tulane. I can definitely say that I'm not the same person I was when I left Friendswood for Tulane exactly two Christmases ago-- I think I've grown up.


At Tulane I've gotten to find out who I am without any pressure to be a certain way. When I was in high school, being a liberal arts major for example was highly frowned upon for the "bright" students. Yet now I find English as my passion and certainly my favorite major. When I was in high school, there were only a certain number of organizations I could join. Even at the University of Texas in the Indian Association I was one of a thousand students and had no significant role. But at Tulane I got to dance on stage, help plan functions, and be as involved as I wanted. Finally, in high school I made friends with people with very different personalities and backgrounds but none similar to my own. At Tulane I've found friends with whom I have cultural, religious, personality, ideals, and value similarities. I've even found a guy who meets both mine and the people close to me's criteria of a good match--he's Indian and Hindu and laid back in contrast to my go-getter attitude.

So now that I'm back here I'm thinking . . . . I've really found out who I am at Tulane because of all the people I've met, clubs I've joined, and classes I've taken. Tulane offers such a diversity of options that every single person can find his or her niche here.


So for those of you still applying over Winter Break please think about it . . . . who are you? And if you don't yet know, which is totally normal, then come to Tulane and find out!


This is me and one of my best friends representin'- I so would have never pulled this off in high school!

Hornets Game

So last weekend I was fortunate enough to attend a New Orleans Hornets game. A friend of mine won tickets when we were out to eat at a famous restaurant where the Honeybees, the Hornets dance team, was signing autographs. The seats weren't great but the experience certainly made up for it.















There is so much tradition associated with every event here in New Orleans-- Mardi Gras, jazz, the streetcar, and even sporting events. At the Hornets game, the tradition was to stand until our team made its first basket. Even if this meant standing for five or six minutes all of the fans all the way up into the third tier of stands were on their feet. Additionally, the Star Spangled Banner wasn't sung like everywhere else- it was played on a saxophone, truly representing the city. I didn't realize a basketball game could instill such New Orleans pride in me but by the end of the game I found myself screaming and cheering like everyone else.

The game was a close one as the Hornets were against the Dallas Mavericks, a team with a very strong season so far. The odds were against the Hornets but a few moments of truly impressive playing and the rallying of the fans pulled New Orleans through. At the very end of the fourth quarter with 5 seconds left, New Orleans tied the score when one of the players sank a 3 pointer from nearly the sidelines. The game went into an exciting overtime in which the Hornets really scored, making them the ultimately winning team. When the colorful confetti and balloons poured from the ceiling of the New Orleans Arena the cheers were deafening and it seemed like the entire city was celebrating the incredible win.

The last time I'd been to a basketball game before that was a Comets WNBA game with my father. We had gotten box seats and I was about 12 years old. I was excited about the food and paid no attention to the game whatsoever. Eight years later, I can honestly profess that I enjoyed watching basketball and the Hornets game was an experience that I would certainly repeat!





Only in New Orleans . . . .

An RA Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was the first I've ever spent away from my home and family. Part of the job of Resident Advisor requires half of us to remain on campus for Thanksgiving and Mardi Gras while the other half stays for Spring and Easter Break. I chose Thanksgiving, thinking I could go back to Russia with the longer springtime break and hence, I'm here.

I thought at first that my Thanksgiving was going to be very lonely. I was worried that without my friends here, I'd really have no place to go. I was invited to friends' houses off campus but because of desk shifts and duty, it was much more convenient to just stay on campus. As part of our programming duties, some of the RAs had decided to have a dinner for ourselves and all of our residents that were staying for the week and we would each contribute a different dish.

I didn't really understand how much time this would take until we actually started shopping and cooking. Three Winn Dixie and one Walmart trip and four hours later, I realized how long I'd spent with my fellow RAs and how much I had enjoyed their company. We spent so much time giggling and laughing over little things as we prepared for our feast.

We ended up having an awesome day together. The guys you see in the pictures- David, an RA in upperclassmen Aron Apartments, Corrina, an RA in Modular Housing, Jenny, also an RA in Aron, and I spent time on Thanksgiving cooking, going to a Housing and Res Life party, and finally, just hanging out.

We ended the night at Corrina's place, where she made us excellent soy milk chocolate espressos. We spent hours chatting, sharing pictures of our families, and discussing books we all wanted to read and borrow from Corrina, an English major with a diverse collection of literature. After that David had a shift at the desk and we all trooped in after him to watch a movie, even though the desk might not have the same comforts as someone's room. The point was we were a band for this one day and we all flowed wherever one of our members wanted to go.

George Burns once said, "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city."

All I can say is it was a happy Thanksgiving for me after all.

Exams Week

So this week is MIDTERMS WEEK!!!

Beware incoming freshmen . . . the middle of the semester suddenly creeps up on you while you’re still stuck in “summer mode” and then you’re sitting at your laptop typing notes for a class you skipped all semester long thinking the midterm was far away. There was always a reasonable excuse . . you weren’t feeling that well one day . . . you had a paper due another day . . . you thought you’d go in early to work . . . your friend just got dumped and needed a shoulder . . . . you had to take care of dropping a class . . . . you had to meet with your advisor . . . . this is college, the excuses are creative and endless. It’s very easy to convince yourself not to go to class and then you end up with about half the material you need to know in your notes and the other half in the notes of other people who DID go to class on those days.

Luckily for you, you have good friends and sorority sisters who are there when you need them . . to give you all those notes from all those lectures you missed.
And now, you have exactly two days to learn everything you need to know.

Welcome to college, ladies and gentlemen, because the all-nighter, the cramming, the borrowing notes, the energy drinks to keep you up, and the general lack of sleep pretty much describes it! =)

I promise you guys will hear more from me as soon as my midterms are over!

Sex Signals

So last week my Office of Multicultural Affairs little sister and I attended a presentation entitled Sex Signals- a funny show on college dating. Many others had the same idea- our University Center was PACKED with people wanting to see this show. It was put on by the Newcomb Institute, which is dedicated to furthering women’s education at this school.

The show was HILARIOUS. It asked for a lot of audience participation in terms of pick up lines to start scenes and defining stereotypes. For example, the beginning scene was a guy hitting on a girl at a party. Someone in the audience came up with the winning line, “Are those space pants? Coz baby your ass is out of this world . . .” And the scene proceeded from there. The next scene worked in the stereotypes that often define these interactions, with the women expected to be docile and sweet and the men expected to be macho and tough. Somehow these presenters managed to capture the awkwardness of trying to impress someone of the opposite sex in an intense situation like that and every single person in the audience understood!

But then the show took a more serious turn and started addressing the topic of rape and what exactly constitutes rape. We learned that any slightest lack of consent is all it takes and the legal and social implications are very severe for someone who doesn’t realize that. I was honestly impressed that the majority of the audience, my fellow Tulanians, stayed through this portion of the show. During our Resident Advisor Training we had to attend a seminar on Louisiana laws in terms of sexual assault and rape but this presentation was purely voluntary. The people at my school cared enough to sit there and listen and the presenters did an awesome job informing while at the same time exposing how confusing the issue can be. The Newcomb Institute did well in picking this show to bring to Tulane.

So if you want to go to a school where people will work to guide you even through even the most uncomfortable subjects, Tulane is the one for you. An issue like this has to be addressed and it was frankly amazing the way it was done.

Only at Tulane . . . .

My Little Sisters

So this year I’ve gotten the opportunity to be a big sister through both the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Newcomb Institute and its been a very rewarding experience. My two littles are named Asha and Meg and they are both amazingly smart and talented girls. They really make an effort to hang out with me and I call them and check up on them every couple of days. One of them is working at the desk in her dorm, a very low key job, and is interested in joining my sorority. The other is already pledging for the business fraternity. They are two examples of girls who have made the best out of the opportunities that they have had so far and I’d like to think that they can look to me as an example of someone who also got involved early freshmen year and now is doing well managing all her activities.

(Here is Meg trying on some crazy glasses at Funky Monkey on Magazine Street!)

The best thing about having little sisters is being able to show them all the interesting places to go in New Orleans and on campus. I did have a Newcomb Big but I rarely saw her my freshman year- only when I went out. She answered all my questions on the actual day of the ceremony but never called me to eat or go with her someplace after that. I make it an effort to call my littles when its a new place from which I think they can benefit. For example, we’ve gone to Magazine Street, Target, out for dinner, and tomorrow we’re going to Barnes and Noble. Most of these are things I need to do anyways but having them around always makes it so much more fun!

So incoming freshmen make sure you remember to sign up for a Big Brother or Sister. You’re going to make some awesome friendships in the process!

(Here are Sangita, Sona, Me, Meg, and Asha out at Reginelli’s on Magazine Street)

The Life of a Leader

Sigh . . the life of a leader is certainly a tiring one!!! So here was my day today:

I got up at 9 in the morning for Cell Biology, to which I was only two minutes late. I then had lunch with a friend and worked on RA stuff for about an hour. Immediately following that I had a one on one with my supervisor (RA), and then office hours at the OMA Office since I’m an Office of Multicultural Affairs Ambassador and we are all required to do one hour a week. And then I had class, then service learning for that class, and then rushed to check in for duty, which I am on tonight.

And then I hosted a meeting at 9, went on rounds with my duty-buddy (basically checked my area to make sure everything was safe and secure) and then rushed to the gym before it closed. I managed to set up my laptop in my lounge to get some studying done . . . and then my friend called.

So now its 12:34 am and I have an 8 am class which I’m determined to attend even if it kills me.

And then I’m going to the medical school for my research job, then I have sorority stuff in the evening.

The life of a leader has me running from place to place . . . and loving every second of it!

Take advantage of your opportunities at Tulane, guys! It’s so worth it!

Habitat for Humanity

So long time no blogging . . . I know! Being an RA is more rewarding and also more difficult than I ever imagined. The not-so-fun part of it is hunting residents down for signatures and paperwork and when you have 55 residents, its more than an arduous task. The fun part is programming, getting to know them, and discovering for yourself what an awesome group you have. Last weekend my residents and I participated in Outreach Tulane at the Habitat for Humanities site. Even though we hadn’t had our first floor meeting, just talking to my residents got 12 of them to show up at 7:30 in the morning and I was so proud of them!

(Here we are working hard!)

(Here is Brian, one of my all star residents! I made him stop to take this picture, he wasn’t just standing around chilling. As you can see, it was extremely hot outside and he was working up a sweat!)

(This is Lauren, another awesome resident. She was in charge of moving siding to the houses on which other students were putting up siding. )

(Here are Laine, Erin, and Richard- they were working on the interior of some houses. This is during our lunch break- I went and found them and made them pose so I could post these pictures on my blog!)

(Here are Tim and Kyle, two of my most enthusiastic residents. They actually got farther in siding their house than any other team and they were very proud of that fact- that’s their house behind them.)

(Finally, here are some of the RAs siding a house as well- the residents aren’t the only ones who get to have fun with Habitat!)

So far, its been a blast being the Leadership Village RA. My residents are enthusiastic and cooperative- we’re planning another service day sometime soon. One of our residents is actually a Habitat staffer, and she helped coordinate this for us during Outreach. We’re planning on programming with freshmen too to include them in all the cool stuff we’re doing this year. With every idea that my residents (all upperclassmen) suggest, I’m reminded of how many interesting things there are to do in New Orleans and on the Tulane campus. We already have ideas for a Halloween service program for local neighborhood children, a barbeque with freshmen dorms, a program to show freshmen how to decorate their rooms to look unique with a reasonable budget, pancake breakfasts, and more. All of these ideas are ones that have been done or resources that are yet untapped here at Tulane.

Only at Tulane . . . .

Life as an RA

So welcome to Tulane to all of those who read my blog and emailed me over the summer. I know it’s more than you anticipated- you’re going to love the four years ahead of you.

Which brings me to the thing that’s been on my mind- my college career is officially half done. In less than two years I’ll be graduating and moving on and that’s a scary thought. This year I’m a resident advisor for Leadership Village and the last two weeks have been a lot of fun with getting to know the other Willow/Aron/Modular RAs and the other RAs in general. I’ve started a new chapter in my life and I’m enjoying every second of it so far.

It’s 2:35 am and I happen to have a desk shift here at the Willow front desk. In the last two weeks I’ve really seen a whole new side of Tulane and gained the respect of an entire new group of people. RAs here really do work hard and they have a LOT of issues to handle. Just today, as an upperclassmen RA, I was handling an erroneous placement that led to girls and boys living together, equipment problems, contractor problems, and more. Other RAs were dealing with pets on campus, switching mattresses and furniture, and irate parents. And this is as upperclassmen RAs.

Freshmen, make sure you thank your RAs because I can guarantee that tonight they have had a million calls while on duty, 3 hour rounds in just one building, and so many domestic disturbances that you would never even think about if you weren’t an RA. I really have a newfound respect for MY past RAs because they handled all my issues and the issues of 30 other residents with confidence and grace. It’s not an easy job but it can be very rewarding when a resident comes to you for help, waves at you from their balcony, or starts to talk to you when they see you on campus. It’s like making a lot of new friends all at once.

Being a resident advisor is going to be very interesting, I think. Tomorrow is upperclassmen move in, so I’m literally on my feet 7:30 AM to 4 PM. Right now is the calm before the storm and it gives me a little time to reflect on my thoughts. Being an RA is a wonderful leadership opportunity and I encourage many of you to think about applying to be an RA this upcoming spring. If you want programming exposure and to be in charge of planning and budgeting you should think about applying to live in Leadership Village.

I’ve already had all those moments I discussed earlier- the smiles, the waves, and the conversation. I already have my favorite moments as an RA with only 1/4 of my residence hall full. I can’t wait for the moments that await.

Welcome back to Tulane on behalf of your RAs!

Back in the Hometown

After a VERY hectic past rcouple of weeks, I am now back at home in Friendswood, Texas. The rest of the family is traveling around Russia with my family from India, and I’m stuck here in Friendswood, Texas . . . taking MCAT classes. Friendswood is a town with a cute little history museum, a principal who remembers teaching people’s parents, a couple of intersections of farm roads, and a mall on its outskirts. As you can see, there’s not much to do here but study!

Now to warn you pre-meds out there- the MCAT is going to ruin a summer, a semester, or both. Count on it, and factor it in somewhere. You are going to have to give up your travel and internship plans and sit at home and read your physics book while everybody else is having fun. That’s pretty much my summer this summer . . . . and honestly, I’m not used to sitting around. Because I’m so involved at Tulane, I’m used to running around from classes to work to meetings with a few gaps for meals in between.

And let me tell you . . . this is a strange feeling. I haven’t been here for this long since the winter of my freshman year and I’m about to start my junior year. This town has definitely grown up in the time that I’ve been gone and so have my friends. It’s a sad truth, but I feel like I’m not really a part of life here anymore. I moved here when i was about 8 years old, and this house was always the place of activity, of people running up and down looking for things, people needing rides places, and just a general hustle and bustle that comes with childhood years. 12 years later, this house is empty, and the memories float in the air. Though I have a few friends and extended family nearby, sitting here in this house without a single person to tell me to go to bed, to call me and ask me what I thought of some latest episode, or to wake me up in the morning because of inconsiderate yelling about who is going to be late where is just lonely.

So to all you kids about to start college- appreciate the noise of your lives this summer. You won’t realize you’re going to miss it until it’s gone. And then you’ll find yourself in a charming little Texas town with a long summer of MCAT studies stretched out ahead of you.

Welcome to Friendswood.

My friends at Tulane

This year I think I’ve made a lot of influential friends here at Tulane. And no, I’m not just talking about the other people my age in my life, the people with whom I eat, go out, and waste time. I’m talking about the adults here at Tulane– I think I’ve formed some very interesting friendships through which I have learned a lot.

First, I’ve made friends with people in HRL, or the housing and res life office. One person I truly admire is actually leaving us next year to go to the illustrious Columbia University in NYC for his studies. He was an advisor for Residence Hall Association, which is the student body representing the various dorms on campus. This past year I was on the eboard for that, and I got to know this guy- Caleb. He plays in a band, he has long hair, he’s always smiling, and always encouraged us. At the last second when I decided I wanted to apply for RA, he wrote me a recommendation right away. He has always been there to steer our thoughts in the right direction and advise us even on personal matters. I’m really going to miss him.

I recently found out that I may be an RA next year, and this holds a lot of interesting new opportunities for me. As someone told me, it is the primary leadership role here at Tulane, and I’m truly thrilled about the idea of it. I also received another position- Program Coordinator for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, a position I would have to turn down for RA but appreciated receiving nonetheless. I do plan on being involved with OMA next year regardless. I’ve made friends with some amazing people in that office and they have all been so warm and understanding, advising me on what to do in the case that I did get the RA job with only my best interests in mind.

I love my friends here at Tulane- you’re about to see a picture of my friend Karthik whom I absolutely adore. He’s a goofy kid, but when you need him, he’s there. I love hanging out with him and the others, watching tv, studying, and strategically doing homework. But its my adult friends here at Tulane that have really influenced my last year. I’ve learned a lot from the great people surrounding me and I’m sure I still have a lot to learn from them.

Only here at Tulane did I get the opportunity to get so close to all these people. Because our school is small, it does center around the individual more than the whole student body. People like Caleb and the guys in the Office of Multicultural Affairs are there to get to know me and support me as my own person, rather than a representative of students at Tulane. This one -on-one interaction leads to friendships that I think are undervalued by many when considering choosing a college. Tulane University employees are not afraid to cross the bounds between staff and students and reach out to people like me.

And so I learned that friends come in all flavors- different backgrounds, different races, and even extremely different ages!

Work, Work, and more Work

The last few weeks have been CRAZY here at Tulane.

I’ve had papers due, exams, lab exams, as well as finals approaching. It feels like everything is sort of coming to a close all at once, and every professor wants to squeeze everything out of the time they have left with us. This isn’t the actual case, of course, but it certainly feels like it! If you’re a college student who doesn’t plan too far in advance, you’ll find impending deadlines to be no fun at all. It’s just so much work- an orgo test, a Robert Frost paper, orgo final, physics final, brain and behavior exam, final papers . . . these are only SOME of the things I have to do in the next few weeks.

But after the next two weeks, finals will start, and the semester will be over. Summer will begin . . .and for most of us, that means an internship, a summer job, summer classes, or studying for the MCAT.

annnnd the hard work will begin once again . . . .

I guess this is just part of getting older. I know my parents don’t get a long 3 months off from life basically. I know they don’t get to plan their work day from 11 to 3. I know that it will happen to me too someday soon . . . but I’m not ready for it just yet! I sometimes wish I was still a freshman, because their fun years of finding themselves are still stretched out ahead of them.

But it’s been a fun journey . . .

Only at Tulane.

Bulgaria

This spring break, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit my aunt, uncle, and five-year-old cousin in Sofia, Bulgaria!

It all started when I decided to go to Russia for spring break. I wanted to see my parents, and they were going to be there. And then on Monday, we bought tickets for a Thursday flight to Sofia, and the adventures began!

On the first day, we saw many of the sights in the city on our own. We visited four different churches from different time periods in Bulgarian history, ranging from fairly modern to Byzantine times. We saw the Parliament building, the library, and the gorgeous view of Mount Vitosha from the city. We also then bought ski pants for me to try skiing the next day.

On Friday, that’s what I spent my day doing- skiing! My small cousin Aryan was skiing with his little school and many other local schools in the area and I tagged along. To be honest, many of the little children were MUCH better than me, but I still had a lot of fun. I only fell twice getting off the drag lift, which I don’t really count as falling because it wasn’t as though I fell while actually skiing.

On the third day, we drove about two and a half hours outside of Sofia to see this beautiful monastery and several lakes. The scenery is really spectacular in Bulgaria. The mountains are everywhere and the countryside is scattered with orange colored trees and green grass with the snowy peaks in the background. We also stopped to see the monument of the bells, which is a monument dedicated to international children’s rights.

On the fourth day we took a walk around where my aunt and uncle live, which is in the city center, took pictures, and then went back. I was sad to leave, but spring break had to come to an end!

And now I have a midterm tomorrow and LOTS of studying to catch up on . . . but the escape sure was nice for a few days!

Ode to Ochem Lab

So on Wednesday, like every other Wednesday, I found myself stuck in ochem lab without any good results and long after most of the other lab groups had left. I had to go to work after lab, I had a volunteering opportunity that I had just missed, and everybody else’s product was yellow while ours was . . . gray. We had restarted our experiment twice because the first time, it had turned green. The second time, it turned green again, but this time we KNEW it wasn’t because any of our glassware was unclean. Our TA, who now understands our overall lab inefficiency, allowed us to keep the second trial running, hoping our product would turn yellow-orange. And it turned gray.

Now you’d think that in a lab like this, I’d be utterly miserable. You’d think that I was watching the time slide away from me, seconds into minutes into hours. Believe it or not, this isn’t the case.

I actually enjoy organic chemistry lab! The lab is long and sometimes the results don’t turn out, but I know when I get there, I have a lot of fun. Our lab “team” is comprised of two different lab groups, and we have a ton of fun rescuing each other from potential dilemma. We’re always nearly the last ones to leave but I honestly don’t even notice how long it’s taken until I see that we’re the last ones left. My lab partners, Gino nd Karthik, are entertaining through and through and working with them is always a great time. Our TA seems to think so– even if he’s stuck in lab ’til the end, he seems to love hanging out with us as well!

(Here’s Gino working hard and Karthik . . . .chilling. But to be fair, as Karthik says, this picture isn’t representative of the actual work they do in lab!)

Organic chemistry lab, above all else, does teach you the essential skills involving team work. I personally have learned a lot from my two lab partners and the other kids in our lab “team.” I’ve learned how to work together smoothly, how to not take control in every situation, and most importantly, how to troubleshoot (aka make it up as we go along!).

(The three of us and our TA Lee in the last stages of last week’s experiment)

So this is my ode to organic chemistry lab– trust me, it’s not as bad as you think. You might actually . . enjoy it. =)

Step Show and Food Fest

On Wednesday was the Step Show held by the Office of Multicultural Affairs for Flava Wave Week here at Tulane. Basically, this was a week for all multicultural organizations to step forward and make known their presence on campus through events like food fests, poetry readings, and STEP SHOWS.

My wonderful sorority, Delta Xi Nu, does in fact have a step team, and we stepped and strutted at this year’s step show. Our girls were joined by the boys of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, or “dorks til death,” as they call themselves. The combination of the talented girls on our team and the comical boys on theirs made for a VERY entertaining show. They were followed by a step team made of Office of Multicultural Affairs Ambassadors, or people assigned to have little sisters and brothers in incoming freshman classes. It was a very fun event for everybody involved!

And we fly Xi Honeys sure can step!!!

Also this week in Flava Wave Week, we had a food fest courtesy of the Asian American Student Union. It was free for members and $5 for all non members. This particular Food Fest was exciting for me because not only did I run into my usual group of Asian friends, but into a guy named Hameed.

Hameed used to be the graduate hall director for Wall Residential College last year, when I was its president. He taught me a lot about leadership, and I’m still grateful for all the lessons I learned. We had a very strange relationship, as we had a professional relationship because of Wall Residential Hall Government but an odd friendship as well. He moved to Miami after he graduated as a BME during Lagniappe, and now is working full time. It’s always a shocker to those of us still in college that the world beyond these borders exists, that people do get up at 9 and work til 5, and that being an adult is NOT all its cracked up to be.

But it was a great treat seeing him, even if we were reminded of all that! Here’s to you, Hameed!

Habitats for Humanity

This Saturday I participated in Habitats for Humanity. We woke up at 7 am, drove more than half an hour to Musicians’ Village off N. Claiborne and stood outside freezing in the crisp early morning air.

And all for what?

Musicians’ Village is a place where Habitats has built a large group of homes so New Orleans musicians can come back and live together. If you ask me, its the best idea for the space, as it propagates the human imagination and spirit in terms of music. We were honored to be contributing to the project . . .and contribute we certainly did try to do!

We were put in charge of making sawhorses. At first, we were so excited that 5 seemed too small of a number, but then we started hammering and nailing. I sawed the wood with a circular saw while someone held the 2 by 4s for me, another team nailed, and another team measured out the wood. We thought we had a very efficient system going until we stood up our first sawhorse and discovered that it wasn’t quite aligned. See, the concept of simply cutting pieces and putting them together had led to us actually nailing them on in different places . . . and also created very unsturdy projects.

<<(At work on the sawhorses- me and my sister Jennifer)

And so we had to correct all of them . . . and you could tell which ones were ours. In our defense, everything turned out fine, and people ended up using our sawhorses that day. We also participated in painting and cleaning up and organizing when the frustration of the sawhorses got to us. We wanted so badly to get in the mix of building things but we quickly discovered that things don’t fit together in reality like they do in theory!!!

<<(My sister Amy working with one of the future homeowners)

But we had a great time, us Delta Xi Nu girls and the Sig Ep boys. Our very own admissions counselor Jeff was there too, working (or at least pretending to!)

I’m proud to say I got this amazing opportunity. I think it’s one truly unique to Tulane and New Orleans, and I hope that my little bit was just another piece in the giant puzzle that is rebuilding this city.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Today, like all MWF, I had my Robert Frost class, which I genuinely enjoyed. We studied a poem called “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, and I found it to be very inspiring, so I’ll share it with y’all.

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

We had a discussion in this class about this poem. It’s a 450 level class, but it’s the most fun I’ve had lately. Some people thought the poem was about how everything that is perfect is ephemeral, and quickly falls away to reality. Others thought this poem was about the cyclical patterns of nature, and about how things start out fresh and anew but then resume the cycle, ie the novelty soon wears off. It’s evident that the colors green and cold are valued here in this poem, so just because the leaves are no longer gold doesn’t make them any less valuable. I think the poem speaks to all of us about how we should cherish those moments when things are “golden,” those little perfect rays of sunshine that make our lives worth living.

And this class happens to be one of mine!

If you like what you’ve just read, get involved in English here . . the department is great. I truly have enjoyed every class I’ve taken and I cannot wait to take more!

Sisterhood

The dictionary definition of sisterhood is : A society of sisters; a society of women united in one faith or order; sisters, collectively.

In my world, sisterhood is a bond that ties in any and all situations. It’s a bond of more than just faith, its a bond of humanity. Sisters are there for each other no matter what, and their love is unconditional. Sisterhood is a bond that exists forever, no matter where you go and how far away.

. . . . And as prolific as all these statements are, what does it really mean? When I was asked at interviews what sisterhood meant to me, I would mechanically respond with any combination of the above statements. And now that I AM a sister, the word has taken on a completely different meaning.

Lately, my sorority has become more than just another activity that takes up my time, something else to add to the resume. My sisters and I more than just do sorority things together, we have fun together, we study together, and more than anything else, we support each other. Lately, we’ve been hanging out more than usual and I’m starting to see what it really means to have sisters. It’s like they’re more than friends because we already have this unbreakable bond between us. I don’t have to worry if I’m spending too much or too little time with them, I don’t have to worry about which of them is my “best” friend, and I certainly don’t have to be afraid of being completely different from them.

So what does sisterhood mean?

It means I go out of my way to befriend my sister’s boyfriend just so we can all hang out together.

It means my sister comes out with me on my birthday night with all my friends, even if she doesn’t know any of them and she’s the odd one out, just because it’s my birthday and I want her there.

It means we plan a night together despite our different busy agendas just because one of our sisters has a night off and she doesn’t have very many like that.

It means we plan a night in, watching movies and eating good food because we know we all have to get up for community service the next day when all our friends are out partying.

It means sharing responsibilities we have in the sorority, sharing our duties and getting each other’s opinions even if it means spending more time than we normally would doing a certain task.

It means . . . people with whom you share more than title–you share your life, and you’re honestly lucky if you find out the true meaning of sisterhood somewhere along the way.
So this one goes out to all the girls and guys in sororities and fraternities here at Tulane (and there’s plenty!), because they understand more than anyone exactly what I’m talking about. Here’s to being a part of something truly universal!

Me and my sister Amy












Xi Honeys for life!









My sisters Amy and Iris









Me and Iris blowing kisses!

Beautify Broadway

Anthony D’Angelo once said, “Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.” Community was certainly the theme of today’s event: Beautify Broadway. About a hundred students of various backgrounds from various Greek organizations came out to support and clean up the street and surrounding areas. I mean, we all party there all the time, so we might as well clean it up, right?

It was a great day for being outside– not too sunny and just a little windy. The areas around Broadway were sectioned off per sorority/fraternity. It’s the first project in which I’ve participated as a Greek, and not specifically as a sister of Delta Xi Nu. My sorority was really outstanding today though. We don’t even have a house, as we’re a very small organization, yet we had a group out there cleaning up. We were out there with our fellow Greeks, scouring the streets for trash and debris. It was a new experience for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s not often that you see people cleaning up their mess and other peoples’ too. Today we were cleaning up for all the Greeks and non Greeks that tread Broadway every weekend.

I guess Anthony D’Angelo was right. Caring is community . . . . and we Greeks do care!

Here we are, repping DXN! From L to R: Me, Jennifer, Zoe, Jackie, LG, Sabine, and Amy













Jackie, Jennifer, and Zoe enjoying pizza!














Me and Amy also enjoying the free pizza aka the college way of life.

Mardi Gras Madness

And the madness HAS officially begun. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the amazing and spectacular show you are about to see here in the city of New Orleans. No hurricane can knock this out of us– the party spirit lives on forever!

Here are a few shots to commemorate the parade experience- this parade is called Endymion, and it’s one of the biggest during Mardi Gras.






This parade for some reason went by VERY slowly, and we had plenty of time to goof off and act silly in between the floats. They had high school bands playing in it, as well as a few jazz bands, and when they played our Saints song, we went crazy dancing, as you can see!

One Year Later

It’s officially been one year since I started blogging. I remember my first entry last year was about Valentine’s Day, and about noticing my Valentine blissfully snoring on my floor. I was so excited then, so enthused about the day and everything about it. It was the only year that I’ve really celebrated Valentine’s Day with someone else.

Well let me tell you how that story ended . . . . my Valentine and I decided to part ways a few days after that. Though initially we were excited, it turned out that our personalities just didn’t mesh the way we thought they would, and we had VERY different standards when it came to what was and was not appropriate for that stage in our friendship/relationship. It was a strange way to end something that held so much promise but I can more than confidently say it was a good end for both of us!

I saw him today, in organic chemistry lab, and laughed to myself. How much life has changed in the past year . . . it made me think . . .

In the last year, what have I learned?

I learned that life at Tulane is not a piece of cake, I learned that working hard does earn rewards, and I learned that there is certainly a balance between having too much fun and not enough. It’s crucial to find that balance to survive in this college environment, and when you do, life is absolutely amazing!

And specifically, in regards to Valentine’s Day, I learned that the real Valentines are not the ones that show up at your door with roses, or serenade you with their violin, or take you someplace fancy. The real Valentines are the people that are there to wish you, hug you, and tell you they love you . . . . year after year. So here’s to all my real Valentines out there: My family, especially my mother, who called just to wish me, and my high school friends who are still with me even though they’re all far away. At Tulane, I just have one person that meets that definition.

This year, at Tulane, I just have one Valentine: my friend Iris. We celebrated last year as we will this year. Since then, we’ve become inducted into the same sorority, picked our majors, been through good times and bad, and earned the nickname “Yin and Yang” for how different we are but how we still seem to click anyways.

I’m lucky because at this school I get to expand my horizons with people like her that I’d never expect to meet but do and fall in love with along the way!

Me, Iris, and our dear friend Caroline at Bruff last year









Me and Iris now– how we’ve changed!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Exam Weekend

This weekend is exam weekend . . . much to my dismay. It’s the beginning of the Mardi Gras festivities and I find myself in my room . . . studying. Unfortunately I happen to have an exam in Organic Chemistry II and Brain and Behavior on Monday and Tuesday . . . and I’m not the only one. I know so many students in the same dilemma with several tests stacked up early next week– especially all us premeds taking two or three sciences at once.

But at least after its over, we’re home free until Mardi Gras is over. That’s one of the best parts of living in this city–people understand how important it is for us to let loose and have a little fun. And since Mardi Gras is on my birthday and Lundi Gras falls on my old suitemate’s . . .w ell we’re definitely going to have a little fun. I can’t wait til the parades . . . . all the gorgeous floats and beads and stuffed animals and more!!!

People are starting their “parading” this weekend and its certainly unfortunate that I won’t be there for that . . . but its ok. After four days of hardcore studying, I’m sure Mardi Gras season will be a well-deserved break!

And its back to the books for me . . . .

Classes get in the way of college

So this week is like Study Week 2007. It’s rather difficult to literally hole myself up in my room and refuse to move at all . . . but it’s necessary. Because without such restrictions, I inevitably find some way to get out there and socialize.

See, that’s what I like the most about a small campus. Everybody knows everybody else, and every time you step out of your room you run into someone you know, and then you stop and chat. You think it only holds you up a minute or two . . until you do it five times on the way to class and on the way back!

This weekend was a social one for me- my friend had her birthday celebration at Vincent’s on St. Charles. We all had a great time . . . and then we went back to her dorm and chilled out, played games, and talked. Unfortunately this also meant that we didn’t accomplish much else that night . . and didn’t wake up early the next day. Another friend had had a birthday party the previous night, and that was yet another night of nothing but fun. So finally . . . .the need to study has caught up with me.

What can I say? Classes get in the way of college for me! There’s just too much fun to be had!

But this week . . . my only friends are my organic book, my physics homework, and my brain and behavior notes!

Welcome to February

Welcome to February, guys!

For me its always been the month of my birthday and Valentine’s Day, and last year, Valentine’s Day was my first blog entry. Just to give an update– that Valentine’s Day, though memorable at times, turned about to be mostly a fiasco. In fact, I’m not even sure how I can top last year’s adventures this year!

But this year, February is also the month of Mardi Gras . . . . which incidentally falls right on my 20th birthday. One of my friends is going to be in a parade and promised to throw me something good from the floats. My birthday is February the 20th, and I was always jealous of those kids that had their birthdays in the summer or fall because nothing exciting happens in the middle of February. You can’t even have a pool party.

So I woke up this morning, stretched, saw it was raining and very cold outside and despite all that, cheered because it is my month of the year. And this year millions of other people will be celebrating all month long with me!

Amethyst, the birthstone for February

Car= Freedom

So today was a happy day: I finally brought my car from Friendswood, Texas to New Orleans. It was a long drive, and very arduous, but totally worth it. My friend came with me and I dropped her off at her house on the West Bank before I came back to Tulane. And as I drove away from the West Bank, on the i-10 bridge over the Mississippi, I couldn’t help but think about what having a car means: freedom.

I felt like I was 17 all over again, when I first actually got to be a primary driver on my dad’s car. It was exhilirating, thinking about the possibilities. And not that I’m going to drive into the sunset or anything, but it is nice thinking about it. It’s great to have in emergencies, great to take downtown for my upcoming job, and wonderful for doing groceries. It makes life a lot easier as I can do things on my time, and not on others’. I don’t have to depend on anybody to give me a ride, or pick me up, or take me someplace like Walmart. Walmart is now just one short drive away . . . as is everything else.

But then as I thought further, I thought about how many times I’m actually going to go off to Walmart or anywhere else with my car. The reality? Probably only when I really need to . . . . once a week or so. I don’t see myself suddenly eating off campus every night or shopping every day. I see myself usually it practically and frugally. So the best part of having a car is not the actuality . . . but just the idea of having one!!!

This is sort of what my car looks like, except it is beige!

RHA Plans

Today was the first general body meeting of the Residential Hall Association. Now probably this sounds cool, but not many readers know what it is. It’s a body literally comprised of every student living on campus. We oversee all the individual dorm Residential Hall Governments, work WITH Resident Advisors and the Housing and Resident Life staff, and provide funding for programs. Not many people on campus know who we are either . . . and right now, we’re a group of ex-presidents and vice presidents from freshman dorms that decided to keep on moving up! I’m the VP of Public Relations . . . . though really if anything, I’m part of a team of people dedicated to making life in dorms more fun!

So now its our goal to be known! My plan is to throw some kind of huge charity benefit . . . in the new UC. Turns out they have a ballroom, a HUGE one, where you can throw parties like this. In fact. another group on campus is already planning a Dance Marathon, where people will be dancing or on their feet for 24 hours!

The new UC makes life a LOT more interesting for all of us. Prior to it, there was really no place on campus where we could host a huge campus wide event. There is a ballroom in one of our dorms, Josephine Louise, but it is an all-girls dorm which makes it difficult for boys to come into the building for an event. There are various other rooms in other dorms . . . but none large enough to fit a huge crowd.

So . . . . for everyone reading this: if you have any suggestions for my big party- email me!!! The RHA would certainly appreciate it!

Andrew, the VP of Finance, Dan, the President, and Nene, the VP of Administration hard at work!

Back to Work

So today was my first official day of work . . . . and although I had some trouble paying attention, it was good to be back. At my wonderful job at the A.B. Freeman School of Business, I work as a student assistant to my boss, who is the director of Constituent Services and Initiatives. . . .

Which means a lot of times we talk, we eat together, and I pretty much ask her any questions I have about ANYTHING. I’m an inquisitive sort, and it seems to me like she knows everything, so she’s great for advice about pretty much anything. Under her guidance not only have I learned about copyediting, filing, and business etiquette, but also about gems and minerals, boyfriends and husbands, and about ALL the people in the business school whom I should (and do) look up to and respect. It’s a pretty sweet job, and one that I literally walked into. My sorority sister was graduating, and sent out an email to the listserv asking for someone to take her old job . . . and I volunteered. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I’m pretty glad I took the chance.

Although sometimes I hate the idea of getting done with all my work at 5 or 6 every night, its usually worth it to hang out with my boss and all the amazing people at the business school. In fact, all the people I work with are well above my age . . . . there’s no one that’s actually a student. There are other students working in other departments, but I like the friends I’ve made . . . they certainly are diverse.

So here’s to being back at work . . and lovin it!

(A.B. Freeman School of Business)>>

Back to School

SO it’s now been about a month since I left Tulane and New Orleans . . . . . .

I spent my vacation in Russia and India. In Russia we spent a little bit of time with friends, and enjoying the cold weather (though now it’s just as cold in New Orleans!) In India we visited family, all our cousins, and spent time reestablishing connections as the far flung branch of our family. I personally started an account on a version of myspace.com that is popular amongst Indians, just to stay in touch with all my cousins. The vacation was tons of fun, and I miss travelling after being in New Orleans for only two days!

<<(Christmas season in Russia)

Boy is it strange to be back. A few days after returning from India and Russia, I have to say I wasn’t quite ready for the semester to start. I’m barely getting over my jet lag, let alone getting it together in terms of studying. And of course, I already have homework in three classes!

But there is one thing that made coming back a good experience: the new UC. According to seniors at Tulane, its been three years since they tore down the old one. I just visited the new UC for the first time yesterday and what can I say? It’s totally been worth it!!!!

The new UC is very well-designed, inside and out. Inside there are lots of tables in a several areas with large windows that let in the natural light. It’s much nicer than being holed up in the temporary establishment, known as the Bubble. It has Pandini’s, Wow, a sushi place, Quizno’s, a Euro place, and much more. The food options are now very varied and easily accessible . . . we can no longer complain at all about having the same thing to eat all the time like all college students. They even have an international chef station with different cuisines!

So . . . even though I miss my vacation and still suffer from jet lag . . . I do eat well! Thank you Tulane for the new UC! It rocks!

Me and my cousin Sid in Pune, India

















My sister, my friend Allegra, and me in Moscow, Russia













My cousin’s wife Snehal, my cousin Sid, and me in Ahmedabad, India













My twin cousins Ashu and Avi, our cousin Sid, and my twin Anisha and me in Pune, India