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)
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
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!
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!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
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 . . . .
(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 . . . .
Sunday, August 26, 2007
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!
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!
Monday, May 21, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, April 30, 2007
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!
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!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
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.
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.
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