STOP! It's STUDY time!

Well, here we are- Week 3.

Weekend Update: Boy's Bid Day.

Much more intense than girl's bid day. Instead of tutus and tiaras there were loud trucks and war paint. Boys from all the Fraternities rallied in back circle, whooping and running around, preparing for the running of the pledges. Unlike girl's bid day where we run out in groups to our new sisters, boy run out one by one, across the back lot and into the arms of their brothers. Literally, into their arms. The boys are not hugged and embraced, they are CROWD SURFED over the mob of brothers.

I happily watched this little show, thanking god I remained on the solid earth during our run out.

Weekday Update: Three Tests, One Quiz.

It's about that time where the second chapter is wrapping up in class and it's time for a test. Luckily for me, they all just happen to be in the week. So, I'm studying when I wake up, when I eat, when I walk to class, when I brush my teeth, when I fall asleep.

Good News of the Week!

After auditions last week, I am now in The Bakkhai! A rock musical about a Greek Tragedy originally by Euripides. It's a pretty cool conceptual show about individualism and balance. I will be writing more about it later, but as for the moment, it's back to Biology...

P-H-I-M-U, Phi Mu

If you had asked me about Rush a week ago, my response would have been a mix between nervous, uncertain, and anxious. I won't lie- I was excited, too, but I didn't know if I was a "sorority girl." I signed up to go through recruitment initially to meet other people. I figured if I didn't feel ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN about my decision at the end of the week, I would bow out and not join. I can now happily tell you I am a proud member of Phi Mu. : )

But let's start at the beginning. Before rush started, all of the girls who were signed up to rush were placed in Rho Gamma groups. (Rho Gamma: Transy's version of recruitment police. They make sure that there is no dirty rushing, that ALL your questions get answers, and carry a Mary Poppins-esque bag of bobby pins, chap stick, snacks, mints, deodorant, and anything else a girl could possibly need on a big night.) Each Rho Gamma leader is a sorority girl who has temporarily disassociated from her chapter in order to unbiasedly help girls find which sorority fits them best. In their own words "We gave up our letters in order to help you find yours." These leader help to explain the procedure and rules that are involved in rushing, and take their group from place to place.

The first night was most casual, and it was "Hall Night." Rho Gamma groups traveled to the different sorority halls (there are no fraternity/ sorority houses on campus, members can elect to live on a specific hall in the dormitories ) and before we even entered any of the halls you could hear the sororities cheering and chanting. There was so much excitement on both sides- from the girls rushing and the girls recruiting. When you entered onto the hall one of the active members would link arms with you and show you around, introduce you to people, and explain basic information about their chapter. At the end of the night, all the girls rushing filled out sorority sorts to help them organize their thoughts, and then each girl picked their top three choices. Transy Greek Life selection is based off a mutual selection process, so it isn't ALL dependent on the sorority OR the girls rushing.

The next night, (which is Saturday night, in case I forgot to mention that this process starts on Friday night) is a little more dressy, and is known as "Community Involvement Night." This night is all about the philanthropic events that each group hosts, the events they throw, outside clubs and activities, sisterhood events, and anything else that helps connect the girls to the community at Transy and in Lexington. All of the sororities have very strong ties to their foundations and some of the efforts are really impressive. DeltaDeltaDelta (TriDelt) was able to raise $10 million dollars for St. Jude in just four years. At the end of the night girls make preference sheets again- this tim listing their top two choices.

Preference Night: The longest night. The most dressy night. The most personal night. This is the final night for girls to meet sorority members and really talk to them about why their chapter is special to them. It's hard to explain why this night is so touching, but hearing personal stories from the girls really does help solidify choices (or in some cases, make them more difficult). But tonight's the big decision night.....

BID DAY (Monday)! Let me tell you, it is a LONG wait until 3:30 to find out which sorority you are in. But three thirty FINALLY rolls around, girls get their official invitations to the chapters, there are pictures, and screaming, and crying, and running around. It's an exciting process to go through, and after an official Panhellenic Pinning (Panhellenic is the national sorority association) is one of the best parts. All the new pledges get into groups of their chapters, hide behind a giant banner of their sorority's colors, and two by two run into the cheering arms of their new sisters. There are ridiculous costumes, everyone is screaming and jumping up and down, and it's practically a scene out of Legally Blonde.

Now, for all you out there saying Greek Life isn't for you- come experience it at Transy. It's not the stereotypical experience. Absolutely no hazing, no cutting-down of people, no negativity to other groups... there's a reason Transylvania is rated number one for Greek Life in the Princeton Review.

The night progressed with Candlelights, sorority bonding, Harry Potter Uno, Gummy Bears, and laughter. By the time I was absolutely exhausted, I walked back up to my room, and wouldn't you know...

My door was completely decked out with notes and signs form my new sisters, welcoming me in, telling me how proud they were of me, and how excited they were to have me as a new Phi Mu.

And the Classes Begin.....

First week of classes. First week of homework. First week of being a "full time student".

I guess it's a little funny that the day before classes started was Labor Day. The best misnomer to ever grace a calendar book: Labor Day- the day where people across America do as little work as possible on a much appreciated day off. Then, around rolls Tuesday and all the work you didn't have to do on Monday multiplies and manifests its self for the rest of the week.

Luckily, Orientation week was so effective at getting me to meet people and make new friends that I had a group of people to help me push through the delights of calculus. We had a homework parties in the front hall of Forrer, in my room, their room, my Professor's office, Professors-I'd-never-met-before's offices and slowly bit by bit it all got done. It seems like a lot of work (and it can be) but I never felt like it was overwhelmingly impossible. Upperclassmen would stop by the table in the lobby and ask if we needed help on any problems, and the Professors I'd never met before were thrilled to have students in their offices asking questions about their field. Classes can be a lot to handle the first couple of days, but by Friday things began to click into place. Having the support of other girls in the dorm to study with definitely helps keep you focused and sane, and it's been a lot easier to keep on going, even when the homework problems get challenging. As I type this, my calculus books lay open in a circle around me, layered with biology labs and study snacks, and next to me are Esi and Juliet- playing Justin Bierber's VMA performance video and trying to figure out how integrate using fractional parts.

So, college is still school work. It's still late nights studying, asking questions in class, and reworking your essay. However, this whole week hasn't been JUST homework.

Accomplishments (outside of classes) Of the Week :

1. Regardless of what my mother thinks, I did do laundry. I used the right amount of soap, sorted my brights and whites, and nothing came out pink, shrunken, or otherwise ruined. : )

2. Battled the Freshman Fifteen. That's right ladies and gents- it is possible to make time to use the fabulous Beck center.

3. Explored the city. Every Saturday morning there is an expansive farmer's market that opens up right in the middle of downtown Lexington. I went with a group of girls from my SOL, and together we made our way through rows of vendors selling their produce. In hindsight, it's probably a good thing that I found the Beck center because I came back with fresh baked bread, muffins, pesto dip, and a basket of indescribable peaches.

4. Attended Block Party

With Greek Recruitment right around the corner, block party is a chance for each of the four sororities and each of the four fraternities to set up tables and mix with students who plan to rush. You can ask questions, play corn hole, meet some of the Greek students, and get a feel for each of the different groups. This day was also the first day that Greek groups were allowed to wear their letters on campus.

(for the sake of rushing purposes, I won't put up pictures from this event until after this weekend. There are a lot of rules involved so that there is no "dirty rushing" and I would hate to get anyone in trouble. )

With all that being said, homework is calling my name. It's time to power through and work ahead because this up coming week is a big one. Involvement Fair and Rush both start this week, so hopefully my next post will have a lot of pictures.

Orientation Weekend

Hi, I'm Emily Novak, and I'm an incoming freshman to Transylvania. I am so excited to be able to share my experiences at school with everyone out there, and if there are any question you all might have, feel free to contact me at ehnovak14@transy.edu

I suppose the best place to start this blog off is where I started, too- alllll the way back in Naperville, Illinois. Now, not only is Naperville one of the most amazing places to live in, it is also the home to one of the friendliest Target stores in the nation. Trust me, I know. I was there every couple of days, picking up more and more school supplies as I thought of them, slowly stock piling them in my living room. Eventually, that giant mass of notebooks, pencils, dorm room posters, storage tubs, the piles of clothes from my room, and everything else I could pack away into containers was jammed into my Dad's little Crown Victoria. Packing the car with everything I felt I needed was similar to playing tetris... the pieces just kept appearing and you always felt like you were in dangerous proximity of the full line. However, in the end all my stuff managed to find its way into the vehicle.

A few short (sleepless) hours later, my mom and I climbed into the car armed with cream soda and granola bars and set off for Lexington. I guess you could say it was a long 392.83 mile ride... but we did see some pretty interesting things along the way! Interesting things seen on my trip to Kentucky: cornfields, windmills, horse farms, cornfields, traffic, cornfields, and a U-Haul on fire. Just kidding- although I DID see all those things, I also saw the beautiful rolling bluegrass hills which was a sight for sore eyes.

Fast forwarding six and a half hours, a fun spend-the-night at my godparent's house in Louisville, and one last jittery hour car ride to campus, we had made it.

Once on campus, we were greeted by a whole entourage of friendly staff, students, and faculty-all wearing some good old crimson and white. Fortunately for my Mom and I, they happily helped me sign in, get my keys, and move ALL my stuff up to my new room. Any small hiccup or problem we might have had was quickly addressed and corrected by the wonderful Transy Resident Life Staff, and soon all my things had found a new home in Forrer Hall.

After my big move in, the rest of orientation weekend moved pretty quickly. Our new President, President Williams, delivered a humorous and very engaging induction speech, and the class of 2014 kicked off the year, as official students of Transylvania University.

To highlight some of the weekend's moments here is a count down of my personal top 5 moments:

1. Black Light Party

Bring on your neon and white clothes, glitter and glow sticks- and prepare yourselves for an amazing dance party! All the students were there, relaxing, busting a move, and just having fun. Dance contests, graffiti competitions, and some other intense challenges ensued- and the incoming class of students definitely brought their A-game.

2. IronMan II Movie Night

Freshmen showed up to an in-house movie of IronMan II, complete with drinks, candy, snacks, and popcorn. Kids were everywhere, whether they were watching the movie inside, or meeting new friends outside.

3. The Serenade and Greet Line

I think it's pretty romantic to have someone sing a song for you... but how about 150 people sing you a song? This has to be one of the most memorable moments of the weekend. All the girls met on the steps of Old Morrison to learn a few tunes for the men of Transy, and in repayment, the boys shamelessly returned the favor. It was quite the experience, laughing and singing, knowing that everyone around you felt just as silly as you did, but in the end, not really caring. My favorite song, as performed by the boys, was You Are My Sunshine....

After Serenade was over, every single incoming student lined up around the U bend drive in front of Old Morrison and shook hands with every other person. I can now say that I have met every single one of my fellow 2014 peers. I'd like to see UK try to do that! As a prize, when you were done shaking everyone else's hand, SOL leaders graciously passed out the Germ-X.

4. A Slice of Transy

Who could say no to a free piece of pizza? What about multiple free pieces of pizza? During Slice of Transy, the Greek organizations get together to host a variety of local pizza vendors. Pizzas are donated, and you get to try them all! There is music and drinks, and at the end of it all, you get to vote on your favorite pizza company.

5. Orientation Olympics

Together with your SOL group (a group of other freshmen you have class twice a week with as well as a few meetings here and there) and your SOL leader, Transy students competed with and against each other in a variety of games. There was the famous "I'm a dork, and you're a dork, too" Game, charades, Rock/Paper/Scissor tournaments, and many others. During the night, SOL groups met with students from other groups and as a class we got to know each other a little better.

So far, I have loved my Transy experience. Not only is the faculty welcoming and encouraging, but the other students here are as well. There aren't many places were upperclassmen invite freshman to play pick up games of ultimate frisbee in the back lot, or join in a conversation just to meet the new faces on campus. I am so fortunate to have found a place like this, and I can not WAIT to start classes tomorrow... !