My friends have always said that I am busy no matter where I go, and this weekend was no exception. Here's a quick rundown:
When it's written down in list format, it looks... well, as intense as it was. My body is now sore from tip to toe. But, since my brain thrives on intensity, I will offer you some practical wisdom that I gleaned from attending each of these amazing events. Ready? Here it goes:
1. FASHION'S NIGHT OUT: Friends over products. Everyone looked gorgeous/handsome (depending on your adjective preferences), but going into stores wouldn't have been nearly as amazing if I didn't have a band of amazing girlfriends to go with me. We mainly walked into stores just to dance and didn't buy a single thing.
2. BARNARD CAREER FAIR: Nervousness and sore feet do not a great career fair make. Going into the career fair, I had a very lean list of organizations I wanted to visit, and that coupled with my nervousness around speaking to hiring bodies without a prompt did not help me feel confidant in approaching people. Plus, my heels were killing me as I stood in the lines, so I advise anyone going to a career fair to wear comfortable shoes!
3. MP3 EXPERIMENT: Learn how to use your electronics! The MP3 Experiment was plain fun. But only after my minor crisis in syncing the MP3 on my new player. I finally gave up and my friend and I went half on her headphones. Be prepared, everyone!
4. COLUMBIA CLUB FAIR: Buck the system, complain about unjust behavior. Although the club fair was awesome on a lot of fronts (live performances by the dance teams, free candy), it left a bitter taste in my mouth to hear that two of our biggest organizations, Take Back the Night and V Day, were barred from participating because they were "Barnard clubs." These are all-campus clubs and have been in existence for a long time! Plus, they filled out the paperwork way in advance, so if they were turned away, it should have been then.
5. AFRO-CUBAN DANCE: Let go. Dance has always been something that is deliciously fun for me, but I'm not very good at learning choreography right when its presented to me. As a result, I am sometimes embarrassing. This class, however, had a premise that I could get behind - let go. Traditional cultural dances are often about the feeling and stories behind the dance rather than performing it perfectly. I found this very welcoming and began questioning the Western thought of dance afterwards.
6. RAW ELEMENTZ AUDITION: Dive in, even when you're unsure. I didn't get in, let me just preface with that, but I felt amazing about trying out. In freshman year, I tried out for a dance team, got turned away, and was subsequently very discouraged. But this time, I came in with the mentality that it would be just a fun experience to try again. And it was - although it was definitely embarrassing when I forgot all the choreography out of nerves in the final audition room. Still, trying is what matters and the skill comes after earnest attempts.
Ready for some more life lessons? Click on.
THURSDAY: Fashion's Night Out
FRIDAY: The Barnard Career Fair, MP3 Experiment, Columbia club fair, an Afro-Cuban dance class, and a birthday party (that quickly became an impromptu Well Woman meeting)
SATURDAY: Raw Elementz hip hop dance tryouts and roller derby volunteer crew duty for the bout between Brooklyn Bombshells and the Queens of Pain
When it's written down in list format, it looks... well, as intense as it was. My body is now sore from tip to toe. But, since my brain thrives on intensity, I will offer you some practical wisdom that I gleaned from attending each of these amazing events. Ready? Here it goes:
1. FASHION'S NIGHT OUT: Friends over products. Everyone looked gorgeous/handsome (depending on your adjective preferences), but going into stores wouldn't have been nearly as amazing if I didn't have a band of amazing girlfriends to go with me. We mainly walked into stores just to dance and didn't buy a single thing.
2. BARNARD CAREER FAIR: Nervousness and sore feet do not a great career fair make. Going into the career fair, I had a very lean list of organizations I wanted to visit, and that coupled with my nervousness around speaking to hiring bodies without a prompt did not help me feel confidant in approaching people. Plus, my heels were killing me as I stood in the lines, so I advise anyone going to a career fair to wear comfortable shoes!
3. MP3 EXPERIMENT: Learn how to use your electronics! The MP3 Experiment was plain fun. But only after my minor crisis in syncing the MP3 on my new player. I finally gave up and my friend and I went half on her headphones. Be prepared, everyone!
4. COLUMBIA CLUB FAIR: Buck the system, complain about unjust behavior. Although the club fair was awesome on a lot of fronts (live performances by the dance teams, free candy), it left a bitter taste in my mouth to hear that two of our biggest organizations, Take Back the Night and V Day, were barred from participating because they were "Barnard clubs." These are all-campus clubs and have been in existence for a long time! Plus, they filled out the paperwork way in advance, so if they were turned away, it should have been then.
5. AFRO-CUBAN DANCE: Let go. Dance has always been something that is deliciously fun for me, but I'm not very good at learning choreography right when its presented to me. As a result, I am sometimes embarrassing. This class, however, had a premise that I could get behind - let go. Traditional cultural dances are often about the feeling and stories behind the dance rather than performing it perfectly. I found this very welcoming and began questioning the Western thought of dance afterwards.
6. RAW ELEMENTZ AUDITION: Dive in, even when you're unsure. I didn't get in, let me just preface with that, but I felt amazing about trying out. In freshman year, I tried out for a dance team, got turned away, and was subsequently very discouraged. But this time, I came in with the mentality that it would be just a fun experience to try again. And it was - although it was definitely embarrassing when I forgot all the choreography out of nerves in the final audition room. Still, trying is what matters and the skill comes after earnest attempts.
Ready for some more life lessons? Click on.
