Queen of the 'Castle

This post doesn't have much to say...but there sure will be a lot to see.  These past two weeks have been so fun!  I have been so some informals, formals, the MONON BELL game and pep rally... If any of you are at all interested in knowing what goes on outside of class time, this may be a good post to look at. After all, a picture is worth 1000 words, right?  So not much explanation will be in this post. :)

In the beginning of November, I attended Sigma Chi Fraternity's "Country Club" informal.  The premise is that everyone finds the "preppiest" clothes they own and attends a "Country Club" style party at the fraternity house.  This is one of my favorite fraternity events of the season because we get picked up in golf carts (see image) and I get to use all of the clothes I bought when I worked at J.Crew! :)  Costumes range from preppy parents to golf caddys.  Needless to say, the night was a great success!

The next week was Monon Week 2009!  As you know the Monon Bell Football game is the highlight of the DePauw football season.  We literally play for the Monon Bell (at left).  The week is full of activities, all leading up to the pep rally and the game itself.  During the pep rally, each fraternity and sorority pair up and do a skit predicting the game (and always end with the Tigers winning...duh). This year, Alpha Phi did a skit with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Nu fraternities and did a skit based on the movie "Twilight" where we fought over "Bell-a" (get it...Monon BELL...Bella is the main character...we thought we were clever haha).  Check out this video to see our skit! (<-- hopefully the link works!) We didn't win, but we sure did have a lot of fun!

That weekend was the Monon Bell game!  Sadly, we didn't win this year, but the Tigers still managed to make it to the playoffs for THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY! nice.  The pictures below are from the tailgate, the game and the poms performance during halftime!
  











So.Much.Fun. To cap of the next week, I attended Alpha Phi's formal.  I took one of my best girl friends as my date, and we partied like we weren't graduating in May :)  This year we rented the 3rd floor of the Chase Building in Downtown Indianapolis.  It was a very classy, candlelit night with an awesome DJ to boot! As a little gift, each attendee received a pair of avaitors before the dance with "Alpha Phi" written on the top.  So of course, we had to take pictures wearing the glasses... (see pic of me and Jess on the right. sadly, we're not that cool).  The next day we participated in Dance Marathon, a fundraiser for pediatric AIDS and started mentally preparing for Thanksgiving break. :)

On Sunday, my cousin Michael came to visit DePauw as a prospective student.  He got the full DePauw overnight experience (with the exception of eating at Marvin's...it was closed by the time we got there Monday night).  So this is my official shout out to my cousin...hope you loved the school (and your visit)!

OK - so I ended up writing a lot (no surprise there). I am currently enjoying Thanksgiving break, but I am in the library preparing to write three final papers for after break.  I hope you all have a fun, family-oriented Thanksgiving! We all have so much to be thankful for :)

I'll see you after break!
Lizzy

Hey All!  Wow, it seems like I have taken an extra long fall break from blogging!  School has really picked up recently.  I'm only in class Monday-Thursday, but with that comes a lot of really dense reading that isn't spread out throughout the week (leaving me to cram on some days...ugh).
The middle of October was fall break.  I'm not going to lie, it was really nice to go home.  I usually consider DePauw my "home", but it was a nice change of pace to see my family and hang out with some friends at Northwestern.  Over break I saw Lagniappe/Potpourri, a play I used to be in at my high school, and I started interviewing for Winter Term internships.  Winter Term at DePauw is over the month of January and students have several options on how to spend their time.  They can take a class on campus, intern at a company of their choice, study abroad with a group (students + professors), or complete an independent study.  Over the past three WT's I have taken one class, had an internship downtown Chicago and studied abroad in Ireland (but I went for the full semester, not just 3.5 weeks).  I interviewed at a few companies for a January internship...and I just found out I was hired by one of the companies!!  I'm super excited and happy that I will be living at home (aka saving money).
When students got back from fall break, it was the first week first year students were allowed on Greek (fraternity/sorority) property for registered parties.  I know a lot of first year students, prior to coming to DePauw, were really worried about not being "allowed" on Greek property for the first half of the semester.  But let me assure you, DePauw has your best interests in mind.  Not only is it a safety issue, but it is so nice to get to know your own class before you are thrust into meeting upperclassmen.  And hey, I made some of my best friends my first year without going to fraternity and sorority parties...  But now that all students are allowed on Greek property, last weekend was SO fun (not to mention is was Halloween).  While it may have been overly crowded, it was great to start meeting first year students.  
This upcoming weekend should be fun.  My parents are coming to visit on Saturday to celebrate Alpha Phi's Dad's Day.  We will be tailgating in the morning, going to the football game at 1:00pm (did you hear that DPU beat Trinity two weeks ago?!?! That was a BIG win for the Tigers!!), and I will be dancing at half time for the poms team.  I'm very excited to have my parents here because they have never seen me dance on a dance team before :)

Alright, that's all for now.  Look for a blog next week about the pre-Monon festivities (fundraisers, pep rallys, rugby games and concerts). GET EXCITED! GO TIGERS!

Lizzy

Hey!!  So it's been two weeks since I have blogged and SO much has happened!!  lets see...
LECTURES
The first Ubben Lecture of the year was two weeks ago. For those of you who don't know, the Ubben Lecture Series is a set of lectures, debates and discussions open to students, faculty, staff, and the community.  Previous speakers have been Tony Blair (2 years ago...awesome.), Elie Wiesel, and Colin Powell.  This lecture was a debate against Karl Rove and Howard Dean.  What was cool about this debate was the two men had never debated each other at a college campus before.  This lecture was so popular that Kresge, our main auditorium that seats 1500 people, was completely filled, and so were our other theatres that had film screens set up to show the debate.  I watched from the comfort of my rector floor with my 7 roommates on the computer (it was broadcast live on the internet).  We watched, listened and debated all the while eating pizza and learning about world topics.  It was so cool!!  Topics that we covered was heathcare, national security and the country's deficit.  Check out the DePauw website for more details!

SPORTS
Our first home football game against Centre was this past Saturday.  ALL of the students were out tailgating before the game and many of the recent alums came back to celebrate with us!  I recently joined the Poms Dance Team, so our first performance was during halftime.  It was such a rush to get out on the field and dance in front of everyone!  Even though we didn't win (24-34), the Tigers played an AWESOME 2nd half.  It was definitely a game that kept me on my toes the entire time.


NEW ADDITIONS TO CAMPUS
DePauw has set up these cool outdoor classrooms.  For classes that want to enjoy the nice weather (and the weather has been amazing this year), DePauw has set up a chalkboard and 15-20 adirondack chairs for students and teachers.  While I have not had a class meet outside yet, I have had the chance to study outside when the space isn't being used by classes.  Not only is it relaxing and comfortable, but who doesn't love to get some sun while studying?? haha... but seriously.  And since our campus is completely wireless, it makes it so easy to do work outside!

SOCIAL LIFE
Last week we had two amazing concerts.  The first was put on by Sigma Chi fraternity and Alpha Phi sorority to raise money for the Away Home Shelter.  Three bands performed in the Dells (in South Quad) and we had a BBQ, sand volleyball tournament and corn hole set up.  It was a great way to meet first year students and hang out with friends.
The second concert was put on by the club Building Tomorrow.  They are an international non-profit organization dedicated to raising money and awareness to build schools in Africa.  They had approximately 400-500 students show up to listen to a DJ and a band play for a few hours, all the while educating students on their club.  It was such a cool event!

UPCOMING EVENTS
This week (Monday-Friday) is Greek Week.  This means that all Greek houses come together to hang out, celebrate being a part of the greek system and compete to see which is the best sorority and fraternity on campus.  Today (Monday) we had a campus wide blood drive and a GCB eating contest.  **GCB = Garlic Cheeseburger.  aka melt in your mouth deliciousness from Marvins, the campus restaurant/hangout.  You MUST stop by Marvins when coming to DePauw**  Tomorrow - Friday is filled with the blood drive, spelling bees, can-stacking contests, and Greek God and Goddess (the final dance competition between sororities and fraternities to end greek week).  Needless to say, I'll be busy this week rooting on Alpha Phi!!!

OK - I'm off to celebrate Greek Week! And if you have any suggestions of topics you want me to cover or just general questions you have, feel free to email me or leave a post on the blog!

Lizzy

Hello All!  After a very successful study abroad experience, I'm finally back to DePauw and loving the beginning of senior year (altough I'm already dreading graduation in May...oh boy)!  Since I failed to continue blogging this summer, I want to catch you up on my summer internship experience at Allstate Insurance.

I was hired as an Integrated Marketing Communications Intern at Allstate Insurance.  This was my first marketing internship, and the first internship that I felt was crucial to my future after graduation.  Although I did not find this internship with help from DePauw's career center (which, by the way, is so helpful if you're looking to find an internship or job), I was relieved to find out that I was working with three other DePauw students this summer!  We became such good friends and we are continuing to hang out this year!  
My projects in my department included creating a billing envelope, creating a billing insert and presenting a competitive collateral review of Allstate and its competitors.  Needless to say, I was very busy learning about the competitive marketing climate and creating new collateral items.  I cannot stop talking about how educational and fun this internship was!  But at the end of August, I was very ready to come back to the 'castle. 

My first two weeks here have been so busy - I feel like I haven't had time to sit down and relax!  My class schedule is not too hectic (although the work load outside of class will be very rigorous).  I'm taking Free Weights, Beginning Golf (to complete DePauw's gym requirement), International Media, History of Theatre and Media Criticism.  All I can say is that I'm going to be doing a lot of reading this semester...  Welcome to senior year!!

I'll blog soon about what's going on around campus (clubs, greek events, campus concerts, and much more!).  Feel free to send along your comments or any topics you want me to blog on!

Until next time,
Lizzy

Woah, hey, remember me?  I just returned from my amazingggg EuroTrip.  I came all prepared with my computer and everything, but none of our hostels had wireless. sad day.  So the next few posts will detail almost everything we did in each country.

Let me begin with Spain.

Madrid

Flying to Madrid was possibly one of the most exciting things I've done yet.  I flew with three friends, Kate, Jeanne and Rose, and we had NO idea what to expect when we got off the plane.  (I was especially nervous since the last time I spoke Spanish was in 7th grade...oops).  To our surprise, it was so warm out!!  We had been used to mildly cold, rainy Ireland and had completely forgotten that it's almost summer!  We took the underground tube from the airport and walked to our hostel. Even though I didn't speak the language, we did a really great job at finding our way around the city.  The first night there was so fun.  It was around 10pm by the time we settled in and were craving some good Spanish cuisine.  We wandered the streets for a bit until we found a cute, but pratically empty, restaurant.  Not knowning what anything on the menu said (other than 'pizza', 'pasta' and 'salade'), we ordered a TON of food so we could try everything.  The waiters were very patient as we fumbled our words, and even played the soundtrack to 'Grease' while we were eating.  Yes, Grease is very random.  I think it was the only American music they had in the cafe - but we didn't complain! We sang along to every song since we were the only people there!!
Getting up the next day we walked to the Reine Sofia (a museum), but it was closed.  :(  So we walked to Plaza Mayor and had our first coffee break.  These will be come a theme through our trip...  Here's Rose and I in the Plaza.  This was the first time we began to experience Spanish culture.  The music, the people, the clothes - it was so cool!  From here, we walked the city some more (in my opinion, this was the best way to see all of the cities we went to!).  Passed through Cathedrals, gardens, and ended up picnicking in a park.  After our picnic, we sunned (I don't even remember the last time I had seen the sun for more than 5 minutes...) and rented a row boat.  Kind of random, I know, but there was a huge pond where you could row with your friends!  Here's Jeanne and I rowing our boat.  (Insert "I'm on a boat" joke here).
Afterwards, we headed off to the Prado museum, saw some famous art pieces, and headed off to dinner.  Somewhere between the Prado and dinner I sprained my ankle.  Ouch!  So for the rest of the trip I rocked tennis shoes and an ace bandage with all of my clothes. Nice!
That night we went to a mojito bar (so fun) and headed back to the hostel for an early morning the next day.

Barcelona

We arrived in Barcelona around noon after our 3 hour train ride.  **Travel tip: buy all train tickets in advance so you don't have to pay 150 euro for a first class seat. Yep, it happened to me**  Dropping all of our things off in the hostel, we walked to Park Guell, a park designed by Gaudi.  It was beautiful!  Then we walked to Sagrada Familia, a temple also designed by Gaudi.  All of my friends LOVED the Sagrada Familia, but I was a little less than impressed.  Yes, the architecture was fabulous, but it was currently under construction and I had to pay 10 euros to see it completely gutted.  If you get a chance to go to Barcelona, go see this at night.  I hear its absolutely stunning.
Walking around the city, I could definitely tell that Madrid and Barcelona were verrry different cities.  I got an older Spanish vibe from Madrid, where Barcelona was very modern.  This could have been the part of the city I stayed in.  And I'm no travel expert.  But I definitely liked the old-town feel of Madrid.
After the Sagrada Familia, we met up with some friends for the best seafood dinner I've ever had.  Everything was fresh (the lobsters were still alive!) and made to order!  We had a great time reflecting on our travels and planned what we were going to do the next day!  We were having so much fun that we ended the night with some gelato at another restaurant.
The next day, we went to the Picasso museum.  This is a must see for anyone traveling to Barcelona.  It was easily my favorite museum in the city.  Then we headed down to the main shopping road in Barcelona for some good old fashioned people watching.  There were street performers, artists, and tons of people out enjoying the sunny day!  We ended the day by heading down to the marina and enjoying the ocean view.  That night, we hopped on a train to Montpellier, France.

Well hello there! I'm titling this post 'loving life' because I'm realizing how much I am loving my life abroad. Now that my time here is coming to an end, I'm becoming so thankful to everyone who encouraged me to study abroad. (I almost didn't go abroad because I was SO scared.)
Last week, my boyfriend came to visit for nine days on DePauw's spring break.  It was so nice to see him!  We did the blarney stone (I kissed it for the THIRD time), and traveled to London for three days.  This time in London, I toured museums and went and saw Avenue Q.  It's a musical about the up's and down's of life...sung through puppets.  It was so funny!
As of right now, I'm officially done with my classes.  DONE.  Well, until May when I have finals.  But we get a one month 'study break'.  So being the good student that I am, I'm taking a 21-day European adventure!!  Monday, I'm heading off to Madrid.  I'm going with four of my closest girlfriends (Kate, Rose, Jeanne and Mary-Kate).  Our travel schedule is Madrid - Barcelona - Nice - Montpellier - Calvi - Bastia - Rome.  I then will fly back to Dublin and meet my parents who are going to visit me for 10 days!! We are going to Dublin - London - Normandy - Paris.  Needless to say, I'm so absolutely excited (and terrified!).  I think this will be a fabulous way to end my five months abroad.

I still have so much to do before my trip (book trains, pack, schedule for my senior year classes...).  So I best be getting back to work.  But don't worry, I'm going to try and bring my computer along so I can blog along the way!

Lizzy

PS - this post is dedicated to Sarah Skalla. Welcome to the DePauw Class of 2013!! :)

Oh wow.  I have good reasons as to why I have not blogged in a long time - my life has been SO busy with school, friends and interviews for internships!

School is really picking up.  Suddenly I feel like I'm going from zero homework to massive essays and exams next week! ah!  The difference between school here and back at home is that at UCC, we have 1 exam that determines our grade.  Just ONE!!!  I never thought I would appreciate quizzes, participation points, and exams before the final!  Oh DePauw...how I miss you...

Last week, two DePauw friends of mine came to visit.  Julie Southworth is interning at the Parliament in London (how sweet is that?!) and Emily Watts is studying abroad in Wales for the semester.  As much as I adore my friends that I have made here in Cork, it was a nice change to be able to talk about Alpha Phi, DePauw and all the gossip we've been hearing from our friends back at home.  We kept busy by traveling to see the Jameson Irish Whiskey Distillery (where Emily and I were the official taste-testers haha), going out for some fantastic traditional Irish meals, and kissing the Blarney stone!  I hope that I aquire double the "gift of gab" by kissing the stone twice... :)  It was so nice to see them again and catch up with what we're doing abroad.  I love that we are all having completely different experiences and learning so much about ourselves. But we all have one thing in common - we miss DePauw!!  Senior year is going to rock!

Summer news: I got a summer internship!!  Woohoo!  I applied to two companies this summer looking for a marketing internship.  I interviewed at Allstate (where I am going to be working) the day before I left for Cork (waaaay back in january).  And for the other internship, I had two phone interviews.  I haven't heard back from them yet, but I will be sending them an email this week notifying them of my acceptance of another job.  I am so excited!!  I will be working in the Chicagoland area - so that means I get to live at home!  Summer is going to be fantastic.  I'm going to learn a TON from working as a marketing intern and I'm going to get to reunite will all of my high school friends.  It's going to be great...

Plans for the next two weeks:
- work work work! 5 finals before March 24
- It's St. Patricks Day March 17!  Irish breakfasts, parades, hanging out...so fun!
- Justin is coming to visit March 20-29!!
- We're taking a trip to London March 25-27

Needless to say, I'm a busy girl!  So I best be getting back to work.
I'll keep you all updated on my travels!

lizzy

All the signs were there: no cars, no people, nothing.  But did we notice?  Nope.

On a whim, my friends and I decided to travel to Ardmore, a small town an hour away from Cork.  But when purchasing our tickets, the bus driver said, "Why are you going to Ardmore??"  We completely disregarded his confusion, and looked forward to a fun day.  And while it wasn't anything like we expected, it ended up being something I will never forget. 
After getting off the bus, we found ourselves on a deserted street.  It was an amazing feeling to have the town to ourselves.  While waiting for shops to open, we decided to explore the Cliff Walk. We saw a lot of fun castles and wells, but the best part was the amazing scenery.  The smell of the ocean and the rolling Irish hills were breathtaking. But after 2.5 hours, we were hungry and cold! Walking back into town, we planned to get a bite to eat. That plan quickly failed when we realized that everything was still as deserted as it was that morning.  It now made sense why our bus driver inquired as to why we decided to go to Ardmore.  Apparently the entire town shut down for the winter and wasn’t reopening until the following week. Oops...one week to early.
But this situation left us with a tinyproblem: we had 3 hours until the bus picked us up. Picking up snacks at the small convenience store, we headed down to the only pub open and bought a pint.  What else were we to do?? We spent the entire afternoon playing cards and hanging out until the bus arrived. Those three hours were more fun than I could have ever expected... I mean, what else would you have done?
     (standard 'jumping pic')  (the town. one street. no stoplight. CLOSED.)

I'm off to Galway for the weekend!  Happy Valentine's Day!

-Lizzy

In Ireland, there is one week dedicated to everything traditionally Irish.  This week is called 'Trad Fest', and my two friends and I decided to celebrate it in Dublin. It was hands down the craziest weekend so far this semester (in a good way, of course).  Let me tell you about it...
Day One:
Arriving in Dublin, we first stopped at our hostel.  I was a bit nervous about staying in a hostel (let alone in a room with 15 other people), but it ended up being no big deal at all!  It was quite fun meeting other students traveling like us!  Our first tourist stop was Christ Church Cathedral - which was literally right outside our front door. Christ Church  is enormous and absolutely beautiful.  We were able to explore everything from the grounds to the crypt in the basement.  It was awesome.
   
After, we walked down to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. While I preferred Christ Church, St. Pat's was still absolutely gorgeous. Fun fact: It is the largest church in Ireland. Another cool fact is that Jonathon Swift (the author of Gulliver’s Travels) was buried inside of the cathedral.
Then, we headed off to what I was most excited to see - the Guinness Storehouse.  This was, hands down, the best part of the trip.  The compound itself is 64 acres and is the second largest brewery in the world!!  Needless to say, the self guided tour took us forever (aka 3 hours!). We saw everything from the ingredients to the final product.  At the end, we were given a complimentary pint in the bar at the top of the visitors center, where we could enjoy the 360 degree view of dublin.  Too bad it was dark and clouded over... As expected, the pint was one of the best pints of Guinness I think I'll ever have.  I mean, how fresh can you get?  Here I am, enjoying my complimentary pint...
 
After a long awaited dinner, we decided to head out to Temple Bar, the artsy-area of Dublin also known for its pubs. Because I turned 21 right before I came to Ireland, the whole concept of going to pubs is so new to me...they are so cool!  We started off our night at Turks Head and later headed across the street to the Porterhouse. This pub had a fun, Irish atmosphere and it is known for their strawberry beer.  I decided to go out on a limb and try it -- and it wasn't that bad!  I'm glad the beer was recommended to us because the Porterhouse offers over 150 types of beer (I think one could spend the whole night just reading the menu...)
Day Two:
The next day we were up and out by 8:30, heading to Kilmainham gaol. On the tour, we were brought through the different wings of the jail and we saw the jail cells where many famous Irish rebels were held before they were executed. It was so cool to see where the leaders were kept.  We ended the tour in the Stonebreakers yard.  This is where all executions had occured. Here is a photo of the inside of the jail.  If it looks familiar to you, it probaby is.  It has been the stage of many popular movies...

After the jail, we were then off to Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty Library. The second floor of the library was called the 'Sacred Traditions Gallery' which was one of my favorite sites in Dublin. The floor was separated into East Asian religious traditions (Buddhism, Daoism, etc) and Christianity.  Among the religious materials displayed, I saw ORIGINAL sections of the Gospels, the Qur'an, traditional dress and much more. The reason that I loved this so much was because I just finished a class at DePauw dedicated to the study of East Asian religions and Christianity.  To be honest, I never thought knowledge of these religions would ever help me in an everyday situation such as touring a library.  But I'm so glad I was able to take the class because I had such a deep appreciation for each of the texts, clothes, and pictures displayed.  It was sooo cool! 
Afterwards we walked back to Dublin castle for the guided tour. Because of so many fires, the castle is now a palace used for royal occassions (Presidential Balls, etc). I loved looking at the huge Waterford Crystal chandeliers and the amazing detail in each room. Here are some pictures of the Castle.
 
The Jameson Distillery, home of the famous Irish Whiskey, was next on our tour. To be honest, I hated the tour (Guinness' was much better). But at the end of the tour the guide asked for volunteers to do an official 'taste test'.  My friend participated.  She was the only one NOT to pick Jameson as the best whiskey.  oops... 
In celebration of traditional Irish culture, we dedicated our night out to Trad Fest.  Every pub we went to had Irish performers.  There were people dancing inside, on the street - the city was so alive! It was great craic (craic = fun)!
Day Three:
In a hurry to finish touring the city, we stopped by the GPO (General Post Office), Trinity College, Bank of Ireland and the Leinster House. There was still so much to do in so little time!  After completing everything, we decided to walk through Temple Bar one last time.  This is where my day got interesting...  We first went into the Purty Kitchen. There was a band singing a lot of traditional songs.. So exciting and fun. But there was one song that everyone knew but us… And the singer went around with a mic and had random people sing… He asked ME to sing but since I didn’t know the words he brought me up on stage and made me sing the ‘American’ version (aka sing "la" to every word haha). It was so embarrassing, but the band was so nice and I got a big round of applause when I got off the stage.  I will definitely remember it forever. After my solo performance, I bolted out of there (I was so embarrassed) and walked around the city some more. We found A Ceili, a traditional irish dancing session, going on in the square.  Then, they started pulling people into the center to dance...and guess who was pulled in. ME.  I guess my bright, red hair draws attention to me...  Needless to say, I got a hang of the steps fairly quickly and danced the rest of the afternoon away! (Here I am singing in the pub and dancing in the city!)
  
What a way to end my Dublin trip!

-LP

  Last week, my friends and I decided to take two day trips to cities close by.  The first day, we went to this little fishing town, Cobh (pronounced 'Cove'), about 20 minutes away.  It was adorable!  This was the first town I had been to here that really blew me away by it's charm.  What makes Cobh famous is that it was the last stop before the Titanic sank.  Pretty cool, huh?  We went through a museum dedicated to the city's heritage and learned a lot about the Titanic and the impact it had on the town.  What I loved most about Cobh was that all of the houses were different colors and some of the streets had funny names like "House of Cards".  This was a street that was so steep, if you took a picture the right way, all of the houses would look like they were falling over...like a deck of cards.  Here's a picture of my roommate Becky and I on the House of Cards.  And what Irish city is complete without a rainbow?  (You can faintly see it in the background.  Fun, huh?)
     
  A few days later, we took a 2.5 hour bus ride to Waterford, Ireland - the home of Waterford crystal.  If you do not know what Waterford crystal is, I definitely recommend you get some for yourself...it's gorgeous!  Not only is the crystal beautiful, but the bus ride there was breathtaking.  We passed by mountains, rivers, and the most green farmland I've ever seen.  Amazing.  When we got there, we unfortunately found that there wasn't much to do (but that's the point of traveling, right?  We just wanted to experience the town for ourselves).  We toured a museum, walked around the city, and ended our day at the Waterford Crystal factory.  This was by far the best part of the trip.  To be honest, I don't know what I was thinking at the time, but I didn't take ANY pictures of the inside!!  Dumb, right?  All I can tell you is that the visitors center was blinding by how much crystal was on the shelves.  I was in heaven :)  I ended up buying a 7" Araglin cut bowl.  I'm so excited!!!  And what's more is that last Friday, they closed the factory...maybe for good.  So I was one of the last tours to go through the factory.  Now that definitely makes for a good story.
  Taking a step back, I've realized that I am learning more and more about myself everyday.  I've begun enjoying the freedom of traveling on a whim, planning my days, and slowing down to enjoy the town I'm living in.  I am beginning to think this is the point to Study Abroad.  It's not just to take classes, but to learn about yourself.  And I'm definitely beginning to do that.
  Next stop - Dublin!

- Lizzy

  Hey everyone!  I'm still blogging from Ireland, and loving every moment of it - but I'm beginning to miss DePauw a lot.  Life just isn't the same without my friends from school!
  Last week was the recruitment week for all of the sororities and fraternities on campus.  This is quite possibly my most favorite week out of the year because 1. you get to talk to the most interesting people 2. you can feel the excitement on campus 3. each sorority gets a new pledge class, and with that comes friends for life.  And hearing everyone's stories from this week makes me wish that I could have been there...
  With some major facebook stalking (haha!) I found some pictures of Alpha Phi Sorority's rush.   
(1st pic: girls before Preference Round.  2nd pic: all dressed up for Bid Day!  3rd pic: Alpha Phi's new pledge class!)
  For those who don't know what recruitment is, it is a week where freshman or sophomore students get to go to each fraternity (for boys) or sorority (for girls) and see if they want to join a greek house.  There are three rounds and it takes about one week.  Some girls can get nervous, but that's not the point of it at all!  All it really is is going to different houses to meet girls, and to find where you fit in.  My freshman year, I knew that I liked Alpha Phi sorority because that is where I felt most comfortable.  There are six sororities: Alpha Phi, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta (the first sorority ever!), Delta Gamma, Alpha Chi Omega and Pi Beta Phi. 
  Recruitment is different at every school.  What a truly love about DePauw's recruitment week is the bonding that happens between every girl.  Whether you're going through rush, or are taking part in rush as a greek member, you bond with those around you.  I guess I took for granted the friends that I have at DePauw, because I feel a little lost without them here with me.  At DePauw, I really have found my friends for life, and not being able to share in this experience with them makes me miss DePauw that much more...
  If you're on the fence about joining in on the recruitment process, do not worry!  Recruitment happens right after Winter Term (or at the beginning of second semester) - so you have a whole semester to get to know upperclassmen in each house.  **This is why I love how DePauw does recruitment - it's so much less stressful than if you had to rush right when you get to school without knowing anyone!!**  And even if you go through recruitment, you can drop out at anytime.  Remember: DePauw is 70% greek.  And while that is a high number, there are still 30% of students who choose NOT to join a house.  At DePauw, you find friends regardless of greek affiliation, sports team, or club.  This week is just something I find very fun to participate in, but I was never pressured to participate in it.
  That's all for now!  Be sure to check in soon for more of my adventures in the Emerald Isle!
-Lizzy

"There is a stone there, that whoever kisses, Oh! he never misses, To grow eloquent"

One of the amazing things about being in Cork is that I am surprisingly close to so many Irish historical monuments.  On a day trip last week, I was able to take a 20 minute bus ride to Blarney, Ireland, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.  It is said that when one kisses the Blarney Stone, you are then given the gift of eloquence (see quote above).
When we first arrived in Blarney, it looked like the average small town in Ireland.  But when you walk a few minutes beyond an entrance of trees, you enter a clearing that gives way to this enormous castle!  (Well, alright, it is probably not the largest castle out there, but with this being the first castle I've seen...I was really impressed!) 
First thing on our list was to kiss the Blarney stone.  What I wasn't aware of was that the stone is located at the top of the castle - and it is in the wall.  This news was somewhat alarming to me because as much as I wanted to kiss the stone, I have a terrible fear of heights.  But after taking a few minutes to weigh my options, I realized that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  I have to kiss the stone!! 
Climbing up the stairs of the castle was a bit of a challenge, but on each floor we were able to stop and explore all of the rooms which was very interesting.  The staircase was SO narrow and all there was to hold on to was a rope in the middle of the spiral staircase - so scary!  But at the top, there were gorgeous views of farmland and little towns.  Here I am at the top of the castle.
When it was time to kiss the stone, I had to learn the "art of the kiss" as one of the men called it.  You first sit down on a mat and taking one of your hands, a man who is there to help you places it behind you on a pole attached to the castle.  Doing the same with your other hand, you then lean back, going down as far as you can go, and kiss the stone.  While it seems easy, it took me a moment to go through with it (I was so scared of falling!)  But I did it.  You know, the Travel Channel lists kissing the Blarney Stone as one of the 99 things you should do before you die.  Check one off my list!  Here I am kissing the stone, and my reaction after I did it (I guess it was really windy...)

Afterwards, we descended down the narrow staircase and ventured into the acres upon acres of forest that surround the castle.  There were waterfalls, small ponds, and beautiful gardens that went on forever.  It was truly magical.
So if any of you ever want to travel to Ireland, this should most definitely be a stop on your journey.  It was awesome!

Next, I'm off to explore Cobh (pronounced 'Cove') which was the last stop of the Titanic, and Waterford - home of the famous crystal factory.

Enjoy!

Alright, so I know I haven't written in a while (...a long while), but that is because school is winding down and my workload is increasing as each week passes.  I have found as I get older, the classes get harder, the work load increases, but I'm learning so much for.  For example, in my Economics class, I'm doing a regression project looking at how Apple iPod sales affect its overall stock price.  Kind of cool, right?  I think so.  By the end of this semester, I will have accomplished more than I could have ever imagined in my four classes...  :)  Yeah DePauw classes!











Outside of my schoolwork, the last weeks of school have been filled with so many campus activities!  One of my favorite parties has been Sigma Chi Fraternity's 'Country Club'.  The premise is that everyone gets to dress up in their preppiest clothes and hang out (like at a country club haha).  You can dress as a member of the club, a worker at the club...I even saw a girl dressed as an 'emo' daughter who didn't want to be a member. haha! Here are some pictures from the night...So fun!

OK - back to work.  More to come soon!
Lizzy

Called "Small College Football at its Finest", the Monon Bell game is the biggest football game of the season.  It is a football game played against Wabash College, an all boys college in Crawfordsville, IN, as the last game of the season.  (Fun fact: the Monon Bell rivalry is the oldest college rivalry in the country west of the Appalachian Mountains)  This is quite possibly my most favorite week of the school year for several reasons:
1. The entire school comes together for the whole week
2. So many events go on during the week to prep for the game
3. Our PEP RALLY! aka Ring Sing (a philanthropy put on by Alpha Chi Omega sorority)

All in all, this week is all about school spirit - and I love it (especially the pep rally!)  Ring Sing is when all fraternities, sororities, dance clubs and football team get together to prep for the game.  Each fraternity pairs up with a sorority and choreograph a dance that has to do with the Monon Bell football game.  Click here to see the dance we put together (Alpha Phi and Phi Kappa Psi) or check out the picture of us reaching for the Bell!  This year we did a "Men in Black" themed dance.  It was SO FUN. Then the football coach gets up, revs us up for the game, and we sing the DePauw fight song.  Why wouldn't you love this?!?


Expect another post soon about the game tomrorow!  GO TIGERS!

LP

Wow - what a weekend it has been!  As promised, I come with updates (and pictures!)
Friday night was the night of Delta Upsilon Fraternity's formal.  It was held at Fountain Square Theatre in Indianapolis   (they also offer swing dancing every other Friday... so fun)!  Here's a picture of the sign as we pulled up in our limos (...I think they had a little spelling mistake...hehe.  And don't think we're weird for putting our hands on our head like that.  It's something we do in Alpha Phi (It's called the Phi-Bear)).  We had dinner and danced the night away for almost 5 hours!  Here are some more pictures of my friends and me at the dance!  We ended the night with a bite to eat at Steak 'n Shake headed to bed in the most comfortable hotel beds I've ever been in... :)
Even though I didn't think it was possible, Saturday was even better.  My sorority, Alpha Phi, held our annual 'Dad's Day' event - complete with tailgating, a DPU home football game, happy hour and dinner.  My dad arrived around 11am to have a quick bite to eat at the sorority house, and then we headed early to the game to tailgate.  What we weren't expecting, was how cold..no...FREEZING it was going to be.  I'm guessing it was probably 30 degrees - but that did not stop the tigers from tailgating!!  We beat Rhodes 28-12...and next week is the MONON BELL game.  Monon is one of my most favorite DePauw traditions.  Monon is a football game we play every year against Wabash College.  This year the game is at Wabash - and we're going to win! But I digress from Dad's Day....
After the football game, we took our Dads to the Fluttering Duck, a sports bar and grill located on campus, for a happy hour and buffet dinner.  It was so nice to have my Dad here, meeting all of my girlfriends and their Dad's.  After dinner (and a quick nap) we took our Dad's out.  Here is a picture of some of my friends and their Dads.  After a long night, we ended at Marvin's, a local DePauw hotspot famous for thier GCB's (Garlic Cheese Burgers).  I dropped my Dad off at the Walden Inn, a quaint hotel located on campus, and went back to Alpha Phi for a much needed sleep.
Sunday was all about catching up on homework and watching the Green Bay Packers football game (we lost to the Vikings). 

This weekend was all about formals, family and football... It really could not have been more perfect.  Get ready for MONON this Saturday 11.15.08. Tune in to ESPN to watch the DePauw Tigers beat the Little Giants at Wabash.

Get excited!

When I give tours, one of the most common questions is "What do students do on the weekends? Do they stay in Greencastle or go to Indy?"  My answer is - students at DePauw get the best of both words...they can do both!  And the past few weekends here have been a great example of that.

Over the summer, my friend and I decided to plan a huge concert at DePauw.  We called it "TIGERSTOCK" (think: Woodstock...but because we're the DePauw Tigers...get it?)  It was a philanthropy event that would raise money for the American Heart Association and Big Brothers, Big Sisters -- and a TON of people showed for the BBQ and concert!  Three bands came to campus, and they were awesome!  To see one of the artists who came to campus, here is a video of Andrew Hoover.  Check him out, he's awesome.
Things I loved about this event: it was on campus!!, it involved everyone (first year - senior), BBQ, music, friends, and it was a whole lot of fun.  Next year when we have TIGERSTOCK II, you are totally invited.

This upcoming weekend, I am traveling to Indianapolis for a formal.  One of the things I love about fraternity formals is that they go to lots of different cities!  Over my three years here, I have been to Cincinnati, St. Louis (twice),and Indianapolis.  I will keep you updated of the events of this weekend, but expect stories of dinner, dancing and a good 'ole night on the town! It's going to be a good one!

So if you ever have any concerns about Greencastle or Indianapolis, just keep this post in mind!  Because at DePauw, you get the best of both worlds - a nice, quiet down to have fun and a big city near by to explore day or night!

Until next time,
LP