Tick Tock

I feel like my blog has changed tones recently. I usually would only post when I had stories or revelations I thought were entertaining but now I seem just to summarize my week...

Anyways this week has been quite an exciting one for me. I finally got published - a requirement for one of my classes but still I did it. It has to be one of the best feelings seeing your name in print at the byline. The story was less than exciting it was about composting at a high school, I think the only people who read through the WHOLE thing were related to me. If you are so inclined you can check it out here (scroll down). Also this week I got elected to the Journalism Student Association which seems bigger than it really is since I ended up running uncontested. BUT I am still pretty excited even if I am the secretary. I found out over an email that was headed by this: "If you're getting this email than you've been elected into the JSA. Huzzah!" It is a very formal association as you can see.
So school is coming into its final hours and I cannot believe I have finished my first year of university. It is such a scary thought. The only thing standing between me and camp at this point is two major assignments and three barely important exams. On one hand I can't wait for summer... on the other I wouldn't be all that upset if time slowed down because I am not sure I am ready to be in Year 2.

A Day of Past and Present

There is something about doing an interview that makes me exhausted. Every time I finish one I feel like I deserve an hour or five hour break before I start homework again. So dumb seeing as I have tons due this week.

Anyways aside from the homework I've got to do, I decided I would 'involve' myself in the school and I am running for Secretary of the JSA (journalism student association). This is quite unlike me but I am really excited anyways! But in Emily fashion out of five available positions mine is the only one where there is more than one person running. How typical. Not that I am not up for some good competition... because I am! If I do get elected I might need to invest in a laptop battery that lasts more than 20 minutes or in a mac. ALSO people I need you to weigh in on what you think my campaign colour should be. The thing is purple and green would be my first choice but the CSU have clearly overkilled that. So SUGGESTIONS? (leave comments with colour choices!) Ya JSA!

So aside from University drama, for a feature I am doing for the school paper I had to visit my high school to learn about composting. See I graduated in 2006, not very long ago by any standards. EXCEPT the school has completely changed. There is a new lunchroom, and added floor, a brand new second gym, a stage, a weekly podcast, a "green" initiave and you now choose a 'major'... as if I had any of those things. Also I can't forget to mention that there is a whole new set of teachers who were up-downing me trying to figure out why I wasn't in uniform vs the old teachers who barely recognized me and also were trying to decide where my uniform was.
They really mean it when they say you can't go home again.

Friday Night.

Living at home while going to University is always sort of a buzz kill. This friday night, a few of us decided to live it up and head out. Our first stop was McGill rez where a friend from camp lives and then our plan was to go to a McGill party. This is not a stereotypical way for me to spend my weekend but I figured it is about time I left my house.

So we get to rez where I notice that everyone is dressed up in costumes. Oh? Well fun fact... the party is a Time Warp where you choose a decade to represent. Great to know that instead of some blouse and boots I could be perfectly dressed in a off the shoulder sweatshirt, converse and a sideways pony tail! I was pretty devastated and have still not gotten over it. Clearly I should have checked the facebook event FML
But the party was really fun!..which is an even bigger surprise considering I was the designated driver and I danced. The thing is I DO NOT DANCE ever...especially sober.
So anyways I left the party feeling rather 'old' since there were tons of under 18s binge drinking and puking all over the pace. I guess they still haven't learnt their limit yet. I remember those days... not actually since I was always too scared to go out when I was 16 because I looked 12 which embodies my Saturday Night...

Summing it Up

A friend pointed out that my blog has lacked substance lately. I agreed, so decided to share a few of the things that made my week oh so pleasant.

Tuesdays there is always a conference for first year Journalism students. This week we had the lucky treat of having recent journalism graduates from 06/07 who are currently "working journalists". I was so impressed one worked at the Gazette, another at Global, CTV, Chom, and CJAD. After they introduced themselves and spoke about their careers, I was so inspired. They then spoke about how they haven't had a weekend or summer in two years and shared embarrassing moments and career costing mistakes they have made. Hearing their first hand accounts and their honesty of bad experiences freaked me so much that after the conference I was ready to switch into psychology.

Signing onto facebook and seeing a friend request is something I used to look forward to. However, recently there has been an epidemic of campers adding me. I mean this is expected in August and September but by October I thought I was free from 10-12 year old girls requesting my facebook friendship. Clearly I was wrong. Not only do they add me 100X a day, but they flood my newsfeed, and my photo albums so that I can no longer do any discreet/effortless stalkage.

Public transport was my worst enemy wednesday. I had my first university midterm at 1015 downtown. I left at 915 more than enough time to get there and get a little studying in before the exam. But instead the bus arrived at 925 so full that standing on top of someone was the only option. Of course, a crowded bus is expected at rush hour but not when you live on the route's second stop. Hoping to do a little refresher on the bus was clearly no longer an option. I dealt with my frustration by realizing I still had the metro portion where I could do a little studying. So I get to the metro and hop on the cart just in time to hear that the orange line is down for an undetermined amount of time. Cool. It is now 9:40 and my class and midterm are so soon that I begin to freak out and contemplate heading out to find a cab. I decide to wait it out but I'm so nervous that I will miss my exam, that studying while waiting is no longer an option. I decide I will wait two more minutes. It is now 9:47 and I can no longer wait. As I am about to get up and go, the doors thankfully shut. But by then I am so nervous I stare at my watch the entire rest of the ride. With no studying done, I get to my exam just in time. This seems like a happy ending unless you know anything about me which means emily + nerves = death. I will be surprised if i get more than 25% on my midterm. Fun times.

So I don't really think this vent session counts as substance but it is a little more personal than my Top 3s. I am just thankful that tomorrow is Friday. Hopefully the weekend will bring me and this blog some more excitement...

Goodbye Summer

Today was the big day...
I had my first Journalism class: Writing and Reporting I.

I was hoping that one of the assignments would be to start a blog but my teacher informed us that it is a newspaper writing course. Print journalism only! Guess not then.

Highlights included getting the window seat on the shuttle bus, making my first University friend and surviving the heat in my jeans.

Bad vibe of the day was being awoken by a phone call at 5:30am from a blocked sender. When I answered, I overheard two girls with familiar voices in a conversation about a topic I no longer remember. After saying "hello" to no response, I assumed it was a pocket call by strangers. BUT NO! Moments later this girl on the other end screeched and said "Oh no! I just called Emily White". Then, they hung up before I could ask who was there.

My curiosity concerning the mystery caller has ruined my life not to mention the fact that summer is officially over. Thankfully, I have Thursdays and Fridays off to recover from today's traumatic events.

Summer of '98

In June of 1998, I spent two weeks at YCC, a sleep-away camp up north. I was unaware then that these two weeks would determine where I spent the rest of my childhood summers. This past Saturday I returned home from my 11th straight summer at the Y Country Camp.

One would think that after over a decade at camp, I would be ready to move on in life. This is not the case...
In truth: I am addicted to camp.

This addiction seems a little childish considering I begin university in a little over a week. I am going into Journalism totally unprepared because I rarely write. Friend #1 Jamie thought a blog would be a good way to get me into the habit of writing daily. This seemed liked the perfect solution and with the help of friend #2 Bram, I created The Whiteboard - in hopes of becoming an avid writer.

Problem: it took me three days before I finally wrote something...