Today in the College of Design Lightfoot Forum [Atrium] there was a democratic rally featuring Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore! I heard about it on campus through the grapevine, and saw the advertisements through sidewalk chalk and posters on walls and columns. I thought it would be a great chance to get informed on some issues [since I usually avoid politics- too messy and sensitive to discuss with others for the most part], so I went, and I really enjoyed it!

For the first hour and a half I was there, people were piling in by the handful, and then it got really full around 4:15pm [an hour and fifteen minutes after the rally was actually advertised to start] and then Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore arrived, ready and willing to volunteer their time to travel around the country talking to college students about their choice in a presidential candidate, Barack Obama. I’m not necessarily advocating for Obama through this post, and I most certainly have no idea who I’m voting for, even at this exact moment, but I really like the fact that our campus hosts events such as this and allows college students to be active participants in the process that determines what government will dictate their soon-to-be future.

The rally was supported by the Obama campaign, interns on campus, as well as the club ISU Democrats, who keep democrats on campus informed of not only presidential elections, but county commissioner elections, governor elections, even house of representative and senate elections. I liked the fact that students ran the rally, were responsible for organizing the TV and radio crews to be there, as well as any other personnel needed to make this event a possibility. I took pictures [check out my Flickr!] and also some videos [see below for Ashton and Demi's entrance!] as well as my vimeo account where you can find their discussions on issues and their beliefs as far as the presidential campaign.

Enjoy, and as always, if you have questions, comments or concerns, please leave me a comment and let me know what’s up! I always look forward to talking with prospective students and giving them the inside scoop on being a college student, especially an out of state one from the great state of Texas!!
 

9/28/08 ISU Obama Rally from lonestarcyclone on Vimeo.

Whether cracking open the books to cram for that Bio 255 exam that I should have started studying for two weeks prior to the test, or just looking for a quiet place to retreat to and gather my thoughts when life became a little hectic, an essential part of my life at Iowa State has been my varying study habits, and ultimately, my secret studying spots.

When you ask a college student, “where’s the best place to study?” they will take a minute, think about it and then ask what you are studying. If you are studying just to socialize and hang out, people will tell you 2^nd floor library, or the Memorial Union Patio; but, when it comes to the important stuff, like exams, research papers, and data projects, overwhelmingly people will have completely different [and often strange] answers. I asked a few of my friends where they prefer to study and I received answers varying from the pretty safe and typical “my room, usually,” to “the chairs right inside Bessey Hall, ‘cuz no one ever goes there,” and last but not least, “I pretty much live in Tier 4 of the library; the cubicle should have a plaque in my name, dedicated to the time I spend bonding with it.” In my two years here at Iowa State, I’d like to think I’ve had a relationship with different study spots, and they’re proven useful until I cheat on them with another, and just decide to move on.

[Wow. That’s a dorky sentence, now that I think about it.]

Freshman year it was all about the library computer cubicles. I had just received a Dell laptop from my parents before I went to college, but unfortunately, it fell off of my desk during a large lecture and the screen broke. Just my luck, Dell was switching customer service computer servers, so my poor computer ended up lost in the wrong warehouse with the wrong confirmation number on it, and I know it just had a hopeless feeling that it would never find it’s way back to me. For five months during my freshman fall semester, I would walk over to the library after marching band, and then find my usual cubicle spot and would proceed to finish my homework. I would spread my backpack, my books, anything else I needed on the table and presume to absorb as much knowledge as I could. That worked well until freshman spring semester, when I got my computer back [finally] and began studying in my dorm room.

After I came back from my first summer as college student, I started studying middle of campus. Central campus is a HUGE green area in the middle of the university where there’s only trees and grass and the campanile. I would lay out on a blanket, or even just the grass. What’s nice about central campus is the openness- there’s no buildings or anything. The university has deemed it illegal to build anything on it since students enjoy it so much, and it is just so darn comfortable. I can get wireless from the flagpole, and there’s always people walking around or playing Frisbee, or even taking a nap. It’s enjoyable to be in the midst of people without having to interact with them. It makes you feel like you’re in the middle of something- like you belong there intentionally.

BUT, I think I’ve found the perfect study spot.
Unless it’s raining, or snowing,
but I’ll tackle that problem when I come to it . . .

The tri-way bench area next to Lake LaVerne is by far my FAVORITE spot. It’s calm with a nice breeze, people walk by but too many people, and the swans and geese swim around and enjoy life about 10 yards away. There are three benches to lay out stretch my legs, and I get wireless on my computer from central campus. The sun hits just right so I can see my Mac book screen, but it’s not in my eyes, either.

This may sound silly, but I’d say where you study is just as
important as how you study, so until next time . . .

Seanna

[How do you study? Inside, outside, light, dark, sitting, laying down, desk, table, bed, floor?] 

Well, the Cy-Hawk Series was as competitive as ever, as strong and stubborn, and even though we did NOT win [like we did last year] it was still a great road trip band experience, and I loved working with the staff and being around the ISUCF’V'MB. The whole weekend we didn’t march [neither at Cedar Rapids nor Iowa] because of rain, but in Iowa the excuse was that Kinnick Stadium didn’t want us to mess up their field. With what, our cletes!? [We secretly have spikes in our marching shoes, just to spite competing teams and their fake turf.] ;) Oh well. I loved the trip, and I love Cyclone football. We may have lost, but I will never miss the chance to cheer my team on, especially when they are on hostile territory.

In my previous post I mentioned the early time we took off from our hotel [3:30am!!!] and picked up the rest of the band at Linn Mar High School, and we arrived at Kinnick Stadium [University of Iowa's football stadium] around 5:45am. We hung out in the trucks [the buses with the band members hadn't arrived yet because there were like seven of them in the caravan] so the drum majors and staff just decided to take a nap. 

We woke up about 45 minutes later, and hung out for a while more until it was time to get dressed and unload breakfast for the band members. It was drizzling but not too bad, so I just wore my raincoat. By theend of breakfast, around 8:30am, it was pouring, which made unloading drumline, sousa and rehearsal equipment AWESOME. My khaki pants were soaked, my blue blazer drenched, my hair and makeup grody . . . ahh, the true sign of a committed band member [all while running on one and a half hours of sleep, mind you, and 24 hours without a shower or a face wash].

There were tailgaters EVERYWHERE. Cyclones sitting with Hawks, Hawk tents next to our trucks, and a line of portable bathrooms right next to our budget truck, which was awesome . . . NOT. We had to have a staff member monitor the trucks at all times to make sure no fans [from either side] messed with our equipment, and eventually, a line formed behind the truck for the portable bathrooms. It was classy with a capitol “C,” let me tell you.

Anyway, we marched into Kinnick Stadium [which, by the way, is directly across from their Children's Hospital . . . weird] and took our place in the stadium seating. Which was pretty cramped, but funny to see when you looked around and saw everyone in yellow and black, and then there’s a crammed area of white and cardinal. We played awesome, of course, and they saying that “The Band Always Wins” rang true. I took video footage, which you should definitely check out, and also you can see the rest of the pictures I took [all 57 of them] on my Flickr page. I encourage you to check them out. I tried to capture a lot of different aspects of the game besides just the band, and yes, I even took pictures of the Iowa fans, their flags, and their bird-legged mascot [sorry, I am a Cyclone after all], Herky.

Cy and Herky actually had a showdown on the field [yes, our mascot that was named "The Most Dominant Mascot on Earth in last year's Capital Bowl], but in the end, mascots always make nice. While getting water for the band members in the locker room, however, the staff and a few band members found Herky’s head left unattended, which we seriously considered positioning in controversial pictures, such as underfoot a Cyclone fan, but used our better judgement and left him alone.

Plus, I’ve heard you can get sued for that- Herky’s not worth the trouble, believe you me.

As I said, we didn’t win, but after the game, the band marched back to the trucks and we started the long haul back to Music Hall in Ames, IA. We had our dismissal out the back of the drumline truck in the street outside Kinnick Stadium, grabbed our boxed KFC dinners [staff grabbed like ten extra . . . per person, hey the mashed potatoes are awesome!] and we hit the road. The boys kept themselves awake by making continuous references to movie quotes over our walkie talkies in the trucks and behaving, well, like boys. It wasn’t night, but we definitely saw a moon. That’s all I’m going to say. Working with all guys sure is interesting, and never a truer statement than there is never a dull moment. Jeff fell asleep with the walkie talkie talk button on, so for the longest time, the other truck thought we were making snoring noises on purpose over frequency 3. . .

We finally pulled into our parking lot at Iowa State around 7:45pm and it was home sweet home for the Iowa State University Cyclone Football Varsity Marching Band. After staff, drumline and sousaphones unloaded, it was 10:03pm when I reached my futon bed and crashed, not to wake up until 3:15pm the next afternoon.

So until next time,
Seanna

P.S.- I haven’t ever given up hope on the Cyclones, so I’m already getting ready to cheer them on in the CY-Hawk series next fall! BEAT IOWA!

  Well, today around 12:45pm we took off for Cedar Rapids, IA to start off our Cy-Hawk Weekend [which is the term we use for the game of Iowa State University vs University of Iowa, one of the biggest rivalries in college football, second or third only to Texas vs OU Weekend]. The staff and I loaded up the Budget trucks around 11:30am with the equipment we need for games, including ladders for conducting, the rehearsal sound system, walkie talkies, water jugs, cups, and all the drumline equipment and sousaphones. So it was Dan, Jeff and I in one budget truck, and Eric, Joe and Ross in the other [Anthony is from Cedar Rapids, so he drove there himself to see family]. BTW, this picture is of our three valiant drum majors [the one on the right is originally from Cedar Rapids, and Linn-Mar HS, too!].

After about three hours of driving, we finally arrived [while it was pouring rain, of course] and unloaded everything into the Linn-Mar High School Auditorium, and ate dinner! The Band Booster form Linn-Mar made us a potluck buffet dinner and it was AMAZING after such a long trip. Afterwards, we put our best feet forward and marched into the pouring rain and even though we couldn’t march, we played our halftime show while standing on the field. The high school band member actualls thought our rainboats were our uniforms, and many people liked them [why I do not know!!] but I quickly informed them these were merely to keep our uniforms from getting disgusting before the Iowa game the next day.

There were Hawk fans EVERYWHERE. Yelling and throwing things, little kids running around yelling “Go Hawks,” even toddlers wearing Hawk stuff. There were also Cyclone fans, but few and far between. It’s okay though. I may not like the University of Iowa, but they probably feel the same way about Cyclone fans, so you have to have people to have a huge rivalry, right? Doesn’t mean I like to look at a Hawkeye logo anymore than the next Cyclone, but I’ll live.

After the game, where Linn-Mar lost, all the band members went home with family members of the high school band. This is called a homestay, and apparently ISU did it a few years ago. All the band members really enjoyed it, and can’t wait to do it again if we ever repeat our Cedar Rapids visit in two years when the Cy-Hawk Series is in Iowa City again.

Staff and Drum Majors were fortunate enough to stay in a hotel, but by the time we loaded up the budget trucks and got back to the hotel, unloaded everything, get all our equipment charged and accounted for, it was about 1:30 in the morning. I finally got to sleep at 2:15am and woke up at 3:30am to load the trucks again and drive to Linn Mar HS to meet up with everyone else, and from there we departed for Iowa City for the game.

During the two [almost two and a half, yikes!] years of being a student here at Iowa State, I’ve learned different ways to study, how much time to devote to different classes, best ways to become easily distracted [when you get back from Christmas and you’ve got a shiny new DVD player and movies just begging to show off], and tips and tools for preparing for anything that comes your way academically. I will admit, I didn’t have to work too hard in high school- sure, it was hard at some points when it came to chemistry or physics [which to this day, I only remember the different colored pieces of paper attached to my tests with tutoring times listed], but I never truly had to trouble myself over cramming and studying for a test I knew wouldn’t affect my GPA all that much. I was academically competitive; to say the least in my defense, but studying in college is COMPLETELY different than in high school.

When I think about stress, I think about being overwhelmed, not necessarily busy.
I like being busy, but the key to not becoming stressed is planning my time,
and studying efficiently.

Work smart, not hard! 

But, when I do find myself stressed, I keep a few things in mind . . . 

• I remember that it’s just not that important. And even if it is, stressing about it is more likely to hurt than help. I just work slow and steady, doing the best I reasonably can. 
• I remember that all I can control is my effort, not the outcome of that effort. Once I’ve done my part, I let it go. Even if it doesn’t work out, I can survive.
• I listen to soft instrumental music while working. If that’s not permitted (even with headphones),  on the way to work, I listen, again and again, to the easiest-to-hum relaxing, short piece of music. It will become an “ear worm,” rolling around in my brain, meditatively, as I work.
• As soon as I start feeling stressed, I get up, stretch, and take three deep breaths.
• I take a five-minute walk, ideally in nature, but down the hall will do.
• I try to help someone with something I do know, so I don’t feel so bad about what I don’t.

ISU vs Kent State . . . first Saturday game of the season!

After last week’s victory, the ISUCF’V'MB was pretty excited, and Ames was alive and well in the spirit of our last win. We had rehearsal in the morning for band, and then kick off was at 6:00pm, so the staff and I were at Music Hall earlier in the morning, just to get everything ready since it was our first Saturday game. Our show for halftime was a Guitar Hero/Rock Theme, and so the student section really enjoyed that as well.

I love game day. It’s so cheesy, but I listen to Baby Bash’s “Cyclone” while I get ready in the morning to pump myself up. I’ve taken to enjoying the actual football game more and more as my years here at ISU go on. I am an avid football fan [I got that from my mother], and so I went from a devoted Cowboys fan to an even more devoted Cyclones [not that I wasn't always devoted . . . my family has been associated with Iowa State for YEARS]. I remember coming to Iowa twice a year every year for the longest time, so I’ve always wanted to go to football games, and I’ve loved every minute of game day here in Ames. The fans are so supportive, and it becomes a family tradition to tailgate before the game, stay til the end, and scream like crazy for your team. It feels like the entire stadium is connected, and it’s an amazing feeling!

ISU is notorious for their tailgating, especially families and celebrations on game day, and it’s fun to be a part of that, and play the fight song and for pep rallies, and just help people get excited as we march into Jack Trice for the game. I didn’t have my camera with me for this game either [doh!] BUT I took video [which is still in the process of being edited], so as soon as that’s ready, that will be posted here. I took some of the game, the people, the fans, and I think another staff member caught some of me conducting. Sneaky, those boys are.

I’ll let you know when it’s edited, and announce when it’s posted in this entry.

This game was special, because right after our halftime performance, the Lil’ Clone Club [comprised of children Cyclone fans] came on the field and stood for the fight song and our fanfare selection! They were so cute! We were scared there might be little lost Cyclones, but it was all good, and every Lil’ Clone was accounted for!! I’ve never heard of any other university that does this, but here in Cyclone Land, fans start early! =) We even had an apprentice for our twirler, a little girl that Emily has been teaching since the girl was four!

Since I didn’t have my camera this week, click here if you would like to see more pictures from cyclones.com! Next time I will have my own photos, no worries!

As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, send ‘em my way! That’s why I’m here!

Until next time,
Seanna

9/6/08 ISU vs Kent State #4 from lonestarcyclone on Vimeo.

9/6/08 ISU vs Kent State #7 from lonestarcyclone on Vimeo.

9/6/08 ISU vs Kent State #8 from lonestarcyclone on Vimeo.

I came home today, and realized something, my room is a P.O.S.

[a.k.a. Piles of Socks and Shoes]

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. . .

 As evidenced by the adjacent photo, I’m pretty sure that if my room wasn’t        rooted to the rest of the building it would take off and leave my laundry and    belongings, conveniently spewing them through the window, perhaps leaving  them more neat and arranged than I had them previously.

So if by some chance, I don’t return a phone call, or miss an email,
or you just can’t figure out where I am, I will give you one guess.

  Eric arrives today! I am at the hall desk anxiously awaiting his arrival . . . this    weekend we are celebrating his birthday, which is actually August 12th, but the    next time he is here, the weekend after the first week of school is when we are    celebrating our two year anniversary, so we thought it would be more cost    efficient for us to separate the two. I’m very excited to see him, it’s been a while-  well, at least in my book.

 The meeting with ZLR went well. I have an appointment next Friday to go in and do paperwork for taxes, payment purposes, etc., using an Iowa State vehicle. Eric and I will be checking Des Moines out this weekend so I can plan my route accordingly. I’m eager to get this project started- it’s ambitious, but more specs to come later once it is all official and on paper. (:

Summer is quickly coming to an end. ::sigh:: I was working with prospective students and thir families on a Campus Visit lunch today. Chatted with a couple and their son [an Iowa family, I almost choked on my grilled cheese when they told me they had never had an ISU alum in their family history] who seemed pretty interested, with no harsh feelings towards the Cyclones. Glad I didn’t bring up my family involvement, or my lot-buying uncle. The prospective was interested in biology and engineering, so we talked for a bit and then I hit the road for the hall desk.

Man, I’m starving, but I’ll have to wait to eat til tonight! Well, this will be a short post, mainly because I have a million loads of laundry to fold [yes, at the hall desk] and I need to take intermittent breaks to go clean my room. . .

Word to the Wise: Never eat a meal consisting of Medium Hot Sauce and Tostitos chips, never straighten your hair and expect it to stay that way in 70% humidity, and never ever forget to wash your hands after handling USPS mail.

I realize that Iowa State is not the best choice for every prospective student seeking higher education, but I have never heard of, experienced, or witnessed a more student-centered campus. I have never felt more welcomed at a school with as many students as a small town as I do here. It’s hard to believe when I hear statistics, because I feel like I go to school with the same twenty or so girls in my education classes. I became accustomed to life at Iowa State so quickly that ever since I have been here for my first day of classes, I have left no more than ten times in my two years. During my time at Iowa State campus shrank, professors begin to recognize me in class, and my friendships bloomed. I found my niche in college, and that’s here as an undergraduate student at Iowa State University.

I hope that I may offer a bit of guiding light and helpful advice to any high  school aged texan looking to expand his/her boundaries through this blogging experience. I hope any student who reads my writing takes comfort that yes, college may be a challenge, but it is worthwhile and can most certinaly be the best time of your life.

If someone were to ask me three things
I hope to achieve by reaching out to students in Texas,
I would most likely mention these three key points:

I hope I inspire prospective college students to be brave:
you make your future by deciding your path, so don’t take it lightly.

I hope I inspire prospective college students to make a step into the world: going to an out of state school is intimidating, yes, but if you choose wisely, it will feel like a home away from home. I have felt homesick, yes, but my college experience has helped me grow and mature in more ways than I could ever explain.

And last but not least, I hope to inspire prospective college students to never limit yourself. I made that decision, and it was the best one of my life. Trust yourself, have fun, and enjoy your life! College is where you shape who you will be in the future- aim for a destination and live the journey. Take it from me, it’s an amazing one.

[What are you looking for in a university/college?
What experiences do you hear about that you want to know about?
Feel free to leave comments, ask questions, request posts!]

So until next time,
Seanna