A New Chapter

So this new semester has certainly started with a lot of changes! I just moved into the new building (East Village). I love my new room. Along with moving, I have some amazing classes this semester: Zoology, Human Nature from the Feminist Perspective(PoliSci 306), Art History, Chemistry 142 (this one is not exactly so amazing... but I need it for my major) and golf (so much fun!).

Zoology is quite exciting. I never knew that sponges or jellyfish could be so fascinating! My political science class is also really cool. It's with Dr. Shapiro (my favorite professor and advisor)and I feel so enlightened after each class. We just finished reading "Medea" which I thoroughly enjoyed. Now we are reading "Lysistrata" which is amazing-ly funny. Art History is quite enjoyable. I've been traveling a lot, so most of the work that we study in class I have seen.

And I joined a sorority: GAMMA PHI BETA! I love it! The girls are awesome. We had our Chapter retreat this weekend, which was a lot more fun than I expected.

Well, got to get back to studying (Zoology exam on Thursday!).

Peace and love,
Lizzy

Vampires and Application Updates!

Great News! Oxford College has decided to extend our Regular Decision deadline until February 1st, 2010 to allow students more time to apply and complete their admission applications! Make sure you check your application status online to make sure your documents have been received.

In other news make sure you check out The Vampire Diaries this Thursday, January 21st at 8PM on the CW to see Oxford College on TV. The crews were on campus in October filming in our very own library! Take a look at some pictures of them filming on campus!

FIRST BLOG OF THE YEAR

Hey,

I know-I know, it's been forever since I last made a blog entry. For anyone who happens to follow this blog, I apologize. Last semester was a huge ordeal for me. Along with classes, I was also working as the Student Admissions Association Coordinator, a writing Tutor,and the Food Committee Chair of SGA. I also had a part in our school production of "Our Town", and I had to work on putting together our school paper. There's probably other stuff, but I won't bore you with the details. Needless to say, it was a rough semester, but I came through with good grades and am ready to leave it behind.

Anyway, Christmas was a lot of fun for me. I had the full series of both “The Wire” and “Battlestar Galactica” (both excellent shows which you should check out as soon as humanely possible). I had the whole extended family over (both of my sisters and their husbands) so I had to spend a lot of money on presents this year. The rate this is going, I’ll have no money left by the time my sisters start having kids! (this is all, of course, in jest).

So far, this semester seems to be going well. I’m currently taking Spanish 102, Film Studies and a class called Memoirs. What’s really cool about the Memoirs course is that we actually get to travel downtown every Wednesday to the Metro Women’s Prison in Atlanta and have class with some of the inmates. Our first venture will be this upcoming Wednesday, so I’ll let you all know how that goes.

Also, I finally ended up settling on a major (though this will probably change). I am now officially an English/Film Studies major.

Finally, since 2009 has come and gone, I figured I’d leave you guys with a list of my top ten favorite movies of the year. Feel free to comment on my choices or post some of your own! And, yes, I am aware Avatar is not on my list.

Catch ya’ll later!
Mark

TOP TEN OF 2009
1.Where the Wild Things Are
2.The Brothers Bloom
3.Observe and Report
4.A Single Man
5.Inglourious Basterds
6.The Hurt Locker
7.The Hangover
8.Moon
9.District 9
10.Star Trek

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody! Campus has been brought to life again as classes started this week. We had a wonderful treat last week- snow! There was a great blanket at Oxford and the Atlanta area which made campus look beautiful. Just a reminder that the regular decision deadline is today at midnight! Make sure you check the admissions checklist to confirm that you have submitted everything. This is a very busy and exciting time in the office for us, please bear with us as it may take a about 2 weeks for us to process your documents and update their status on OPUS. Please keep an eye on your OPUS account to check your application status. If you are a Georgia resident, come check visit us at the Atlanta NACAC fair on Sunday, January 24th!

My First Semester In Review

Hi Readers,

    I know you haven’t heard from me all semester so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Imani and I am the Oxford College of Emory University freshman blogger. I’m currently on winter break but I must admit, I cannot stop thinking about Oxford! College has become such a huge part of my life and I love it! I can’t believe I halfway done with my first year :D

    As I type (and as you read) I am only three days away from returning to school after a long and well deserved hiatus. This semester has been so eventful and exciting! It seems like just yesterday that I was freaking out about my first semester and wondering what college would be like.  Now I’m steadily approaching my second semester of classes and the beginning of my sophomore year. I guess it’s true what they say: time does fly when you’re having fun. I’m feeling very well adjusted and ready to go back.

I won’t lie; college can be extremely stressful. Still, rest assured that Oxford has made the entire journey a lot of fun for me and my peers. For example, during finals week when everyone is pulling their hair out over exams, Oxford’s wonderful staff (including our deans) made us a huge pancake breakfast featuring superheroes. I had never heard of such but I loved it. We also had a fall formal at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in downtown Atlanta in early December. My friends and I had a blast there too.  Dooley, the spirit of Oxford even made an appearance—body guards and coffin in tow. In addition to that there was delicious food and dancing. It was an all around good time. Another exciting event occurred when we first arrived on campus in late August. The school hosted Oxford Olympics, during which teams from each residence hall would compete in challenges such as tug-of-war and an inflatable obstacle course for the title of champion! My hall didn’t win but I will never forget that night; the school spirit was contagious.

Another aspect of the Oxford experience that I really appreciate is the close-knit quality of the entire campus.  The teachers are very personable and openly encourage you to take advantage of their office hours to discuss and difficulties you may be having. My advisor actually scolded me for not visiting him more often : P. The teachers are genuinely concerned about your academic and personal well being and it shows. Even the maintenance workers, receptionists, and cafeteria personnel are friendly and warm. I’ve actually eaten dinner in the homes of some Oxford staff with their families. Nothing about the campus seems cold impersonal and I truly value that feature in Oxford.

A final piece of Oxford that I love (there are so many) is the history. As the birthplace of Emory University and Georgia Tech (yep, Tech too) the entire campus is historic. Each building on campus tells a story—some of which date back to the 1800’s. Just a few steps behind the gym and the library is a Civil War cemetery that some friends and I visited one night with sophomores. It was a little spooky but mostly awe-inspiring. I discovered at that moment that I’m attending an interactive museum of sorts for college; we learn and study in original buildings. The rustic charm and historic elegance of the campus just can’t be ignored.

Overall, my experiences during my first semester have been largely positive. Oxford has made a great impression on me thus far and I can only hope that these upcoming semesters will be just as brilliant if not better!

'Til Next Time,

Imani :)