College

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.

My 20s began in college the beginning of my Junior year and my life as an adult really started this year. The two years prior I went to Miami’s Branch campus in Middletown while living at home. My mother was right when she thought that I wasn’t mature enough to go away to college as I was younger than most freshmen. I also lived a pretty sheltered life. Also, the scholarship money I received from high school paid for a great deal of my schooling because I went to MUM that had lower tuition, but the same caliber of instruction.

I relocated to the Oxford Main Campus and lived with Mandy Graff in Thomson Hall. I met some wonderful people who are still very close to me today. I have so many fond memories of that residence hall where I lived for two years. I wish I could live in a dorm again. Someone else cleans up the bathroom and kitchen and someone else cooks for me. I’m sure if I had the money I could arrange this. I think Samantha, my senior year roommate, and I should get a dorm room again. She could bring Jason, Josiah and Isaiah too. It would be so much fun!!!

Having changed my major about 5 times in the years prior, I had finally settled on Journalism. My parents were surprised, but supportive. Having been such a science nerd growing up they thought I’d want to work in a laboratory or dig up dinosaur bones. I suppose I just wanted to write about all that, and that’s what I sort of do now. I’m glad my love for science is still a part of me. My love for the theater stayed with me.  Although I decided to not major in theater, I did minor in dramatic prose.

Presser Hall is where I took my theater classes, including that awful Tennessee Williams class.  I get it.  I get it.  You have issues with your family.  We all do. 

I spent a lot of time in Bachelor Hall. The journalism department wasn’t established at Miami when I was there. One would have to be a double major in the English department. I chose English Lit with a women’s studies focus. Had I taken 2 more classes in women’s studies, I could have been a triple major, but I didn’t really think that it would help me in the long run. I was took a lot of classes focusing on women writers or feminist themes and the African Women writers course was my favorite class. It was very eye opening. The transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau may have my favorite authors, but Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was my favorite book. It’s more than just a horror story and every time I read it, I pick something up in the subtext.

Bachelor Hall

I enjoyed being a student worker on campus. While other friends were working in restaurants or shops, I was working in campus offices and had great access to resources. For two years I worked in the Career Services office assisting staff with helping students find internships and helping graduates find full time jobs. It was very rewarding. I also had an internship myself working in Miami’s Marketing Communication Office. I wrote stories for various publications on student life. We collaborated with the Admissions a lot creating materials to aid in recruitment.I discovered this job when working at career services and continued to work there while an intern. 

Hoyt Hall, the home of Career Services.

When I wasn’t at work or in class, I spent most of my time on the rugby pitch or in my dorm room with Ellen playing with our Alternative Lifestyle Action Figures. My mom fed our obsession by buying us Barbie and Ken dolls. She thought the idea was hilarious and liked to tell people her daughter and daughter’s friend had “Gay Barbies.” Ellen and I want to bring our characters to life in a movie or play. We might be the only ones who think it’s funny, but we don’t care.

Carsen, Steven, Dante and Rocco.  Oh those crazy boys and their antics,

I love Miami and am a big Redhawk Fan. Miami Hockey is amazing and I went to games in Goggin all the time. The cost of admission was already paid for through our tuition and fees, so I wanted to take advantage of that. I’d get so fired up when we played Ohio University (waiting for a smart ass remark from KJ) or Marshall. Man I hate those guys, but at least OU doesn’t have a dumb movie starring Matthew McConaughey. I didn’t go to a lot of Football games because I had rugby on Saturdays, but still found ways to cheer on the Redhawks. Ben Rothlisberger is dead to me though. He’s a rapist who plays for the Steelers. You can’t get any lower in my book. I suppose if the girl was an underage paraplegic, that would be lower.

Yager Stadium.

I suppose my love for Miami is what led me to a Higher Education career path. Maybe I’ll end up back in Oxford some day working instead of learning. For now, I am going to wear my brand new Miami Women’s Rugby Jersey that just came in the mail this weekend.