Only at IU...

I would like to take this opportunity to brag a little. As much as it may be optimism or feeling refreshed from Spring Break, I honestly believe that only at IU could have had these amazing experiences. So here it goes, my bragging and top ten list of the cool things that I got to do this March...

1. See Broadway's Beauty and the Beast and Grammy Award Winning Yo-Yo Ma live, for free, just for being a student usher and taking patrons to their seats.
2. Attend the final game of the season for a team that has the talent and potential to rebuild one of the greatest college basketball traditions that has ever existed.

3. Reap the benefits of a large university with 30,000 students by being able to attend lectures given by professionals in my future profession, like last night when I saw two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times London Bureau Chief John Burns talk about his 30 years as an foreign correspondant, without having to sit in lecture classes of more than 80 people.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist and New York Times London Bureau Chief, John Burns.

4. Have a photo that I, a student, took, be placed on the Indiana University home page.
5. Attend a lecture given by a Nobel Prize winning economist on her research and award.
6. Work with, learn from and get guidance and support from the most amazing faculty and staff who work tirelessly to ensure my success in the classroom and in the future.
7. Attend a lecture given by, and meet, former heads of state (Yes, I met the Former President of Ecuador last week when I attended a lecture given by him at the Indiana Memorial Union about his presidency).

Dr. Jamil Mahaud, Former President of Ecuador

8. Be a part of amazing clubs and organizations that provide fantastic opportunities, allow me to meet the most interesting people and try the most fascinating new things.
9. Be a part of an academic fraternity that provides opportunities to its members to try new things like rock climbing and going to an etiquette dinner where you are served a delicious six course meal while being taught proper dinner etiquette.
10. Witness the start of one the greatest university traditions, by attending Little 500 Qualifications and cheering on my friends in the gorgeous Indiana spring weather.

Team Teter Qualifies 2nd in the Women's Little 500 Qualifications.

See what I mean? March was a fantastic month, and only at IU do I feel like I have such easy access to participating in such a wide range of amazing things. Yep, I’m definitely a pretty lucky girl.

Two of My Favorite Words: Spring, Break.

Spring Break. Separately, these are two of the greatest words ever invented. After a long winter, I have been looking forward to spring: flip flops, tank tops and sunshine. Then there is break: a much deserved hiatus from stress. Combined, they equal one of every college student's favorite phrases, and I refuse to separate myself from the masses with this logic. So for Spring Break, a very excited me headed home for 9 days of sunshine, delicious home-cooked food and time with some of my favorite people in the world.

I had lots of friends who took trips with various Indiana University organizations: the School of Journalism had 5 groups of 15-20 students traveling to different parts of the world for classes and the honors program. The class traveling to Japan to study international public relations even had students interviewed by CNN International. The Kelley School of Business had students that traveled across the country and globe in their Alternative Spring Break program.

Though many students take the opportunity to travel for fun with friends, another popular (and cost effective) trip is for students to travel home and catch up with friends and family. Traveling home gave me the flexibility to start interviewing for summer jobs, catch up on sleep and spend time with some of the people that matter most to me, but who I rarely get to see.

I went hiking in Piestewa Peak Mountain Preserve and took in plenty Arizona sun and springtime. The Phoenix Art Museum had a fantastic exhibit of Ansel Adams photographs and new pieces in their Modern Art exhibit, and my mom and I had a fun afternoon walking around the museum together. And of course, I had a great time going to all my favorite restaurants and catching up with friends! Now its back to work for the final stretch of the semester after a great break! Good luck everyone these last 6 weeks!

Rock Climbing? Here's to Trying New Things!

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to go rock climbing for the first time. My academic honors fraternities, Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Lambda Delta, hosted a group of 11 of us to meet up Sunday afternoon and drive to the South side of Bloomington to Hoosier Heights, a rock climbing facility.


Inside the giant plain gray warehouse are huge ceilings of nothing but rock walls, and even some rock ceilings. The group was split into pairs and taught how to use safety belts, the ropes and other handy tools to safely get our partners up and back down the wall. Our instructor, Matt, explained the importance of communication between partners and how to judge the difficulty of each wall.


As someone who is scared of heights, I really enjoyed myself until I got to the top of my first wall and made the mistake of looking down to see how high I gotten. The walls have varying degrees of difficulty based on how large and what shapes the rocks are, and how far apart pieces are. It really was a great experience, and although I am still sore, I'll definitely be going back soon!

Teaming Up to Fight Cancer

Last week, Mary mentioned an awesome new club starting, Student Society for Cancer Research at IU. There's lots of really cool things that students are getting involved in this semester to support local organizations and events. Students in Read have volunteered two days with Habitat for Humanity, to help the IU community build houses for low-income families, along with supporting other organizations by collecting food and clothes for homeless.


March marks the beginning of fund raising for Read's Relay for Life 2010 team. The group of approximately 15 students will walk for almost a full day at the Bloomington Relay for Life, to help raise money for the American Cancer Society.


Sunday night, the Hutton Honors College Student Association Read Hall leadership organized a meeting for students to get information and sign up for the team. They are planning several fund raisers for the month of March in preparation for the April walk. If you see us on campus, please support our fund raisers!