Looking forward to Branford Screw

Each residential college at Yale hosts a formal dance each year called a "Screw." (I think the theory behind the name is that you can "screw over" your roommates by setting them up with bad dates.) The dances also have silly themes, like "Screwmaloompa," which was ours last year. Here's this year's poster!

The dance is next weekend, and it looks like Chris might be able to come up from Columbia for the night to be my date.

Yummmm

Spent the evening in the Branford kitchen with Emma and Kirsten baking a cake for their friend Alexis' birthday! We made it from scratch, chocolate buttercream frosting and all. Yes, I said butter. As in seven whole sticks of it.

Julia's version of an anniversary card?

This was posted on facebook today.

Bon Iver concert

The concert was amazing! Here are a couple photos:

Tendinitis, Debate and YDN

Looks like no more dance for a while :-(

On the bright side, Chris made the Columbia Debate team last night!! He found out he got in when all the returning members arrived in his dorm and hammered on his door at 1:30AM, sprayed him with silly string, made him drink a shot of a mysterious liquid (that turned out to be Sprite,) and snapped his picture. They're a good team, and I think he's excited.

I'm a few AYA interviews away from finishing the reporting for a YDN story I'm doing on Yale's first residential college reunion! If all continues to go well, this could end up being a fun, painless YDN assignment. Image that?! I've never thought of pairing the words "painless" and "YDN" before.

Speaking of YDN, the senior editors are getting ready to step down, and the juniors are getting ready to step up! The process, called "structure," will take the next two weeks. The juniors meet individually with the seniors to learn what went well and what didn't, and the juniors create their own "mission statement" about how they want their board to work and what they want to accomplish over the next year. At the end of "structure" is a 24-hour election period during which the juniors are not allowed to leave the YDN building. Then the new board will begin their reign! Unfortunately, all the current beat reporters will then be editors, which means they will no longer report-- which means it's up to the sophomores (like me!) to shoulder the immense reporting burden they have been carrying for the past year. Terrifying, huh? I'll say. Some of the sophomore reporters I've talked to are talking about quitting because being a beat reporter will be too much work.... Wish me luck :-/

Meet my roommates this year!

From left to right: Mary, Emily, Selen, Emma, Nikki, Monica and me :-) We had dinner all together last night for the first time this year and took this photo in the Branford courtyard in front of the clock tower .

Happy (almost) anniversary?

A bit last-minute, but Chris and I just booked tickets to see the popular band 'Bon Iver' at Radio City Music Hall for our anniversary next week!! They weren't cheap, but it should be fun to see them play live (their music, which is very mellow and folk-like, comprised a large portion of the soundtrack to our time in the Phillipian newsroom on CXXXIII, so it seems somehow appropriate.) I'm excited! 

Branford Initiation

Step 1: Tell the freshmen that they have to be in their dorms at 9pm for a mandatory fire inspection (such a thing does not exist.)

Step 2: Upperclassmen convene, don Branford apparel and face paint, and storm Old Campus screaming BFA, BFA, BFA! And other chants that are significantly more profane.

Step 3: Pound on the freshmen's doors and tell them to get outside NOW. Blindfold them and lead them in a long chain across High Street, around the Branford Courtyard and into the Chapel at the base of Branford Tower.

Step 4: Freshmen remove their blindfolds and are initiated into Branford with a speech from an upperclassmen with a booming voice who stands on the balcony of the chapel and proclaims the eternal glory of Branford, the envy of all other residential colleges. The speech makes many historical allusions to great Branford alums-- such as Pericles, Ezekiel, Winston Churchill and William Shakespeare, of course. These heros fought valiantly against those barbaric "inmates" of Jonathan Edwards College, you see. Oh yes, we pledge allegiance, to the Squirrel... :) P.S. Did we mention JE sucks?

US Open!!

Back to ballet?

Dear Sophie,

            Congratulations! Based on your enthusiasm for ballet, your performance at auditions, and your desire to continue dancing and improving we have accepted you into the Intermediate Division of the Yale Ballet Company. We are thrilled to have you taking class, rehearsing, and performing with us! Intermediate Division members will be part of our spring productions in corps and character roles and will attend YUBC Intermediate Division class at 4pm on Fridays, taught by a member of the Advanced Division. The class is specifically designed to focus on improving strength and technique for those with excellent existing training who wish to continue their ballet training (you!!!). As members of the Company you will of course also be invited to all of our social events, trips to New York to take class or see performances, and to attend other ballet classes on campus and at the New Haven Ballet with us. The YUBC prides itself on being a welcoming, fun-loving (and ballet-loving! group), and we look forward to having you join us. Great job today!

You are invited to a Welcome Dessert on Monday at 7pm (location TBA) to meet the existing company members and get excited about the year of ballet ahead! Congratulations again on becoming a member of the Company!

                                                Love,

                                                Amymarie, Theresa, Aren, Chris, Lizzie & The YUBC

My classes!

HISTORY 303: Japan's Modern Revolution

A survey of Japan's transformation over the course of the nineteenth century from an isolated, traditional society on the edge of northeast Asia to a modern imperial power. Aspects of political, social, and cultural history.

HISTORY 217: The Roman Republic The origins, development, and expansion of Rome from the earliest times to the deaths of Caesar and Cicero. Cultural identity and interaction; slavery, class, and the family; politics, rhetoric, and propaganda; religion; imperialism; monumentality and memory; and the perception and writing of history. Application of literary and archaeological evidence. ASTRONOMY 110: Planets and Stars An introduction to stars and planetary systems. Topics include the solar system and extrasolar planets, planet and stellar formation, and the evolution of stars from birth to death. GLOBAL AFFAIRS 101: Gateway to Global Affairs Introduction to critical thinking about current international issues. Guest lecturers lead a series of modules, each on a global affairs topic in their area of expertise. Students learn to frame policy questions and write policy memos while examining competing points of view. This year's topics: "Leadership" with General Abizaid, General McChrystal and General Lamb "The AIDS Epidemic" with Professor Nicoli Nattrass "Understanding Afghanistan" with Ambassador Ryan Crocker "Alleviating Global Poverty: Current Issues and Possible Solutions" with James Wolfenson

Club fair today

Thought provoking passage in the YDN

Start at "Unfortunately."

Visit to Columbia!

The poster that the transfer girls made for me :)

Friday night at the Abbey-- Sarah Coleman (went to Winsor and Trinity) took it; not the most flattering picture of me!

What central campus looks like:

We visited St. John's the Divine-- largest cathedral in North America.

My room!

Branford F23!