I joined Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity on campus!  It is different from the other sororities/fraternities in that it does not have an on-campus house, and it is not a social organization.  The single goal of Alpha Phi Omega is to give back to the both the Knox and Galesburg community through service projects and donating our time volunteering.  

Jack snuck my camera out of my bag while we were studying and took the picture above.

I signed up for a meditation class, and my first class is tonight.  It is in town, a pretty short walk from my dorm.  The sign I read said it would help to manage stress, so hopefully it does!  Now that I am all caught up (and not sick anymore), it is much easier to get all my work done.  I got a 97 on my first midterm (sociology)!  So that brightened my week.  

My sociology class is now talking about welfare and welfare reform, which is very interesting.  It makes me feel very lucky to have been born where I was social-class wise, because it opportunities are so much more closed to those born into poor families.  I feel very lucky to be getting a college education, I know how expensive it is.   One of our sociology projects is to make a survey and ask 10 Knox students.  The two others in my group will also ask 10 students, so we will have a total of 30 asked.  The survey is to gain some sort of insight into what college student's views are of welfare in general.  I know for myself, I knew almost nothing before I took this class; I'm sure people I ask will be in the same boat.

  I got my absentee ballot in the mail, so I better fill it out!  I have to find a notary official first, but then I will send it in!  Minnesota needs my vote more than Illinois.

Kate

Fall

Turning into Fall

The library during the day

My dorm

I can see (and hear!) the trains from my window

took some pictures outside the library

This week has been very hard- I have a serious cold that makes me very tired and is almost impossible to get over!  The work really seems to pile up when you're sick.  Other than that, my classes are going well.  I am having a lot of fun really getting to know the professors.  They absolutely love what they do, which really comes across in their teaching, and is so different than high school.

  I've made a lot of friends, too!  One is a senior, Polly, who everyone says looks like my sister," she's really nice.  She is from Missouri.  Another girl, on my floor, is Elle.  She is from Kansas City, Missouri.  We have a lot of fun together!  Yesterday we went to the laundromat and did one million loads of laundry, since our dorm is attached to another dorm and we only have 2 washers and 2 dryers for both buildings (4 floors of people).  It is IMPOSSIBLE to wash your clothes!!!! So we resorted to going into town.

   I'm having fun, it's weird that I'm getting more comfortable here, since I still think of Bloomington as "home", but I've heard from upperclassmen that eventually campus will feel like home and I won't want to leave.  We will just have to see.

Love,

Kate