As happy as being done with exams makes me, I'm actually going to miss Furman. I know it sounds really corny, but it's true. Here is a list of things I'll miss while being away.

• The Beautiful Campus! It is so nice to walk around and see everything so green and colorful. 
• The Lake. As stinky and toxic as the lake might be, I'm going to miss having such a nice view from my dorm room.
• Downtown. Greenville's downtown area is wonderful. The food there is delicious, and Falls Parks is the best place to have a picnic.
• My friends. Once you finally start sorting out who your group of friends are, you have to leave for the summer. 
• Chinese Class! I love my Chinese class!!! It is the best class ever. If you ever have a free elective class, you should take Chinese. I have come so attached with the people in that class. We have spend so much time studying together and doing homework together that I don't know how I will be able to take Chinese next semester without a lot of them. Also, my professor is one of the best professors I have ever had. I can now tell you directions, how to check out books in the library, about art galleries, and much more! I'm so proud of myself. Wo ai xue hanyu!
• My job. I work in the Special Collections and Archives of the library, and I love it! The people with whom I work with are super nice and understanding.  I get to learn something new everyday about the history or present of Furman.

The end of the year has been very hectic. Between formal, projects, and exams, the time has definitely flown by. I have had more to do this past month than my whole year. Advice : Don't get involved in too many things your first year unless you love extracurricular activities as much as I do. You have time to do them all. Trust me. However, I have now met so many new people that I sometimes can't keep up (too many people to say hello to). 

I can't believe that I'm through with my first year of college. It seems like yesterday I moved into my dorm. Now I'm packing my stuff away to move out. Try doing that while studying for your exams. Awwww..... However, I must admit that my time here at Furman has been one of the best. No place has ever made me feel at home like here. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself this summer without my late nights in Furman Hall (James C. Furman Hall and I have gotten pretty close), Einstein's Pizza Bagels, and papers to write. I'm just going to have Furman withdrawal. I'm sure I can cope.

For now, I just want to say how truly awesome it has been to get to document my time here at Furman. 

Thanks for reading!

Over and out,

Sofi

Me, Megan, and Cassie with theletters

Greek life at Furman is different than at other universities. For one, girls rush at the beginning if their spring semester (aka January). Rush consists of four rounds where sororities try to explain their philanthropies, uniqueness, and why they chose to join that specific sorority. Each round is fun and special in its own way from singing and dancing to crafts to skits. It was an experience of a lifetime. If you even have a 1% interest in Greek life, I encourage you to rush if only for the experience.

On campus, we have 7 sororities: alpha delta pi, kappa delta, delta gamma, chi omega, kappa kappa gamma, delta delta delta, and alpha kappa alpha. Each one very special and has a great group of intelligent and wonderful girls. I think their websites are linked to the Furman website, but I’m not sure.

Since I’m in KKG, I’m going to tell you my story.

I never EVER thought I would be in a sorority. In the many organizations, however, I met a lot of girls who were very involved and were in sororities. They were not your typical sorority girls, so I thought why not me? Could a sorority have a place for me? Let’s just say that I turned in my form 1 day before it was due.

My extended familyDuring rush, I realized that each sorority had girls who were involved in a wide range of organizations around campus. Kappa stuck out more to me specifically because these girls made me feel at home not to mention that they were fun and smart. I knew from the beginning that I wanted a sorority that was intellectual and scholarly. I had finally found it. By the time fourth round came about, I knew I belong in Kappa. And ever since then, the Kappa sisters have shown me more love and support than anyone has ever shown me. I now have a sister. Well, technically, 105 sisters. I have a wonderful family and a TWIN!!! Kappa has been an experience of a lifetime, and I’m so glad I made the choice of getting on the ride.

My Pledge ClassEveryone has their own story in whichever sorority they choose. Mine is as special as anyone else’s story. Whatever you want in a sorority is up to you, and every sorority is different (if I haven’t made it clear enough by now). If you have any questions about sorority life, don’t hesitate to leave a comment and I will try to answer it to the best of my abilities.

My Twin Morgan (M&M) and I (DP)

Sofi

Classes started at 8:30 on Moday for me. It was not my favorite part, but it was nice to finally have something to do again. On the other hand, I got hit with a lot of work. Also, everything from next year's housing appplication to study away applications seems to be due now. I forgot, I have applied to be an RA next year. I'm so excited. I have an interview next week. I think being a part  of hall staff would be a good opportunity fro me to grow in my leadership skills and meet new people. It will be exciting to find out if I get a freshman or upperclassman hall.

Another thing that has kept me busy these last couple of weekends is rush. The rush process here at Furman  is very unique since it is delayed until the spring semester to let the freshman get use to teh workload here at Furman. It consists of four rounds each very entertaining. I have to wait until Sunday to find out which one accepted me. It feels like college applications all over again except in two weeks. We will just have to see.

Sofi

The Paladin Regiment in our stands     

So, as I have mentioned before, I am part of the Paladin Regiment, aka the marching band. Being on the band has been one of the most unique experiences ever. First of all, I decided to switch instruments for marching season. What the heck... it's only college band. I went from a clarinet to a baritone. For you non band people out there, I went from a 2 pound instrument to basically a 10 pound instrument. Completely different. But I told mayself that I could do it. I love a challenge. Band camp was rough. It was one of the worst weeks of my life. My arms were so sore that it took me a while to climb my bed. That week, advil became my best friend. However, it got better as the season went on. Let me tell you, I got manly arms now. Oh yeah! However, the hardest thing about this was that people thought I was stupid or something because I couldn't play the music, but it wasn't that I was stupid. I just switched instrument. I knew how to read music. I've been doing it now for 9 years. However, people were still nice and didn't say anything about my aweful playing at first. Of course, it took me a month to hold my horn up in at a 45 degree angle. That was pretty hard. However, I love my section and all of our weirdness!Band has allowed me to meet so many people I would have not otherwise. If you are in band in high school, I strongly encourage you to jion. Even if you are not a music major, like myself, you will have a blast! Trust me, band will be yoor family at school, and its to know more people the first week than anyone else. Did I mention that you get to move in early? That in my opinion is the best part. So come join us or cheer us on or sing Hey Jude with us. (Our show for this year was Love by the Beatles).

Baritone Girls 

 Sofi

First off, everyday is a different theme. On Monday, you could tie-dye shirts for free. That was freaking awesome since I have never tie-dyed in my life! To tell you the truth, I felt like a hippie. It was so great. Of course, my does not look anything like this picture. Mine had a lot more white in it. Oh wel... I still love it.

Then on Tuesday, you could go to the Matt Costa concert. If you do not know who Matt Costa is, YOU SHOULD!! He is so awesome! I of course had no idea either until I heard him and fell in l.ove with him. You should hear his songs. There's not much else I can say about him. You just need to listen for yourself. I loved him so much that I went down to one of the bulletin boards around the dorm and stole one of the promotional posters. He is now hanging on my wall.

On Wednesday, FUSAB (Furman University Student Activity Board) planned to play Iron Man on the lawn like a drive-in, but the rain drove us insode to MacAlister Ausitorium. Not the same but still enjoyable.

Thursday brought about "Viva Las Vegas" which was basically free gambling. They had several different games you could play. Who knew that I would be good at blackjack. At the end, youcould trade in your tokens for raffle tickets. Sadly, I did not win anything...

Friday was pretty intense since it brought about a carnival on the Milford Mall. Sororities anf Fraternties displayed their float (which did not move) while the school brought free rides and food. Let me just tell you that my roommate and I stood at the funnel cake booth for 45 minutes just to be told once we got up to that glorious window taht they were closing down. It seriously broke my tiny heart. However, one of our friends donated half her funnel cake to us. It was the most delicious thing I have ever put in my mouth. I don't know if it was because it was actually good or because i had anticipated it to be so good. In all, we had a fun time, and I got to ride a rackety ferriswheel.  

Saturday meant that I had to wake up at 8 in the morning for band practice. The game was  fun since we won, but the highlight came at night beacuse of HOMECOMING DANCE!!! I did not have a date, so I just went with my hall. We had so much fun partying it all out!

Did I mention that EVERYTHING was free except for the concert. That was the nice part.

Till next week or sometime around there....

Sofi

P.S. Here is something for your entertainment...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h8YEhyB-EU 

First of all, this shindig started at 7:30, but we got in line at 6:00 in order to get seats. So, my hall waited on the steps of MacAlister Auditorium for 30 minutes to come in. We basically sat there doing homework. It was an array of knowledge laid out on the side walk fom The Merchant of Venice to Latin to Calculus. It turned to hall bonding time. Waiting for Chuck once we were seated was the hardest part. It took us an hour to go. However, it was so worth it! I'm not saying that what he said was right, but his story of struggle was very inspirational. In all, who would not want to go see Chuck Norris!

In most people's mind, Furman is a conservative Republican school, but this stereotypr does not hold up. There is a large section of the students that support Obama. Each side respects the other, and so far, no conflict has occured. For example, I, the most liberal person ever, went to stand in line an hour and a half early to go see Chuck Norris and his Black Belt Patriotism. Even between roomates, both sides are represented. In all, no political persecution resides in Furman.

~Sofi

P.S. Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table because he only acknwoledges the element of surprise. Just fyi...

If you have not heard by now, Furman has these things called CLP that stand for Cultural Life Programs. Basically, you have to have 8 per year to register into the next year, and you have to have 32 by graduation to graduate.

These CLP's are just ways to get to to see thing that you might not go see otherwise. There are more than 200 CLP's offered throughout the year, so you can whenever your schedule can accomidate. They range from movies to lectures. For example, This week I went to see The 11th Hour narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio. It was an enviromentalist documentary about global warming and how to stop it. Let me tell you, that film made this matter very urgent, and it kind of scared me.

But not to fear! Furman has many ways  in which it helps the enviroment. Each hall is provided with a hall or individual recycling bins. The napkins in the DH(Dining Hall) are biodegradable, and we have an organic garden! I have heard that the veggies from the garden are quite scrumptious, but I have not had the chance to try them. No matter what, sustanability touches everyont of us here at Furman. We can save the planet one aluminum can at a time!

For those of you out there that have never heard of my tie, it is a dance where your roomate goes off and picks your date by stealing their tie. It is very exciting as you have no idea who your date will be until he comes to pick you up. Suitemates (Disa, Mary, Jessie, me)After much preparation, I finally got see who my date was, James. We took many pictures by the lake, and I felt like we were at prom with so many pictures and cameras going off. It was fun, though. Our hall, the sister hall and the brother hall all went downtown to eat before My Tie. My date and I went to an Indian restaurant. It was quite hilarious since the waitress would not let me eat Indian Hot food. You can choose an entree and choose the level of spiciness you want. I, being Mexican, wanted Indian hot, but the lady would not let me get it! It went something like this:

Me: Can I get my entree in Indian hot?

Waitress: Are you sure? I think you need a medium plus.

Me: I'm sure.

Waitress: Are you sure? It's really spicy!

Me: I'm sure! I'm from Mexico; I can take the heat.

Waitress: I'm going with the medium plus.

Needless to say, I ended up getting the medium plus. And the dance afterwards was great! I had such an awesome time! However, the Virginia Tech game the band was supposed to go play at was canceled because of Hurricane Hana. I have to admit that it did make me kind of happy since I  got to sleep in. Hall 

As Sunday came, so did the Presdient's Picnic. This is the event where you go to the President's house and get a tour of his it. White OaksThe O-staff (Orientation Staff) lead the tours. It is one of the most beautiful houses I have ever seen. They come up with the craziest stories about each room. I mean... what... they are true yu guys. Actually, some really important people have stayed in that house (like Richard Nixon). Aside from it all, I got to meet Dr. Shi who is the sweetest person ever! He is so interested in knowing who you are. He also knew about bbq in Memphis. I was pretty impressed. It was very nice to see him and talk to him. I have say that that was a very productive week yet sad that orientation is over.

P. S. Chuck Norris is coming to Furman!!!!! YAY!!!!

          Finally, I have made it to Furman University! YES!! Since I decided to join the marching band here at Furman, I got the privilege to move in 5 days before the rest of the freshman class moved in. Of course, that meant that my mom and I had to carry everything three stories up (freshmen move-in day provided strong men to carry everything for you). It was quite a workout. However, we got everything put together in about 2 hours. I decided to loft my bed in order to save space. However, when you first get your bed, you have to lower it. I didn't know this, and I had to climb all the way up to go to sleep. I couldn't even sit up without hitting my head which did happen on several occasions. This problem is now FIXED thaks to my RA and my FRADS! And yes, I know my room is not the cleanest...        Band camp week was intensely hot and humid! Since I switched from a clarinet to a baritone, my arms and upper back hurt like no other. I literally could not lift my arms above my head. However, I got to meet a lot of cool people. Marching band is not limited to just music majors. Just look at me. I'm a business and economics major. Of course, there are only a few of us, but we are not looked down upon in any way. However, I have to say (in a biased way) that  the low brass has the most fun. Low brass for all the non-band people would include trombones, baritones, and tubas. You might think that they are all guys, but the baritone section is composed of more girls than guys. Interesting... Nonetheless, the band makes you feel like you are at home. Also, by Friday, the freshman class had moved in. Of course, I had an advantage since I had been on campus for five days now. However, I was excited to finally see my roomate, Muqdisa (or Disa for short) and all of my hallmates. I consider myself lucky for having such a great hall with girls who are nice and considerate of others. Of course, we've only been living together for a week. Orientation weekend and its activities were so awkardly amazing! Me, being the queen of awkward, loved fieldfest. Fieldfest is when your, your brother hall, and your sister hall compete in activities against other halls to try to win orientation week. Each team of halls is assigned a theme. We were Medieval Times! Our halls were decorated as such.           Another highlight of our orientation week was the midnight serenade. It's when all the guys come to the balconies of the girls' dorms and sing to us. In return, they get candy thrown down at them. However, it was more painful than we though it was since starburst from the third story came down pretty hard I was told.  Ladies, if you have never had 50 guys sing Brown-eyed Girl to you, you need to get here. It is the most adorable thing ever!          To say the least, Orientation week keeps you so busy that you have no time to get homesick. The Furman family that consists of your peers, the faculty, and the staff does become your home away from home. Even with classes starting, I'm more excited than fearful. We'll see how long this attitude holds up!