October is Here and Half Over!

Hello Family and Friends!

October is here and the winds are blowing and the snow is falling! The first snow has fallen in Houghton for the 2012/13 season! More on that later....back to the beginning of October....

On Friday(Sept. 28th) I did not end up going to the animal shelter because of bad weather. Instead we hung out and played games.

On Saturday (29th) morning I helped volunteer at the Great Northern Adventure Race (GNAR) which I did last year as well. This year I was helping at the canoe-racking station. I took some pics..take a look! My friends Anna and Michael also volunteered.

After GNAR I went to an open house at the home of the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Les Cook. All Student Life staff was invited and it was a great party with lots of friends. Homemade food and steak cooked on the grill from Les himself!

After the open house was a football game. We had a great come-back in the second half but lost 51-43. It was a fun game and there was A LOT of people there. The school broke one of it's own records; how many people they had at Sherman Field for an event. It was around 4,800 people.

On Sunday I went to church. Afterward some of us went to watch the women's volleyball games. We got free T-shirts too! We also played frisbockey later that afternoon.

Last week was fairly busy. On Tuesday (2nd) Michigan Tech held their career fair. This is where companies come and set up booths in the SDC and students dress up and go around and talk to various companies.

On Wednesday (3rd) I met with my compositions professor to discuss my research. Wed. evening I had my regular meetings.

On Thursday (4th) I had a Soil Science Quiz, which went well. For Forest Ecology Lab we traveled north along the Keweenaw and I got to drive :) We also stopped at a nice beach and ate cookies our professor brought! I also had a great meeting with my boss, Kim.

Friday (5th) the weather decided to do a 180 and it was cold, blustery, and raining. Friday morning I had a World Cultures Exam, which I found out I did well on. Friday afternoon I got the opportunity to help out at the Water Festival at the Great Lakes Research Center, which is right here on campus. Students from all over the western UP came to the Center to learn about water, science, the Great Lakes, and the environment is general. I helped lead a group around for the afternoon, taking them from station to station.

Last Saturday (6th) I gave tours as part of our Open House. Saturday evening was the first Husky hockey game of the season, versus Brock University. We won the game 6-2!

On Sunday (7th) homecoming activities started. A group of us went and painted a window at the SDC in the spirit of homecoming (Go Tech!, etc.) We also played in the homecoming kickball tournament. Sunday evening I had a group meeting with my Forest Ecology Lab group to work on our report.

This week has been pretty busy. On Tuesday I had a review session for my Forest Ecology Class and my professor's wife made us muffins and pumpkin cake. It is seriously the best class!

Wednesday I had my Forest Ecology Exam and Thursday I had my Soil Science Exam. Both went fairly well. I will find out later this week how I did.

On Thursday we got to go to the Porcupine Mountains for Forest Ecology Lab. It was a pretty drive and a great lab. We explored the old-growth hemlock forests. As is custom, our professor brought cookies and soda for the class. We also stopped at Lake of the Clouds for fun. Take a look at my pictures! Thursday night I was up late working on our cardboard boat.

Friday was the culmination of homecoming events. I got my haircut in the mid-afternoon and we transferred our cardboard boat to the park. At 4pm there was a parade, followed by a pep rally. Around 5pm we started the cardboard boat races! Halls build cardboard boats and then we race them out around a buoy and back. Last year's TreeHouse's boat didn't hardly leave shore, so we were aiming for more than a few feet....and we did! Our boat made it out to about the buoy and then, unfortunately, sunk. Commending efforts go to all who worked on and rode in the boat (they got a little cold and wet...). Friday evening I had a meeting in preparation for a presentation I am giving on Tuesday. Friday night WHSA hosted a coffeehouse downstairs, so a few of us went down and listened to some good music.

Yesterday was the homecoming football game and a hockey game. We won both games, football 27-21 and hockey 8-4! The football game was a little rainy, but it was alright. The homecoming court was announced and my friends Logan and Anne were announced as the King and Queen! The hockey game was a lot of fun with a full arena. This weekend is family weekend so many students have family visiting. Pictures coming soon!

I cannot believe it is already October 14th. The first round of exams is almost other (stats exam tomorrow) and the fall colors are on their way out, with the first snowflakes already in the air. Winter is just around the corner. I have been taking it one day at a time lately, as there is so much to do and to think about sometimes it can be overwhelming. I certainly thank my family and friends for keeping me sane, or should I just say putting up with my insanity :)

Be sure to enjoy fall, my favorite season, and have a glass of cider, eat a pumpkin bar with homemade cream cheese frosting (or insert your favorite fall dessert), and curl up in front of the fireplace (or make do) with a blanket and a good book!