Post-Diploma Week

Once again I find that the busy flow of AC life has delayed me in posting when I should---I know it is no excuse, but the weather over the weekend was so gorgeuos that the entire campus flooded outside to soak up some sunshine before the Welsh rain came back!  No worries, though:  The dark gloom and doom is back in the sky, so we are expecting some cloudy days ahead.

Sunday was, as one of my second-years put it, 'the best mental health day ever.'  A group of  us went down to the seafront at low tide, and it was very similar to a day at the beach back in Jacksonville---we made a gigantic sand castle, looked for strange creatures on the rocks, and threw wet sand on each other.  Later some of us went back down and swam in the outdoor pool, which was one of the only times we'll do that of our own volition and not because of service or being thrown in for our birthdays.  It was so refreshing.  Sunday night we had a great house barbeque to celebrate our Sports Week win (actually it was total domination), and of course house bonding went along with that.

Now we are back to regular routine, with some changes as many first years have decided to switch their classes around---we were only given 45 minutes to decide on our schedule for the next two years during Induction, so there are quite a few people who want to alter their schedule.  Luckily for me, I'm very happy where I am, so I don't have to go through the hassle of getting make-up work or anything.

Last night my co-year Sara dragged me to a Student Council meeting.  It was an interesting experience and I'm glad I went to see it.  Each house has two second-year representatives on the Student Council, and it is completely student-run with a student president conducting the meeting.  Any student can bring concerns to the council, and some relevant issues came up which were dealt with very efficiently by the reps.  They also sprinkled in some humor and made the whole meeting enjoyable.

After Diploma Period people are buzzing with new ideas and ways to change life in the college for the better.  I think we first-years are stepping into our roles as full participants of the community here, since we've gotten over being the new arrivals.  I'm working on a small project with some co-years regarding sustainable food products.  We got the idea during a workshop on enacting environmental change, and we are researching which food products are the most environmentally friendly to purchase.  The main goal of this will be to spread whatever information we gain in a quick, accessible way to the people on campus.  This might be in the form of blurbs posted around campus, a notice on the dining hall, or cards handed out to people.  By suggesting alternatives to certain products, rather than just saying what is bad, we hope to nudge people in the right direction when they next go to buy food.

I hope everyone reading this blog is having a good week, and I miss you all a lot.  Time is flying, and my free code just flew away from me, but best wishes to everyone back in the US, wherever you are.

Madi