Coming Back To School

Today is the day that everyone gets to come back to school because, sadly, break is over. I am definitely not excited to go back to classes and get homework and think about finals but it's nice to have everyone back in the dorms again. I was starting to get bored in the dorms all by myself. Now that everyone is back I can go to other peoples rooms and hang out with them when I'm bored and I have people I can work on homework with. The one nice part of not going home for break was that when everyone comes back, most people come around the same time so they have to deal with the mess of traffic outside of Clinton. They also have to deal with where to park to unload your stuff because you don't want to unload your stuff in D lot and have to walk it all to Clinton. So today I got to watch everyone argue and get mad that someone blocked there car in when they were trying to unload their bags. I also got to help people bring their bags in so they didn't have to make so many trips but I'm not really sure if I liked doing that!

Wartburg vs Wisconsin Eau Claire

On Saturday we had our first home game against Wisconsin Eau Claire. Everyone was pumped up and excited to start playing because it was our home opener and we have been waiting for our home game for a long time. The game started off really good, we were up by 10 and we were doing everything we wanted to do. Our zone defense was working really good against them and we were running our plays and getting the shots we wanted. Then we started to struggle rebounding and they started getting easy points. When half time came, we were down by 2 and the coaches were not very happy with us. When we started the second half we came out really strong and went on a little run. But then they started getting easy shots and we were down by 5. Towards the end of the game it was really close and we would be down by 2 then tied, then we would be up by 1 then tied. It was a back and forth game. There was 2 minutes left on the clock and Bobbie Burrows hit a three to put us up by 2. Then they got a lay up to tie the game. Then one of our player got fouled and made one of her freethrows to put us up by 1. Then we got fouled again and made one freethrow to put us up by 2. Then we help them for the last 15 seconds and we won! It was a crazy and exciting game and definitely a good win for the knights.

Thanksgiving Day

On thanksgiving day I woke up and my parents and I looked through the ads to see if we needed anything during black Friday. After we looked through the ads, we all started to get ready to go to my aunt and uncles house. My brother Eric didn't end up coming with us because he wasn't feeling good when he woke up. So it was just my mom, my dad, my brother and me. We got to my aunt and uncles house around 11:45 and we all ate lunch there. I got to see my aunt and uncle and cousins who live in Ohio and don't get to come back very often. There was so much food to decide from for lunch and it all looked so good. We had turkey, stuffing, vegetable salad, fruit salad, corn, peas, green beans, mashed potatoes, rolls and more. There was so much of everything too because we have a really big family so my uncle always has to make so much food. All the food was delicious though and I got to take some home with me to eat for the next day. While we were at my aunt and uncles house we played different board games and watched football all day. It was nice to get to see some of my cousins that I haven't seen since I left for school. Even though in a way I was excited to come back to school, I wish I could have had a longer break.

Thanksgiving Break

After our last game in Missouri on Tuesday we got to ride home with our parents for thanksgiving. I rode home with my parents and didn't end up getting home until around 1 in the morning. We only got Wednesday and Thursday off for thanksgiving because we had practice on Friday and a game on Saturday. Since I had such a short break I had to fit so much stuff in, in such little time. Luckily I got to go see my grandparents on Wednesday and while I was at their house I got to see my aunt and cousins from Wisconsin and I also got to see some of my other aunts and uncles. Then my parents made me a home cooked meal on Wednesday night which was delicious compared to the food in the mensa here. After dinner my 4 best friends from high school came over and we hung out and baked cupcakes. My friends and I are really into baking and we use to do it all the time on the weekends when we were in high school. So as soon of all of us could get together we decided we wanted to bake something. We ended up making chocolate peppermint cupcakes and they turned out really good. They were really sweet but the peppermint added extra flavor. Then after 3 of my friends left, my best friend from when I was in kindergarten slept over. That was the first time I got to see her since I left for school and I missed her a lot.

Missouri

Over thanksgiving break, the Wartburg women's basketball team took a trip to Missouri to play a couple games. We left on Sunday after we had practice in the morning and drove all the way there and got there around 9 at night. When we got there, we got checked into our rooms and then went to bed shortly after because we had a game the next day. On Monday we played Fontbonne College from Missouri and won. We didn't play very good but luckily we played good enough to win. Then on Tuesday we played Westminister College from Missouri and we also won that game. But on Tuesday there was a series of events that happened. It started when we were driving to Westminister college, one of the vans that we were traveling in got a flat tire. So the girls that were in that van were a little bit late for warm ups. Then in the middle of our warm up we go down to the locker room to get a scouting report on the other team and while we were down there talking all the power went out in the whole city. So we went back up in the gym and had to wait in there until the power came back on. We ended up having to wait 45 minutes until we could start our game. We ended up playing a lot better that game and came out of Missouri with 2 wins!

Going Home This Weekend

This Friday Wartburg basketball has their first actually game at Upper Iowa University and we are all super excited. I am even more excited because my parents are coming to the game and after the game is over I get to go home with them. I am so ready to go home for a weekend and spend time with my parents, sleep in my bed, see my grandparents and the rest of my family, and see my old high school teammates. I had planned to go home this weekend and I was going to surprise them and just show up at home but then my dad called me the other day and asked if I wanted to come home this weekend so I had to tell them my plan. I am going to surprise my old high school teammates on Sunday and show up at their open gym though. I am excited to see all of them because we are all really close and I haven't seen any of them since I moved in. I can't wait to see what my parents have planned for us on Saturday. I think we will go to the Wartburg vs Loras football game on Saturday afternoon and then go out to eat at night. And I'm going to stop and see my grandparents before I leave at some point and talk to them. I am just excited to be at home and sleep in my own bed and have my own space and quiet time to do my homework for the weekend!

First Basketball Scrimmage

On Sunday we had our first basketball scrimmage against Gustavus in Minnesota. We won the first have of the scrimmage by 11 and lost the second half of the scrimmage by 1, so we ended up winning that whole scrimmage by 10. They played a full varsity scrimmage and then played half of a JV scrimmage. It was nice because the only times we have scrimmaged have been against each other in practice and you can only do that for so long. Sometimes it's hard to scrimmage in practice because when we try to run plays, since we all know that plays some people try and cheat the plays and we end up not being able to run all the way through them. So it was nice to run the plays against a different team that doesn't know our play and we were able to run them and execute them very well. I am very proud of the way we played on Sunday and I am anxious to see what the rest of this season brings. After the scrimmage our coach sent us footage that they video taped so we could watch it and look at the stuff we needed to correct. There was plenty of things we need to work on but I feel like we played good for out first scrimmage. It didn't help when there were plenty of people that were nervous to start but once they got in and things got going they started to relax and play the game.

Fall Break

Last week was fall break and sadly I didn't get to go home. I had to stay here because we had basketball practice everyday over break. It was boring at times because after practice all we could do was go sit in our dorms and since no one was here, there was no one to talk to. But at night we got together as a team and hung out. So we would usually have practice sometime in the morning until early afternoon then by 6 we would all hang out. One of the nights we had a team meeting and the coaches ordered pizza then after the meeting we went back to a girls house and watch Hocus Pocus. Then another night we had dinner at our coaches house and all hung out there and played games. But it was hard to hang out very late because everyone was usually tired from practice that day and we had to get up early the next morning for practice. On Saturday night, me, Anna, Sarah, Audrey and Bobbie all got together and hung out and played cards, watched movies and had dinner together then ended up having a sleepover that night. So I would have to say that was my favorite part of fall break. Even though it was nice having a break, I'm happy to have everyone back so we have more people to hang out with now.

Vocations Workshop

My first workshop that I went to today was the vocations workshop. I thought it was interesting to find out that 40% of incoming college students don't know what they want to study for their major. I was lucky enough to come in to college having an idea of what I wanted to do because I feel like that would be stressful not knowing. It's definitely helpful that they have people on campus to help guide you and give you ideas on a major because I'm sure that frustrates kids not having any idea of what to do. Another thing that is very helpful is that if you do have an idea for a major and you take classes for it and end up not liking it, then you can always change it. It's not like your tied down to that major for the rest of your life. I think that staff, advisors, and professors here at Wartburg are very helpful about stuff like that because they want to see us succeed. Vocation means "calling," and finding your calling in life is not an easy thing but when you do find it you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. You feel like you have a bright future ahead of you. Even though I have an idea of what I want my major to be, I know that if something goes wrong and I end up not liking it I can count on my advisor to help me figure things out and get back on track.

First Day of Practice

Sunday was our first official day of basketball practice and I loved it. We started out by gathering as a team in the middle of the court and talking about how practices are going to go all year and the coaches gave us a brief speech on our theme for the year. Then we started doing dynamic stretching and getting warmed up. After that, we worked on some drills to get warmed up. We pretty much did some cone drills and lay ups and stuff to get a light sweat going. Then we split up into posts, point guards and shooting guards and worked on some more drills. Then we all came back together and worked on different one-on-one scoring drills and then did transitioning drills as a team to get us running. After that  we started to talk about defense and went over the concepts of our defense, then did live drills with defense structure. To end the practice we worked on free throws and then introduced our new offense to the team and worked on the first option of it. After that we all gathered in the middle of the gym again and talked about the good and bad things that happened in practice that day then broke it down as a team. Some girls stayed and shot for awhile after then practice was done. I would have to say that for my first college basketball practice, it went good and I am looking forward to what this season is going to bring!

Most Difficult Class At Wartburg

Classes in college are definitely harder than classes in high school. In high school I was never good at math, for some reason it just doesn't come easy to me. The kind of classes that I like to take and that I am good at are English classes because I like to read. I like to read different kinds of books but right now I am in the middle of the Crank series. I think I like this series so much because it's about kids in high school who go through different problems with life, family, friends, drugs, ect. Then they have to find their way out of them and get their lives back on track. Another class, besides math, that I never liked in high school was Spanish. I could never pick up on what we were doing and I had the most difficult time with conjugating the verbs in spanish. When I started signing up for classes for Wartburg I would have had to take intermediate spanish because I took four years of it in high school but I didn't want to take that because I knew I was going to struggle with it. So instead I decided to take elementary  German because I thought I could catch on easier. I actually find elementary german really hard because my teacher is really hard to learn from. When she talks in german she tends to slur her words together so I can't understand what she is saying. Then she moves on from topic to topic even when kids have no idea what is going on. It's hard but I'm taking it one day at a time and counting down the days until the semester is over.

Preseason Basketball

It flew by, but preseason for basketball is almost over. We have our last work out tonight and it's a pool workout. Preseason is the time of year where the boys and girls basketball teams get today during the week and we do workouts that consist of agility, jumping, running, and lifting with our strength and conditioning coach. The workouts are hard but it makes it easier to do them when you have your team cheering you on. It gets us in shape and ready for season to start and it also brings us closer together as a team when we spend so much time together. Some of the workouts consisted of a lot of arm workouts like push up and then a lot of leg workouts like lunges and squats. But then we also had running which was a lot of sprints to be able to get up and down the court. Now preseason is coming to an end and we have our last workout before actual season starts. Our first official practice is this Sunday and I am nervous yet excited at the same time. I don't really know what to expect, I'm so use to high school season that I don't know how different college is. I know that I will be okay though because my team is very supportive and always there to help. I can't wait to start practicing and spend even more time with them.

The People I Have Met Here At Wartburg

I have only been here for a little over a month and I have already met some of the most amazing people.   My town isn't one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone but it's also not a town that's too big. But one thing about Dubuque is that the people there are very nosy and need to know everything about everyone and they are very judgmental. So it was nice to get out of there and come here to meet new people. So far the people that I have met have all been super nice and not judgmental at all, which is exactly what I have been looking for. The girls on my floor are awesome and we all get along so well. We all hang out together and can talk about anything with each other. The basketball team is everything I imagined it would be. The girls have already become like family to me. We spend so much time together and I know they have my back on anything. I have also met some other people on other floors of my dorm. The guys on the bottom floor are probably my favorite people I have met so far. They all play sports so I can talk to them about sports and they are all so laid back. The majority of them play baseball, and since my brother is the assistant coach of the baseball team they always talk about baseball with me. I love hanging out with them because we can find anything to do and it is never a dull moment with them. I can see all these people I have met here being my life long friends!

My Weekend

This past weekend was a good weekend for me because I got to see a family friend who we are very close to! Her name is Tracy Steffen and she actually use to work here at Wartburg. She use to be an athletic trainer here for the baseball team when my brother was a freshman and sophomore. That's how we first met Tracy and ever since then she has been very close with our family. I think of her more as the sister I never had! After Tracy decided not to be an athletic trainer here anymore, she got a job at John Deere in Dubuque and ended up not liking it so now she works at our catholic school in Dubuque. Tracy came up this weekend to visit the other trainers here and to watch all the different events going on up here the past weekend. I didn't get a chance to see her Saturday because I was at the football game and she was helping out with the volleyball tournament but I was so happy that I got to see her on Sunday before she left. She took me out to lunch and we hung out in the afternoon and she brought me some stuff I forgot at home. I was so excited to see her because I haven't been able to see my parents or one of my brothers since I moved in here. So seeing her was like seeing my family and just being able to see someone and talk to someone I'm so close to was definitely something I needed. I definitely miss my parents and I can't wait for them to come up this weekend for homecoming!

Homecoming Weekend

Homecoming weekend is in a week and I'm pretty excited about it because my parents are coming up to tailgate for the football game. I haven't got a chance to go home at all yet because I've been so busy with basketball during the week and on weekends, it's just not worth the drive. So I am excited for them to come up and see me. They getting here in the morning and setting up their spot for tailgating. There are other parents from the baseball team that are cooking out with them all day. My parents have been coming up for homecoming weekend for the past four years when my brother went here and now they are going to do it for the next four years that I am here. Not only am I excited to see my parents but I am also excited for the food they are bringing! I think they are cooking burgers and brats then they are bringing all kinds of chips and dips and desserts with them. My dad also promised me he would make me chocolate chip cookies and bring them up to me.

What Sold Me To Wartburg

I didn't decide where I wanted to go to college until about a month after my senior basketball season. I was looking at a couple schools for basketball like St. Thomas, Upper Iowa, University of Dubuque and Wartburg. I took visits at all these school and liked them all a lot but i fell in love with Wartburg right away. I liked St. Thomas a lot because the campus was beautiful and they had great facilities for athletics, but it was 5 hours away from home and I would miss my family. I liked Upper Iowa but their facilities weren't as nice as I was expecting. I also like the University of Dubuque and they have a very good basketball program but I have lived in Dubuque my whole like and I was ready to move away and get the full college experience. Then I visited Wartburg and immediately fell in love with the W and the main court we play on for games. I loved the atmosphere of the school. And since my brother went here, I was up here all the time and he always told me to come to Wartburg because he knew I would love it. Needless to say, I am very happy with my decision to come to Wartburg, even though I have only been here for about a month I already love every aspect of it so far!

My Best Memory From High School

I have a lot of memories from high school but one in particular that I will never forget is my senior year basketball season. It was my favorite season of all four years of high school basketball by far. I think a big part of the reason why it was my favorite is because the girls on the team were so close, we were like family. When your on a team you always become close with your teammates because you're together all the time, but we became closer than ever. We hung out not only during basketball season, but outside of basketball season too. We could talk to each other about anything and whenever someone on the team was going through tough times, we all were there for each other. We all had each others backs. I in particular had problems with some friends my senior year in high school and it was really tough to go through, but the basketball girls were there whenever I needed them and they always stood by my side. The year ended up flying by because we were having fun the whole season and I can say that I consider them not only my teammates but my sisters too. I miss them the most out of all my friends from high school.

Pinterest

I think I may have an addiction. Pinterest, if you don't know what it is, it's a website that post pictures of probably anything you could think of. It post pictures of dresses, jewelry, clothes, food, photography, bucket list ideas, different crafts, quotes, college dorm room ideas, kids, future home ideas, ect. All you do is go on the website and scroll through it and you can repin stuff that interests you. You also make boards on your own personal page that puts everything into categories for you. For example, one of my boards is called "Good eatin'" and in it is different pictures of foods that come with recipes. Some food I have pinned in it is different soups, salads, meats, pastas, sandwiches and a bunch of other things. Another one of my boards is named "sweet tooth"and this one has a bunch of desserts in it. The best part about this board is that I actually have made some of the things I find in it and they have turned out awesome. Some of the things I have made is: french toast cupcakes, red velvet truffles, smore's cupcakes, sopapilla cheesecake, andes mint cupcakes and many other things. Pinterest is definitely one of my favorite websites. But the only bad thing about it is that they make an app for your phone and because of that app my phone battery dies by 3:00 everyday because I spend so much time on it.

My First College Exam

Last Friday I had my first college exam. It was nothing like my exams in high school because this one I feel like I had to write so much to explain myself. It was for my math class, which is a math class for teaching elementary students how to do math. So every answer was about a paragraph long because you had to write out how you would explain how to do the problem to a young child. I didn't do as good on the test as I had hoped to but now I feel a little better that I have completed my first college test. In high school I feel like things were so much easier and I didn't have to spend as much time studying. At times I wish teachers would have pushed me harder and made things harder to relate to college because at times I feel like i wasn't prepared for college. I still don't feel like I have completely mastered the time management skills but it's going to take some time. One thing I would change in high school is that I wish they had a required class for seniors to teach them how to prepare yourself for college. They should teach us how to correctly write a paper, correctly write an outline, teach us time management skills, ect.

My Role Model

I have two role models, one is my brother and the other is my dad. My dad is my role model because at one point in his life he was never suppose to walk again. When he was a freshman in high school, he got moved up to pitch for his varsity baseball team. It was his first game pitching and when he stepped down from the mound, the muscle in his calf bursted and split his leg. He collapsed immediately and couldn't move. He was air lifted to Iowa City and had surgery immediately. After surgery was over the doctor told him and my grandparents that he was going to spend the rest of his life in either a wheel chair or with braces on his leg. I can't even imagine having someone tell me that. My dad ended up dong therapy every day for the next 3 years and had to learn how to take his first step again. After all the therapy and hard work, he ended up playing baseball in college and tried to get drafted. He decided not to get drafted and instead start a family with my mom. Eventually he started playing semi pro baseball and is in the movie Field of Dreams. My dad is my role model because he never gives up on anything. Even being told you might never walk again, he proved everyone wrong and ended up being very successful.

First Full Week

Well, I got my first full week of college under my belt and it feels pretty good. It was definitely harder than high school but I'm thankful that I have people around here to help me out. Not only did I survive my first full week of classes but I also survived my first week of basketball. We had strength and conditioning work outs on Tuesday and Thursday with our strength and conditioning coach. Then we also had open gym on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and that went really good. After my first day of strength and conditioning I was overly sore but that's a good thing because then you know you got a good workout in. We did a leg and agility workout on Tuesday then did a jumping and arm workout on Thursday. The hardest part of our workout on Tuesday was when we had to do "stud drills." It's when you have to put your hands on a towel and bear crawl back and forth on the court, which doesn't sound very difficult until you do it a couple times then your arms start to go numb and your legs start to shake. But on the plus side, I really like the coaches and the girls on the team and I'm excited for the season to start!

Value Of An Educated Life

I think the value of an educated life is being able to be successful and being able to be pushed to do your best in many different aspects of life. With an education you are more likely to get a well paying job coming out of school and also being able to follow your dreams. I also think that when people see you have a degree and you've gone through many years of schooling, they know that you've been pushed to uncomfortable limits and done things that you didn't think you could do. So they see that you're strong and pushing you only makes you accomplish new things. I think that since we talked about going to a liberal arts school and having to take more classes than just ones that tie in with our major matches up with that fact that we are pushed out of our comfort zone. We obviously pick our major because we feel like it is something we are good at and it's a subject that we are strong in, but having to take classes outside of your major makes you stronger because it makes you have to think outside that box and get away for your major. Those classes are definitely a challenge because your going in not knowing what is going to happen and you can end up coming out mentally stronger than ever!