Animal crackers in my soup.

Phew! I think this is the first time I've been able to breath in the past week with a design project, an exam, interview preparation, and the Phi Rho lock-in! And the weather is nice enough to enjoy on my break as well; not too cool and not too hot.

Anyway, I'll talk about my interview and Phi Rho since you probably don't want to hear all about the processes of a manufacturing plant or how not-very-well by electrical engineering exam went.. So first of all, I have a second round interview with Eaton Corporation next week!! They are flying me out to Pittsburgh for a night to tour one of the plants, have dinner with some representatives, and give a presentation of "my contributions to a recent project." I'm really, really excited for two reasons: 1.) I haven't been on a plane since I was in ninth grade, and that was my first and only time ever, and 2.) I haven't given up hope on pursuing an internship for this summer yet! All I need to do is REALLY impress the HR department at Eaton, so hopefully they will hire me for the summer! :] My best friend is actually working for them as well (it will be her second internship with them), and it would be sweet if we could be at the same plant! Crossing my fingers for a good interview process next week :D

The second busy (yet FANTASTIC) thing I've had going on was preparation for the Phi Sigma Rho lock-in of the semester. Every sister must attend this so it was really difficult initially to find a time everyone could participate, but we did it! After the lock-in, we had a social and a sleep over for the girls who wanted to stay all night. Along with being Historian, I am on the social committee for the sorority, so we had several events to plan for the lock-in, particularly things we needed to get done as a group that is required by the National Sorority. This past Friday, we concentrated mostly on making the Alpha Class scrapbook, as well as our letters. For the week leading up to the event, the social committee, Social Chair, and I prepared the letters and talked about what kinds of things we wanted to document in the scrapbook.

My favorite part of the week was making the letters. It was the first time I had ever used power tools for a purpose, and guess what I did? I broke the blade to the jigsaw. So we had to wait another day to complete the cutting and sanding, but it was all finished by the lock-in! Funny though, that I'm an engineer major, and the first time I use power tools is my junior year for my sorority... :p Here's a few of the pictures of our process throughout the week:

The final letters still have the blue painters tape on them in these pictures, but I still think they look gorgeous :D Don't quote me on this, but I think we're the only sorority on campus who made their own letters. We're engineers, I mean, how could we not?

Happy First Day of Spring!

Can you believe it's already the first day of Spring? It's not like we even really had a winter (not that I'm complaining!) and currently, it feels like summer outside! I heard that we might even hit a record high temperature in Michigan today; 86 degrees in March, doesn't that just seem so strange? I think I was still wearing my coat and jeans on the first day of spring last year..

Anyway, it seems that the nice weather is making it difficult to stay on task, doesn't it? I know I've had trouble with that since we got back from sprain break and I saw all of my friends outside playing sports and soaking up the sun.. I didn't even get to go outside for more than just walking between classes until yesterday! It was pretty warm outside too, and I think I even got a little sunburned on my face!

Well I hope everyone enjoys their first day of spring 2012! Take a walk, bike around campus, or just sit outside your dorm or class building and enjoy the warmth. I'm going to go outside and study for my exam now! :]

I'm shipping off to Boston!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

Just a brief reminder to stay safe today and watch out for you friends. But, definitely enjoy the BEAUTIFUL weather, I know that's my first priority today! <3

The sun goes down, the stars come out, and all that counts is here and now.

(I heard this song for the first time over break, and now I'm obsessed with it. It's been on repeat all day long while I was packing and making my way back to State! Glad You Came - The Wanted)

How is spring break already over? I honestly do not know where the time goes any more, but it completely escapes me. AND we lose an hour tonight because of Daylight Savings Time. I think we got jipped!

I had a list of things I NEEDED to get done over break, considering the piles of homework I was given the week before:

-ECE 345 Homework Assignment
-ME 361 Homework  Assignment
-ME 371 Homework Assignment
-MSE 250 Lab Reports 1-7
-ECE 345 1000 word essay
-MSE 250 5 page Literature Review
-ME 371 Research for Project 2
-Phi Sigma Rho scrapbook planning

Wow, now that I look at it, I had quite a bit to get accomplished. Here's how the list looked at the end of the week:

-ECE 345 Homework Assignment

-ME 361 Homework  Assignment

-ME 371 Homework Assignment

-MSE 250 Lab Reports 1-7

-ECE 345 1000 word essay

-MSE 250 5 page Literature Review

-ME 371 Research for Project 2

-Phi Sigma Rho scrapbook planning

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't write my five page paper or do my ECE homework (and that's due on Monday!) but at least I got some things done, right? I mean, it WAS spring break after all...

Apart from homework, I didn't do too much the rest of the week. I slept, which is a luxury most college students cannot afford, and that was definitely worthwhile to catch up on. I worked out almost every day as well, which is a thing I hope to continue into the rest of the semester, too. And I got to spend a day with my boyfriend who lives in a city about an hour and a half from me, so that was a great day. But mostly, my break was laid back and... restful.

How was your spring break?

Grilled cheese, please!

There's just something about grilled cheese that makes it my all-time favorite, easy-to-make, lunch, dinner, or snack food. It might be because it's so quick to make when you're hankering for a little brain food while studying or just because there's such a variety of ingredients you can use to get different tastes and flavors, I'm not exactly sure. Either way, I love trying them in new places, especially cities that boast about serving America's best grilled cheese, such as the ones in this article. Just looking at the pictures, these three are my favorite:

1. Grahamwich, Chicago, IL
Graham Elliot Bowles is known for playful cuisine at Graham Elliot, and the sandwiches at his take-out joint, Grahamwich, are equally inventive. The grilled cheese on sliced Pullman loaf features Wisconsin cheddar, prosciutto, tomato marmalade and cheese curds, which, when melted, add an extra soft, gooey effect.

2. Beecher's Handmade Cheese, Seattle, WA and New York, NY
This Pike Place Market fixture recently expanded to New York with a big boutique and production facility. Each location grills its signature Flagship cheese-a slightly nutty blend of cheddar and Gruyère cultures-with fillings like tomato and basil. Each location also uses local bread: In Seattle, it's from Grand Central Bakery; Harlem nonprofit Hot Bread Kitchen provides excellent loaves in NYC.

3. Roxy's Grilled Cheese Boston, MA
With respect to Boston baseball, Roxy's offers the Green Muenster, with guacamole and bacon. Here, too, mac and cheese is considered a sandwich filling for the Mac & Chorizo. In an ingenious twist, Roxy's brushes mayonnaise on the outside of sandwiches, rather than butter, before slapping them on the griddle.

It's kind of like chocolate chip cookies: everyone claims that their mother makes the best. In my case, I think our own university can fit that description well enough though.. If you've never had an MSU Dairy Store grilled cheese sandwich, change that immediately. With all of the dairy products made on campus, they are the most delicious sandwiches that I have ever had. Did I mention you can free tomato soup EVERY MONDAY when you buy a grilled cheese? It's my new favorite lunch. :D

Happy National Engineering Week!

Boy, has this been the BUSIEST week of the semester (and it's not even midterms yet!) Every day since last Sunday there has been something engineering related going on to take up time outside of school and work. It's almost like Rush Week for the Greek system, except nerdier. The College of Engineering had a range of events planned from companies to come in and talk with interested students, social events for the different engineering clubs, a banquet recognizing those students and staff who have contributed immensely to the College over the year, and hosting the Engineering Expo where students can talk with companies and apply for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions. Seeing as I have yet to find an internship for this upcoming summer, my main focus of the week was researching which companies I wanted to speak with at the expo, tweaking my resume, and practicing professionalism. I'd say it was a pretty successful career fair as I gained four interviews from the experience! I had two of them on Friday and two are scheduled for next week, so hopefully at least one will go well enough so I can be employed this summer! Here's a video of how a few other MSU engineering students reacted to the week:

I hope that other engineering students were able to get as much out of the week as I did! And I'd like to thank the College and all of the groups who hosted all of the events, it was extremely beneficial!

And now it's back to studying for midterms.. but only one more week until SPRING BREAK 2012!!!! :D

Happy Hockey Day in America!

Since we are STILL celebrating the joys of hockey, I thought I would share some of the photos from the Spartan's last regular season game from last night!

Ten seniors, Class of 2012, acknowledged before puck drop.

A Spartan Senior tradition: kissing the Spartan helmet at center ice.

My three favorite Slapshots seniors; I've had three incredible seasons of cheering with these girls, and it's going to be SO different without them next season. Best of luck to all of you ladies <3

The Slapshots and Spartan Brass seniors being acknowledged after the Alma Mater at the end of the game.

Senior members getting to meet and greet with the team, staff, and head coach.

They also got to participate in the classic senior tradition! :]

Celebrating our final home game win with one of Slapshots favorite traditions: throwing ripped up newspaper in the air every time a goal is scored by the Spartans!

All the flag runners over the past three years; after a Spartan goal is scored, the flagman (or woman) runs a full lap around the concourse of Munn Ice Arena followed closely behind the Spartan Brass Tuba section!

The senior posters made by a few dedicated Slapshots members! We all got to sign the backs of the posters to thank the seniors for everything they have done for the team as well as wish them good luck in the future!

It may have been the last REGULAR season home game, but we still have the CCHA playoffs to look forward to since the Spartans did so well with a sweep this past weekend! :D

And as a side note, congratulations to my favorite NHL team, the Detroit Red Wings, for continuously breaking the record of winning 23 consecutive games on home ice! Let's go Red Wings!!!

The best game you can name is the good old hockey game!

Happy Hockey Day in Michigan, which also coincides with Hockey Weekend Across America! Founded in 2006, this holiday was created so everyone in Michigan can celebrate their love for hockey and the growth of all kinds of hockey organizations! Michigan boasts over 2,500 youth and amateur hockey teams and this number is constantly growing year after year. Obviously, Michiganders truly love their hockey.

To honor this weekend, the Detroit Red Wings are holding their first outdoor practice in Detroit's Clark Park that is open to the public for a small donation or fee. They've played and practiced outside before when they played in the Winter Classic at Chicago's Wrigley Stadium, but this is the first time local Red Wings fans can enjoy seeing their beloved team at home. Hockey players always talk about how much they love playing outdoors, since that's where most of their dreams started. It's great to see the NHL bringing hockey back to its roots.

And just in case anyone hasn't heard this yet, the Detroit Red Wings will be facing the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Winter Classic 2013 at THE BIG HOUSE IN ANN ARBOR, MI! It'll be their second appearance in the Winter Classic games, but the first time on "home" ice. I plan on buying tickets the moment they go on sale, and not to mention for all the other events that will be happening in Detroit for the two weeks prior. They are also talking about hosting the Great Lakes Invitational at the Big House as well, so we'll get to see our Spartan hockey team play outdoors AGAIN without having to wait for the next Big Chill!

Okay, and my last little blurb about hockey: tonight is the Spartan's last home game of the regular season and we're honoring ALL the seniors, players and Slapshots members alike. If you want to see a fantastic game and cheer on your fellow Spartans, come to the game at Munn! The seniors are being honored at 7:30pm and puck drop is 8:05pm! We're playing University of Alaska Fairbanks, and hopefully we'll be able to make it a six-point weekend sweep with another win tonight!

Wow, I guess I didn't realize I was such a hockey fanatic..
GO GREEN! GO WHITE!

Go Green. Beat Blue. Give Red!

I feel (and probably look) like a war hero in the medical department today. Before I tell you the story, let me explain why.

Currently, Michigan State and the University of Michigan are battling to see which school can get more participants, whether it be students, staff, or alumni, to donate blood to the American Red Cross. It's an annual event in the beginning of Spring semester, and MSU's goal this year is to collect over 1400 units! There are several places on campus that you can go to to donate to make it more convenient for everyone interested. You can check the times, locations, and dates here.

But back to my story. I had an appointment scheduled right before lunch, so I didn't really have time to eat after class (don't worry, I ate breakfast though!) I also have a tendency to iron deficiency, so it's more difficult for me to donate than other people. So I go to my appointment time, wait around for about half an hour before my blood pressure and hemoglobin are tested, and then find out that my iron level is too low to donate.

Strike one.

I had the opportunity to test the hemoglobin on the other side of my body, so I accepted, and thankfully it was just above high enough for me to donate! After taking the health question exam I was led to the beds to finally give blood. Unfortunately for me, I hadn't had much water all day, and my veins were dehydrated, so the first time I got poked with a needle, it missed.

Strike two.

Too many things had gone wrong initially already, but I wasn't ready to give up yet. Luckily, everything worked out the second time on my other arm, so I was out of there in no time after that! The only thing bad was that I had both arms wrapped up in gauze and red tape, and a band-aid on each of my middle fingers. Like I said earlier, a true blood donation war hero. :p

I love the intense rivalry between our school and that other one down the road, and being able to participate in it just makes me feel that much more school-spirited! If you have the opportunity and are willing to donate, please do so! It's an awesome feeling knowing that you can possibly save a life by donating blood. I'm not a big fan of needles or pin pricks, but I find it much more rewarding knowing that I'm part of something bigger than myself.

Go Green. Beat Blue. Give Red!

"Together we build the future."

Is the motto of Michigan State's newly inducted colony of the sorority, Phi Sigma Rho! I'm not sure if I had ever mentioned this in the past, but I am now officially a member of the Alpha Class of what will be MSU's newest sorority next fall! We are an engineering and technology focused sorority for girls that are interested in Greek life and Sisterhood but are far too busy with their studies and jobs to be a part of just any sorority on campus. Honestly, it still is pretty time consuming though. I hold the Historian board position, so I'm required to go to the E-board meetings as well as the general meetings for all of the members. But, it is definitely the greatest decision I have made all year.

It all started last summer when my Biosystems Engineering friend emailed a small group of us girls asking if we wanted to be a part of starting a sorority on campus. Her cousin is the president of Triangle, the engineering fraternity, here at MSU, and he heard about it through their National Conference over the summer. My initial thought was that it was going to be rather difficult to get a bunch of engineering girls, considering there is such a limited number of us on campus to begin with, who would even want to be in a sorority in the first place. That all changed when I went to the first meeting we held in the fall. There were eight of us and we talked with some of the VPs of the National Sorority of Phi Sigma Rho about what we needed to do to make this happen.

And now, six months later, there are twenty-seven dedicated members, all striving for the same thing: the bond of Sisterhood. I love each an every one of these girls, and I'm so ecstatic to be a part of something that will continue at MSU for years to come! We have so many plans to make this sorority as successful as possible including fundraisers, social events with other fraternities and sororities MSU and non-MSU alike, and even potentially getting a Phi Rho house in the near future!

Here's a few pictures from our celebration after induction yesterday. It was held in the Engineering Building (I mean, honestly, where else would you hold an engineering sorority inductance?) and we also got to start our member education so we can become chapter members in the fall!

Starting our member education! We got a head start by memorizing the 

Greek alphabet earlier this past week!

MSU girls before Induction.

My Pearl Sister, Pam. <3 Since we are the Alpha Class and have no previous MSU class to induct us in, the wonderful ladies of Phi Rho from the University of Michigan were each assigned to one of us to become our Pearl Sister. Pam is absolutely amazing, and I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful or warm-hearted sister to gain from being a part of Phi Rho. She was also Historian of the Eta Chapter at UMich, and I hope to learn a lot from here to make our chapter just as great!

The five girls who TRULY got this going: (L to R) Jena, Kristin, Rachel, Sarah, and Krista.

MSU and UMich sisters celebrating!

All MSU and UMich ladies of Phi Sigma Rho!

The Alpha Class of the MSU Chapter of Phi Rho!

I absolutely cannot WAIT for all of the events planned for this Spring and next Fall having to do with Phi Rho! There's going to be Rush events, socials, a formal ball, study groups, a lock-in, but mainly just times to hang out, have fun, get to know each other, and form a Sisterhood that will last a lifetime.

#phirholove