One last post

Wow. What happened? I'm leaving Luther tomorrow. I think I'm experiencing shock. I can't believe my first year of college is literally over. Minus the two finals I have yet to take, this year is gone. There are so many things running through my mind, and yet I don't know what to write. I could tell you about all the firsts and lasts my friends and I experienced this weekend, but that seems trivial in comparison to the looming departures I'm being faced with. I could tell you about how much I've changed this first year, but that seems silly. I don't know, maybe I'll do some random train-of-thoughts in order to give you a taste of everything.

This past weekend has been one of my favorites! It started out with Reading Day on Friday, in which the whole campus is basically shut down so that no student has an excuse not to be studying. So after being good students all day long and cramming information into our brains, four friends and I decided to go to Rochester for some well-deserved Buffalo Wild Wings and Starbucks. As we were coming home, we wondered why we had never done that before. It was so much fun! So college tip #1: take a mini road trip with your friends for some good food one random weekend. It doesn't matter if it's to LaCrosse or Rochester or just to Cresco (it's a small town about 20 miles away) just get in the car and go eat! Saturday was my roommate's birthday, so a bunch of us went out to Rubiayt and had dinner. It was so much fun! Most of us had never been there before, so it was a new experience, and the food was delicious! College tip #2: don't neglect the downtown! There are a ton of cute shops and places to eat and things to look at. Go into any store, and I guarantee you will end up having a great conversation with someone there, simply because there is no sense of time in a small town, and everyone is so darn friendly! Then to finish up the weekend, eight of us walked down to the canoe/tube landing and went canoeing all afternoon! It was so peaceful, just paddling down the river, looking at the trees and bluffs and listening to the birds. Then we went and laid out on the library lawn while studying, so we were not only outside in the glorious sunshine, but we were also getting work done. Talk about the perfect multitask :-) College tip #3: get out and have fun! Yeah, it was the weekend of finals and we could have been studying all day, but studying isn't what makes memories. You need to take a break, get outside and enjoy life! I know you're at college to get an education, but there is absolutely no reason you can't also have an unforgettable time with your friends while you're at it!

I was thinking the other day about how much I've grown since I left home last August. I'm not so sure that my outward appearance has changed as much as my mind and who I am, although I do think I look more sophisticated :-) But really, college expands your horizons like you wouldn't believe! I've gone from reading fun romance novels to reading C.S. Lewis and Jane Austen for fun! While watching chick flicks and comedies are a good time, I've also grown to like documentaries and films that make you think about bigger questions than any comedy can offer. I started school as a Biology major Spanish minor, and now am an English/Africana Studies major with a History minor. Who would have thought that Allison Croat, the girl who hated grammar and history in middle school would want to learn more about them in college? I certainly didn't think I would! I've learned to like to eat different types of food, and yes, I even drink coffee now! What?!?! I know, crazy. But it's just what happens when you decide to expand your horizons and try new things. College tip #4: don't be afraid to let go of who you were in high school. College is a time for you to grow and to change and to create the person you want to become. You don't have to be fake anymore; if you don't want to do something, you don't have to do it! Or if you really want to be someone else, there is no one telling you you can't do it because that's not the role you fit into. You get to be the best person: YOU! And while that is an extremely scary thought the first few months of school, you gradually become more comfortable with it, and by the time you get to where I am right now, you are finally fitting into the skin that was meant for you. And once you get there, your life seems to open up before you.

In closing, I want to thank all of you for sticking with me this year, through the random posts, the rantings and the bliss I've gone through these past nine months. Whether you are a senior in high school, already in college, or long done with your 'typical education' I want to wish you all the best. Take whatever opportunities life gives you and run with them. After all, we only get to live once, so you better do it right the first time, and there's no better time to start living than right now. As for me, I'm

Always
Allison

The time, has anyone seen the time?

Can someone explain to me how I have less than one week left of classes? I have TWO DAYS of each class left of my first year of college. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I could swear that someone has turned the hands of time ahead on me for a practical joke. Well let me tell you: NOT FUNNY! I feel like this year has disappeared; it's gone too fast. But alas, I'm sure you're not here to listen to me complain about how fast life goes and yaddah yaddah yaddah. So let's find something interesting to talk about.

The Shakespeare in Performance class put together a performance, for lack of a different word, of a play that is gaining popularity Measure for Measure. A few friends and I went to see this performance, and let me tell you, it was hilarious! I've always had some problems understanding the way Shakespeare writes, meaning in Olde English, but after hearing it spoken for about 15 minutes, you kind of get the hang of things and can better understand what is being said. I think the class did a wonderful job! They took the original play, about 2700 lines, and cut it down to 1200 so it would fit into an hour-long performance. And they were incredible! The play was humorous, the acting was great for folks who aren't majoring in theater, and the audience was thoroughly engaged. I think this is something rare at Luther; then again, I feel like that's all I ever say about this school, that you can't find such and such anywhere else, but I really think it's true!

Oh, what else to say? This week the weather took a turn for the worse, so it wasn't as nice as it has been previously, but we're all holding our breath for this last weekend, as we have plans to go picnicing and canoeing and hiking one last (or first) time before summer. I must say, the less time you have, the more things need to be crammed in. I feel like there is so much that I want to say, but I think I'm going to save it for next week, and have a final hurrah, one last Luther cheer for this glorious first year at college.

Always,
Allison

Oh what a night...nope, oh what a weekend!!

This weekend was one of those that just makes you happy to be alive! Life at Luther doesn't get any better than this! It started on Thursday, when some friends and I went to cheer on our friend in the world-premiere of Camille's Carnival, which is a play that is written based on the songs of Camille Saint-Saen's Le Carnaval des Animaux. It was basically written by a professor at Luther, and was a lot of improvisation while writing from the students who were in the play. It was wonderful! The set was amazing (thanks to one of my friends who is on the set crew) and the play was magical.

Friday night was the Aurora/Norsemen choir concert and Relay for Life, which is a walk that raises money for cancer. The concert was great! I never cease to be astounded by the talent that Luther has, especially in it's choirs. It is simply amazing! And Relay was incredible! It started at 6pm and ended at 6am. I only made it until 2:45, though. But the sheer number of people walking around the track in the SRC (Student Recreation Center in the gym) was stunning. It's amazing to see that much support and effort given by a bunch of college kids. It was overwhelming; it's times like that that really remind me that there is good in the world.

Saturday, after sleeping in ;-), I wrote my last first draft for Paideia, and then joined the Brandt BBQ. It was a great time, the RA's (Resident Assistants) grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and had fruit and veggies and chips, the usual picnic foods, and anyone from Brandt could come and eat dinner outside. It was a great time! After dinner, we got a bunch of people in a circle to hit around a volleyball, then threw around a Frisbee. At 8 o'clock, we started the annual East v. West Capture the Flag game!!!! It was so much fun! West has won the past two years, and so we were hoping for a three-peat. It ended in a draw, as both teams crossed the line with their flag at the same time, after both teams cheated by throwing the flag from person to person. It was so much fun, because the grass was getting slippery with dew, so it was kind of like a big slip-n-slide :-)

Today was a glorious day! A friend and I rented "banana bikes" from the Luther Bike-Share program through the library. Let me just say that those yellow bikes are great! We went to the Decorah Fish Hatchery, where the DNR raise trout to stock the rivers. It was great! Then we stopped at the Sugar Bowl, which is an ice cream place downtown. It was so nice! We came back and went outside to join friends in doing homework on the lawn. But that didn't last too long before the Frisbee somehow appeared, just begging to be tossed around. So I took multiple breaks from my Spanish homework to please the disk.

This weekend has really made me grateful for living in Decorah, going to Luther College. I am positive that there is no where else that you can get a bike, ride for 30 minutes along the river and see the most beautiful bluffs anywhere. Everywhere we went today, the birds were chirping and the sun was shining. I don't think I could ask for not only a better day, but a better weekend or a better school!

Always,
Allison

Make new friends, but keep the old

This weekend I had the pleasure of going home with one of my best friends here, Taylor (I know I've mentioned her a number of times). It was a blast! I was really nervous about meeting all the people she talks about when she talks about her friends from home, but it turns out there was nothing to worry about, because everyone was just as amazing as she claimed! But it got me thinking about making friends at college.

I remember being so extremely afraid of not being able to make friends when I left for college. I'm actually a quiet person when I'm around people I don't know; it takes a while for me to open up. So I was worried I would never really have a chance to meet anyone because I am so shy. But somehow or another, people become more than just the girl-down-the-hall or the guy-from-calc-class and become Kim and Augie and people who you are able to talk to. It's surprising how fast people go from being acquaintances to being your closest friends. It just sort of sneaks up on you. I cannot name the exact date when Taylor or Anna or Emma became my best friends, it just sort of happened. Somewhere in between the many movie weekends and trips to Mabes and the Whippy Dip, these people become your confidants. It's crazy! I went from being scared of not being able to meet anyone to meeting so many new people that I couldn't keep their names straight! It's insane!

So I guess I just want to reassure everyone out there that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You may be scared about meeting new people and trying to find a group of friends who fits your personality. But trust me, these people will find you. Just don't be afraid to be yourself and let loose and have fun. Go to school events that are interesting to you, because chances are you'll be able to find people who share the same interests as you. Don't be afraid to ask someone to help you study in your accounting class. If you're lost on the first day of bio lab and see someone carrying a similar notebook, ask them if they know where they're going. They could end up being one of your best friends. Believe it, because this actually happened to me. Erik and I ended up being lab partners and study buddies for Bio 151 first semester, and he's one of my closest friends here. You don't know the kinds of people you will meet at college. Just don't be afraid of being shy. All it takes is one step outside of your comfort level, like asking someone if they know where the classroom is, to start a life-long friendship.

Until next time, I'm
Always
Allison

Spring has Sprung!

Yes, it is official: spring has come to Luther College! This is evident by the masses of people who seem to have come out of hibernation. Suddenly, there are swarms of people all over the library lawn! It's crazy! At almost any hour of the day, you can find people sitting on the grass on their blankets, doing homework, or talking, or playing Frisbee or just hanging out. It's great! People have started to walk leisurely to and from class or just meander around campus because it's simply too darn nice to stay inside. It's wonderful! It's times like now that I can relish in the moment, just live, and think "Yeah, this is what being in college is all about." Although, I'm not going to lie, being outside in the sun makes one seemingly 'forget' all the homework they have to do (Don't worry Mom, I promise I'm still doing it all...it's just taking a lot longer than this winter).

Other than that, not much else is new on my home front. I will register for classes on Wednesday; cross your fingers that I can get into the ones I've chosen!J-Term applications are due this week. Luckily, I've already turned mine in and written the essays that each trip requires. I'm hoping my trip will get enough people in order to actually go...again, keep your fingers crossed! I will keep my fingers crossed for everyone out there who is still making their decision about where they will end up next year. If you have any questions about Luther, please feel free to e-mail me: croaal01@luther.edu I would love to hear from you. Until next week, I'm
Always,
Allison

Lenka and the Hush Sound

So last night was another fabulous concert brought to Luther Students by the Student Activities Council (SAC). Lenka and the Hush Sound performed, and they were FANTASTIC!!!!! It's so cool to hear music that is off the main stream, you know, something that you don't hear every day. And these guys were it. And not only were they it, they were incredible! I am so glad that Luther supports these kinds of concerts, because they really broaden horizons.

Yes, I was really this close!!!

Other than the spectacular concert last night, life is settling down here at Luther. Schoolwork is slowly but surely getting done somehow, don't ask me how I do it because I wouldn't be able to tell you. After my minor breakdown last week (how could you tell?) things slowed down a bit so I've been able to not only get caught up, but I've also been able to be actively involved in the going-ons of campus. Such as the production of So Tech, So Savvy on Friday night. This is just a small production put together by one of the dance professors, featuring ten students and one faculty member in an alternative, interpretive dance show. It was really great, especially getting to see my professor dance :-) It's things like that that really make Luther unique.


I wish all of you a happy Easter week. Stay safe, don't eat too much candy on Sunday. Although if you are going to have any kind of stomach ache, I have found that the candy-induced ones are most preferable :-)

Always,

Allison

Allison's Life Lessons Part 2

Hello all. Just thought I'd give you a quick life lesson that I've just recently learned:
Spring Break is supposed to be just that: a BREAK, right? Wrong. Don't get me wrong, enjoy the warmth, enjoy the snow, enjoy wherever it is you frequent, even if it is your own doorstep :-) Take a well-deserved break from the day to day routine of classes. But don't be stupid: DO YOUR HOMEWORK ANYWAYS!!!! Because it WILL be waiting for you when you come back, don't worry your pretty little head about it. No matter how much you tell yourself that you'll have until Wednesday to read Paideia because of the lecture Monday, don't forget that you'll have two assignments to read by then. And in the mean time, you will inevitably get more homework in class on Monday, and on Tuesday and all the following days that you will, of course, have to put off because you're still catching up from break. So even though you don't want to even THINK about your crazy depressing philosophy midterm when you return, do yourself a favor and think it anyways. Crack open your Paideia novel, get online and do some research for your paper. Trust me, you'll come back and won't be at a higher stress level than when you left. I promise.

Always,
Allison