the inside scoop from UT Arlington’s campus tour guides and student recruiters
I thought it would be fun to have a Q&A blog. (Mostly because I have no idea what to write about this week. So I’m reaching for information.) So, if anyone has any questions about UTA or being a Maverick, post a question as a comment and one of us will get an answer out for you!
Happy questioning!
Question: Did you know that there are free agents in the realm of intramural sports? That’s hardcore…like parkour. (Which is something for a wholleee different blog.)
Groups around campus put teams together to play in as many sports as they possibly can. One such dedicated group is none other than the infamous Brazos Bulldogs. Brazos House is one of our 5 residence halls on campus and they take passion and competition to a whole other level. I’ve witnessed it first hand at “Dancing with the Mavericks” last semester. They didn’t win…but they should have. They were clearly the only ones with rhythm…but hey…they didn’t ask me to judge.
One of the best ways to get involved around campus and to make friends is to join an intramural team. Brazos helps their residences out by putting teams together for the students who live around each other to get involved in. The Brazos Ballers play basketball, the Brazos Dodgers play dodgeball, and the Brazos Pokemon Trainers play soccer. Don’t ask about that last one…still trying to figure it out, myself. Thanks to Garrett Jones for all the Brazos info!
MavElite also plays intramurals! Last year we had a flag football team and this semester, we’ll have a softball team! So come out and support UTA’s campus tour guides and telecounselors…and Kevin Cheek (one of our admissions counselors). Example time!
One of our tour guides, Kayla, plays co-rec soccer. This weekend, she played the ROTC team and she busted her knee open. Apparently, it was pretty gross. Way to take one for the team, Kayla!
Another one of our tour guides, Kristy, plays both basketball and sand volleyball for the Delta Delta Delta sorority team. Kristy played sports in high school, so for a student who doesn’t continue on with sports after graduation, it’s fun to be able to play on a team again.
Tina Rachel, another tour guide (catching a pattern?), says “intramurals are an opportunity to relieve the stress of the academic life”. She played flag football and volleyball last semester.
If you have any questions or are curious about UTA’s intramurals, check out their website!
Il est bon avoir des amis partout. Votre amie, Caitlyn!
(It is good to have friends everywhere. Your friend, Caitlyn!)
Yeah, I said it! ….typed it! I’m a Belieber. If you’re staring at this post with a really confused look on your face, allow me to shed some light:
Il est bon avoir des amis partout. Votre amie, Caitlyn!
(It is good to have friends everywhere. Your friend, Caitlyn!)
A new semester brings a new flurry of classes…and apparently some flurries of the snow variation.
Last week the university was closed for 4 days. Four days. Four DAYS. Close your eyes…are you imagining UTA closed because of snow and ice? Awesome. Now what are you imagining? Students studying? Students being proactive? Open your eyes.
1.) If that’s what you saw…you are sadly mistaken. A wicked case of cabin fever swept over many of our students. I, personally, didn’t do anything productive. At all. In my Book of Productive Doings, however, I have things such as ‘catching up on my many favorite TV shows’ and ‘reading a book on my sweet, new Kindle’. Those things may not be on your personal list.
2.) If you were able to close your eyes and read the instructions at the same time…call me. I’ll get you in contact with Professor Charles Xavier. (No. He’s not dead.)
So, this semester…I’m taking my last French language class, Intro to Advertising, Writing for Mass Media, Microeconomics, and Communication Theory. My professors have been really awesome! For some reason, all of the professors in the Communications Department have top notch senses of humor. They say the darndest things.
I’ve written posts before about how I want to study abroad. It’s one of the reasons I’m at UTA! I wanted to study in England for a semester, but the more I think about it…the more I realize I have other, better options. (I know…better than London? Poppycock.) The Department of Modern Languages offers a really cool program called “Summer in Paris” where students spend one month in…you guessed it…Paris! Classes are taught by UTA professors and you get actual credit for the classes you take with them. Classes are Monday thru Thursday in the mornings, then in the afternoons your assignments may be, for example, to take a recipe and go to the market, collect ingredients, and prepare dinner! Cultural immersion. Genius! The professors take the students to different monuments and museums! Sounds like the trip of a lifetime! My professor last semester told me that a lot of the students take trips on the weekends, too. So I may get to see London, after all!
In other news, you may have heard of a little thing called the Super Bowl here in little ol’ Arlington. Was traffic ridiculous? Yeah. But it was SO worth it to have a piece of history down the street. A lot of students got the chance to volunteer to help out at the actual event and at the NFL Experience. Lots of great opportunities out there!
Until next week!
Il est bon d’avoir des amis partout. Votre amie, Caitlyn!
(It is good to have friends everywhere. Your friend, Caitlyn!)
So here’s an update about my summer. I’ll write a blog next week to update you on my Fall semester. We’ve had some technical difficulties, hence the delay in posting. But we’re back and ready to write for our fans! I know we have fans. Even if they’re only my professors and my mom…HEY MOM!
My summer was beyond words. Even though I worked at my home town’s local grocery store for the first half of the summer…the latter section of my holiday was…stupefying. I spent 2 weeks in Japan and then another 2 weeks with my family on an East Coast roadtrip.
My sophomore year of high school, my family hosted a foreign exchange student named Miki Takao for a year. She’s from a town called Matsudo in the prefecture of Chiba just outside of Tokyo. So this summer, I spent 2 weeks living with her and her family. For those of you who are Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift fans…no…I didn’t see any drifting. But, believe me…I was definitely on the lookout. If you watch that movie, most of the places he sees…I’ve seen. Such as this:
This is an area called Shibuya. It’s known as one of the fashion centers of Japan. It’s kind of like New York City.
This was also taken in Shibuya at a T.G.I. Friday’s! Check out the UTA shirt! Reppin’ the Mavs!
For the first few days that I was there…I was SIICCKK. Jet lag and culture shock are surely on the Axis of Evil. After that, though…I was ready to go. We stayed at her house for the first week, then Miki and I set off across Japan by ourselves. We rode a bus to Kyoto and stayed there for a couple of days. We went to temples and shrines and did some shopping. It was really beautiful there. Then we rode another overnight bus to Hiroshima. MAN. Talk about sadness. It was heartbreaking. If you’ve been living under a rock for the last 70 years…allow me to catch you up: On August 6, 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. So imagine being an American and walking around the site of the explosion 65 years later. The site where 74,000 were killed and a similar number were injured. It kind of makes you hang your head a little bit. Okay…a lot.
We also went to Miyajima Island off the coast of Hiroshima. It was unbelievable. This picture should explain it.
FYI-Deer like ice cream. And they’ll follow you around to get it.
One of the highlights for me was seeing Himeji Castle.
It was literally on my list of things to see before I die. The keyword in that sentence being “was”. It reminded me of how much I want to study abroad and how UTA wants to help me do that. There is so much money for Mavericks to study abroad! So if you’re interested…be sure to check out http://studyabroad.uta.edu/.
Next week, I’ll talk about getting back into classes. So, get excited.
And finally, this is a dark chocolate orange frappuccino that is really popular in Japan.
It’s beyond description. “Delicious” is primitive compared to this.
That title is most definitely a Shakespeare quote. I watched “Much Ado About Nothing” tonight with my English teacher mother and the character Dogberry is a pretty funny fella. If you haven’t seen it and you’re thinking, “I don’t understand Shakespeare”, then watch this movie. It all makes perfect sense. Now, on to other things!
Well, folks, I’m back home for the summer! Saying goodbye to all my friends and co-workers was lame and completely the opposite of fun, but this summer is going to go by sooo quickly. Like Alexz said, she’s going to Montana. And I’m going to JAPAN for 2 weeks in July. I’ll try and blog while I’m there. My goal is to put up a picture of me in a UTA shirt and flashing the “Mav Up” sign in the middle of Tokyo…or…anywhere, really. Haha.
I signed up for a Maymester class because in order to keep my scholarship that UTA so graciously offered me…I have to have 30 hours every year from UTA. Which means I can’t take a class at a nearby community college. Enter Maymester course. HEED 1340 – Healthy Lifestyles. Does it count towards my major? Negative. Will it save me money in the long run? Absolutely. And who know…I might actually learn something. Sooo here I am. Searching for the textbook that I need for the class. I have to have the quizzes done over the first 2 chapters by this Wednesday, May 19th. AHHHHHHHHHH. So there’s a handy tip for the future: If you’re taking an online class, don’t assume there isn’t a textbook. That makes you a dummy…like ME.
While I love being home and all that jazz…I already miss my UTA home and all the friends I made this year. I feel my campus tour facts slipping away and being replaced with grocery produce codes. Back to working my summer job at a grocery store! Here I come, rhubarb and broccoli crowns! I’ll try and promote good ol’UT Arlington to all my customers and go all “Tour Guide” on them.
So for now, adieu all!
I shall miss thee!
(Like I said before, I watched “Much Ado About Nothing” tonight. My brain is now in Shakespeare mode. Forgive the strange phrasing.”)
I would like to start by pointing out that…
#1: Zack’s blog had nothing to do with the fantastic-ness of UTA or the MavElite. Only his fancy bone structure.
#2: Zack’s own mother prefers my blogs to his. Just saying. (Heyyy Zack’s mom!)
One thing I LOVE about UTA is that we have movies galore all around campus. Tonight, for example, by the power of a Facebook group, the film “Beware of Christians” is coming to campus and will be showing at Rosebud Theater! Despite what you may think…it’s not an anti-Christian film. Just throwing that out there. There are movies that play at the Planetarium on campus, at the Lonestar Theater in the MAC and the Rosebud Theater in the UC. How exciting is that?! Super exciting. THAT’S how exciting. Last Friday, Courtney and I went to see “Sherlock Holmes” at the Planetarium and we paid $2! Wooo! It was pretty cool. I like that we don’t have to leave campus to find something fun to do. How convenient.
While I will always have a deep love for The Office…Community has really been stepping up it’s game! Funny. Show. If you haven’t seen it….this Thursday…you know what to do. (subliminal messaging…NBC…Community…NBC…Thursday…Abed…)
Well folks, it’s almost time for a break from blogging! The semester is almost over!! This week is Dead Week (which means that most professors aren’t assigning new projects and such) and then finals are next week! I can’t believe my first year of college is almost over! Ridiculous. I remember my first week of classes last semester…I sent my Dad a text telling him that I had one week down. He responding with, “I still can’t believe they’re letting 12-year-olds go to college.” No. I’m not really 12-years-old. Haha.
Here is a picture of Zack and I at a crazy restaurant after a Preview Day.
No. I’m not legitimately “declaring” bankruptcy. If you don’t know what I just quoted…then…you should come to UTA so that we can be The Office friends.
In about 640 days, I will be heading to England. It’s happening. I am beyond excited. This summer, I will go to Japan for 15 days to visit my family’s foreign exchange student that lived with us for a year 3 years ago. I’m on my way to becoming a world traveler! Yay life!
UT Arlington has 80 programs in 40 countries including New Zealand, Spain, and Leicester, England (where I’m going to go). Check out The Shorthorn’s study abroad blog! I know a lot of people that say the one thing they regret about college is not studying abroad. So if you’re reading this and you’re in college…GO SEE A STUDY ABROAD ADVISOR TODAYYY. I’m convinced it will change my life. Plus, ever since I was a kid I’ve loovvedd England. Absolutely everything about it appeals to me…except the weather. But then again…I live in Texas. I’m used to stupid weather. I love medieval architecture and the history of England. Dramatic stuff. It’s exciting.
You should Youtube “Star Wars according to a 3 year old”. It’s an exccittiinngg video.
Sooooo, The Office. Date Mike. Where to begin…I still don’t know where to begin…
“Guess what? I have flaws. What are they? Oh I dunno, I sing in the shower? Sometimes I spend too much time volunteering. Occasionally I’ll hit somebody with my car. So sue me– no, don’t sue me. That is opposite the point I’m trying to make.” That is all. That wasn’t from the Date Mike episode…but it’s still an epic Michael Scott quote.
Apparently I put a “bottle full of sunshine and gold velvet particles” on my hair. That was a Sam Watson quote. That sounds luscious.
Today is my sister, Jordon’s, 24th birthday. Shoutout timeee! Happy Birthdayyy, Jordon!!
So, on Tuesday night we had a special tour. 3 of us volunteered for it (Me, Sam & Dana). It was pretty fun.
But most importantly…
….I have a new best friend.
When we went into the Chemistry and Physics building, I attempted to tell our tour about how we have a team that makes parts for the Particle Accelerator in Switzerland. I said something along the lines of “…I wish I knew more about it…”
“Oooh! Ohhh! I know!”
I looked over and the guy that was working at the planetarium that night was literally jumping up and down waving his arms around. His name is Ian. We’re best friends. He just doesn’t know it quiitteeee yet.
He described it as this: “I work on that thing! It’s the biggest piece of machinery in the world! It’s like watching cars run right into each other! That’s what we do! With protons!”
And yes…he said all of that with exclamation marks at the ends. He was really exciting. Brittney is basically ready to hire him as our Honorary Enthusiast.
And just in case you were wondering…I love my job.
Alexz is right. The snow day was epic. I’ve never seen that much snow in my entire life…except for when I was in Alaska…but that doesn’t count. A friend of mine said that she finally learned to “run in the snow”. Is it supposed to be hard? Don’t you just pick up your feet and run normally…with snow under your feet? Yes. That’s how it happens. I tried it.
So, now that The Office is making people think that it’s coming to an end…I’ve moved on to bigger and better things. Flight of the Conchords. Ohhh, yes. It’s Business Time. Flight of the Conchords consists of two guys from New Zealand. They are funny. Not the usual “they are funny.” But as in, they ARE funny. After the 3.5 day weekend we had, I needed a little bit of “funny”. Sitting in your room is not all it’s cracked up to be. You get sooo bored sooo easily. That’s where the TV comes in. Beautiful things can happen. Especially if your friend lets your borrow Season 1 of Flight of the Conchords. If you’ve never seen them…go to YouTube. Right now. Go.
Our new tour kicked off this week! Yay! I give the 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and the 1 p.m. on Thursdays, and I have yet to give the new tour. Today, we have a special tour (a bunch of high schoolers!) and yesterday…no one showed up for my tour. Bummerrrr. So for me, the new tour kicks off NEXT week. I love special tours! They’re so much fun! Especially when it’s a big group. They always have questions and fun things to say.
Zack is proud of me because 2 days ago I ordered some Burberry London perfume. Apparently that’s a milestone for my life. And I have “many, many Zack points” now. Yippee? I suppose I should feel like my life has been blessed or something by his approval. Yay me?
I’m sooo ready to go to London for my study abroad. Only 696 more days!
-Caitlyn!
