Eric Stark, former assistant of three years, has accepted a job as the top assistant at Eastern Michigan. Eric was not only my assistant but also a dear friend. He brightened up the office and was a hard worker. I'll miss playing starky and ping pong but I'm sure he won't miss losing:) Eric left big shoes to be filled, who can I play one on one in the office with now?? But on a serious note, I want to thank him for everything he has contributed to this program over the last few years. I know he will do well in the next step of his career. Good luck Eric we miss you already!

Update from France!!!

Just like Oberlin, after a few weeks of classes, the assignments start coming. The past week I've been in the library researching for papers and presentations. No matter how hard I try, I can't find a twist to make studying sound more exotic. I've been working mostly for one of my classes on the European Union, which is a topic full of controversy. At the beginning of the year, huge changes were made in the organization and more big decisions loom concerning the possible bailout of Greece. The controversy makes the EU an exciting topic to study and because my school has a lot of international students I get to hear all sorts of opinions and perspectives. However, the construction of the EU is so complicated it makes United States government seem like a piece of cake!

For those of you who suddenly have the image of studying abroad consisting of living in the library, don't worry, I get plenty of time to explore the city. One thing I love about Paris is the rich history and culture that can be found in both the museums and casual strolls down the winding streets. Example: Last week while out running, I passed the house where René Descartes lived, the house where Marie and Pierre Curie lived, and stumbled upon a 2,000 year old Roman Gladiatorial arena which was being used as a make shift soccer field for a game of neighborhood pick-up.

Now back to paper writing...
--Maggie

Semester Abroad

One of the most popular questions we get is, "Will I be able to study abroad?" In response we have always said that we support any athlete who chooses to study abroad as it is a great opportunity. Junior middle blocker Maggie Jacobson is actually spending the entire spring semester in France and has volunteered to write excerpts about her experiences. Maggie wrote us this when she got to Paris.


For winter term this year I do not have a project because I have the wonderful opportunity to study in Paris for the semester and my exchange program started in the middle of winter term. One of the great opportunities with Oberlin is that they really encourage you to study abroad and have lots of exchange programs available. As a double major in Economics and French, I wanted a program in France where I could take economics and business-type classes in French. Fortunately, Oberlin does direct exchanges with Sciences Po, one of France's top Social Science universities, which has just what I was looking for! On top of that, because several students come to Oberlin each year from Sciences Po, I have plenty of friends who have been helping me adjust to the french life!

Hope all is well,
Maggie

Next up is Lizzie Orfaly.

Hola a todos!
I´m spending my Winter Term this year in Guadalajara, Mexico on a Oberlin-sponsored trip. I´m here with 20 other Obies for the month, taking classes at an institute (5 hours everyday!) and exploring the city. I´ve tried a bunch of popular local foods and drinks, and they´ve all been delicious. I´m living with a family near the school and I take the bus by myself everyday. My family is absolutely wonderful: I have a 3 year old brother Mario, who I play with all the time and a 13 and 20 year old sisters Diana and Pati. The parents are so friendly and helpful to the point that I really feel like I´m a part of the family. Although we haven´t had many language barriers, they are really patient with me if I don´t understand something.Also, I´m turning 20 while I´m here, and I´m excited to go out with friends and celebrate. We´ve traveled to Tlaquepaque (my new favorite word), Zopopan and soon we´re going to Ajijic, Tonala, and Chapala. Next weekend we have a weekend off to get hotel rooms at either Puerto Vallarta or Manzanilla. I´ve visited a bunch of museums and met a lot of interesting people. The culture here is so different, but everyone is so welcoming to our differences. I´m having a wonderful time, and honestly don´t want to leave anytime soon! I´d recommend this trip to anyone who wants to learn or better their Spanish and meet new, amazing people!
--Lizzie # 11

More Winter Term

Next is Chinwe Okona from Florida.

One of my favorite books is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. The thing
I missed out most on in high school is reading for leisure, something
I really enjoyed when I was younger, because I just didn't have the
time. It turns out that Toni Morrison was born and raised in Lorain,
OH, just down the road from Oberlin. For winter term, I decided to try
and read all nine of Morrison's novels and blog about each one. I
aspire to be a neuroscience major, and feel that I won't have the
opportunity to take some of the literature classes that interest me at
Oberlin. With this project, I am able to read some books that I have
always hoped to read, as well as analyze them on my own terms. Check
out my blog for more insight on each of the novels:

http://chinweokona.blogspot.com

Chinwe

Winter Term #3

Laura Jessee a middle hitter from Virginia has today's installment.


For my winter term I am backpacking in Arizona with my friend Anna Hughes. We are visiting sights such as the Grand Canyon and Oak Creek Canyon. We are camping and living out of our backpacks. For credit we keep nature journals to record our surroundings and we identify at least one new species a day. Today we hiked to a waterfall and climbed/bouldered. My journal focuses on the differences between the Appalachian Mountains where I grew up and the mountains here in Arizona. We are working on our observational skills along with our survival skills!

Winter Term

Our second posting comes from Liz Wong our sophomore setter

This winter term I decided to take on the adventure of baking. I did not want to just bake anything but I wanted to bake cakes! I love watching those cake shows on food network (admit it, you do too), so I decided to attempt to do it myself. My first cake was a birthday cake theme. I made a two tier square cake and decorated it to look like presents stacked upon each other. It came out really well for my first try. I made it just in time for my Grandma's birthday. For my next cake, I thought I'd give fondant and gum paste a go. Let's just say gum paste should be left to the professionals. I missed a direction on the gum paste box and couldn't move my fingers for fifteen minutes. In fact, my hands and fingers would still be stuck together if Amanda had not come to save the day. Fondant is not an easy thing to work with either. Those professionals make it look like, well, cake! My second cake was a 'thank you' cake for the physical therapist office that has helped me recover from my ACL injury. The finished product looked great but the process was messy. Powdered sugar, eggshells, and various other baking goods were all over the counters and floors. I failed multiple times before my fondant came out nice and smooth. By my third cake I was done, making rookie mistakes, such as forgetting to frost my cake before putting the fondant on (according to common sense the fondant needs something to stick to…according to me, it doesn’t). Anyway, winter term has been messy, fun, and semi-relaxing. I have realized that baking cakes and decorating them are certainly not as easy as Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss make it look. I will definitely be leaving it to the professionals, mostly because my mom has banned me from the kitchen haha.