10 Things

I have learned since starting grad school:

1. I really want to teach at the college level some day. I will be teaching a variety of younger ages this fall, which will be awesome, but eventually I would love to be a college prof. You know...after the whole acting thing falls through :)

2. I have accidentally become a vegetarian. I'm not confident cooking meat yet (I always think I'll do something wrong and get sick), so since I left home...I just haven't. It's been three weeks. Every time I consider sticking with it I think about how much I would miss Taco Bell. Sad, I know.

3. The difference between grad students and undergrad students? Grad students come to class. Every. Single. Day.

4. I have learned how to draft a theatre stage design on large vellum and am in the process of learning how to creatively light a show. Fresnel, ellipsoidal, gobo, and cyclorama are currently at the top of my list of "most used vocab words." 

5. I do not really have a list of "most used vocab words." 

6. Theatre in the east (and the arts in general, even) is much more supported and respected than here in the west. Actors, artists, etc. are highly respected in eastern countries because the arts are considered to be a highly necessary means of preserving the culture. There are committees that support and oversee the arts, not to interfere, but to guide it in this preserving process. But here in American they say we have no culture. Artists are often seen as lowly, weird, and unnecessary. It's very unfortunate. 

7. Regular lunches comprised of a box of cookies, a liter of Mt. Dew and a bag of cheese puffs do not make for a good looking couple. Seriously, I have seen it first hand in the halls of the music department. 

8. Another difference between grad students and undergrad students? Grad students seriously want to learn. They don't bring their computers to class so they can surf facebook and watch movie trailers on mute. It's a great atmosphere of focus and contributing. (Granted, not all undergrads are the same. Many are passionate about learning. I've just experienced the opposite end of that spectrum quite often). 

9. We had a lady come in and talk to us yesterday about working in the theatre with special needs kids. It is absolutely amazing what theatre and acting exercises can do for a child with aspergers or LD. It can literally change their world. I loved learning from this woman. 

10. Along those same lines, I have found a new appreciation and joy for learning. I am soaking things up like a sponge and finding that no one has all the answers. No one can ever say that they have "arrived." There is no way to ever have enough learning. It's a beautiful thing. 

Summer Playlist

I may be a little late, but I have started compiling a summer playlist. This is strictly limited to songs that either get me in the mood for summertime fun or have come to my attention very recently and are subjected to my constantly pushing "repeat" on the old iPod.


1. "Price Tag" - Jessie J.
2. "This Year" - The Thrills
3. "Loving You Tonight" - Andrew Allen
4. "Tonight Tonight" - Hot Chelle Rae
5. "1+1" - Beyonce
6. "Turn on the Radio" - Reba McEntire
7. "Sweet Thing" - Keith Urban
8. "Shark in the Water" - VV Brown
9. "Rainbow Sleeves" - Sherie Rene Scott from "Everyday Rapture"
10. "Oh What a Day" - Ingrid Michaelson
11. "Without You" - Keith Urban

This is what I've got so far. I'd love to know what your favorite summer songs are right now, so feel free to send me a comment or an email with some suggestions and I'd love to give them a listen!

A New Life

Hello friends! Greeting you over a bowl of oatmeal, brown sugar, blueberries, blackberries, a cup of coffee, and a slice of toast with the famous Wenger strawberry jam. I hope your morning has started off just as lovely as mine :)

A lot of people have been asking how my week has been since I have started Grad school, so I decided to write a post dedicated to the beginning of my new life here. Here is my week in a few pictures and words:

On Monday, the professors had an early morning welcoming breakfast for all the theatre MA students. I learned, during this meeting, that I am the baby of the group. Most of the other students are already teachers and many have families of their own. There is one other girl who just completed her undergrad like me, but she is married. Henceforth - I'm the baby. We range from 22 (me) to a few in their 40's and 50's. Quite a dynamic group! Everyone brings their own unique life experiences and stories. 

On this first day I immediately began to recognize some differences between Akron and Asbury. For starters, Akron has a bowling alley in their student center. Yep. A bowling alley. They also have a pool hall. I think I counted 15 pool tables when I walked by. This building also contains a Starbucks,

 Barnes and Noble, various restaurants, an Auntie Anne's, a bank, and this little gem: 

They show movies in here regularly throughout the semester. Pretty legit.

It also takes me a little more than ten minutes to walk to the other side of campus. Just a little more. Akron's campus is located downtown and the campus actually has their own bus system. New one on me. 

The one downside to the campus is the library. I absolutely love Asbury's library because it's so open and bright. Akron's library is dark, old and grungy. Granted, they are doing some repairs and upgrades this summer, but I was majorly bummed the first time I walked in. 

The architecture of the staircase is kind of cool, but that's about it. Probably won't be spending a lot of time here this summer.

This is where I spend most of my time on campus:

This is the back of the building. Oops. 

I am taking three classes this summer - Teaching Elementary Theatre, Creating Performance, and Lighting Design and Technology. Here is homework for day 2 of that last class:

I actually drew most of these by candlelight because a storm knocked the electricity out that night :)

The Lighting Design class is really informative and fun. We will be designing the lighting plot and transitions for one act of a play of our choice throughout the next week or so. I am doing "First Kisses" by Jay D. Hanagan.

Teaching Elementary theatre involves a lot of improv games and teaching techniques geared towards children. We will actually be devising lesson plans and teaching children during the last week of school. 

Creating Performance is about devising theatre from sources other than conventional plays. "Devising" is a new concept to me, and I'm learning a lot about new ways to create. Our theme this year is Myth, so we've been doing some interesting things with that. (More on this in a later post)

But enough about Grad school for now. I've been exploring the area and have found some cool places. Wooster has a place called "Buehler's" which kind of reminds me of Kroger. They do the same kind of things with providing lots of discounts for card members. 

Om nom nom - Buehler's fruit!

Unfortunately, Ohio doesn't have any Whole Foods Markets. But as I was driving around trying to find supplies for my Lighting Design class, I found a look-alike! 

I spent about a half hour walking around the store and it's almost exactly like Whole Foods. I didn't even have to buy anything - just walking around made me feel healthier :)

So that's what my experience, in a nutshell, has been so far. I will be writing more over this weekend about specific projects I'm working on as well as some stuff that's just for fun! 

On the Road Again

A few days ago, I celebrated my last evening in Florida. My parents sent me off with my favorite meal from Bonefish Grill - the Diablo Shrimp Fettucini.

nom nom nom delicious.

The next morning, I set out on what ended up to be a fifteen hour drive from Florida to Kentucky. Wanna see some stuff from my trip?

A boat with a smiley face travelled in front of me for a few miles.

This is what my trash tray looked like around hour 12. Thanks, Mom :)

After spending two days in Kentucky, I travelled further up north where Ohio greeted me with a lovely rainbow.  

Sometime after it became dark outside I looked down to change the song on my iPod and suddenly felt a huge bump under my left front tire. I thought I had just hit some tire debris on the road. About 30 seconds later I started smelling skunk. Turns out...I blew him up. This was the evidence I found on my tire the next morning

This is my room for the next 5 weeks, courtesy of Kate Wenger :)

It's going to be a good summer.

When I See Your Face

This post is based on my learnings from two different sermons. One from my home church in Florida, the other from my church in Kentucky. Two different pastors - one big lesson for me.

The first sermon was part of a series called "Cravings" and was entitled "Gluttony." I'll admit that I fall prey to gluttony every now and then. It's not a huge struggle for me, but it happens sometimes. A bad day goes by and I'll go to food for comfort. I stuff myself needlessly just because the food is in front of me. It happens.

The second sermon was part of a series called "Christian: (noun)" and was entitled "Clothe." Based on Colossians 3: 12-14, it was about how we are a chosen people by God. In our world today, being chosen almost always means that it comes at the expense of someone else. But God's love for you never comes at my expense. Everyone can be chosen and no one has to be rejected.

I started thinking about these two sermons and they somehow started morphing together. Gluttony isn't about weight. It's not about appearance. But what do I look at when I see my reflection? When I pass by a store window and see myself in the glass, my eyes automatically search out my flaws. They usually go immediately to my stomach for evaluation. Is it sticking out too much? What about my legs? Are they skinny enough today? And my hair. There's just never enough volume.

But I am chosen.

God wants me. He created me perfectly. God has fathered me with compassion and love, and if I am to spread those things to others I need to clothe myself with the things of the Father. With the truth. I am chosen.

So I made a decision. Whenever I pass my reflection, even if it's just for a second, instead of looking at my body and searching for all those flaws that only drag me down, I will intentionally look into my own eyes. I will look at my face and see a child who is chosen - a person who is loved and cherished exactly as she is - no matter what.

So I did that today as I strolled through an outdoor mall. And you know what? I've never looked better :)

Where is the Love?

So many people are doing amazing things for others. Like this guy.

Blake Mycoskie. Founder of TOMS shoes and the One for One Movement. Thousands of children have received much needed shoes because of his idea. He travels around the country to speak at graduations, conferences, and business meetings, encouraging people to give in everything they do. Read more about Blake here. 

Or this dynamic duo.

Kyle Yamaguchi and Shu-Chu Wu. Founders of 141 Eyewear. They discovered that 153 million people need prescription eyewear but cannot afford it. So, just like TOMS, the concept is simple: for every pair of eyeglasses purchased, they give a pair away to a person in need. 141. Read more here.

Or this guy.

Scott Harrison. Founder of charity : water. A former "prince of New York," he left his posh city life for the poverty-stricken villages of Africa. He came to know the meaning of "charity" and decided to put it into practice. He set up a business that has one purpose: to bring clean water to those in need. 100% of donations go to building wells in places that do not have access to drinkable water. Donors can even set up a personal campaign and have their friends donate money to the cause in place of birthday gifts/Christmas presents/etc. 

These are just a few of the people who are doing incredible things to help others. These are people who inspire me to evaluate my own life and what I am doing with it. It's so easy for my world to seem so big. My problems are so pressing. The happenings of my daily life are sometimes the only things I think about. I worry so much about little things. 

But last night, as I was reading in Matthew, I came across this: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." It's a verse I've heard before, but it became more real to me last night. The Son of God - the one person who deserves to be served - came to serve others. 

In Acts 2 I read that "All the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people." 

In Colossians, Paul encourages us to "clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony...Christ is all that matters." 

And in Ephesians, Paul says that "He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." 

I am so tiny. And God is so much bigger than my problems. I have been blessed beyond measure, and I want to use my life and resources to help others. I'm not completely sure what this looks like yet, but I do know that I want to travel. I want to meet people and experience different cultures and learn about all the things that are going on outside my tiny little life. And, until I can do that, I'll be working on ways that I can help the people around me - right where I am. 

Holla if You're Ready for Some Summertime

Hello! I'm sitting here in my kitchen with some breakfast and coffee, just having a lazy day, and I thought I'd give another update on the basics of my summer.

So here are the things that have been occupying my time.

My parents have employed me to paint practically the entire interior of our house. The color is called Sand.  I am becoming quite good at taping, unscrewing outlet covers, and finding things to stand on so I can reach the ceiling :)

My mom has the coolest bike ever. It's a Biria EB 7 in Aqua Blue. I've been riding this thing a lot and it is legit. 

Whenever I'm home, I like to take advantage of the extra free time to catch up on movies that I haven't had time to see. This week it's The King's Speech, Black Swan, and Blue Valentine.

I've been trying to slowly build up my endurance again. Running three days a week for at least 30 minutes, trying to build up to an hour. 

After singing some Italian songs for my voice lessons this semester, I have been wanting to learn more of the language. It's just so beautiful. I was looking through books at Goodwill the other day and came across this little gem. I've been taking it page by page, slowly learning simple phrases. I love it.

Yes, this is a scanner, just in case you weren't sure. I've been trying to get rid of a lot of junk, and I have a lot of pictures and notebooks that I've been scanning so that I can get rid of them. I've watched entire movies while scanning my life onto a thumb drive. For instance...a pile of notebooks turned into an itty bitty thumb drive. Space saver for sure.