the Freshman 15

So I'm alive and the first week of classes is over. Here is a picture of me and one of my roommates, Christine, on campus. The sun was just setting.

I love all my classes so far. My Physical Science teacher is hysterical. Every class period at exactly 9:30 he stops what ever he is doing and announces that it is "joke time" and he has someone in the class tell a joke. The other day we were studying Newtons laws and he passed out fig newtons to the first row. He is also a firm believer that in a lecture doesn't have a picture of a dinosaur in it then it is a failure. So every power point presentation has at least one picture of a random dinosaur. Anyway that class is a blast. Then Honors Writing is a little trickier. Our first assignment was to write "me in 100 words" it was harder than it sounds. Here is what I came up with:

Tikla Brown

Lisa Harris

Honors University Writing

September 6, 2007

Me in 100 Words

I am a pencil. Daunted by perfection, my pencil makes mistakes, but I’ve discovered my eraser and I’m scribbling a masterpiece. I am an ember from a bonfire. My small dancing spark has blown around the world, illuminating others, or catching their flame. I am a sphere of clay, lovingly squeezed, pinched, and massaged into pliability by the Master Sculptor. I am a song that loves to be performed. My tempo is Allegro and my dynamic dramatic. Presently, my home sings a distant island harmony that lends an ear when I’m out of tune.

yup that's me...ahem. My writing teacher is very driven and I think it will be a tough class but I'm ready! (war face)

Then let's see there is honors Book of Mormon. Our teacher is awesome, but he is a giant! I think he must be 6'8" easy and looks like a basketball player gone to seed. It's a little intimidating when your professor has a hand big enough to grab your entire head...but he is funny and I think it will be an awesome class.

My tap dance class is super fun and I just need a way to get to the mall and buy some tap shoes. Social dance is great too. I haven't been to Music Cultures yet, that is on Monday, and I may be switching some things up before the add drop deadline.

Everyone is amazing here so I feel lost in a sea of greatness. I didn't realize the identity crisis that would bring on, but I'm slowly getting comfortable with this college life. My dorm is great and I love my roommates. We've got two girls from Utah, one from Missouri, and one from Chicago. Every time I introduce myself I go through the same routine:

them: "So, what's your name?"

me: "Tikla"

them: (double take) "What?"

me: "Tikla"

them: "woah spell that"

me: "T-I-K-L-A"

them: "cool, where are you from?"

me: "Saipan"

them: (big eyes) "Where?"

me: "Saipan"

them: "where is that?"

me: "uh, do you know where Guam is?"

them: "not really but I probably should"

me: "well it's a little tropical island in the middle of the pacific ocean."

them: "wow"

So I'm pretty much sick of introducing myself.

Alrighty, so I keep having these funny experiences running into people I've known from the weirdest places. For example, the other night I was at this dance thing and a girl started introducing a friend to us. He heard my name and instead of going through the usual routine he asked, "what is your last name?" I told him it was Brown and he said, "you were in my 5th grade class in Orchard Elementary School, in North Salt Lake, don't be freaked out or anything I just have a really good memory." Weird!!!! but really cool. Then I ran into my second cousin that I'd met only once before when I was six and we did a bakesale together. Andrew Welch (the saipan Welch's cousin) is now really good "friends" with one of my best friends from 9th grade. People from Lone Peak High School are everywhere, and almost the entire cast from "Little Women" in Rexburg has addressed me as Amy. :)

I auditioned for Women's Chorus and went through three nail biting callbacks. I'm now officially in the choir and am singing first soprano. YEAH!!!! The schedule is really intense but I couldn't be more excited.

I didn't realize how hard it would be to eat healthy! I'm trying my best but it's so much easier to grab something salty or sweet than make something nutritious. Money slips through my fingers like water too. whew. college life is very different from what I was expecting. Some things are easier and others harder than I thought they'd be.

Oh and I almost forgot. On Sunday night I went and did "tunnel singing" where anyone who wants too comes over to the tunnel by the Marriott center and sings hymns. Apparently Sister Rider was part of the original group who started it. I loved it! The acoustics are great in there and the spirit is strong. Sometime in the middle of it all the guy in charged yelled, "it's time!" and everyone sat down. Then he said, "Anyone who has been called on their mission please rise." About four people stood up and announced where they had been called and when they leave. Then we all stood and sang Called to Serve. wow, powerful stuff. I've got to get out of my pajamas and start the day so I'll leave this at that. I miss you all and love you!