College Dating 101

Talking with girls in my halls with boyfriends, I've learned it's easier for a relationship to work when the boy and girl go to the same school. Some of my friends have long distance relationships and they admit to the struggle it is and the "sketchiness" sometimes that can happen. This is basically a matter of propinquity, which is a concept about how we are normally attracted and tend to date/marry those who live near us or surround us.

Sunday Morning Service

Yesterday morning at church, our pastor spoke on his experience to India and his missionary work with his family there for a year. The cultural shock he experienced radically changed his life because the Indian culture is completely foreign to American culture and took some time to get used to. His children underwent the same shock.

Mascot Drama

At the first football game this year, Bruiser was punched by some rowdy TCU fans which is completely against all norms. The punishment, or sanction, for the fans actions were getting kicked out of the game by our coach.

Survey the Team

At practice a few days ago, Will (one of the mascots) handed a majority of the cheerleaders a piece of paper with a few questions he wanted us to answer. He was taking a survey for his psychology class that was conducting some research. I thought the cheer team was probably a good sample for a survey, seeing as we all come from different backgrounds and are very distinct from each other, even though we may all cheer together.

Getting Nothing Done

Lately, with the busy schedule life seems to be bringing, I've noticed a huge correlation between productivity and the amount of sleep I get. If I get more sleep, then I'm more productive in the days to come. If I get hardly any sleep, I'm a bum the upcoming day and just want to be lazy and not get any work done.

Hidden Curriculum

Al Ortolani was my senior year english teacher-greatest man ever!

High school did prepare me for college, but not in the matter of the set education requirements. I learned more from my teachers who related to the students about life and shared their stories to help us with life lessons. My favorite teachers were the ones who didn't always stick to the textbook and taught outside of the curriculum! Those teachers helped me be who I am today.

Fall Parties!

This past weekend was Fall Parties, a huge deal for a lot of freshmen here at Baylor who are looking to rush. Spending 30 minutes or so in each sorority's room gives each girl an idea about what the members are like and what the sorority itself stands for. It provides a reference group to where you can evaluate yourself about whether or not you would fit in.

A Little Too Much PDA

This past weekend on a triple date out to dinner and a movie, I noticed more on the 4 zones of personal space the Edward Hall came up with. The entire time one couple was involved in intimate distance, 0 to 18 inches, and made others around them feel uncomfortable, especially at the dinner table! The other couple was obviously just getting to know each other because they remained at the personal distance zone, 18 inches to 4 feet, for most of the night. My date and I have been dating a while now and we bounced between the intimate and personal space, depending on the circumstances.

See You Later!

My roommate and I are definitely caught in a bounded relationship. After this year is over, I think I'm going to be ready to move in with other girls and I probably won't see my roomie much, maybe just around campus and things.

Captain Captain!

The captains for our cheer team have a very democratic leadership style. Just yesterday, we had a big team discussion about things our team needed to decide upon and the captains conducted the meeting in such a great way! They really want to get everyone involved and receive everyone's input!

Wedding Days!

A bunch of the cheerleaders went to my coach's wedding this semester in Dallas at DBU. Her and her husband had an amazing ceremony and it really showed me the true strength of a dyad (a two-person relationship).

Such a Cute Baby (:

My baby cousin Debra is going through the imitation phase right now in Mead's stages of development. She copies what her mom says, and isn't completely understanding everything just yet. She's too precious though! This is her on Halloween!

Dorm Colds :(

My friend lives next door to me in the dorms in Collins and has been sick for the past week, just cooped up in her room. I've been asking her if she needs anything and trying to help her, but she refuses to go to the doctor even after suggestions. She's not performing her sick role!

Poverty Solidarity

During chapel yesterday, we had a speaker from a Texas hunger relief program focusing on helping the poverty, especially here in Waco. One thing he said applied right to sociology and the issue of solidarity and social control. He said, "Solidarity is committing your life to their cause...until it's fixed, it's still our story." To feel that level of connectedness that the impoverished have with society, we have to commit to the cause to help in relief.

Virgil's Conflict

While talking with a junior named Virgil today, I realized his life was experiencing some major role conflict. Between being a Fiji, a yell leader, an ROTC cadet, and a student, his life is overwhelmed right now! All of his roles are demanding so much of him that, at times, he must choose which is of more importance or which role takes priority at different times.

Cookout Subgroups

Sunday afternoon there was a fraternity cookout at the Marina. I was invited by my date and, while there, I noticed subgroups forming from the large group of a few hundred that were present. The potential interactions rose, but the formality and intimacy declined in the large group. Subgroups were a more personal fit for the setting.

"I feel like a Performer"

Tonight at Lifegroup bible study, one of my friends was talking about feeling like a performer going throughout her days, as if it were all acting. This gave me the chance to talk with her about dramaturgy, front stage and back stage and how God sees her back stage when no one else might be able to.

Howdy!

At Howdy, I noticed a lot of people using impression management while dancing. They're front stage was that of being a good country dancer, even for those out-of-staters (even me!). But, when two-stepping started, many used the humor side of face-saving to save themselves from too much embarrassment after stepping on their partners feet or getting too tangled up and confused!

Cheerleading Pyramids

At practice the other day, our team was working on building higher level pyramids and in a way it reminded me of a sociological concept. I thought of the functionalist Talcott Parsons view of sociology being like a wheel, with independent yet interdependent parts. In building pyramids, everyone has an independent part, but functioning together, we all depend on one another to accomplish our goal.

Baylor vs. TCU Game!

Many fans at the game Friday night experienced contagions, where they were less likely to think clearly and more likely to act out irrationally. When bad calls were made or plays didn't go as planned, fans were screaming and freaking out probably in ways they wouldn't normally! TCU fans especially didn't know how to control themselves compared to Baylor fans!