It’s no secret that UT has had quite a few well-publisized incidents occur within the athletics department over the last few years.  Ironically enough, those issues began in the fall of 2008.  My first semester.  Now, three years later, I think (and hope and pray) that things have calmed down and we won’t see something negative in the news headlines every other day.

Those who know me well know that I get really defensive when it comes to my Vols.  Don’t you dare say something derogatory or rude about the teams or university when I’m in earshot…you will see another side of me.  But I would be lying if I said that the last three years of coaching changes, NCAA violations, player arrests, and all other sources of instability within the programs weren’t wearing on me and other UT students and fans.  I mean, seriously, in the last three years, ALL this has occurred:

• Phil Fulmer steps down/is forced to stepped down/resigns/is fired fall semester of my Freshmen year.
• Lane Kiffin, badass of the universe, is named UT Head Football coach.  In his one year tenure, he managed to violate numerous NCAA regulations, inspire Lil Wayne lyrically, and bring UT fans together during the season as well as during his departure for USC.  For what it’s worth, I fully support the idea of renaming the waste water treatment facility near campus after him. Because nothing says “Lane Kiffin is crap” like his name affiliated with human waste. That’s all I have to say about that.
• During the brief Lane Kiffin era, several football players decide to rob a couple of good ole boys at the Pilot on the Strip with pellet guns and a Prius as a getaway car.  As much as I appreciate them being environmentally conscious with their vehicle choice, I also believe this was a chance for Lane Kiffin to shine as a hardcore coach and disciplinarian.  But he didn’t.  Another awesome ESPN headline and shameful event for UT Athletics.
• A few months after this incident, several UT basketball players were pulled over and arrested on drug and weapons charges on New Years day 2010.  Tyler Smith was ultimately dismissed from the team, which didn’t bother me too much…if I saw a dude like him walking up to me in a dark alley with a freaking teardrop tattoo next to his eye, I would run like Lane Kiffin getting away from a NCAA investigator.  Another bad incident, another bad headline.
• UT hires another head football coach after Kiffin: the handsome, intelligent, wholesome Derek Dooley, who comes from SEC royalty.  Coach Dooley, if you’re reading, we should have lunch.  Maybe with a little candlelight.  (I’m not a homewrecker, I just really love the guy)
• Rumors start to fly that beloved head basketball coach Bruce Pearl has also committed NCAA violations.  Administrators and AD Mike Hamilton publicly supported Coach Pearl initially, until the NCAA decided to make an example out of UT and UT eventually fires Bruce Pearl, ending an era of UT Men’s basketball that we will probably never see the likes of again.
• UT hires Cuonzo Martin as the new head basketball coach.  Jury’s still out, but he seems like a great guy.  Bonus:  His name is awesome and will be used creatively on a poster many, many times.
• UT Athletic Director Mike Hamilton steps down amid decreased popularity over how he handled the Bruce Pearl situation and all recent athletic issues.  My opinion:  we needed a clean slate.
• The best and most successful athletic team at UT suffers a HUGE blow when Pat Summit announces a diagnosis of dementia.  Seriously though, if I was Alzheimer’s, I would be afraid of Pat Summit.

And that’s where my slightly muddled timeline stops.  I know that for Vols fans, reading over those incidents is cringe-worthy.  It was hard for me to type.  I think that I can honestly say that my tenure at UT coincided with the most instability in an athletics program anywhere.

My point:  Look how far we’ve come. UT fans are diehard…we love that Orange and White.  Yes, I have hung my head in shame several times over the last 3 years.  But I never stopped bleeding orange and feeling that surge of pride when I saw the Power T on game day.

We experienced a 93 minute rain delay at the very beginning of the opening football game this year against Montana.  Security folk and announcers told students and Vol fans to seek shelter, and some students stuck it out.  My friend, John Austin, and I hadn’t even gotten to our seats, so we were stuck in the concourse until the rain cleared…and it was claustrophobic.  No movement.  Borderline scary.  Then, something happened:  someone started chanting “I said it’s great to be a Tennessee Vol” until the whole area was singing in unison. We were hot, wet, lacking personal space, but someone took that as an opportunity to remind us why we were there.  It gave me chills.  That’s the Tennessee Spirit I know and love.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40: 30 & 31

This has been an interesting summer.  I’ve studied for and taken the GRE, done a few fun summer activities, taken a month long Physics course, and started my vet school application (it’s a beast).  I’m weary and wary.  Weary because I’m tired. My mind goes a million miles a minute and I have a hard time getting myself to s.l.o.w. down.  Wary because I’m scared.   I’m scared of the process of applying to vet school since it truly determines my future.  But, I’m also inspired.  This is going to be an exciting school year, and I’m going to push myself harder than ever.

But for right now, it’s nice to just take it all in.

Do it yourself.  Have initiative.  Get moving. 

Some of you have the will inside yourselves to do things on your own.  You take pride in the fact that you keep track of your life, whether it be homework and important dates or taking on college and scholarship applications all on your own.  Your parents are aware of what you do, but they don’t take part in it completely and they definitely don’t do it for you.  You, my friends, are on your way to greatness.  A major thing I’ve learned throughout college is that it isn’t AT ALL how smart you are, it’s how hard you are willing to work (yes, on your own) that counts.  If you have initiative and motivation, you will do just fine. 

But, there are those who are far too dependent on others.  I know several seniors in high school who plan on attending UT, but didn’t complete their own application.  Ya’ll need a reality check.  Next August (or whenever you’re starting college), you’re gonna move in and say a teary eyed “bye bye” to momma and pops.  Then, it’s all you. 

Now, I’m not saying that I don’t depend on my parents at all.  Ha.  Besides the whole financially dependent thing (which irks me), I am very close to my parents.  And I’m not gonna lie…occasionally I’ll send my mom an important paper for her to read over and send me any suggestions and edits.  But, my parents trust me to take care of myself and my belongings, and with that trust I know that I am supposed to try my best and work hard all. on. my. own. 

That’s what I’ve learned.

So…

HappyThanksgivingMerryChristmasHappyNewYear!!!  One of my resolutions for 2011 (even though I don’t believe in them…I just want to make a few improvements in my life!) is to try and be more consistent with my blogging.  In order to be consistent, a routine must be established, and that’s where my new “series” idea came from. 

This semester, I’m going to blog about what I’ve learned the past two and a half years at UT and point out mistakes that I made, things to avoid, things to get involved in, etc.  My tour partner, Ayub, always told our tour groups stories about his mistakes and screw ups his freshmen year….everyone has them!  I’m really looking forward to reliving stories (good and bad) and giving advice at the same time.  It’s a win, win!

So, check back in a couple of days and I’ll have my first “What I’ve Learned” blog posted!

Hello readers!  I’m updating my blog…it’s a miracle!

I’m sitting in my bed at 11AM watching the Ellen show….I LOVE Thursdays.  I only have one class in the afternoons and it’s my one day to breathe. 

As usual, I’ve been busy this semester, which is definitely a part of the reason why I haven’t blogged yet.  If someone looked through my schedule or took a look at my life in the past few months, they would probably say that it looks pretty lame, hahaha.  But, I’m really OK with that.  What have I been doing?  Studying a lot.  Working some.  Spending time with Caleb and my family when I get the chance.  It’s been nice, really.  I think that you come to a point in college where you have to make the decision to committ to your classes and the studying or turn your back on it.  Right now, I’ve made the decision to really work hard so that I can get where I want to be.  Makes me sound mature right?  Don’t be fooled!

I have done a few fun things this semester.  I went on a big overnight hiking trip to Mt. Leconte in the Smokies with my family and a big group of friends.  It was a total blast and so nice to be out in nature for the weekend.  I even took fellow blogger Nate along, and I think he had a really good time!  Just to let you all know the kind of person Nate is, he chose to hike down the mountain with my parents (which probably took months) rather than hiking down with me and my brother at a much faster pace.  I had to get back to campus ASAP for a class field trip, but Nate wanted to go with my parents to talk to them and show them how much he appreciated being included on the trip.  He made a good impression on my parents’ friends as well…he’s just a good guy! 

Me and my brother, Will, on the way up the mountain.

I’m in utter disbelief that the semester is coming to an end….Thanksgiving is in three weeks!!  I hope ya’ll stick with me while I focus on school. I’ll definitely blog several times in the next month. 

Love ya!

E

Hello, readers!  I’ve missed blogging so much for the past few months.  I’m glad I’ve managed to sit down long enough to reflect on the happenings of the summer as well as talk about my trip to South Africa!

Let’s start at the very beginning (name that musical!!):

Everyone knows that life is full of ups and downs.  College is no different, folks.  I remember thinking how wonderful things would be in college when I was a senior in high school.  Yep, as far as I knew, UT would hold happiness and independence.  Brilliant!  What I didn’t know was that it would also test me in many ways, not just academically.  Turns out, I’m pretty tough when I need to be. 

The last two weeks of May were my “summer,” if you will.  I spent time with my family and boyfriend, and planned a trip to Charleston with my mom for the last weekend before my class started June 1.  Well, my boyfriend, Caleb, had other plans.

This picture was taken in the middle of May…we had gone to a wedding the night before and planned to get up early the next morning and hike to Ramsay’s Cascades in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is basically in my backyard.  We had a great time on the hike and got to see a lot of HUGE trees in the “virgin forest,” which is at a very high elevation so the loggers couldn’t access it in the late 1800s/early 1900s.  There is a point on the trail where you can see the difference between logged forest and virgin forest…it’s hard to believe that if the GSMNP had not been established, none of those enormous trees would exist.  Ack, sorry….on a tangent.  Anywho, this is one of the last times I felt truly carefree this summer. 

A little over a week later, my mom and I loaded up the car and headed toward Charleston, SC.  We stopped in Spartanburg to eat and get gas, and I recieved a text message from Caleb simply saying that he had a bad, bad fall and broke his leg.  Caleb worked for the GSMNP this summer with a team of fisheries interns, and a boulder came loose from under him and crushed his leg against another boulder.  My mom knew that if we continued on our vacation, I would be miserable and worried about Caleb the entire time.  So we went home, and I played nurse for several days.  So began my summer….

I packed up again and moved back to Knoxville on Memorial day.  I was absolutely dreading my class starting because I knew my head was nowhere near academics.  Organic chemistry was all it’s cracked up to be.  For real.  Not to mention that in summer classes, 1 day is equal to 1 week during the regular semester.  I struggled and sometimes regretted taking the class in such an accelerated manner, but four weeks later, the Organic I was over!  I even managed to squeeze in a 2 day vacation.  The picture below is of me and Anna, a foreign exchange student from Germany that my family hosted when I was a junior in high school.  She was visiting us before she heads off to University in Wales!

On July 1, Organic II began, and off we went…but things sort of fell apart from there.  My sister had a major surgery at the beginning of the month and this time, I wasn’t able to commit mentally to the class.  Along with worrying about my sister, I was constantly thinking about moving to my new apartment and getting ready for my trip to Africa.  My grades suffered and I knew something had to give.  So two weeks into the class, I had to make one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.  Throughout my college career, I’ve had a plan.  A plan for everything academic, as mapped out by my wonderful advisor.  There was very little wiggle room.  So when I considered dropping Organic II, I knew that I needed to get some serious advice and make sure that I could cover the class later on. 

Now, I’m on the “other side” of my decision, and I know it was the right thing to do.  Dropping Organic II meant that I had to rearrange everything for this fall, but it also meant that I could free up my mind for everything else.  I recognized that I would succeed under different circumstances, and I’m glad I made that decision. 

I’m now all moved in to my amazing apartment and packing for my trip to South Africa….I CAN’T WAIT!

Like I said earlier, college is full of ups and downs.  And I wouldn’t change this summer for anything because it has taught me so much. 

I’ll talk to ya’ll when I get back, I’ll fill you in ASAP!  Keep smiling. =)

Elizabeth

Hey ya’ll! It’s been a while, huh? I am so glad that our amazing blogging team switched us over to Wordpress. However, it’s sort of a double edged sword because as I type this, I am looking around the text box wondering what each button does with fear. So, let’s just hope nothing goes wrong….

I am sitting at HOME right now, and loving it! My Lab puppy (she is 1.5 years old…but she will always be our puppy) is literally laying on my feet, cutting off my circulation….she has a foot fetish, I don’t know how else to explain it. I’m off from school for a few weeks before summer classes begin. I plan on sleeping, eating, and reading books for pleasure in the meantime. It’s been great so far. If you’ve been reading my blogs, you should know that I am taking Organic Chemistry 1 and 2 starting June 1st. Yes, I’m insane. Let’s not get into that…I want my blog to have a positive ora and Organic is ruining it for me.

So, my subject for this blog: Dr. Randy Small.  I took Biology 240 this spring, which is the basic Intro to Genetics course taken by mostly pre-professional and science based majors.  I’ve never really “jived” with genetics, folks.  In high school, I wasn’t exposed to the higher levels of it, and I didn’t want to touch the stuff….but college had other plans for me.  I knew when my advisor (another factuly member I have highlighted on my blog) told me that he wanted me to take SEVEN credit hours–2 courses–of it this past semester, I was on the verge of having a panic attack.  So, what did I do?  I signed up for the classes, got in my car, and drove to the local Barnes and Noble to pick up a copy of “Genetics for Dummies.”

Now, I’m done with the class (I made a B+, which I’m happy with), and I have to look back and laugh and how paranoid I was.  I put quite a lot of time and effort into the class, but if it hadn’t been for Dr. Small, I wouldn’t have done nearly as well.  You have heard me rave about the amazing professors on the Ag. campus, but Dr. Small definitely raised the bar for all of my future teachers.  He knew that most students are visual learners, and showed us short videos and pictures to help supplement the material.  He constantly asked us how to improve the class, and even made changes to certain aspects of the class mid-semester.  Most importantly (to me), his tests were fair and straightforward.  The tests were mainly short answer and essay type questions, so we recieved partial credit on some questions rather than completely missing them.  After taking Cell Biology last fall and not feeling as confident in the class, there were several concepts we were tested over again in Genetics.  I actually understood the material this time and did much better on the exams than in the other class.    I can go on and on…but it’s important to me to show you that even though UT is big and sometimes the classes are a little large, the people make it unique and special.  I don’t just blog about UT because I have lots of free time (sadly, I don’t!), I do it because the people here matter to me, and I want to represent that to the best of my ability. 

Thanks, Dr. Small, for your sense of humor, vast array of Hawaiian shirts, and ability to relate to the students.

If Wordpress lets me…I’m going to attach a picture that I took with Dr. Small around the end of the semester. 

I’ll blog again before class starts…enjoy the weather, and keep smiling! =)

About three weeks ago, I found myself in a funk. A mid/end of the semester funk, if you will. It seemed like nothing was really going the way I had planned. And since I am a “planner,” that didn’t fly too well with me. Things were getting a tad-bit monotonous, too, and I needed a change….something new and exciting. After rearranging my bedroom (and ultimately being pleased with the results…but knowing deep down that this wasn’t the kind of exciting new change I needed), I knew what would change everything: the Ambassador Scholar decision.

If you read my blogs last year, you may remember me blogging about applying to be an Ambassador Scholar. And, you also may remember that I didn’t make the final cut. It is really, really competitive. I was bummed, but I was encouraged by several people to reapply. I knew from the beginning of my freshmen year that I wanted to be and Ambassador Scholar. Why? Because it’s one of the coolest organizations/jobs on campus. Here is a breakdown:

Job Description: Primarily, Ambassadors are in charge of giving campus tours to prospective students. Small groups, big groups, whatever…they are the people who know all the facts about this amazing campus and university and are responsible for sharing it with YOU. Students at UT know them as the people in orange polos who walk backwards. The official uniform of an Ambassador is a UT orange polo and khakis of some sort. Also, for many parts of the walking campus tour, Ambassadors must walk backwards in order to tell the students and parents all the important information.

Ok, so why am I going on about this? Well….this year….

I made it!!!!!

I found out last week and it was like one of those cartoons when the clouds instantly clear and the sun pops out. It was the missing puzzle piece.

So, I have been shadowing tours and getting ready to start giving tours on my own. This year, the group has been renamed. The athletics recruiters, diverstiy recruiters, and campus tour guides (formerly Ambassador Scholars) are known know as UT Student Recruiters.

So, high school students….you can read my blog, and then when you visit UT, you might have me as your official tour guide!

Macey, Stacie, Leah, Kayla, Haley, Cassie, and Kara. These gorgeous young women are my friends. Friends from high school, that is.

It’s true….our connections aren’t as strong as they were 2 years ago, but we all known how important it is to maintain that friendship.

We all got together on a Sunday over spring break…..but not just to hang out and catch up. You see that really pretty dark haired girl standing in the middle? Her name is Kayla, and she is getting married in May. So, we had a fun, casual bridal shower in her honor.

As scared as it makes me to watch one of my friends take such a big step into adulthood, it also makes everything more real. I will be turning 20 years old next month, officially ending my stint as a teenager. Growing up isn’t anything I have control over, but I want to take it stride. I don’t want to be afraid of milestones. College is a huge milestone for most people, including me. It separates the women from the girls. For the millions of high school seniors reading this blog (ha!), you all are getting ready to graduate and move on to this crazy, independent part of growing up.

So, here’s to all the milestones that life has to offer. Whoever you are….high school student, parent, random person perusing the website: enjoy the milestones.

(PS…..My senior year, the girls in that picture and I performed a skit to “Famous in a Small Town” during a big event at our high school known as Spring Fling. It was epic. And, well…we were/are famous. In a small town.)

College ain’t for babies.

If you come across a person who has graduated college with a degree(s), that person should have a moral obligation to tell you the truth: college it tough. If the aforementioned person tells you that it was a breeze, you have my permission to punch them in the face. I remember a conversation I had with my boss during my senior year of high school. He holds the profession I so dearly want one day–he is a highly respected veterinarian–and has helped me in so many ways. Anyway, I was telling him about my doubts and worries related to college and the course load I was going to have. I knew that high school probably hadn’t fully prepared me for what I was about to experience. He looked at me and reassured me by saying that it isn’t how smart you are that matters–it’s the amount of effort you put into your courses and studying that makes the difference. Sounds like something on one of those corny classroom posters, huh? But, he was right.

I’ll be the first one to tell you that I am not the smartest person in any of my classes. Or my group of friends. Or my family. I really have to work to make the grade, because some things just don’t come naturally to me. For example, I have always sort of, kind of liked math….but it didn’t always like me back. When I took the AP Calculus exam and made a 2 on it (a grade of 3 or higher can be used for college credit), this “lack of like” was confirmed for me. I enjoyed calculus to a certain degree, but senioritis had kicked in big time and honestly, I had no idea how to really study. Calculus is a required course for my degree in Animal Science, so I knew that I would have to take it again when I got to UT. The spring semester of my freshman year, I took the class and made an A. I can’t sit here and tell you the only reason I made an A is because I took initiative and studied harder and all that crap. I mean, hello….I had already taken a whole academic year’s worth of Calculus. But, I will tell you that I engaged myself into the class completely. I helped other students, completed all the homework that I knew my teacher would never take up in class, and spent a good amount of time each week working through problems. Now, the phrase “find the derivative of 4X” is as simple as 2X2. (If you caught what I did there, 10 points to you!)

Unfortunately….I’ve written all of this and haven’t even gotten to my point. Bear with me.

Prospective Student: When you eventually decide to attend UT because you know in your heart of hearts that it is the best university, you need to have every point in your favor, every advantage, etc. I don’t care how fancy of a high school you went to and how hard you studied for your Trigonometric Portuguese Basketweaving class, college will be harder. It’s the people, dorms, parties, classes, everything that make this place so great–but, those are also the same things that make it such a tough transition. So, make good decisions.

That’s right. I said it. Please, do me a favor, and don’t be stupid.

Are all of your friends in the standard English class but you know deep down that the AP class will be more challenging, engaging, and gives you the chance of getting college credit? Make new friends, and take the class.

Do you have a time conflict that prevents you from getting more involved in extracurriculars and clubs? Fix the time conflict.

Do you find yourself racing through your homework because your teacher only checks for completion and you think it doesn’t really matter anyway? Think again. Learning how to thoughtfully work through an assignment in high school will do wonders for you in college. (PS….I was the queen of doing this in almost every subject in high school, and it definitely made my life harder when I was presented with an 8 page genetics homework assignment.)

I know, I know…I’m on a soapbox here and it sounds like a freaking Public Service Announcement. But, I’m telling you all this from my heart. And my experiences thus far. Whenever you start something new, you want to have someone or something in your corner. Preferably, lots of someones and somethings. Just like when you’re packing for a trip to the beach, you want to have everything you could possibly need right there so you can enjoy yourself; you want to be as prepared as possible for college by collecting all those good and productive things you did in high school and putting them in your corner.

I attended a small town, public high school in east Tennessee. I took every AP and upper level course offered to me, which added up to two AP classes, a dual enrollment course, and a handful of honors classes. You heard me right–only two AP classes were offered to my class due to lack of interest from my peers. It killed me. I realize that not everyone wants to take AP European History, but do people not understand that taking the class then could potentially save them time, money, and effort later on? As you can see, this subject is still a sore spot for me. Luckily, my high school has made several changes and is trying to make challenging classes more attractive by changing up the grading scale and offering more class choices.

So, reader….I hope this inspires you to try being a little more disciplined than you are now. I’m not saying that you should focus on school all the time and never have fun…that’s lame, but establish priorities now, not later. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. That has nothing to do with this blog, but I thought I would throw it in there.

Peace.