2012-2013, A Year In Review
Ah, my freshman year. And boy, was it fabulous! After attending my first year of college at the University of Cincinnati, I know that I definitely made the right choice in school. I met so many new people, took great classes, and learned even more about myself than I knew was possible. In this review of my first year at UC, I will be discussing some of the things I participated in this year, and how they all helped me grow.
When thinking of the three most significant events that happened to me this year, it's difficult to only choose three! However, one event that I think is definitely worth mentioning is my decision to join the profession women's music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota. Joining SAI is really important professionally, because as a performing musician it will be really beneficial to have connections with those already playing music as a professional career. I found out that there are several very famous people in my fraternity! Anyways, at the beginning of the school year I was very against Greek life - I didn't want to turn into one of the crazy sorority girls that had to buy friendship. Thankfully, Sigma Alpha Iota is nothing like that! One day during recruitment, a girl who I had recently become friends with asked if I would go to her to the recruitment event. I didn't really want to go, since I knew that I wasn't interested in joining some sorority. But boy, am I glad! These girls turned out to be incredibly fun, respectful, and dedicated to their musicianship. At first I made my decision to join based on the fact that in the long run, I would have connections to professionals. Now, being a member of SAI means that other than just connections, I have sisters all over the country, and the world, all dedicated to becoming better musicians and artists.
Another one of the events I participated in this year was the campus Relay For Life. For this event I was a part of the CCM Team and volunteered for over nine hours in order to help cancer research. This year, participating in Relay For Life had a huge impact on me and was very personal because during this school year my dad was battling cancer. He found out that there were malignant cells during the fall, and on Thanksgiving the news was broken. I have never been more afraid! My dad was always such a strong figure - nothing could bring him down, so I was shocked and devastated when he told me that he had cancer. Thankfully, he has just been cleared by the doctors and he is officially in remission. Celebrate!!! Anyways, that is why I was so eager to participate in Relay For Life. I wanted to help raise money so that my dad, and others like him, would be able to receive the treatment they needed. With the help of my parents, I was able to raise the most out the CCM Team for the event! The event itself was super fun, and I loved going to the different organization's tables to look at the goods they were selling for donations that would all benefit cancer research. Next year, I hope to be on the committee for Relay, but if nothing else I would at least like to try and become more involved in finding the cure for cancer.
Since I am only choosing three of the most significant events that happened in my first year, the last I will discuss is my participation in the honors program. Stated simply, the honors program at the University of Cincinnati is FANTASTIC! I have had many incredible opportunities this year alone, and I know in the future I will have even more. I had two honors experiences this year, which is more than most college freshman. Both of them occurred in my second semester as honors classes! The first was the Crowded Greenhouse. It can be read about in more detail on my blog for the class, but I'll just say this: I really enjoyed learning about the world we live in and how I can change my lifestyles to help protect the planet. Secondly, I took a history class titled Music, Art, and Thought in Medici Florence. Again, I discuss this experience in more detail on my experiences page. This was a fabulous experience because not only did I learn all about the history of Medici Florence and the Renaissance, but then I had the opportunity to actually travel to Italy to see Florence and Rome. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life because I got to see such incredible pieces of art such as Michelangelo's David, the Duomo, the Roman Forum, and even the Sistine Chapel! It was truly breathtaking to be able to see these world wonders. Because of these two honors experiences, I am even more exciting to stay in the honors program to see even more of the world!
This leads into my future, and what I plan to do next year. Because I had such a great time in my class to go to Italy, I have decided to apply for the class with the trip to the Amazon for next spring. I think it would be incredibly cool to be able to go on a research trip there! This really appeals to me for me next year because during this semester, I decided to declare biology as a second major. Sometime during this year I really developed, or even rediscovered, a passion for science. Thankfully, at UC I am able to pursue both of my fields of interest - music and biology. I'm not sure what I will do with this second degree yet; maybe I will pursue a master's degree, use it as a backup in case I struggle in the music field, or maybe biology will even become my main profession! I don't know where it will take me, but I do know that I am very thankful that at UC I am able to complete both a rigorous music degree and a challenging bachelor of science in biology.
Until next year (which I expect to be even more amazing!),
Juliette
When thinking of the three most significant events that happened to me this year, it's difficult to only choose three! However, one event that I think is definitely worth mentioning is my decision to join the profession women's music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota. Joining SAI is really important professionally, because as a performing musician it will be really beneficial to have connections with those already playing music as a professional career. I found out that there are several very famous people in my fraternity! Anyways, at the beginning of the school year I was very against Greek life - I didn't want to turn into one of the crazy sorority girls that had to buy friendship. Thankfully, Sigma Alpha Iota is nothing like that! One day during recruitment, a girl who I had recently become friends with asked if I would go to her to the recruitment event. I didn't really want to go, since I knew that I wasn't interested in joining some sorority. But boy, am I glad! These girls turned out to be incredibly fun, respectful, and dedicated to their musicianship. At first I made my decision to join based on the fact that in the long run, I would have connections to professionals. Now, being a member of SAI means that other than just connections, I have sisters all over the country, and the world, all dedicated to becoming better musicians and artists.
Another one of the events I participated in this year was the campus Relay For Life. For this event I was a part of the CCM Team and volunteered for over nine hours in order to help cancer research. This year, participating in Relay For Life had a huge impact on me and was very personal because during this school year my dad was battling cancer. He found out that there were malignant cells during the fall, and on Thanksgiving the news was broken. I have never been more afraid! My dad was always such a strong figure - nothing could bring him down, so I was shocked and devastated when he told me that he had cancer. Thankfully, he has just been cleared by the doctors and he is officially in remission. Celebrate!!! Anyways, that is why I was so eager to participate in Relay For Life. I wanted to help raise money so that my dad, and others like him, would be able to receive the treatment they needed. With the help of my parents, I was able to raise the most out the CCM Team for the event! The event itself was super fun, and I loved going to the different organization's tables to look at the goods they were selling for donations that would all benefit cancer research. Next year, I hope to be on the committee for Relay, but if nothing else I would at least like to try and become more involved in finding the cure for cancer.
Since I am only choosing three of the most significant events that happened in my first year, the last I will discuss is my participation in the honors program. Stated simply, the honors program at the University of Cincinnati is FANTASTIC! I have had many incredible opportunities this year alone, and I know in the future I will have even more. I had two honors experiences this year, which is more than most college freshman. Both of them occurred in my second semester as honors classes! The first was the Crowded Greenhouse. It can be read about in more detail on my blog for the class, but I'll just say this: I really enjoyed learning about the world we live in and how I can change my lifestyles to help protect the planet. Secondly, I took a history class titled Music, Art, and Thought in Medici Florence. Again, I discuss this experience in more detail on my experiences page. This was a fabulous experience because not only did I learn all about the history of Medici Florence and the Renaissance, but then I had the opportunity to actually travel to Italy to see Florence and Rome. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life because I got to see such incredible pieces of art such as Michelangelo's David, the Duomo, the Roman Forum, and even the Sistine Chapel! It was truly breathtaking to be able to see these world wonders. Because of these two honors experiences, I am even more exciting to stay in the honors program to see even more of the world!
This leads into my future, and what I plan to do next year. Because I had such a great time in my class to go to Italy, I have decided to apply for the class with the trip to the Amazon for next spring. I think it would be incredibly cool to be able to go on a research trip there! This really appeals to me for me next year because during this semester, I decided to declare biology as a second major. Sometime during this year I really developed, or even rediscovered, a passion for science. Thankfully, at UC I am able to pursue both of my fields of interest - music and biology. I'm not sure what I will do with this second degree yet; maybe I will pursue a master's degree, use it as a backup in case I struggle in the music field, or maybe biology will even become my main profession! I don't know where it will take me, but I do know that I am very thankful that at UC I am able to complete both a rigorous music degree and a challenging bachelor of science in biology.
Until next year (which I expect to be even more amazing!),
Juliette