Today ASMSU went on a daytime retreat at Chico Hot Springs. One activity involved the use of lycra tubes. What exactly are lycra tubes you ask? With five yards of stretchy 100% lycra fabric sewn into a tube, this tool is used for teambuilding exercises. The material has the ability to spring people into motion with forced momentum.

One activity we do is called “taffy”. Imagine four people in the lycra tube, or a giant tube top made of swimming suit material. The material stretches the entire height of our bodies—we literally transformed into a tube.

Now we create a geometric shape with the tube. Each person stands directly across from another-creating a tilted square shape. Anticipation of the lycra dance builds. . .

The first pair of people run across to the other side of the tube, adding and releasing pressure. This would spring the other two into action. The tube undulates with two pairs of people running, rotating and springing into running back and forth across the sides of the shaped tube.

One pair’s timing changes, and it affects the alternating pair. One person loses their body hold and pressure on the lycra and the tube slips lower. The opposite person is slingshot into a location where the lycra should be and catapults into the grass instead. Laughter erupts as this poor soul takes one for the team in a face-plant.

A great exercise on trust, teamwork, and awareness-I highly recommend lycra tubes for all occasions. In fact, I’m pondering the attendance of one at my graduation party!

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If there’s one place I’ll miss in Bozeman (besides MSU), it will most certainly be the Bozeman Co-op. With just a $35 lifetime fee for membership to get discounts, how could you go wrong? I bought a membership three years ago when I lived here for the summer, and it’s certainly paid off.

With farm fresh eggs, scrumptious food, live music, and a gorgeous view of the Bridger Mountains, upstairs café and dining area, there is no place like it. My absolute favorite dish in the deli arena is the soup. They always have four kinds to choose from with any range of Thai Chicken, Black Bean, Chili, Tomato Basil etc. I’ve never tried soup this amazing. In the summer there are unique cold fruit soups that hit the spot. Although the prices are a little higher than at any other grocery store, the Co-op gives me the nutrients I need with organic and local foods. Whenever I eat from the Co-op my stomach feels fully satisfied. Yay for wholesome food. I’ll miss the Bozeman Co-op!

http://www.bozo.coop/

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A frightful, powerful, essential word used in every organization is “transition”. I’m currently transitioning the new ASMSU President Elect, Shane Colvin. The first meeting we had, the poignant emotion hit me like a train. About a year ago, I was sitting in his seat as the President Elect, eagerly listening and absorbing data, feelings and history. Of course, everyone has his/her own experience in the position. Similarities between the years include the enormous shock that comes with the weight of the job. As it’s primarily a management position, it is a full time job juggling multiple projects, challenges, people and conflicts.

This is my last week as the active President. I will have a presentation, a retreat, a few meetings, and a financial request to push approval on after this week is over—that’s it! So right now the Vice President and I actively dig into our memories, computer files, handouts and binders so that we can create a transition manual. That document in and of itself will be a wonderful way to communicate important reflections on the journey of 2007-2008. After I complete transitioning, the question is, “what’s next?”

For some, accomplishing a year as student body president may satisfy them for the rest of their lives—but this is only the beginning. In order to continue growing and learning I need to continue challenging myself. But I always get carried away with this attitude. One of the only things that I have noticed is that, whooo, it’s almost April and I’m exhausted. If there’s one piece of advice (that I should take from myself right now), it would be to pace myself. Burnout time is no fun at all, and right now, there’s no denying that I have a bit of burnout.

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I must share a few exciting radio announcements (via my blog). . .J

On Friday at 5:00pm the Moose radio station announces a Bozeman location. The first 25 drivers to reach the location receive a free day ski pass to Big Sky! My good friend and I were positioned centrally (at a secret location) in town at 4:45pm ready to race.

The announcer came on after a Beatles song and announced formalities like, “don’t drive like a jerk otherwise we won’t give you a ticket”, and “you have to be here in person to win the ticket and use it tomorrow at Big Sky”. She then proceeded to announce the location, “Kirk Park”.

Now where the devil was Kirk Park? I’ve lived in Bozeman for almost five years now and was floored. So, what do you do when you don’t know the answer to a question and go to Montana State University? Call the Ask Us Information Desk at 406-994-INFO. The person working it that evening, Nate, immediately knew where Kirk Park was (good luck). Next to local grocery store, Town and Country (aka T & C), there’s a lovely park with picnic tables and hills, and many Frisbee throwers. I never knew the name of this park until now. Just when you think you know a place. . .things get interesting. Just after the Moose extravaganza, I discovered a hidden Italian bakery in Old Bozeman. Well, thanks to Nate—my little Mazda that desperately needs a tune up session raced past Bozeman High School, and onto Main Street, down 19th and into the parking lot of Kirk Park within minutes.

We were numbers eight and nine! As I write this, my muscles are sore from a hard day of snowboarding up at Big Sky. It was excellent yesterday! Clear, sunny skies and powder, we couldn’t have asked for a better day to go up there!

*Another quick announcement about another really awesome radio station. This year, KGLT, the ASMSU campus radio station is having its 40th birthday! I believe that they began their journey broadcasting out of one of the residence halls back in the day. Their fund drive just started this morning and I’m listening to their stream online. I encourage you to check out their stuff at: http://www.kglt.net/. It’s a great radio station with music for everyone.

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I recently finished reading the book, The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner. He came to speak on campus the week before spring break and I also was lucky enough to eat dinner with him. His book has inspired me even further to travel after graduation.

Over spring break I was able to do a little preparation for Europe. This included hours at R.E.I. (Recreational Equipment Inc.) trying on 60L backpacks to carry my camping gear and clothing for a portion of the summer. I will probably be carrying the pack with me almost at all times. Perhaps I’ll give it a name. It’s a blue Gregory pack, the Deva 60 model. I’ll have to think about this, naming inanimate objects has room for creativity.

After traveling to Lithuania with the College of Business, I aspire to travel to a few countries including Spain, where I’d really love to practice some Spanish (I’ve taken a few classes at MSU and haven’t been able to apply it in its natural environment). My primary goal of the traveling will be discovery.

Until May 11th, I only have less than two months left of my undergraduate work before commencement. International Relations, Linguistics and International Management are some great classes to finish with before I start a wanderin’!

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As I previously mentioned in the blog titled “Here Grizzly, Grizzly”, I made a bet. The bet entailed putting pride aside.

Because the Bobcats lost the Cat/Griz football game this fall, I was forced to sing the UM Fight Song wearing their mascot’s suit—in front of the Board of Regents. In addition to this, the Governor happened to be present to witness this disgrace. I now know the UM Fight Song better than Dustin Leftridge, the ASUM-Student Body President. Observe the footage captured and posted on YouTube. . .

http://www.youtube.com/user/asumMissoula

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Follow up on MSU Idol. . .

After tryouts on Thursday, I made it to the final MSU Idol Round for the competition. During sound checks last night, we drew out of a hat to determine the order. And guess who draws number one? Me. After attempting to break the ice for the entire night, I enjoyed the feedback from the judges. It was also quite funny when my roommates were there waving signs that said, “Tegan” and “Peel us a Grape” hehehe. I didn’t win, and that’s alright. A chap named Colt Gill did, and he gave us all chills—so I’m glad that he won $200 in cash.

On another note, another recent activity that I partook in was snowshoeing in the Bridger Mountains. I went with Scott after we rented snowshoes at the Outdoor Recreation Center. It was incredible to be outside in the fresh air and under the blue sky. We only went for a few hours and caught some gorgeous mountain views in the meantime. Stopping to use nature’s ladies room was a challenge, but other than that, it proved to be a relaxing and rewarding experience.

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Some people may ask, what is there to do on a Friday night in Bozeman? I say... just about anything!

This Friday night in particular brings exiting adventures. Today I turned in a form that could change my life forever (at least maybe for the weekend J). This form was a sign-up to audition for MSU Idol. If I were to win, oh the fame and riches! There’s a prize of $200 for the winner. However, although I enjoy competition, this is entirely for fun and enjoyment. I used to sing in choir in high school, including some jazz. Recently, I’ve really been missing that part of my life. So, this weekend will temporarily fulfill the urge to perform vocal music.

As for the selection of music, well, let’s just say it’ll be juicy. Have you ever heard of the song, “Peel me a Grape”? The music and lyrics were written and are below by Dave Frishberg:

Peel me a grape, crush me some ice
Skin me a peach, save the fuzz for my pillow
Talk to me nice, talk to me nice
You’ve got to wine and dine me

Don’t try to fool me bejewel me
Either amuse me or lose me
I’m getting hungry, peel me a grape

Pop me a cork, french me a fry
Crack me a nut, bring a bowl full of bon-bons
Chill me some wine, keep standing by
Just entertain me, champagne me
Show me you love me, kid glove me
Best way to cheer me, cashmere me
I’m getting hungry, peel me grape

Here’s how to be an agreeable chap
Love me and leave me in luxury’s lap
Hop when I holler, skip when I snap
When I say, do it, jump to it

Send out for scotch, call me a cab
Cut me a rose, make my tea with the petals
Just hang around, pick up the tab
Never out think me, just mink me
Polar bear rug me, don’t bug me
New thunderbird me, you heard me
I’m getting hungry, peel me a grape

So here come the karaoke tunes! Until then, I’ll be a practicin’.

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Blue Man Group is on tour. This week, I worked the show as an extra hand on the crew, as they performed in our very own Brick Breeden Fieldhouse! Earlier this year, Elton John played to a sold out crowd, and many years before that, Carrot Top was in the house. This was the second show I worked, the first being the Broadway show Evita.

For this job in particular I was placed with the electrician. I hauled pounds of cords under, over, through, and coiled in and on all parts of the stage. With about a four hour set up time, the show only took two hours to strike (tear down).

First, let me address the craziness that is a show on tour. These people have seven semi’s of equipment, and some buses that they ride around in for three straight years. They get small breaks here and there, but mainly their life is the show. That takes tolerance and dedication! Especially touring through blizzards and ugly weather on the road. And, it is one thing that I decided I didn’t want to do with my life. One option down, a million to go. . .

For those of you who don’t know who Blue Man Group is, they perform in Vegas. Now, some were asking—is the group just one group? When they are on tour, is the Vegas one shut down? I’m afraid not. Apparently they are almost like Cirque Du Soleil. Various people are auditioned and trained for the parts and they perform many shows around the world.

The entertainment value is just as strong as the musical content in the concerts. They heavily incorporated the audience, and made it fun to watch. In fact, I would love to see them again in a more permanent location. They left me with “The Feeling” which deems them important enough to revisit.

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Every year my sister and I individually compose resolutions for the year. This usually entails reflecting on the previous year of accomplishments (or lack of) and experiences. It usually takes a maximum of a few hours, and I get better results if I work on them on and off for a few days. When I think of something, I run over to my beloved Mac, and jot down my thoughts in Word.

I’ve attached the following resolutions for this year that are timely in my life and important to me. Every year it seems as though I have “quit biting nails” on my list. Clearly because it’s an annual resolution I needed some improvement. So this year I have changed to a positive action of “maintain nails” so that hopefully taking care of them will deter me from biting them.

I’m confident in these resolutions, if I just take the time to ensure their completion. To remind myself I hang the list on my bathroom mirror to visualize every morning and at bedtime.

Organize documents/history/contacts— continuously update and back up
Identify purpose/priorities for the near future:

• Exposure to subjects while brain is still “young”
• Learn languages
• Travel—no me falta una maleta. . .
• Challenge body physically
• Maintain balance through breath (meditation)
• Learn martial art (self defense)
• Play chess
• Be a mentor
• Find a mentor
• Play harmonica, piano, and violin once a week
• Sing all the time
• Maintain nails
• Communicate with grandparents more
• Exercise three times a week
• Continue religiously practicing yoga-daily
• Review undergraduate work
• Read the news daily
• Journal/blog
• Reflection on traveled locations
• Befriend computer technology

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Four years of college room and board in the Residence Halls and AOII provided me with meals. Upon going to Alumnae status with my sorority, and moving to a rental house, I’ve been missing those good ole days. While residing at AOII, the groceries were bought, and both lunch and dinner were included in the room and board five days a week. My life revolved around the convenience of meals.

Now that I have to buy and prep the food, there are a number of obstacles for a successful meal. Firstly, there’s usually a preparation time restriction. Once in a while I enjoy taking the time to make cookies, salsa, prepare sushi etc. Most of the time lately, I’ve been heating and eating rice noodles—what good do those do? Secondly, the cost of a variety of spices and all of the cooking materials to sit in a pantry and cupboards takes time and mullah to accumulate. If I decide to make a Thai dish, I must buy some curry and other basic spices. Since I will be graduating in May and moving, I would ultimately love to use everything up and not just collect a million cooking utensils and foods before I prepare to move.

So for the New Year, along with my budget restriction, time availability, and health goals (one is to live healthily to 100 years old), I’ve compiled requirements and a list of foods that are optimal for my situation—likely similar to most 22 year olds. The requirements include calcium (as any woman needs), fruits/vegetables, protein, and grain.

New list of regular groceries:

• Brown rice
• Beans, beans the magical fruit
• Quinoa—a miraculous (only) grain that provides complete protein that’s affordable
• High fiber grains/bread
• Granola
• String cheese
• Yogurt
• Chile (in the crock-pot—long lasting grub)
• Tofu (another affordable substitute for meat)
• Sushi (just on special occasions—a little bit will go a long way)
• Nuts (good source of protein, fiber and healthy fats)
• Popcorn (high fiber)
• Smoothies (vitamins/fruit/energy)

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As an out of state student, I must find methods to occupy myself on the long road home through the fascinating state of Wyoming. In the duration of 4.5 years in school, I’ve driven home to Denver, across Montana, to the West coast, and even ventured to Canada. Throughout these roads trips I’ve become creative in the composition of activities I partake in aside from driving.

I will list the activities (as I always do):

• National Park iPod recordings (i.e. for Glacier National Park)
• Harry Potter Series on CD
• Reminisce childhood memories
• Test my vision with sign reading
• Add and subtract mileage
• Isometric exercise (butt toning squeezes)
• Fight the urge to bite my nails
• Snack on chewy foods like crystallized ginger, licorice, and sliced vegetables
• Juggle energy drinks and coordinate bathroom breaks with refueling
• Make phone calls in 10 minute increments when I get service
• Glance at local postcards at the gas stations
• Play the license plate game
• Contemplate my finals. . .
• Play guess the height of the overpass
• Singing along with old choir tapes and my “On the Road” mix

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On the MSU campus, nestled near the Residence Hall high rise buildings, sits the “Save Our Barn” Barn (a.k.a. SOB Barn). This facility has been around for generations and has transformed over the years. It used to be a true barn, and was then shifted into use for humans. Today, the barn houses the ASMSU Outdoor Recreation Committee on its first floor. There, students can rent seasonal outdoor equipment for very low prices. Equipment ranges from snowshoes to kayaks that are available for the outdoor enthusiasts. On the second floor is a wood floor loft that provides a unique and large open space for a variety of users. Some of the clubs that enjoy the space are the Fencing Club, the Lotusfire Belly Dancing Club, and the Country and Swing Dance Club. I myself used to swing dance on Monday nights at the Barn.

The Barn today is in a state that desperately needs renovation. Updating it to proper codes (it’s a wonder it hasn’t already burnt down) is required for its future longevity and general restoration. When people hear that it will be renovated and turned into offices, club locker storage, conference space, and one large room half of its original loft size, they are saddened or afraid that their club may become homeless. For some, the barn has historical significance. Students at MSU may be joined to it because their grandfather fought to save it the first time around. Because of this, it has also transformed into a symbol more than anything.

My mother told me something that she heard and it reminds me of the SOB Barn’s current status. In India people hang coconuts from trees. The coconuts have holes cut in their bottoms. This is their way of capturing monkeys. A monkey will hop along and want the coconut meat. It will put its hand into the hole and gather the meat. When it takes the desired feast of food, the monkey cannot remove its fist from the hole. So there sits the monkey—trapped and helpless because it refuses to see the alternative - to let go of the meat and be free. It’s only the rare monkeys that have the ability to let go and escape a doomed capture.

I see the SOB Barn like the coconut meat. Because people are attached to it, some fail to see an alternative solution. They are hanging on so tightly to the way things are it may be impossible to accept change, and because of this, it traps them into a way of thinking.

Regardless of the “fate” of the SOB Barn, it’s pretty cool that we have a building that has so much meaning to people of all ages. I remember as an incoming freshman looking at the campus map like it was yesterday, chuckling about a building being named the SOB Barn. Now I realize its importance and hope that people can realize that updating needs to happen for the benefit of the building’s future lifetime.

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Sometimes we are referred to as “Generation Y”. Sometimes we are referred to as the “Tech Generation”. Last week, Montana Governor Schweitzer alluded to a terminology for our generation that I’m fond of—the “Thumb Generation”.

Now, what qualities define the thumb generation? The obvious connection with this title is the use of thumbs for text messaging. But text messaging is just one of the many developments that we are actively engaging.

With the multitudes of resources that technology has provided us, my generation is inundated with loads of information. In order that we have the ability to be selective of the data we are immersed in, we must collaborate together about successes with various experiences. For example, a student may have a group paper to write -- we found that using google docs allowed for a person to access any document and make visible edits via the Internet. Discussing favored ways of communicating effectively is a topic that routinely arises among my fellow students.

The habits of my colleagues emulate that of a sports team. We make passes to one another to benefit the group. With more people in the group, we can cover more ground -- delegate and specialize.

Today we live in a world in which we will continually be learning. Education will come in many forms that deviate from traditional setup of individual textbooks and a professor in the classroom.

As I write this blog (web log), I participate in the collaboration of the thumb generation. Perhaps a prospective student is wondering about life at a university—and through my various blogs, this student can create a diagnosis on student life. Just remember, at MSU -- student life is thumbs up.

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This past weekend some of the members of student government and myself were returning from a leadership conference in Portland. In the quaint corners of Oregon, we spotted a number of old wooden signs that read “Winery” painted with care. Following 12 hours of one drive to Portland, and returning to Bozeman with our first hour down, the sign beckoned us to utilize our cramped muscles.

A local organic winery was situated up a rural road in a frayed, wooden building. The smell was pungent and the fruit flies attacked upon entry. Beside the tasting counter were four large storage containers. Here the grapes were placed to ferment for a few weeks. This is also the process when the grapes separate from the skins.

Upon finishing our tasting, the owner entertained a possibility of work. He mentioned that he had to stomp on the grapes for the second time that day (every day requires a two time stomp). With nothing else to do we strapped on some heavy boots and tried to stay afloat on top of what felt like a cranberry bog.

Naturally we questioned the method’s efficiency. Their reasoning behind the “hand-stomping” was the lack of CO2 emissions through use of mechanical tools used to accomplish the separation. An alternate is the aluminum hand press that will do the job has a price tag of $200-300. The money saver for this winery is that the rubber boots cost $9.99.

What a worthy stop. We concluded the stomp with throbbing gluteus maximus and quadriceps muscles. I ended the session with a purchase of some organic delectable Chardonnay to bring home for Thanksgiving.

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I never really bet on anything. However, it seems to me that a high stakes tradition and rivalry is a rich reason to roll the dice.

Turns out that this tradition goes hand in hand with the Cat/Griz football game. The Cat/Griz game has been one rockin’ time through the years. Back in the day, (1927-1951) the game was held in Butte, Montana. Because Butte is famous for its copper production, the game was traditionally called the Copper Bowl. Students and fans would take a train and meet in the middle location between Missoula and Bozeman. Apparently Butte would be trashed from all the excitement. Today the game is played in Missoula and Bozeman on a rotational basis.

Along with the Cat/Griz game rotating, is the Board of Regents (BOR) meeting. Who are the Board of Regents? According to Encarta® World English Dictionary. . .

re·gent n

1. somebody who rules on behalf of a monarch who is unable to rule because of youth, illness, or absence
2. any of various officers of a university, especially a member of the governing board ruling as a regent

So the BOR convene and discuss regent items about Montana higher education within the Montana University System. They will be here this upcoming week. Following the meeting. . .is the GAME!

Depending on how the Bobcats do, I will or will not be singing the Griz fight song to the Regents, University Presidents and Chancellors at their next meeting. And if we win, the UM Student Body President will be singing the Bobcat Fight Song. I look forward to the results of the fray.

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The variety of jobs that are possible upon graduation in May have potential. However, these are merely entry positions in the real world, which could lead to any number of unexpected plans. I’ve been seriously thinking and pondering what is going to occur within the months following the walk of commencement. So I’ve created a list as I always do. One thing that I’ve re-learned multiple times is how dependant my lifestyle revolves on lists. This list includes some short-term “jobs” I have an interest in and that are available to me:

• Peace Corps Service (27 months of service and help with student loans) Here I could reinforce my intermittent studies of espanol and reach my goal of becoming bilingual
• D.C. After experiencing the Capitol I decided that it wouldn’t be a bad place to live. Not to mention—someone just recommended that I apply for the following job for Senator Baucus:

“Communicating the Senator’s activities to rural newspapers and radio stations; helping draft press releases, columns, event messages and speeches; maintaining content on the website and developing the Senator’s electronic newsletter; managing clips and TV news summaries; and assisting the Press Secretary and Communications Director as needed.

Qualified applicants will have strong written and verbal communications skills, a basic knowledge of technology and computer programs, and be able to learn new skills quickly while operating in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Journalism, English, or communications degree a plus.”

• There’s always the social position of a bartender (college degree worthy of course J)
• Jumping on board of a number of Film Festival Staffs around the country or nation
• Searching for job entry level positions within film and television production companies

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This is the time of year when candy pours out of the store aisles, and costumes float out of the closets and thrift stores. My colleagues have great motivation to socialize while dressing as an alternate identity or role. Whether these costumes encompass an actual person, a fictional character, or a genre of people through occupations, the theme of choices can be overwhelming. Many students collaborate on group or paired costumes through innovation and desperately needed resourcefulness. I give much more credit to the students who reflect on their costumes and what they may be portraying.

I always recall that in middle school, my cousin Lizzy wore a “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” costume while obsessed with the Beatles. Utilizing human or human-like characters that are classic and crucial, yet underappreciated in our society, are my favorite options for costume choice. A personal priority is not to produce more attention on contemporary celebrities who will be overdone.

My optimal Halloween costume choice could include any number of things like. . .

• Dax or Seven of Nine from various Star Trek Series
• Yoko Ono
• Don Quixote
• Janice from Friends
• A local political figure—in Bozeman there could be a few options. . .
• Pippi Longstocking
• Oedipus’ mother
• The Old Woman in the Shoe

Then there’s the question of what gender to portray. It is quite a bit more amusing to see a straight guy dress up in Rocky Horror Picture Show lingerie than to see a woman wearing something that she may normally choose to wear at a scandalous night on the town. There’s also the issue of what character could I actually pull off? Followed by, is this character identifiable? Is the ultimate question—who am I dressing up for, myself or others?

The underlying themes of costumes on Halloween address conflicts and doubts about our own society. We can either ridicule or glorify individuals or groups through portrayal of the costume. This could potentially be therapeutic or destructive in nature—and thinking long and hard about what repercussions could occur from any negative portrayals can create a daunting decision!

So, to solve any problems this year of finding a costume I agree with, and spending my oh-so-scarce free time on costume design, my costume this year will just be a simple one. Perhaps wearing the famous suit from the Emperor’s New Clothes could suffice.

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International Human Rights and Economics have invaded my mind. When I’m not working as the Student Body President, I am immersed in the readings of theory and acts of human rights violations in addition to drawing graphs referring to international trade. It’s fair to say that each semester in school (and this is my 10th including summers), a student becomes consumed in the curriculum and related topics of the courses that he or she is enrolled.

Personally, my mind bleeds in the betweens of “real life” and classroom discussions. Understanding the causes, the effects, and the reconciliation of genocide is just one focus of the human rights course. Reading about various occurrences of genocide, specifically Rwanda’s massacres of the Tutsis, is difficult and depressing. Oftentimes I leave the class with the feeling of total despair and depression. There is no way to sugar coat violence as a role in human nature. I find myself constantly questioning people around me—how would so and so behave in a tragedy?

As a result of this regular exposure to human tragedy in its different forms, I’ve had odd, violent nightmares and an altered perspective on the life I live. Each day I have the opportunity to make hundreds of choices, while many on this planet don’t even have access to potable water. In a typical day, I make any number of decisions to: answer my cell phone (or not), check my work phone messages, access one of my four different email accounts, choose one of four methods of transportation to school, decide if I attend a home football game or go to a conference, flip through one of my dozens of binders from every college course I’ve taken, eat out or at the cafeteria, search for a pair of wool socks over the cotton to keep warm on a chilly autumn morning, and virtually schedule my entire day to any activity that I deem appropriate. Of these choices, there are further subsets of options, and the list continues. I oftentimes feel burdened by choices—especially senior year of college. However, I should be incredibly grateful for the number of opportunities available.

Each semester has a flavor. Reflecting on all of the courses I’ve taken theirs is usually a theme that can be associated to semesters. This one in particular is emotionally challenging to me—not to mention I’m getting somewhat nostalgic about my years at MSU.

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As ASMSU Student Body President, I had the experience of a lifetime last month at the American Student Government Association National Summit in Washington D.C., and I’d just like to share a little of it with you:

We began the journey of the conference by checking in at “Holiday in on the Hill” and an introductory night in D.C. of a walking tour and dinner with Spanish tapas—and much excellent seafood throughout the days.

The first impression of D.C. was busy and friendly. A fast paced life with a purpose surrounded the area. People who lived there loved it. Taking the Metro and asking people for directions were successful endeavors because the city had helpful direction.

Bright and early the first morning in Washington we walked four blocks to the U.S. Capitol and Senate buildings to meet with Senator Max Baucus and some of his staff from Montana. We emphasized the importance of lowering the cost of higher education and our recent accomplishments with Streamline Transit in Bozeman. Senator Baucus had just finished voting for insurance coverage for children when we were introduced to him at the Capitol. He strongly encouraged us to travel at our age and attributed his learning experiences from travel to his accomplishments as a Congressman today. We also had the rare opportunity to eat lunch with his staff. They usually never sit down to eat.

Next agenda item was the ASGA registration. By this time there were students and advisors swarming the lobby of the hotel. Students from 39 countries were represented at the conference. Many students resided in the east coast states. The ones that stuck out in my mind (because of students that we met) were Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, University of Louisville, Purdue, Southern Florida, University of Vermont, Weber state, and University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Over the conference I attended a number of workshops. Some highlight titles included:

• Personality compass
• Driving the power of your voice
• Make meetings matter
• Town v. gown
• Driving the language of job interviewing

These workshops I believe have aided my ability to speak, put meetings in perspective, encouraged me to begin bridging the gap between students and the community, increased recognition the various leadership styles, and aided in prioritizing communication in an interview.

Aside from the conference and exchange of information between various elected student government representatives, I had the opportunity to explore a number of Smithsonian Museums, Memorials, and attended a peace rally in front of the Capitol. My absolute favorite museum was the National Art Gallery. Inside were French Impressionist paintings by the famous Monet, Toulouse Lautrec, Degas, Pissarro, Cassat, Renoir, Van Gogh and more. There was also an exhibit on Mr. Edward Hopper who was famous for his east coast American paintings. He painted houses, lighthouses, urban voyeuristic images, theater and the movies, diners etc. I discovered that he was a source of inspiration for various filmmakers. Which all brings me back to thinking about my film degree…

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Tonight, in light of the Virginia Tech tragedy, ASMSU, Student Activities, and the Dean of Students sponsored a gathering for students and community members to construct paper cranes. About 60 people attended. Some brought pre-made paper cranes. One young lady had a box full of tiny cranes made of post-it notes that she made in front of the television. There was a woman who worked at the library who contributed book covers that they remove as a contribution to be folded. Some brought in baskets already complete.

Ballroom C was full of children, parents, administrators, community members, and students casually chatting and rigorously folding. One long table was creating cranes start to finish per individual. Scott engineered an assembly line system that served the purpose of making cranes more quickly, and satisfying those who are not origami inclined. It was also "specialization of production" Eggensperger says.

One woman I spoke with at the end of the two-hour session mentioned that her daughter, Katherine, currently attends school at Virginia Tech. She has gathered from this incident that we focus too much on the negatives about the killer, and a lot more power and glory to the next person who may want to surpass this record set. Instead we should remember the positives about the 33 individuals who died.

This reminded me of my experience with the Columbine High School shooting. I still have not brought myself to turning on the television and have only heard word of mouth and read a few articles about the situation. Harvesting fear of violence only fuels it in the future.

Originally an idea that hatched from Oklahoma State's student government has started a nation wide effort to make thousands of cranes that can be placed across the campus to serve as a reminder that students across the country are thinking of them.

Instructions to make the cranes can be found at http://www.sadako.com/fold/folding9.pdf; they can be strung together or boxed.

Here's the story of the inspiration behind the cranes:

Sadako Sasaki was 12 years old, ten years after the atom bombing of Hiroshima in World War II. Unfortunately she had to be hospitalized when she developed leukemia from the effects of radiation. She remembered the Japanese legend that anyone folding a thousand paper cranes is granted a wish. She set about this task with great hope for her recovery but her health held out only long enough to complete 644.

The crane, which has a long life-span, is an age-old Oriental symbol of good fortune and longevity. Because of Sadako's courageous story, the crane achieved added significance as the symbol of peace throughout the world.

In this spirit, the city of Hiroshima built a Peace Memorial with a figure of Sadako holding a large golden crane above her head with outstretched hands. Every year children from Japan and many other countries send thousands and thousands of folded paper cranes to Hiroshima, where they pile up in huge mountains around Sadako's statue as a prayer for worldwide peace.

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This week, Scott and I are conducting some 30 odd interviews. We are searching for ASMSU Student Committee Heads for next year. We had the first two today. Thus far, I've learned a bunch about some things that a person may want to avoid during a job application process with interviews.

What to avoid:

• Programming a giggling voicemail message that portrays anything but professionalism when the interviewer calls
• Walking into the interview covered in hickeys
• Wearing jeans
• Having no knowledge on the position of application
• Smelling like illicit drugs
• Talking about your personal religious or political beliefs
• Bad personal hygiene
• Bragging about conquered video games
• Avoiding answering the question directly
• Fishing for answers
• Bull-shitting/no honesty
• Speaking 100mph
• Not providing the materials required in the application
• Not turning in an application in on time
• Having toothpaste around your lips
• Avoiding eye contact
• Shaking hands loosely

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Benefits from Greek experience are immeasurable. Every moment of my college career has had relation to the MSU Greek System by learning from it or attempting to improve it. Many things over the past four years may come and go in my memory from the entire experience, but I recall my overall time here with deep affection.

Sisterhood. This pillar of Greek Life provided me with a variety of friends who challenged my belief system, habits, state of mind, and most of all, my heart. The rarest gem of all is that even considering all of our differences we have the sacred privilege to be sharing our ritual and one common purpose together. Greek Advisors are also a huge exemplification of sisterhood. Their dedication has shown me that our Chapter is near and dear to their hearts. They provide others the opportunity to learn from their perspective. I learned to feel the weight of the meaning of respect through my Advisors.

Leadership. When elected to offices within my sorority, I have learned to respect the Officers' responsibilities and ability to put themselves out on the line. Through offices I've learned about improving from success and failure, creating a vision, living by example, understanding commitment and accountability, appreciating the value of criticism, discovering the value of transitioning and showing up to events and meetings. This is only the beginning of the knowledge I've gained through serving through different offices within my own Chapter and Panhellenic (the governing body of the sororities).

Scholarship. Being Greek opens doors to intellectual and challenging pursuits. There is a plethora of exposure to various curriculums and possibilities at the university and beyond MSU. It is a prime example of the open exchange of thoughts and ideas, encouraging diversity through the structure of having different areas of study.

Community/Greek Life. Discovering similar and new functions that other Greek organizations share was always a fun find for me. I realize operations, obstacles, and frustrations are a reality check with human nature. Every Greek house suffers from similar things. Every Greek house celebrates similar accomplishments. This makes us connected. Not many students have the ability to belong to a rooted system at this university-a home and a family where we are always welcome. We also share the fight against Greek discrimination. We all fight the stereotypes of the typical "Greek" and I have learned to look within and remember to never make a judgment about a person. A person can only be observed by their behavior, never pinned as a certain type.

Campus Involvement and Philanthropy. This is a strong method to broaden our own chapter structures and strengthen one another through charity. Aside from enriching self, becoming involved went hand in hand with Greek Life for four-plus years. I can remember my feeling of admiration of the Greek upper-classmen because of their ability to balance life by exercising successful philanthropy and campus involvement. Without giving anything to the community or to our university we are nothing. By enriching our surroundings, we will improve the quality of life for our children and grandchildren. It truly brings meaning to the word and Greek term "Legacy".

I don't feel like I've gained "benefits" from being Greek. I do feel that I've gained opportunities to develop as a person with depth and introspect and have the entire Greek community to thank. To those who have also helped our Greek system without credit-it has helped and it's appreciated. I am gracious and humbled by the actions of others. Most of all I have developed life-long relationships that I can celebrate and utilize. I also have faith in this system and hope that it will grow and improve. How could it be possible that such a wonderful team of people who are so passionate about this life ever cease to exist? This a glimpse at the perspective I have from being Greek.

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I happen to be an MSU AdvoCat. What's that? AdvoCats give tours, and serve as student ambassadors for Montana State University. At one point or another, there's usually an occasional fumble of words, pause, brain fart, glide across some ice, or an awkward run into a lost friend from freshman year. Then there are those times when a friend or acquaintance tells you that they observed your performance while walking by your tour at an unknown location to you. Today on my Tuesday morning tour I had rather a small thing (like these examples) throw me off and out of a balanced state of mind.

It happened. It happened while walking backwards adjacent to Cooley Labs and rounding the corner of 11th street headed north towards our oldest building on campus, Taylor Hall. I was just describing the origins of the concept of a Land Grant University from Abraham Lincoln, when it happened.

I was stabilized on my left foot while my right was in motion. Before shifting weight onto my right foot, the bottom of my one-inch Danskos moonwalked on the sheik melting snow. My right foot flew out of my shoe in a dramatic momentum.

Imagine 20 people following me on a narrow sidewalk. At times there are those lucky few who have the opportunity to see and hear me at an extremely friendly distance. Now imagine the father of the prospective engineering student halting to a stop because my shoe dismantled from my foot. Father x and son x along with others close behind witnessed my big toe, unpainted and soggy from the precipitation.

Turns out, my favorite pair of socks sprouted a hole. How embarrassing. That's when I should've mentioned that I was a volunteer tour guide and would take tips for a sock fund following the tour.

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Upon returning from a drive through 3:00am, and stirring in my sleep from my caffeine infused body, I have completed a round trip drive between Bozeman and Seattle. The main purpose of traveling to Seattle was for our film timing. What's that? After the film has been processed (there was over two hours of footage to be developed at the lab), we go to Ray-the colorist who has worked at the Alpha Cine motion picture lab for 29 years. Cooped up in a small room he views footage from feature films and student work. We paid a hefty price to see the footage with him while he dinked around with color correction on the monitors. Aside from this expensive educational adventure, Eileen, Mike and I explored Seattle.

Leaving Monday morning we drove approximately 11 hours through rain and sun in my Mazda to our destination. We arrived and unloaded at our hotel: the Sixth Avenue Inn. Next time I will be going to a hostel for financial reasons. We were nestled downtown and had a decent view of the space needle, a fantasy store, and alas-buildings! Eileen and I walked to the central blocks to locate a Thai food restaurant and circled around the blocks to find it in a whirlwind of noises quite different from Bozeman. We also could have been distracted from a fully naked obese man who was standing in front of a shopping complex. He was standing there unaware of the city movement, and the people that began taking photos of him. I felt like we were in Yellowstone where a bear had been spotted.

Finally, tired and hungry we found Thai Ginger where we mowed down a meal full of seafood. We flipped through pages of the tourist magazine with listings of things to do. Deciding on going for the Irish Pub-Kells, we began our search in the area. At this time we were still getting our bearings, but we eventually found the place with live music and a cute bartender in Post Alley. Later we met Eileen's friend John at a gay karaoke locale in Capitol Hill-the Crescent, where she sang. I can never find my song of preference that I learned at a vocal jazz camp-"Peel Me a Grape" performed by Diana Krall. But I won't settle for anything else to sing.

Tuesday morning the two of us went to Tully's-a coffee place unlike Starbucks, with free Internet! I was happy to support their company. Then we met Mike and rendezvoused at the Alpha Cine Lab over a four-hour duration. Hungry once again we met another of Eileen's friends-Millie, and grabbed some messy seafood dumped from a bucket with bibs and all at the Crab Pot on the waterfront. Venturing down to Pike Place Market afterwards we worked off some of the butter ingested. We also found a quaint place to do some wine tasting for $5. We also had complimentary food taste tests with the wine-mmmmm. Next, we purchased some lime-cilantro pasta and jumbo scallops to cook dinner that night. Mike and I tried to go visit SAM (Seattle Art Museum), but it was under construction and had re-located. Shucks. We then ventured to Millie's on Capitol Hill. Note: we walked everywhere on the trip. Everything is so accessible in Seattle, I didn't drive my car once. The night carried on from there with wine and delicious food and a fun time until 2:00am.

Wednesday began a bit slower. We walked to an Estonian bakery that still associated themselves as Russian. A fresh rhubarb pastry from the oven dove into my stomach. The three of us traveled on foot through a new part of downtown (to us), that was parallel to the waterfront to Pioneer Square. We participated in the Underground Tour-it is something I'd fully recommend. We experienced a fascinating history about the hidden world beneath 18 blocks of the city. Next was the Aquarium where the Harbor Seals and Sea Lions were fed and where I touched the sea cucumbers! I also learned the difference between a Flounder and Halibut, which is rarely recognized when served at a restaurant. The day was completed with a special Halibut dinner at Ivar's. One that I couldn't afford-but I think I have my fish cravings taken care of for a while.

It's wonderful to be back in Bozeman. The air is clean, and it smells like the mountains-something I grew up with. Tomorrow I leave to go to Butte, Montana where people truly celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. Many of my friends will be attending the festivities and I will be joining them to celebrate mine and others' Irish heritage.

What a wild spring break. I am glad to have such a wonderful time before I must focus again. Did I mention? On Thursday, March 22nd I am sworn into office as the ASMSU President along with Scott as the Vice-President. MSU has been so kind to me, and I am honored to have the opportunity to make a difference for fellow students this next year.

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Tomorrow is the final day the online election polls are open. At 8:30pm Scott and I will receive a phone call about who has won, and then get an email of the numbers of voters for each candidate pair.

The Presidential Debate to me was rather unbalanced. One of the opponent pairs said repeatedly that their issue was to "lower tuition". This to me is as likely as Bush stating that the war in Iraq will be over quickly. Here are our issues that have a loose action plan realistic to accomplish.

1. Increasing awareness of ASMSU and its benefits-it cannot be enjoyed by students if they do not know the services exist! Conduct a case study of what students' knowledge of ASMSU is, discover where they attained that knowledge then develop a plan to augment the methods in which PR is implemented. Follow through by consistently measuring the awareness level and acting accordingly.

2. Improve system of communication between the committees - Administration and Senate: focus on internal relations.

• Mentoring system backing
• Facilitating a follow through of the goals
• Build trusting and respectful/professional relationships
• Stipend review and budgeting all year, not just in the spring
• Utilizing cutting edge technology through digital communication (online postings, information forums, standardizing reports, documenting success and failure)

3. Prevent tuition from rising: affect change in the legislature through utilizing the off-season to work with legislators making them more aware of student needs.

• Communicating on a regular basis with the Legislators on the importance of tuition costs remaining affordable

4. Facilitating regular discussion with departments, student clubs and organizations, and Administration to hear and act upon what is needed at MSU.

• Create a regular channel of communication with leaders from every college to be more inclusive and transparent

5. Bring blue and gold tradition and culture to life.

• Establishing a day-working with the Student Alumni Association and other organizations to make campus a fun place to be

6. Creating a green campus

• Look at the energy bills
• Work with Engineers without Borders (and many others) following data of the university's carbon footprint.

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The senior film, still to be named, involves a schedule of filming and efforts with my project partners who are invested in this with money and credit: Eileen and Mike. Once again, as the producer I was in charge of managing the crew (even getting them fed the required meals), release forms, crew contracts, risk management plans, schedule, communication with the talent, the budget and overall operations of the production. I believe that I easily spent over 100 hours in and outside of being on set last week. Needless to say, I feel behind on the campaign, my business classes, sleep and the ability to breathe normally. However-a challenge is always something I pursue-no matter how hard it is to rise out of bed in the morning. As soon as spring break rounds the corner, hopefully life will be back to normal.

Friday: 10:00amPick up gear, call talent and crew, dress the set through 10:00pm.

Saturday: 6:30am pick up breakfast and film until 6:00pm. Meet with Mike and Eileen.

Sunday: 7:00am meet and go to the Ellen Theater to film until 4:00pm. Grocery shop.

Monday: 7:00am film at the Ellen Theater through 6:00pm. Meet Mike and Eileen.

Tuesday: 7:00am film at the Rialto Theater through 6:00pm while snowing!

Wednesday: 7:00am at the Ellen Theater, 2:00pm at the Bozeman pool, 6:00 at Leigh Lounge through 9:00pm. Grocery Shop.

Thursday: 11:00am drove to Belgrade to gather an Olympic sized boxing ring and set it up in the Visual Communications Building's Studio B. Filmed until 10:00pm

Friday: 9:00am set dressing. 2:00pm move equipment and film in an apartment and the alley later. Completed day at 10:00pm.

Saturday: 7:00am at the Rialto Theater. Film until 4:00pm.

Sunday: 7:30am at the Belgrade Airport service road, then the Rialto Theater, then Studio B to do some Green screening action. Film through 10:30pm.

Monday: 7:30am-return equipment.

We will be traveling to Seattle over the break for processing and color correcting at the Alpha Cine Lab because we shot this on 16 mm film. One extremely fun part of this process was working with students who are at the sophomore level and being reminded of that time in my life again.

I also had the opportunity to act a small part in the boxing scene. Playing Molly's (the protagonist) opponent in the ring was adrenaline surged. I learned a few basic techniques and understood the importance of the caved in posture for the sake of organ protection in the ring. Of course everything was staged, it was a riot to chew fake blood capsules and be sprayed by the water bottle to emulate sweat. For this scene, artistically we are pushing the film (which will make it look grainier) and de-saturating the colors while popping the red. This will resemble classic boxing movies and pronounce one of our theme colors.

Thanks to everyone who aided in making the project a success thus far. Many volunteer hours were involved, and it's nice to see people working on a film crew for the experience of filmmaking-one of the purist forms of teamwork.

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Upon dreaming for four years about this position, it's finally here! I am going to be running for the position of ASMSU President with Scott Eggensperger as the Vice-Presidential candidate. I could think of no one better I would run with. ASMSU translates to the Associated Students of Montana State University and is a marvelous tool in student activism, voice, teamwork, and leadership.

The first day of Catapalooza (a time for clubs and organizations to recruit students for their cause), I sought out the student government upon finishing my high school career as the Student Body President. I find the importance of participating in my surroundings and improving the environment around me as one of the utmost priorities in my life. This will be an extremely busy month with my film production and this campaign on top of work, the rest of school, and extra-curricular involvement. However, if I didn't live my life with every second full of zeal I would cease to exist as a person and loyal student. Below is my 200-word essay that will be printed in the ASMSU newspaper, The Exponent:

After four years of ASMSU involvement, I'm a passionate leader and ambitious future President-my name is Tegan Molloy. Following one term as an At-Large Senator, I've exercised leadership and emotional intelligence for three years with ASMSU committee-the MSU Leadership Institute. Producing and directing films as a MTA major, I'm currently working towards Business and Spanish minors. I represent a balance of students as the previous Panhellenic Council President, and with Student Alumni Association, Mortar Board, RELAY for Life, MTA Network, Alpha Omicron Pi and AdvoCats.

Running for Vice-President current ASMSU Senator, Scott Eggensperger, is from Thompson Falls, Montana-a fourth generation MSU Bobcat! He studies Industrial and Management Engineering and recently completed his term as President of Pi Kappa Alpha. Other activities include Institute of Industrial Engineers, Inter-Fraternal Council, and skiing Bridger Bowl.

Our priorities first include advocating the importance of student leadership in organizations. Additionally, emphasizing internal relations of ASMSU with increased presence and a higher level of professionalism is key. We plan to bring blue and gold traditions and spirit to life, and strive for a green campus. We practice laissez-faire leadership empowering those fellow students to take initiative.
Vote Teamwork. Vote Success. Vote Tegan and Scott.

Here is a campaign photo taken by the lovely Brooke Tummel. As of right now, the campaign has not formally begun. Instead we are announcing the candidacy until Friday comes along!

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This semester I'm producing my senior film. A little different than the ordinary, we are shooting in Bozeman, however, attempting to partially close Main Street downtown (i.e. various parking for continuity, sidewalk space, and minimal lanes). This is an enormous endeavor as the permit that I am applying for is titled the reassuring name: "Revocable Film Permit." Rather a titanic task, I set out calling each of the 30 something businesses to get info about who, where, and when their business owners might be around. This process has been cycling for days, and it seems like it's been weeks.

There is one owner in particular that has posed quite the challenge. Most all the business owners have been curious, kind, and accommodating, and she has created a stack of paperwork for me to handle. When I called the locations initially I had spoken to this lady. She was short, hurried, and concerned only about her profit and how this would affect her. I acknowledge our endeavor is a substantial request and that we should be incredibly sensitive to the needs and concerns of the business owners. However, on the grounds of public facilities/land, and having a location like Main Street, she must understand that these occurrences will happen-that she's not the only person in the picture.

Her requests have now doubled in her consent form and location release. The primary concern about this was that she doesn't want her customers to ever be stopped. Apparently her clientele are Big Sky folk who can only be, as she portrays them-ruthless. She stated that if one customer is "inconvenienced" she might lose her $20,000 sale of the day. I say, what if a filmmaker from Big Sky strolls by because we captured them with the intrigue of film school again? Then we'd be assisting her daily revenue.

After observing her behavior I have formulated a question. I wonder if she makes much profit with an attitude like that. I think that it's in Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice that it's mentioned how a person treats his or her wait staff truly defines the character that person has created for himself/herself. In this case I'm not her wait staff, however, just a harmless film student ready to write or mention through word of mouth that I have witnessed that she isn't the kindest individual on the block.

I will also learn from her mistake in my everyday life, and if I ever run a business of my own someday. And undoubtedly, the way a person treats others carries by word of mouth. It is important to always learn from others and keep them close-no matter if you disagree with their practices. This way, a person has the ability to have a balanced range of perspectives and contacts. Paul Rusesabagina discusses this in his novel about the Rwandan genocide in An Ordinary Man. Because he kept friends on both sides of the conflict-as hard as it was, he was able to persuade many people not to kill the refugees in the hotel he was managing. This way, he saved 1,200 people!

*An update about a Red Bull discovery:
Recently discovered on facebook, I spotted this with a picture on the ads. Note, I haven't heard anything back from them yet. This is what I'd be looking for though!

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Working on a senior film project costs big bucks. My portion stands at approximately $1,500 out of pocket. The expenses are generally for the film stock and lab fees along with feeding the crew. I don't really have that money sitting around. SO-as a problem solving individual, I applied for a mindless job through Red Bull. Why a mindless job? A change of pace in my life would be marvelous considering I go to bed exhausted with a head full of ideas and experiences from the day. Tonight I wonder if the app was even read last week? Here is where my positive paradigm turns into realistic cynic.

I feel a bit discouraged when it comes to job applications. Always an honest individual, I feel like kissing up and creating the best fudged answers is what a job applicant will be hired upon. Below is a list of some sample questions on the online form that I submitted last week. Included are answers that would be completely honest. I wrote nothing like down on the real application of course.

Q: Why are you applying for work with the Red Bull Mobile Energy Team?
Because I am a desperate film student looking for a break and an easy job.

Q: Tell us about your experience with Red Bull Energy Drink.
I actually feel that Red Bull is incredibly unhealthy. However, I do drink it mixed with something as my first drink on a night out.

Q: Red Bull Energy Drink vitalizes Body and Mind. If you had just one can of Red Bull Energy drink to give away, what would you do with it?
With only one drink to give away, it may cross my mind to drink it myself.

Q: How would your friends/family describe you?
Outspoken and leadership focused.

Q: What languages do you read, speak, or write fluently?
Espanol-pero no es fluido.

Q: The position requires a flexible work schedule, days, nights, weekends, and some overnight travel. Please list when you are NOT available to work.
Pretty much never, but I can check my schedule.

Q: How much of this year are you able to commit to a position with Red Bull?
Virtually none of the year. In fact, I'm going to be leaving the country in a matter of months.

Q: What do you consider your specialty?
Cheering people up.

Now, if I had been called about the application, I may divulge its REAL secret answers of success to you-but perhaps this is the way I should answer questions in the future.

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A frequent visit for me is to my favorite coffee environment at International Coffee Traders. The summer I lived in Bozeman taking some classes, I attended the coffee shop almost daily to study and reflect on my learning experiences at the time. Today's visit takes place at 4:00 pm on Wednesday. An undulating web of students exchanges stories and ideas in the same safe location. ICT. The noise inside includes a constant hum of machines, and a loud, fierce rattle every so often from the bulky and scary machine. The un-human sounds manage to harmonize with the light tunes of Jack Johnson and barking dogs outside of the screen doors, which are open to cool off the toasty warm atmosphere. The smell is one of my favorites consisting of berries and roasted coffee beans mixed with fresh Bozeman air. Looking around, vibrant green and yellow colors radiate their illumination from the acute sun lines. Umbrellas are placed as though they shade the coffee beans themselves growing below. A scruffy floor follows which makes the place feel homey and welcoming. Attractive, delectable goodies scatter the counter where I order my tea. I resist with every ounce of my soul to avoid buying a pastry. I return to my round table and laptop and gaze at the paintings displayed by local artist Kathleen Houseman. She has created contemporary images like impressionistic animals consisting of a large rabbit painting which gives me a smile. In the adjacent corner, photos of perhaps children in Africa play in the composition. I am unable to get closer to see the photo locations as another grungy intellectual blocks my view. I tune out the low murmur of chatter and chess playing and focus on my LCD screen. . .

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A frequent visit for me is to my favorite coffee environment at International Coffee Traders. The summer I lived in Bozeman taking some classes, I attended the coffee shop almost daily to study and reflect on my learning experiences at the time. Today's visit takes place at 4:00 pm on Wednesday. An undulating web of students exchanges stories and ideas in the same safe location. ICT. The noise inside includes a constant hum of machines, and a loud, fierce rattle every so often from the bulky and scary machine. The un-human sounds manage to harmonize with the light tunes of Jack Johnson and barking dogs outside of the screen doors, which are open to cool off the toasty warm atmosphere. The smell is one of my favorites consisting of berries and roasted coffee beans mixed with fresh Bozeman air. Looking around, vibrant green and yellow colors radiate their illumination from the acute sun lines. Umbrellas are placed as though they shade the coffee beans themselves growing below. A scruffy floor follows which makes the place feel homey and welcoming. Attractive, delectable goodies scatter the counter where I order my tea. I resist with every ounce of my soul to avoid buying a pastry. I return to my round table and laptop and gaze at the paintings displayed by local artist Kathleen Houseman. She has created contemporary images like impressionistic animals consisting of a large rabbit painting which gives me a smile. In the adjacent corner, photos of perhaps children in Africa play in the composition. I am unable to get closer to see the photo locations as another grungy intellectual blocks my view. I tune out the low murmur of chatter and chess playing and focus on my LCD screen. . .

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The first and foremost focus of a college birthday is the given attention to the excuse of going out. Also included is the justification for spending any more than five bucks out on the town. It's a rarity that now a days I actually see a gift or even a card given.

Like with anything in life, limitations exist in the celebration arena. There are sometimes just too many birthdays, and going out may eventually come down to weighing the importance of the person whose birthday is celebrated. A night out means time spent in your schedule that may need attention elsewhere. One thing evident in the attendees of your birthday is 1) the security of knowing that if someone doesn't make your birthday celebration that most likely they could live without you (and vice versa), and 2) the people you frequently see out may just be party animals looking for the excuse to paint the town red. The last bit of importance is the person who's turning a new year in age-have we forgotten the true reasons to commemorate someone's life in the pursuit of whooping it up for a good time? Or IS that commemorating life?

The traditional student whom enters college as a freshman is about 18 years old, and turns 19 that academic calendar. So, with this dichotomy, the typical junior student will experience their 21st birthday. When I celebrated my birthday, it was Tuesday, April 11th 2006. Needless to say, Wednesday I remained in bed until I got sushi at 5:00pm. The whooping, hollering, bouncing around, occasional unexpected-yet excused body groping, visiting, vibrant colors, and even awkwardness between all of my different groups of friends all stand out in my memory. I also survived by buying everyone else a drink when they got me one so that I could avoid endangering my own life. When other people get intoxicated they forget the mission of the evening (buying drinks for the birthday girl), and begin to have fun themselves. Many students I know celebrate for the duration of one week or even two (disturbing, huh?).

Today, December 6th, one of my best friends, Brooke, turns 22 years old. Because it's Dead Week (otherwise known as the week of hell before finals) we are going to "take it easy." It's imperative that I perform well this week and finals week. But this is a birthday that I can absolutely not miss or fall short on. Once you're over the age of 21, you become "old balls" as we all say at my house (although we realize what a ridiculous statement this actually is, as we are still incredibly young). Old balls or not, I want to be there for the fun of it all. I dearly adore the toasts, cheers, and restaurant songs said and sung at birthdays. Tonight though, I'm excited to celebrate, in its simplicity, the life of a friend, something that should technically be done every day we have with the people that we care about. Happy Birthday Brooke-lyn!

*Random reality tip for birthday celebrators: Remember always to ask and answer. . .
Q: "Do I have cash?"
A: Check.

I've recently switched to cash spending at any form of restaurant or bar for the depressing reality that servers occasionally punch in a higher tip than is written on the credit card slip.

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I work for the MSU Leadership Institute and am lucky enough to get paid to facilitate enjoyable, educational, and cutting-edge lectures and inspirational events on campus that surround the crucial topic of leadership. The idea behind working there was that I'd get paid as my work-study award from Financial Aid, and yet also be involved on campus.

The Leadership Institute is an ASMSU committee-one that's involved and in-tune with bringing the students leadership opportunities through the campus. It's funded through the student activity fee and the money is allocated to the ASMSU committees by the Associated Students of Montana State University-our student government. I have the time of my life with the event experiences and freedom to learn in the office with the staff. This year is my third year, and I'm now the Senior Associate co-managing with Director, Carmen McSpadden the ten student staff members.

Recently we brought in speaker and social innovator, Bliss Browne. She was the founder of "Imagine Chicago" a project that united the city with the goal of civic innovation with incorporation of young people-otherwise known as the future. The place she lived in Chicago had 85 spoken languages, many sectarian groups, and a whole lotta crime. She envisioned a united dream, goal and effort for the city to invest energy into the community, families, organizations, businesses, museums, schools, and churches. The first meeting she held, she integrated her kids into the agenda, as their goal was to have "the most fun meetings."

Bliss Browne spoke about methods of how to begin an organization with a particular goal in mind. Some interesting highlights/suggestions to me were:

• Get people who desire to be a part of the organization-ask others who they'd recommend to get involved in the project.
• Create a positive communications network.
• Renounce cynism, and open up possibilities.
• Think about language as a moral choice-everything you say could be a blessing or a destructive weapon, it's up to you. . .
• Instead of installing a threat by saying, "The problem is this. . ." say, "I'm interested in hearing your opinion on this issue."
• Ask, "What does this community actually want?"
• Empower choice: would you rather a human transform from a caterpillar to a butterfly, or would you prefer that that human just remain a worm?
• Change is messy like birth, but in the end, letting go of something allows for the creation of something new. (This one made me chuckle) :
• Operate transparently.
• Phrase things in terms of "I want" so that it will make the statement positive and more effective.
• See constellations instead of stars.

How will Bozeman battle global warming?
I encourage everyone to think about questions they'd like to pose to their community. Visit www.imaginechicago.org for insight to Bliss Browne's project for our future.

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Long ago, before I became a professional blogger for a modest living, I was born in the year of the Ox at Rose Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Nine months later (as was the first and only time I've ever been able to exercise the privilege of being early) I learned to walk-and have been a race walker¹ ever since. Later the Molloy family moved to Littleton, Colorado where I experienced suburbia, Columbine², and a divorce. My habitual hobbies entailed plinking on the piano, volatizing the violin, sliding in soccer and jingling jazz in an a cappella group. Also, I was ingrained in Littleton High School through Student Council graduating in 2003 and developed the embarrassing and meaningless nickname that I now embrace: Tegles (pronounced tea-gulls). My mother is a Physical Therapist and was always educating me about my body, which somehow lead to the dreaded topic of sex education. Today I celebrate my comfortableness with sexuality-fighting the effort to nix the topic as taboo.

I always had a passion for hearing stories, and had zeal to delve into a world of books. Admiring the Beauty and the Beast protagonist, Belle, I felt as though I could relate to her with my head constantly in a book feeding my imagination. In 5th grade I read as many Boxcar Children books on the bus as humanly possible. Mind you, I always had time for footsie with Logan Campbell at the back of the bus.

Fast-forward. MSU became my college destination when I discovered the nationally ranked film program, and when I received the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) scholarship. Topping it all off was the friendly atmosphere of Bozeman, and the captivating view of the Bridger Mountains-not to mention a ratio of guys to girls that favored my side by just enough.

For eight years now I've lived by the motto by an anonymous person that I strive to follow: "You can't make footprints in the sands of time by sitting on your butt. And who wants butt-prints in the sands of time?" So this basically translates into to me overdoing everything, but it's better to do lots of things than nothing at all, right? I also strive to do things well, and am realizing my limitations on time. Currently my crazy time-management is a balance of life as a work-study student at the MSU Leadership Institute, a dedicated member of my sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, an officer on the Panhellenic Council, an AdvoCat for MSU, a creator of Spurs and Fangs-the Student Alumni Association, a member of Mortar Board, and somehow manage to find time for a marvelous boyfriend. Most of all, I enjoy interacting with new people and progressive actions every moment, and admire leaders that encourage these happenings. Many ask what I'll do with my degree. After spending time in L.A. at a studio, in the future I aspire to make humanitarian documentaries and eventually hope to create an international production company of my own.

¹ Race walker=fast paced walker-making strong strides that carry my short legs farther distances than originally meant mostly because I'm inherently late.

² Columbine High School Shooting. I didn't attend school there, but have strong feelings against violence and weapons as I lived five minutes from the location.

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