Summer Jobs

Being that it is dead week and not much is going on, I felt it fitting to discuss summer jobs. Whether it is a job or an internship, summer is a key time to beef up that resume. Over the past two summers I have worked at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky Ohio. Here I worked in their sales division making reservations for hotels, indoor water parks, and cottages and cabins. It was a great time as I enjoyed all of the benefits being an employee has to offer, such as getting into the park whenever I wanted to! Miss Lisa West and Jade Wilson made the summer go by very fast as we always had good conversations about the Cleveland Cavs and Lebron James!

This summer however I will be away from the hills and thrills as I travel out west to Yellowstone National Park. Here I will be roughly 2 miles from the East Side Entrance at Pahaska Tepee about an hour away from Cody Wyoming. Here I plan to be a host in their restaurant as well as work the front desk area. This is a much smaller operation as there are roughly only 40 employees, compared to Cedar Point that had over 5000! Don’t worry I will keep everyone posted and provide you all with many pictures as the summer approaches!
I went ahead and posted links to both websites in case any of you are looking for summer plans!
http://www.pahaska.com/
http://www.cedarpoint.com/

-Josh-

Pop Art

My most recent project for my A&D 106 class required that we create something out of Red Bull/Pop cans. Those who decided to do their entire project out of Red Bull cans had the option of entering their work into a contest. If selected, their work would be shown in an exhibition for the company. I believe last year this was in Texas. [However, if entered, they would not get their artwork back.]

Personally I don’t drink a lot of Red Bull, nor do I know many that do, so I went the pop can route. I asked around and ended up with 2 garbage bags full of pop cans. Little did I know that I would need all of them.

I decided to make a dress out of the cans. At first I wanted it to look extremely futuristic but then a huge factor came into play: time. I had a week to make it. So I set off, making a strapless black dress [including a lining and invisible zipper] and punching out rounded rectangles with a tool I purchased at Hobby Lobby. In order to punch these shapes out, the can itself must first be deconstructed. Hence, I had to cut the top and bottom off every can in order to have a cylinder, that once slit, became a rectangle fit for puncturing.
I’m not sure how many shapes I punched, but it was about 90 cans with 4-5 punches per can. So a lot haha. And I used every single one. I was going to try and make a graphic motif but time deemed that impossible so I tried to incorporate more design into the dress by making the upper bodice all silver [the backside of the aluminum] and from the waist down a rainbow gradient, with the amount of shapes diminishing and fading as they reached the hem. At the hem I put a row of the rounded domes at the end of the cans, which contrasted nicely against the black fabric. The picture shown is the dress without anything glued on yet.

Attaching these proved interesting. Primarily I didn’t know what type of glue to use, so I asked a salesperson at home depot and they gave me caulking glue. Due to my lack of construction knowledge, I didn’t purchase a caulking gun, and when I tried to open the glue, I couldn’t squeeze it, ended up getting on Facebook chat around 1 AM, and my guy friend at IU told me what the problem was. The next day I bought 3 tubes of super glue and prayed it would work. It did! I got it all over my hands but it turned out swell.

For extra credit we could make a video of our creation in action so I decided to do a music video. The only video I could think of with the word “pop” in it was “Pop, Lock & Drop It” by Huey. This was also quite interesting, for I decided to go around campus in my get-up asking random people to do “pop, lock & drop it” or sing lyrics for me. Needless to say, I only got one random person to assist; the rest were my friends. And luckily I got a few pointers about editing videos from a future ambassador and fellow Apparel Tech major, Alysha Kupferer. Here is the youtube link if you would like to check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA8dIrM2jDw

After the video concluded I decided to add pop tab straps to it and a big red pop tab on the surface of the zipper on the back for an extra touch. Overall I loved this project! This class mainly focuses on expanding your design into construction and planning processes, for it is all 3-D art. Challenging, but interesting.

I hope everyone’s getting a chance to enjoy this wonderful weather! I’ll blog some more after dead week! :)

Ashley

Rainy Friday Morning

Walking across campus Friday morning in the pouring rain and by the time I reached the Union I was soaked. My khaki pants were soggy and my sandals were drenched. I was on my way to an Ambassador event in the Union. I was kind of frustrated about walking across campus in the rain and now total wet. When I got to the Union however my mood immediately changed. I showed up at the booth and there was a prospective student who was interested in Dietetics. I enjoy when people are interested in my majors and really want to learn more and ask lots of questions. I like to think that I can help someone make a really important decision. I was able to talk to one girl and her family in particular. She was interested in my two majors and probably spent a good 20-30 minutes talking with me and asking questions. This is one reason why I love Ambassadors, being able to help other people as they look to make important decisions. I remember talking with an Ambassador as a prospective student and I really learned a lot from them and I hope that I can help at least one person who I have the chance to talk with. So all in all my walk in the rain was worth it. <>< Anna

Born to Run!!

After running both cross country and track in high school I came to Purdue and had pretty much stopped running, that all changed though these past two months as I have been talking to not only my two brothers who are in high school but also my mom and dad.

You see I come from a family of runners. My mom has run everything from 5k’s to marathons, and my dad has just started running again as well within the past year. Every time I call home he is always telling me how far he ran and much stronger he is feeling, he is training for a half marathon with my mom over the summer. I was so jealous of not only him but my whole family!

So when I heard about the Purdue Cancer Center Challenge I went ahead and signed up. The race was this last weekend and after going out and running over the past two months I must say I felt great after the race. It started at 8:30 a.m. up at the stadium. My goal was just to break 20 minutes; I mean it has been a good three years since I had a real race! The race started and I was hitting my splits dead on, 6:17 first mile, 13 minutes at the two mile things were going great!

During the second mile I was starting to feel tired, this is when a person came up next to me and started running with me, he edged me on and I felt like competing! He ended up beating me but hey, I met my goal! I broke 20 minutes with a 19:47 and placed 12th overall, in a race of more than 1,200! I also placed 4th in my age group, and missed a medal by 1 place, maybe next time! It was a big day as we raised over $65,000 for cancer research here at Purdue! Finally I had something to brag about to my parents and brothers back home! The pictures are of the finish and some of my Sunday school kids I found at the race afterwards!

Boiler Up! Josh

Straining towards what is Ahead

School is getting ready to come to an end which is kind of unbelievable. In a few days dead week will be here and then finals which brings the ending of another semester. As a junior I am getting ready for my upcoming senior year and starting to look at applications for Dietetic internships next semester. It is so crazy to think that I am getting ready for my senior year and my last year at Purdue.

Looking back it has gone so quickly. It seems like a few weeks ago I was coming into Purdue from Columbus East high school and scared about being at a huge university and wondering where my future might lead.

Even with lots of projects, homework and studying these last few weeks I am excited to get ready for my senior year and see where my future might lead. I found out today my summer plans and I am finally getting excited about finishing up this semester. I am going to be working with Purdue Extension. As a 10 year 4-H member I am excited to be back in my home county and getting involved with 4-H again.

I never would have thought my junior year would hopefully be coming to a successful end and then getting ready to take an intern position with the 4-H extension back in my home county. This semester has been filled with ups and down and thankfully I am reaching the finishing line and getting ready to start a new adventure this summer.
<>Anna<>

Spring Fest and More!!

This weekend was one of the most exciting and busiest spring weekends Purdue has, I did not miss out. Friday, there was the start of Gala weekend and this encourages the graduating class from 50 years ago (1959) to come back and enjoy Purdue. They had Perry Yeatman (Senior V.P for Internal Corporate Affairs for Kraft Foods) come and speak about study abroad opportunities and her story getting her foot in the door, especially as a woman- she was very inspiring.

Later that evening was the awards dinner; here seniors who are truly outstanding receive awards and outstanding alumni receive awards as well. Pictured here are two of our ambassadors who received Outstanding Senior Awards, Amy for Foods and Nutrition and Derek for Hospitality and Tourism Management.

This year it was in the press box- here is a picture of the webmaster and myself in front of the awesome view!

The yellow and white striped tents around campus show cased Spring Fest. This is where many organizations around campus set up tables and provide activities and food for families; one of the favorite things to do is spit crickets! On Saturday, I was blowing up balloons and handing them out to people- it was packed; I work at the stand with pulled pork and there was not a time when there wasn’t a line of people at the booth. It is a festivity that gets the whole campus out. Here is the Ambassadors Wheel of Fortune!!

Also on Saturday Purdue played there Spring Game, to get everyone pumped for football! It is an event that brings students and old football players in to see what to expect for the future!

Finally Sunday, it was the day where lots of awards went on. In the morning there was the awards breakfast (at 8:30- pretty early) for Mortar Board; at least there was great food to wake me up! Then at 1:00pm there was Purdue’s recognition program for students and faculty, this includes students who have made Dean’s List or the Outstanding Seniors or another award. After that there was a Reception/Colloquium, where seniors who did an honors project show cased all their hard work! It was great to be able to look at the projects they have been working on for over a year plus enjoy sprinkle cookies and golden punch.

This was a crazy but fun weekend at Purdue! Boiler Up!!

~Caroline~

First 5K Ever!

Today(Sunday April 19) I ran my first 5K ever. My saga began several weeks ago when my friend, Sarah, spotted a group of students promoting this event around campus. We started training immediately and enjoyed setting goals and accomplishing them. Due to a busy schedule, I had not been able to run since this past Tuesday and was a little scared that it might show. However, Sarah and I kept a good pace and finished the race without stopping. The route started at Vawter Field with some music to get us pumped, then circled around the golf course and football stadium and finally ended back at Vawter. Finishing strong was quite an accomplishment for me since I have never considered myself a runner. I’m very surprised to say this, but I think I’m ready to run another and maybe even work my way up to a 10K!

Four weeks until graduation,
Derek

A little hint....

What is White and Yellow....

And currently all over campus?

The Enemy = Procrastination

Oh, the irony of Procrastination. I know it’s going to happen before it does because I don’t want to do what I am suppose to do- thus leads to all-nighters, red bulls, coffee, and bulging red eyes.

One recent account was one week ago. I had a HUGE Curriculum Development Project due and I started at 6pm in the afternoon and finally finished 5 coffees and eleven hours later- yes, I finished at 5am. Finished is another word for crashed. I officially finished it about 10 am- after my test in my 9 o’clock power hour.

An example of what I looked like at about 11am could be best explained as this:











The good news…. I FINISHED IT! And I got 100% on it. So the irony is some of my best work comes from procrastination. But this isn’t true in all situations.

So, let this be a warning to anyone and everyone. Procrastination does happen! Just don’t let it happen to you!!

~This has been a public service announcement from the desk of Larissa~


Note from the Webmaster: What Larissa said is oh so very true. The irony is that I have had this blog for a few days and have procrastinated on posting it!

The Greatest Spectacle in College Racing!!

It seems to me that the last 3 weeks of school become swamped with projects, exams, papers, more projects, and one fun event…GRAND PRIX!!! This year I have served as the Director of Sales for the Grand Prix Foundation. What exactly IS the Grand Prix Foundation, and this Grand Prix that I speak of?! Let me tell you!!

The Purdue Grand Prix is a time-honored tradition here at Purdue. In its 52nd year, the Grand Prix is a 50-mile, 150 lap go-kart race organized by a group of Purdue students (the Grand Prix Foundation). The purpose of the race is to raise money for scholarships. The Grand Prix Foundation gives over $10,000 worth of scholarships to deserving Purdue students every year. This year, we gave $11,000 worth of scholarship money to 17 students. All year long the Foundation board works hard to raise money from local and corporate sponsors, as well as to organize the race. This year we are also preparing for our first race on our brand new track! Due to the Mackey Arena renovations, the Grand Prix track was moved to the corner of Cherry Lane and McCormick Lane, behind the Northwest Tennis complex. The new track is wider than the old one, includes more straight-aways for drivers to gain speed, and also includes more hairpin turns that will all add up to one exciting race! Below you can see a picture of the new track in its early stages.



Each kart team consists of a driver, a 4-5 member crew, and a track worker. The teams build their own karts; they are not provided by Purdue or the Grand Prix Foundation. Many residence halls, fraternities, student organizations, and a sorority have karts entered in the 2009 race. This year we have 56 teams entered; more than we have ever had in the past!

Grand Prix is also the last big event on campus before finals. It is a time to celebrate springtime, as well as the end of a long winter and semester. The whole week prior to Grand Prix includes events on campus that get everybody excited for the best part of it all: the race on Saturday!! If you are interested in attending this year’s race, please go to the Grand Prix Foundation web site (http://www.purduegrandprix.org/) and fill out a pre-sale ticket order form. Tickets will also be on sale on campus from April 20-23rd in front of CL50 and MSEE, and on April 24th on Memorial Mall. Be sure to get your tickets early; they are $7 pre-sale compared to $10 at the gate!! See you at the finish line!!

Ciao!
Leslie

Easter Weekend!!

Being from Ohio and the six hour drive I have to go home, I stay here for Easter every year. In West Lafayette I have found First United Methodist Church. Her e I teach the 7th and 8th grade confirmation class with Pastor Glen. Each year I have been here it has become a tradition to have a lock in on Good Friday. This year was no different as we in fact had the lock in as well as, the Junior High were heavily involved with the Good Friday service as they preformed a skit this year. After the service the youth gather for a fun filled night of games, food and other discussions. We stayed up until 3 am and then woke up to make French Toast in the morning at around 7:30! It was great fun!
I was very impressed with the youth who not only stayed up until 3 am on Saturday morning but then they proceeded to turn around and helped to put on an Easter Sunrise Service. Many of the youth showed up at the church at 6:45am to perform another skit, from there at around 8:15 they went down to the activity center to put on an Easter Pancake breakfast. Overall, it was a very big weekend for them, the church and me!
Sunday afternoon was great. Caroline and I invited over a bunch of our friends who also live out of state, or have a long drive home and were unable to make it home for Easter Weekend. We prepared an Easter Dinner and the menu consisted of:
Roast
Mashed Potatoes
Fruit Salad
Green Beans
Rolls
Banana Nut Bread
Brownies
Chocolate Covered Strawberries

It was a great time and the food was awesome!

Josh

Easter Weekend!!

Being from Ohio and the six hour drive I have to go home, I stay here for Easter every year. In West Lafayette I have found First United Methodist Church. Her e I teach the 7th and 8th grade confirmation class with Pastor Glen. Each year I have been here it has become a tradition to have a lock in on Good Friday. This year was no different as we in fact had the lock in as well as, the Junior High were heavily involved with the Good Friday service as they preformed a skit this year. After the service the youth gather for a fun filled night of games, food and other discussions. We stayed up until 3 am and then woke up to make French Toast in the morning at around 7:30! It was great fun!
I was very impressed with the youth who not only stayed up until 3 am on Saturday morning but then they proceeded to turn around and helped to put on an Easter Sunrise Service. Many of the youth showed up at the church at 6:45am to perform another skit, from there at around 8:15 they went down to the activity center to put on an Easter Pancake breakfast. Overall, it was a very big weekend for them, the church and me!
Sunday afternoon was great. Caroline and I invited over a bunch of our friends who also live out of state, or have a long drive home and were unable to make it home for Easter Weekend. We prepared an Easter Dinner and the menu consisted of:
Roast
Mashed Potatoes
Fruit Salad
Green Beans
Rolls
Banana Nut Bread
Brownies
Chocolate Covered Strawberries

It was a great time and the food was awesome!

Josh

Do you ever wish you could go back to being 4 years old?

Have you ever had one of those days where you wish life were simple and you could be 4 years old again? Well... if you do... you should step into my life! I am an Early Childhood Education and Exceptional Needs major, and each day, I get to pretend like I'm 4 again!

This semester I am student teaching. I have two placements, which were determined by Purdue. The first is at Purdue's own Miller Child Learning Center (formerly Purdue Childcare Program-PCCP) where I spend my mornings in a multi-age classroom with children age 3-5.

In the afternoons, I am at GLASS (Greater Lafayette Area Special Services), working with children who have special needs who are mostly age 4-5 and will be going to kindergarten next year.

Each morning I wake up at 5:15 and head to school. I arrive by 7:10 each morning and work hard to make sure that things are set up for the day. I set out activities that the children will find interesting and exciting, and I prepare the art projects that we will make later in the day. The center opens at 7:30, so children can arrive any time after that. Our "early birds" usually come in between 7:45-8:00, so we have a little time to set up before they arrive. When the children start arriving, things get crazy! We have a busy day playing and learning! I usually leave MCLC around 11:30 after I eat a free, hot lunch provided by the center. (Thank goodness for the little things!!!)

I arrive at GLASS at 12:00 and the children arrive at 12:15 for their afternoon class. This week we have been talking about spring, which has been very fun. We are also working individually with children in assessing what they know, so we are pulling them out of class and "playing games" with them to see what they can do. This will help us to prepare for our transition conferences that will occur in the next few weeks and on into May.

Typically I leave school by 4:00 and head home. All I really want to do is crash, but I always have a lot to do after school to prepare for the next day or week. Last night I wrote lesson plans and tonight I was working on progress reports before I started to chat to you all. I try to stay awake until 9:00 or 9:30 but that's about my limit. I go to bed and sleep the sleep of the dead, most nights!

Each day, I am learning so much from the children! I will miss them dearly when I am done student teaching in 3 weeks. Being in the classroom has taught me so much and I know that this experience is one that will help me in my future as I start my teaching career.

~Kristi

Purdue Fashion Show 2009

Hi! I’m currently a sophomore in Apparel Design here at Purdue and loving it more every day! Above is a picture taken this weekend between the two fashion shows – my sister, Lauren (left), my great friend and model, Heather (middle), and myself (right). Before we get to the show details I’ll give a little background about AD&T here at Purdue.

Our major houses anywhere from 11-30 or so per grade, so it’s a really tight-knit group of designers/friends/peers here on campus. My primary year here I took general education courses and about 2 major related classes each semester. This year I experienced the same trend first semester but this spring my week entails of the following:

MWF: A&D 106 [Design II; Art], CSR 209 [Intro to Retail Management], CSR 327 [History of Fashion] TTh: CSR 221 [Apparel Design II], CSR 255 [Apparel Showcase – Fashion Show Production], BAND 117 [flute]

All classes contain challenging course requirements; however I have grown tremendously this semester as a student and a designer. I look forward to continuing my development in this field at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC next year, and simply cannot wait until senior year when I get to work on my senior collection! So…on that note, on to details concerning the fashion show last weekend!

As most in CFS know, the Apparel Design and Technology/ Purdue Fashion Association Fashion Show was held this past Saturday in the Shively Room of the Ross-Ade press box. We had two shows, one at 1:00 PM and the other at 8:00 PM, along with an art gallery located 2 floors above. Our crowds were quite full this year; we even sold out at the night show. Overall the show proved very successful and showcased all of our hard work for others to see.

I’ll give you a glimpse into how the show works:
We do have a course specifically allotted for the preparation and production of this major event (CSR 255). Between the 100 or so of us we divide into separate groups, including Promotions, Model Management, Music and Visuals, Design and Dressers, Hair and Makeup, etc. This year I was on the Design and Dressers team and we handled the organization of what individuals were putting into the show, making sure garments were getting completed with multiple checkpoints, examining clothes for construction analysis, and handling the transport and arrangement of all the garments from our sewing lab to Shively and into the dressing areas.

For the show, each level has a requirement.
Freshmen must submit either a piece into the art gallery or an outfit on the runway.

Sophomores and Juniors must send out at least two outfits on the runway, but they can do more if space/time allows if so desired.

I believe the Senior requirement was raised to 6 models this year. Again, this is just the minimum. All of the seniors produced impressive shows that showcased their skills and design technique well.

Featured photos include the outstanding collections of Anneliese Schaegler, Audrey Reiter, and Shelby Kreger.

This year I did both outfits outside of my class requirements. (Class requirements in CSR 221 this year for sophomores have required a sleeveless bodice, a personal pant sloper, a bifurcated garment, a garment with a collar and sleeves, a skirt, an accessory, and a Goodwill creative transfiguration project, all except the latter draped and patterned.)

For my first model, and friend since 4th grade, I made a black python pencil skirt, a butterfly twisted red satin top, and a knit cropped sweater. Inspiration for this design came from my consultation with Heather (model) – she stated she wanted something she could wear to work and out in the evening. We conflicted over the skirt material, but she conceded and I’m making here a zebra print skirt on the side.

My other model Maria, my roommate last year and good friend, wanted a glamorous dress with a tad of sex appeal. I channeled some of my inner Beyoncé [haha] and came up with this draped design with the attachment of antique jeweled brooches at the straps. As you can see we had a random, fun photo shoot after the night show.
I’ll be honest, due to other class projects, including a lengthy paper, two art projects, and sewing assignments, I spent basically all of my free time in the sewing lab since spring break. I even pulled two all-nighters last week. Probably not healthy, but I accomplished everything and when dress rehearsal rolled around, we dragged our weary bodies up to Ross-Ade, craving sleep, but once our models hit the runway, we just all got so excited. We even ordered a pizza.

I’m so excited for everyone in our major; all of the designers here are talented in their own unique way. Although I broke down more than twice last week, went broke ordering food to eat on campus, and consumed way too much caffeine, in some odd way it was worth it. I achieved more than I ever thought I could have last year.

I came to Purdue with a strong background in art studies; however, I had only sewn a pillow and a skirt in my entire life, one in junior high. It was quite daunting, but now I feel I have grown so much and look forward to further developing my skills. I’m hoping to do my retail internship and the Keystone Mall in Indianapolis this summer or back home at a large mall near South Bend, Indiana. Then I will take off for a year in New York.

I will certainly miss everyone, campus, the fashion show, my lovely professors Susan and Nancy, and the comforts of my apartment, but I know it will be an experience unmatched by any other.

If anyone ever has any questions feel free to shoot me an e-mail at hardya@purdue.edu.
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter, and as we say, “happy sewing!”
*Ashley

A Formal Affair

Alas, after about 2 years of planning, CFS finally had its first formal dance! This event was open to all CFS students (and their dates) and gave everyone a chance to dress snazzy for one night. Initially, when I started planning for the formal as a sophomore, it was just going to be a social event for CFS Students. However, collecting many different ideas and opinions over the years turned the formal into a social event and a service event. The way we worked the service aspect into the event was by donating ALL the proceeds and donations of the event to Food Finders Food Bank. Altogether, a total of $960 and ~75 canned good donations were given to the food bank, which is located in Lafayette, Indiana. A representative from Food Finders was at the event and was incredibly touched to learn that so many students were interested in reaching out to the community. It must have been those warm, fuzzy feelings of family that inspired CFS Student Council members and CFS students to turn a social event into something that can benefit the community in which they live. It’s a great time to be a CFSer!

Proud to be a Boilermaker,
Amy

Life flies by!

I can not believe I am down to just about a month left of college! It just flew by...people were not lying when they told me, "you think High School wen by fast?! College goes by twice as fast." Looking at my decision to come to Purdue, I could not be more thankful with my decision. The life-long friendships that I have made, lasting memories, life lessons, and preparations for my career could not have been better at any other university!



Also, I am thankful to have gone to Purdue, especially in this poor economic time. Majoring in Selling and Sales Management here, I was put ahead of many other students from different universities because Purdue is one in just a handful which has a specific major in sales. I interned last year for an insurance brokerage, Arthur J. Gallagher, in Itasca, Illinois and absolutely loved the company and the type of work. It was perfect for my personality and interests. From that internship experience, I was offered a full-time position, and accepted in December! Since then, I have been able to focus on my studies and enjoy my last semester here at Purdue to my fullest potential!

I am going to miss Purdue and all of the friends I have met here. I have grown extremely close to all of my sisters in my sorority, but plan to keep in contact with them well beyond college!

Between philanthropies, dances, and various events within the sorority such as: sisterhood events like handing out Valentine's to the other fraternities and sororities on campus and Mom's weekend, I have had more wonderful memories at Purdue than I could have imagined.

Next weekend is our annual Mom's weekend. I can't wait!

This is when all of the mother's of the girls are invited up to the sorority to participate in weekend-long events. On Friday night, we have a dinner planned followed by an all day brunch and raffle on Saturday. On Saturday night (which is my favorite!), one of the fraternities invites all of the Mom's over for a long night of dancing and singing. It is a blast! I will update later with follow up on that and pictures!

Until next time,

Shannon

Oh, how I love being a Boilermaker!

As a senior, I am still trying to figure out why I didn’t apply to Purdue until January of my senior year of high school. As a born Buckeye (yes, I am from Ohio), it may seem strange to hear me say that I can’t imagine life without Purdue! It seems as though the experiences at this prestigious university have been limitless and I wouldn’t trade the black and gold for anything!!!

Okay, now for the most recent news that made my passion and love for Purdue even stronger…

I went home to this weekend, randomly checked my e-mail (because I am addicted to checking it), and found an e-mail in my inbox with “congratulations” as the subject line. Of course, I had to check things out to see why congratulations were in order and discovered that I had been named the 2009 Outstanding Dietetic Student from a Didactic Program in Dietetics Program in Indiana. This is an award that is given to one student within the state of Indiana who is enrolled in a Didactic Program in Dietetics. There is no doubt in my mind that the opportunities, learning experiences, outstanding mentors, and challenging coursework made available by Purdue and the College of Consumer and Family Sciences were the “driving forces” behind this award. In a few weeks, I will make a trip to Indianapolis for the awards ceremony and will be accompanied by my boss from the Foods and Nutrition labs—just goes to show what a close-knit group we are in CFS. Thanks Purdue and CFS!

Much love for everything black and gold,
Amy

A Black Tie Affair

To follow up on Derek’s post this weekend it was very busy for a few others as well. This past Saturday was Purdue’s 11th Annual Black Tie Dinner. The day started with set up at 11:00a.m. 4:00 was pictures and the dinner officially started at 7:07 p.m. It was a long day as the dinner ended near 9:30 and we were done cleaning up around 11:00. At the dinner was the President of Purdue, as well as recruiters from Marriot, Sodexho and other companies, plus a number of professors, family, and alumni. I went ahead and posted some pictures of the day’s festivities for you all to enjoy, some of which include the servers, back of the house and front of the house. It was a great event as I cannot wait for next year! ~Josh

Busy Weekend

Spring is a busy time on the Purdue campus and this past weekend set a good example. On Friday night, my honor fraternity, Phi Sigma Pi, held an initiation ceremony for our 12 new “brothers.” This organization is a national, co-ed honor fraternity that is a like a cross between a social fraternity/sorority, an honor society, and a service organization. Since we do not have a house, we held our ceremony in the Stewart Center on campus and then ventured to downtown Lafayette to welcome our new brothers with dinner at the Lafayette Brewing Company. This family restaurant has been around since 1993 and serves wonderful food in a lively atmosphere.

Since Friday wasn’t busy enough, I decided to join Boiler Blast on Saturday morning. This annual event brought together over 1,500 students to volunteer in the West Lafayette community. I had signed up with the CFS Student Council and we were lucky to meet Purdue’s President, Dr. France Cordova and First Gentleman, Chris Foster. After a few hours of yard work at a local house, we returned to the Memorial Mall for a free lunch!

In continuing the trend, Saturday night was also busy. I attended the Purdue Fashion Association’s Fashion Show held in the press box at Ross-Ade Stadium with a friend from the CFS Student Council. We enjoyed the energetic and exciting show from front row seats! This event showcased the hard work and dedication of CFS students studying Apparel Design and Technology, including fellow Ambassadors Ashley H. and Audrey R. In addition to the Fashion Show, at least two other large events were being held on campus, HTM Society’s Black Tie Dinner and Relay For Life. After such an exhausting start to the weekend, I decided to sleep in on Sunday to prepare myself for a long day of studying.

Six weeks until graduation,
Derek

Life is Good

I've been working so hard over these past few years. I can taste graduation, but it's really a semester away. Some days I find myself asking if everything I do is really worth it all.

This week has defined my college career. I was able to renew my scholarship, Gladys E. Vail, and I got the internship that I was really looking forward towards. I am going to intern at my first choice location with Nordstrom at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, CA! The best part about the internship, not only is Nordstrom rated as one of the best companies to work for by Forbes, the internship program holds much promise for my future after Purdue. Upon successful completion of the internship, I will be offered, at least, an Assistant Manager position at any Nordstrom with an open position, throughout the USA. I aspire to be a Senior Buyer, but with a company like Nordstrom that primarily utilizes internal promotion then I will have to work my way up the ranks. Many of my friends have also been "Nordie" interns, and I've only heard unrelenting positivity about the program.

My sister lives in the Bay Area so I will luckily be staying with her.California, to me, is still uncharted territory since I have only visited the state for brief vacations. I love to explore new surroundings, which is why I opted for an out-of-state university, a minor in French (which I got to travel to France as a required component of my Gastronomy course), and an internship in a "new" state.

The possibilities are endless, just ask Bert and John:
http://www.lifeisgood.com/about.

Best Regards,
Tammy :>