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Published: June 17th 2012
Time to recap the past 48 hours or so! On Thursday, I attended a meeting for Green and Gold Days (Orientation/Welcome Week) and agreed to help my supervisor with some projects for that, coming up with new ideas, etc. Then, I attended a "Garden Party" lunch where the campus garden intern and the director of food services talked about the campus garden, plans for that, healthy eating, and new ideas for the fall semester. That afternoon, I helped weed in the campus garden for 2 hours, then I showered and took off for Deadwood to see my cousin!
My cousin, Erin, was in Deadwood the past few days for a conference - at the end of the night, I still didn't really understand what type, so I'm just going to say some medical type conference and had something to do with proteins. 😊 I met her at her hotel (on the OTHER side of Deadwood from the Interstate!), took a ride with her and another girl in a golf cart type vehicle as a joke on their friend...got stopped by hotel staff...and then ran to catch the trolley downtown. Erin and 3 other people from her lab and I explored downtown Deadwood that night. One of the guys - a neuroseurgeon working in her lab on his Ph.D. - wanted to find a "cowboy hat" so we went in several shops. He even bought the 3 of us girls a keychain with our names on it and South Dakota on the other side. Then, as we were walking along the street, I noticed a family walking and the dad had on a Powercat hat and a KSU sweatshirt! I stopped them and asked if they were from Kansas! 😊 I had a nice chat w/ them, saying I was a grad student from KSU and it was SO nice to see purple/KSU in SD because everyone keeps giving me weird looks seeing my KSU items, especially on my car. They are from Leawood and both grads and were there on vacation with their two kids. Erin ran back to grab me because they didn't realize I'd stopped to chat. 😊 After that, we went into the Kevin Costner casino (I forget the name), the one with all the Dances With Wolves paraphenlia. I'm sure that would've made a much greater impact had I actually have seen that movie...not just looking at the tape in my parents house.........
Following that, we hung out the rest of the night chatting and listening to some band in a casino/bar decked out with Wild Bill Hickock decor. Quite interesting to get to chat w/ Erin's friends from USD! I still don't understand why the neuroseurgon is wanting to go back to get his Ph.D. and one of the other girls moved here from Switzerland at 14, got citizenship, lived in...Boston? and then moved to South Dakota for college.
For some reason, Erin and I were having so much fun that we decided it was a great idea to only get about 2-2 1/2 hours sleep before we had to be up the next morning to get ready to take her to the airport in Rapid City! Along the way, I learned that the back drive from Deadwood to Sturgis is full of curvy, windy roads (enough to make me want to be carsick even at 55 mph) and I can't even begin to imagine how full of bikers that will be in another month and half! As we got closer to the airport, we saw a guy on a 4-wheeler about to get on the interstate...a girl running down the road away from the airport (which was secluded) and a few other odd things! Quite the adventure for 5 am! 😊
I got back to Spearfish a little before 7 and made it over to the Union to begin a full day of New Student Registration, which was also an adventure in itself. I listened to the student and parent welcome and sessions and learned more about BHSU. President Schallenkamp was there to give the morning session welcome and as she was about to walk out of the room, she noticed me standing in the back by admissions staff. This was the first time I've seen here since I've arrived and it was SO great to see her! Please note she came over and gave me a big hug and I think every one of the student group leaders were wondering why. They had just been introduced to me a few minutes before and Jane told them I was her student intern from Kansas, finishing up my masters. After the President left, Allie asked me if I was a BH graduate. When I said "no", you could tell the wheels were turning in her head and she was curious about how the president knew me. 😊 I had to explain my ESU connection to her...at which point I realized she had no idea the President had come from Emporia State.
The rest of the day was filled with several other interesting adventures, great conversations with students and staff - I absolutely LOVE working orientation days! A few final notes before I close this long blog: Don't ever try to carry a table UP a flight of stairs that has a tablecloth and pamphlets on it. It doesn't work. That provided humor for Aarika and I...we told Jane we would've rather taken the elevator! Also, I don't believe I've ever been in an orientation session where a university has actually
explained the Jeanne Clery Act to parents. They went through campus security and safety, but the officer actually explained the act. I don't recall anyone actually doing this before and when I mentioned it to the VP, she said they were required to do so. I know they're required by law now to report crime and statistics, I wasn't aware from classes/reading that they had to explain the actual act to parents, etc. So I'm going to do some research about this! I think its great that they are explaining why and explaining the case.
Now...on to homework!
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Sharon
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Your personal batteries are charged!
Congratulations on your new office! Loved hearing about your adventures with Erin. That was wonderful that you could spend time with Erin and her friends. Your observations are so interesting to read!