This week, Randy Bickers, a representative of Charlottesville's Housing Department, came to speak to us about the various public housing neighborhoods there are in the surrounding area. The stats he gave us were absolutely astounding, and it made me realize how much I take for granted the things I have in my life. Nothing is guarenteed, and I believe people need to be much more grateful for the things they have. Some of the individuals living in the housing projects are out of work, and when they are working they are very much underemployed. We should give back when we have the opportunity, and with the various volunteering opportunities the community has to offer, it shouldn't be too hard to find something that's your niche. I encourage everyone to get out and volunteer. Your efforts will and do make a difference.

-Alexis

Congratulations to the boy's varsity basketball team on their first win of the season! Way to set the pace. Hopefully, the Cavaliers sports teams can keep up their successes; the men's football team plays their last home game tomorrow at 3:30 pm! Make sure you're there.

-Alexis

Word to the wise: be careful. There have been numerous robberies around campus in the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning. It's not safe to walk alone, especially if you are a female and are intoxicated. Ladies be smart, and walk in groups. Try not to take short cuts; walk in well-lit and well-populated areas. And don't be afraid to call a taxi.

Please stay safe!

-Alexis

In Touch with the Past

My most recent Charlottesville discovery occurred just yesterday at UVa’s Special Collections Library. My art history discussion group went on a field trip of sorts to examine 13^th and 14^th century Early Christian manuscripts, and I was surprised to learn about the broad range of literary and historical texts that the University possesses. Our class studied Christian prayer books with lambskin pages and golf leaf drawings. I couldn’t believe I was touching something so old and precious! Medieval works are only one group of works in the system. The Special Collections Library houses a collection of William Faulkner’s works, many of Thomas Jefferson’s letters and architectural sketches, and the largest collection of American literature in the world! A docent explained to our class that because UVa is a public institution, the collections are available to students and the public. The ancient texts and documents are kept in a climate-controlled room below the quad in front of the Special Collections and Alderman libraries. Do people know what they’re walking over as they walk to buy their daily Greenberry’s?!? Not only is this a great addition to Charlottesville, but its not going anywhere! Check out the website and you’re sure to find pieces of the collection that interest you.

http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/small/

Courses Next Semester

I am fairly confident in saying that most first years would agree that picking courses during orientation was a rather stressful experience. We were given a 65 page packet with a bunch of abbreviations and numbers and codes and we given the complete responsibility of choosing just which courses we would take our first semester. Unfortunately, at least for me, this became very difficult when figuring out the time schedules, how some classes require discussions, all on top of which classes I really want to take. Well fortunately, the time to pick new classes is upon us, and this time it shouldn't be nearly as stressful.

Now that we have ample time to browse through the plethora of courses at UVa, know which classes our friends have recommended, and just have an overall better feel of how things work at UVa, regardless of our scheduling time, we should have a better chance to optimize our schedules. That, and we have a few other helpful resources that have been pointed out to me.

Lou's List- This is a comprehensive, easy to use (in my opinion much easier than SIS), guide full of the courses available at the University. You can see what classes are available at what time, in which building, how many spots are available, as well as a brief description of many of the courses. While it is technically "unofficial," it is broken down in a very organized manner, and makes it easy to find what classes you want.

theCourseForum- The Course Forum is another place that can be helpful for students looking for classes. Students can browse through these courses, read recommendations, and compare these classes to find which suit their needs. While I haven't really used the Course Forum as much as Lou's List, it is to my understanding that it can be very informational.

Finally, once we have found our ideal classes, it is time to put them on our enrollment requests on SIS. Hopefully these resources prove to be helpful, and we aren't brought back to the anxiety that was thrust upon us during orientation.

I Discovered Dumplings

Last weekend my suitemates and I headed over towards the infamous Dumpling restaurant, Marco and Luca, on the corner. They have raved about this place for weeks now I figured I should give into the temptation and try the dumplings out. First of all when you walk in the place it’s fairly small and not much of a sit-down restaurant, they have a couple tables but we decided to take them to go. What jumped out at me were the prices: three bucks for a box of dumplings; needless to say I was excited. So, I got a box to go and we headed over to Para Coffee (which, by the way, is an incredibly adorable coffee shop right up the street from Marco and Luca) and we began to eat. They were absolutely delicious! I feel in love instantly and wanted to go back for more. This probably isn’t the first time that you have heard of these amazing dumplings and maybe you’ve even tried them, but I felt the need to get the word out so everyone can enjoy. I already know what a dangerous monster I have created out of myself. I’m going again tomorrow…

Thanksgiving

This morning I received an e-mail from my mother. It said there are only nine days left until I go home for Thanksgiving. Thank goodness someone is counting, or else I would have forgotten. Normally I wouldn't have, as I haven't been home since school began in August. But now that it is just past halfway through my first semester, the drag is really starting to set in. Sure, no more midterms, but my professors still seem to think it is a good idea to give exams and papers, and those finals aren't too far away. While I am proud that I made it through the midterm season relatively unscathed, I am now stuck in a rut that doesn't seem to want to cut me loose. Too much work, too little sleep, repeat cycle. It is about time for an extended vacation (which is why I am leaving for a longer period than the allotted five-day weekend). Next semester I will definitely remember to take full advantage of each break, no matter how short it may be. Any break is a good break.