Texas A&M MSC Opening!

This past weekend were a couple memorable events for an Aggie, the MSC Opening(after three years of construction / renovation) and Muster. For those that don't know, the Memorial Student Center is the hub of A&M, it has been described as the living room for the campus. Specificially, the MSC remembers those Aggies who have given and will give the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Muster is an annual event of rememberance of Aggies who have passed and is held across the world. At Muster, roll is called for current Aggies, members of the fifty year reunion, faculty and staff that have lost their lives in the past year, and former students that have lost their lives in the past year as a result of their military service. Walking into the MSC today for the first time ever was an experience I will never forget. The amount of natural light flowing through the corridors gives a certain energy that cannot be explained. There is a section that has medal of honor recipients memorialized. It truly is beautiful, and although I did not see or experience the MSC ever before, I feel like the energy is as much if not more than it must have been. The flag room is beautiful as well, complemented with a piano for anyone to play. I promise to add pictures to this entry later in the week when I remember to bring my camera with me.

The one thing I love about the MSC is how it really does feel like a living room. Where people bump into other people they know, where people get busy doing homework, but take a break every now and then to grab a cafe latte from the Starbucks a little ways away, stop and listen to the piano that a talented Aggie is playing. My only comparison to the MSC is the RPI Union. Similiar to this, the Union is completely for the sole use of the students. I suppose I never really knew how much I missed the Union until I came to A&M, where their union was under construction, and thus not open to students! I miss the energy created by a union, and I happy to say, the rest of the semester is going to go by in a breeze in part due to the re-opening of the MSC. I have thought about what it means to be an Aggie, and I know that the opening of the MSC will be another stepping stone creating my path as an Aggie.

peace

Summer Food

The summer is fast approaching which means new food creations :) I typically like to grill things. Last summer I made a bunch of vegetarian meals (and my dad even ate them!) that turned out pretty freakin' delicious. I want to try and make some:

• pulled pork
• grilled shrimp - maybe shrimp kebabs?
• chorizo with nachos - my brother sent me a recipe and it looks delish
• my brother's 5 or 6 layer dip - gotta double check the recipe he has
• portobello mushroom burgers 
• veggie burgers - with black bean mash as the base

I'll continue this list at a later date when I can think of s'more food ;)

The times, they are a changing...

I'll be going home in a couple weeks or so. I think the problem I have is I don't necessarily want to go home, and I don't really want to be here either. Life's complicated and facing the reality that I won't be able to do my own thing....again...this summer is a buzzkill. The days I am looking forward to are the 3 I will be on the road and the days after my last final exam. Why am I going home? I guess I never really saw any other option, but I should see my family and friends, but it will be a long three months.

On a less depressing note, I plan on taking a few summer classes (either for credit or for fun). If there's one thing I have learned over the years, it's my desire to keep learning. As much of a struggle college can be (and most definitely has been) I do enjoy being in an environment where I am constantly learning. I suppose that is why I have chosen such a demanding / challenging career path. There is always going to be advances, whether it be in materials used, how they are used, or new structural analysis programs to become proficient with, or really even that no two projects will be the same. There will be similarities between the projects, but overall, each project will be a new experience.

I look forward to graduating in a year. It's incredible to think in a year I will have completed my master's degree. I can't wait to move on and be a productive adult in society (well, more so than I am now). There's milestones I am so eager about, when I think about them, I instantly smile. One is definitely that I will be a practicing structural engineer in a year or two on a path to eventually becoming a professional engineer. A few other important milestones are when I get married, when I buy a house (or really put a downpayment on a house), first puppy, first cat, beyond that the future seems too far away.

Moral of the story is even tho life seems only eh right now, the future has a lot in store for me and I am so excited to think about it :)

peace

Katie's Birfday :)

Today is my lovely dog's birthday :) She turned 15 today!! I miss her so much, especially since I am not home with her :( I can't wait to see her in May when I head back to NY. Her and that big tuft Cracker Jackers! Well, I have a bunch of work to get back to...

...Happy April Fools Day!!

Life

Well, it's that time again, when life is just life, and isn't anything uber special. In fact, there are times when I wish things were completely different, but then I think about it more and I have to be grateful for where I am in my life. It's just those little things that make time seem so heavy. Example. People change, and over time, this may be good, this may be bad, it just is what it is and no one has control over it...it just happens. When I look up at the sky and think about life, not just my own, the concept of living creatures on a planet that came from a star, it just mesmerizes me. It makes me wonder why people don't cherish certain things more than others, like forgetting the little things. Think I'm a hypocrite? Nope, because I may consider some little things in my life a nuisance or annoying but when it comes to others, I try to be as respectful and open to accepting who they are without dwelling on the little things. I try and find the best in other people, but when it comes down to it, it just feels like the opposite is not happening for others. People tend to make a huge deal out of nothing, and this wastes times like no other. There are so many bigger things in the universe than simple pet peeves that thinking about them is useless. (Now I suppose this whole blog entry is moot because I'm saying *not* to think about the little things...but in the process I am in fact thinking of the little things). I just wish people would be the better person and put differences aside and work together. I suppose when someone dwells on some little thing, I wonder what they think about when (and if) they have an existential crisis. Do they think they are 100% correct and that those little things are in fact important in the whole grand scheme of things? When I sit back and stare into the clouds, I see my purpose, I know I am supposed to be the better person and help people work out their differences. I don't care and I don't judge. It's your boat to sail, not mine. I might help fix your sail or give you some supplies, but you are the sole navigator of your boat. My goal is to help you find your own inner strength so that you won't ever need help fixing your boat or getting directions. Why am I bringing this all up? Well, I see it around me, people are swayed by others and in turn may hurt others. If people just lived and thought about more than just reading the bible everyday, or going to church every Sunday, and maybe thought about what we can do to advance as a species, then there's progress. But until then, I don't think the average person will actually live their life to the fullest. It sickens me to hear the republican candidates talk about how bestiality is the same as homosexuality (courtesy of the wonderful rick santorum). First off it's offending to say that they are remotely similar and second people need to grow a pair of ovaries and accept that gay marriage is no different from straight marriage. Way back in the day people had gay sex, but back then there weren't labels on everything. If someone wanted to experiment, they would, who's to stop them. If people just legalized gay marriage in every state, think of all the time and efforts that could now be spent towards the economy, taxes, military spending, homelessness, making tax dollars go towards improving the quality of life for those who are less fortunate than others. I am proud to say I contacted my state senator Stephen Saland, a republican who previously vetoed a similar bill, and he voted for it the second time. This proves my point, people change, and in his case, he saw what was right and how wrong it is to not grant the same rights to gay couples as straight couples. Moral of the story, think, then do. If you think, then your actions are logical and should be right. peace.