As I sit here and write this, I’m drowning in graduate school applications, study materials (GRE, senior exit exam, etc.), and my usual responsibilities. After my time here at The Peay, I’ll probably go off somewhere and do some more school. I’m just not sure where I want to go or what I want to study. My family is planning on taking a few road trips here in the coming weeks to visit some schools that I have in mind. We’ll make our way to the Midwest (Illinois), the east coast (South Carolina), and the deep south (Alabama). I’d usually be looking forward to trips like this, but they take on a whole new meaning when the whole time you are trying to make a decision that is going to affect the rest of your life. It’s like my Austin Peay transition all over again, but I’m a little bit more wise and experienced. APSU has had a lot to do with that. With all the training they’ve put me through and all of the orientations I’ve had the opportunity to assist with, I think I’m fully prepared to make the right decision.

You’ld think that the last semester of your college career would be the easiest. Four months that you can relax and look back on all that you’ve accomplished. Well that is truly the wrong assumption. Classes are still there and I took on a little extra burden of taking piano lessons for credit this semester. Seniors have to take all these tests. For me it was: 1)The LSAT- in case I wanted to go to law school; 2)The GRE- because I’m going to go to graduate school no matter what; 3)A Communications Department exam- to prove that I’ve learned all that I can learn about mass communications; and 4)A senior exit exam- to prove that I haven’t been sleeping through all of my classes the past four years. It’s crazy, but I guess like most things in life, it’ll end up being worth the pain and suffering.

Also, during this semester, I’m completing an internship at the Country Music Association in Nashville. It’s an awesome opportunity considering I’m planning on trying to get in some type of music business program in grad school. For me, it’s been a little overwhelming. My coworkers just throw around the names of all these big-time country music stars like they see them and talk to them everyday. It must come with the business. We have artists coming through the building almost daily and some even take a little time to put on a concert for the staff. This also means lots of free food, free cds, promotional material, and backstage passes to major events. It’s everything a music lover could ask for, but it’s also a job. That’s the hardest thing to remember…especially when you’re a little starstruck.

Everything else on campus is going pretty well. The men’s basketball team is first in the conference, meaning the games are exciting and the potential is unfathomable. We’re thinking NCAA upset come March. Baseball season is getting ready to start up, which is exciting considering their success last year. Student Government is steady pumping out legislation. We recently passed a resolution to make all residence halls completely wireless. This means that when we say the whole campus has wireless access…we really mean it. President Hall is constantly bringing new ideas to campus and is forever brainstorming ideas for traditions we can start. We’re singing the fight song at games again, after not using the words since I can remember. We’re getting ready to start construction on brand new apartment style residence halls. And the quality of guest speakers and visitors to the university is tremendous. I’m a little jealous I won’t be here to see his plans come to fruition.

Lastly, it’s Valentine’s Day today. I hope you’re able to cuddle up with that special someone and you got them the perfect gift to show that you care. Me…I’ve got to study for an ethics test and clean my room. But, hey…I’ll make the best of it.

This upcoming semester will probably be my most exciting one here. I’ve received an internship at CMA in Nashville, which means I’ll be getting to work side-by-side with some of the biggest names in country music. (Or at least I hope so.) Most of the majors here require some sort of professional internship as part of their program. Hopefully, it leads into some sort of career position or a great reference for grad school.

One of the biggest changes between college and high school are the freedoms and responsibilities that you deal with as a college student. You’re pretty much on your own when it comes to decision making and keeping track of your actions. For me, these tasks just got taken up a notch. Over this past break I finally came of age, turning 21 years old on January 2nd. Everybody keeps asking me how I feel and what am I gonna do now. Well, the honest answer is I don’t feel any different and probably won’t do anything different either.

1. Acceptance: No, I haven’t been striking out in the dating game or being shunned by my circle of friends. With the end of my APSU career approaching, I have to begin planning out my next step. This includes choosing and applying to a graduate school or several schools. I’m still trying to figure out what I want to study, so I’m keeping my options open with where I apply. Hopefully, Santa (the Admissions office) will bring me some good news.

2. Cookbooks and kitchenware: I’ve heard that the way to a guy’s heart is through his stomach. That’s great and all, but when it comes to nutrition I’m really the only person I trust (other than my mom, but what guy doesn’t). Plus, the ability to cook is slowly disappearing from society today and I think it’s such a handy talent to have. It can also be pretty impressive to a pretty girl.

3. An iPhone: Duh.

4. Hanes: Michael Jordan was a great basketball player. But his ability to make and market clothes that have no tags and seamless comfort is truly admirable. A guy can never have too many undershirts.

5. A decent bookbag: Rolling backpacks really aren’t for me. And those mesenger bags make me feel uneven.

6. Athletic success: Not really for me. I got my Intramural Championship shirt this past semester, so that’s one college goal achieved. This item is really for the APSU Basketball team. 5 returning starters and the returning OVC Player of the Year does not translate into a losing record at Christmas. My bold prediction: 20+ game win streak to end the season and a first round upset in the NCAA tournament. Put it in the books.

7. See #3.

I really don’t think it’s too much to ask for. Anyways, Christmas is somewhat of a blessing and a curse for me. My birthday is only a week after, so I really have to split up the whole gift asking thing. The great thing is….this birthday is the big 2-1. Good times.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Student Government has been quite busy. Our new president is busy working with on improving the overall appeal of campus life. We’re looking for bigger and more creative ideas to perk up interest. We’re having pep rallies almost every week and we’re in the process of bringing keynote speakers and well-known musical acts to the campus. Austin Peay is rich in history but doesn’t have a lot of traditions that students can take stake in. We’re currently searching fir ideas of some new traditions that we can start.

On the extracurricular side, I finally received approval for the Austin Peay Soccer Club. The club will give students who are looking for a more competitve environment a chance to play the sport. Intramurals are fun but this should be a great opportunity for all soccer players on campus. The club is open to both guys and girls and it will provide the opportunity for the creation of an APSU Men’s soccer team. We’re going to start trying to play some organized games this spring. After four years, my intramural team finally won the campionship. So we’re on roll.

The Govs Ambassadors are busy working on making the campus the place you want to come to. We had two AP Days which you might have come to. It was a great time and a great chance to see all the Austin Peay has to offer. If you weren’t there, be on the lookout for another opportunity or college visit.

Football season is over and it was extremely successful. We ended with a 7-4 record and third place in the conference after being picked to finish last. Football season has become exciting again and really picked up the school spirit around campus. Hopefully, this will carry over into basketball season. The team has a some high expectations, which they haven’t been living up to lately. It’s still early in the season and we have a long way to go.

It’s crazy to think that I only have just over one semester left here at school. It’s nice though because as I sat down to register for classes, I realized that there weren’t really a lot of classes I could take. It’s a nice feeling to sit down and have to search for classes just to fill your minimum hours. You can pretty much take whatever you want. Thus, I encourage you to stay on track and get ahead of schedule no matter where you go to school. Aerobic dance is gonna be a great class.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Here’s to looking towards Christmas.

AP Day 2007

Now that all the “fun” stuff is over this summer. I’m working really hard on getting ready for the school year. Organization has never been my strong point, but this time I’m really gonna have to get it together. SGA is busy getting ready for Welcome Back Week and Homecoming. Both events are crammed into the first month we come back. Govs Ambassadors are busy branching out, trying to reach students through the world wide web. We’ve got a new Facebook page that you should check out.

Soccer season is also in full swing and it’s my first season as a coach (a real one and not a volunteer one.) So that means practices, scrimmages, or games every day. And when you’ve got close to 30 girls to keep in check, that can be a pretty tiresome task.

School starts in less than two weeks. I’m actually one of the few that wish it would get here sooner.

One of the things we stress as a tour guide is the importance of getting involved on campus. We have somewhere around 80 student organizations and what’s nice is anyone can start a new one anytime. Well, if you take a look at our APSU Athletics website (www.apsugovernors.com), you’ll notice that we don’t have a men’s soccer team. In fact, there are no varsity men’s soccer teams in the entire OVC. So after some research, I decided to take it upon myself to attempt to create the APSU Men’s Soccer Club. Starting a new organization requires that you write a constitution, create by-laws, and find potential members. If everything goes well, we’ll be playing this fall and be able to travel and compete against other schools. We should be able to dominate the intramural sports season as well. So, if you’re a soccer player and are dismayed at the absence of a men’s team. Fear no more. The future is bright for futbol on the APSU campus.

Well, to make a long story short, I have a huge celebrity crush on the one, and only, Beyonce. Recently, I had the opportunity to see her in concert in Nashville, which ended up being one of the greatest nights I’ve ever had. To start off, my seats were up in the second level. That’s not too bad, but it wasn’t great either. So, after the opening act, I go to get something from concessions and there in front of me, just walking down the hall, is Beyonce’s dad. Now, it wasn’t her but I was still a little starstruck. I stopped, asked him for a photo, but he politely refused. He then asked me if I was sitting up in the second level (I said “yes.”) and proceeded to offer me tickets for better seats. I was speechless. So I shook his hand, told him thanks and that he had a beautiful daughter, and proceeded down to the first level. From then on the show was awesome…and Beyonce didn’t even trip down the stairs. (An event that was heartbreaking for me.)

Later this summer, I’ll be going to see John Mayer. I expect it to be just as great a show as Beyonce, but for me, he just isn’t as good to look at.

First off, even after school ends there are still sports. The Austin Peay baseball team turned a few heads this summer while competing in the NCAA tournament. They almost upset #1 Vanderbilt in their first game. Then they came back and put on a clinic against Memphis, destroying them 18-7. But, alas, we were handed defeat by Vanderbilt again, ending our season. However, it was a groundbreaking achievement for the Bat Govs and gave some national attention and credibility to the university and their athletics. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the games (they were sold out). But I had a blast watching them on TV in my basement.

Secondly, we’ve been having our summer welcomes for freshman. When it comes to registering approximately 400 new students a day who have no clue what they are doing, it can get somewhat hectic. The differences between high school and college responsibilities are immense and orientation just gives you a little taste of those differences. However, the stress and frustration that could accompany such a day are balanced out by the awesome group of students I get to work with. The Orientation Coordinators and Assistants are one of the closest groups on campus and one of the best to get involved with. We strive to make it fun for each other and make it especially enjoyable for the new students. First impressions are always important.

There’s a few pictures from the weekend…more importantly there’s one of me trying to dance.

Along, with the summer class comes the Summer programs I’m involved with. I’ll be working in the APSU Admissions office as both a student worker and a tour guide. This means that if you want to see the campus, you may be able to meet me in person. Along with that, I’ll be working as an Orientation Assistant for Summer Welcome programs and Freshman Convocation. This means that if you are coming to APSU as a new student this fall, you’re gonna be able to meet me. If you do venture into either of these events, please ask me some questions. I get paid to answer them and it makes the whole thing a little bit more interesting. Finally, as next year’s SGA vice-president, I’ll be putting in some hours in our office. If you have any concerns about the school, we can help you out.

So, all of you intuitive readers have probably realized that I pretty much am at APSU all the time. It’s okay though, because I really enjoy the time I spend on campus. You should probably come check it out.