"Life is wonderful, it is so wonderful, it is so meaningful."

It's a dark, rainy day outside on this special Wednesday. The one Wednesday of the semester in which I do not have to attend my classes, Reading Day. Although I am exchanging my three classes for some extra hours spent at work and studying in the library for my finals, it somehow seems like I have the day off.

The next couple of days are going to be a big ball of stress and studying. Yes, it is already that time of year, finals!!! I'm working hard to make all A's in every class with the exception of a killer class (Anatomy and Physiology)... I'll be lucky to make it out alive in the class with a C or a B. Anyhow, I'm spending most of my waking hours and even some of my dreaming hours studying for these finals in hopes for high marks, so be honored that I'm taking a break to update... HA

On a lighter note, Thanksgiving was a short relaxation with my family. We went to Kure beach (right next to Carolina Beach) and spent Thanksgiving with my grandmother. After a visit at Kure beach, I went back home to my beach in Pawleys and spent the rest of the time decorating the house for Christmas and hanging out with some good friends.

^^My Dad and I took a walk around Fort Fischer on Kure beach and I captured a few shots^^

^^I caught this guy braving the cold and cruising on a few good sets of the day^^

Anyway, I must get back to studying for an Anatomy Lab final I have tommorow on all the many muscles of our body and the origins and insertions of them.
Best of luck to those who are going through the same semester stresses!!

Until next time,

-Abbie

"Everybody's got a part in the game, and everybody's got a cross they can claim."

Just wanted to start off the November posts by expressing my extreme excitement for Barack Obama's victory!!!

Anyway, there's plenty of time to be excited about our new president-elect, onward to a recap of the last couple of weeks in October, and the start of November.

Halloween was a blast to say the least! ASU played...well more like DOMINATED over the Wofford Terriers and all of it was documented courtesy of ESPN2, along with all of the fans dressed up in their crazy Halloween costumes.
It was predicted to be a very cold night and with the game starting at 8pm, I went to all measures to secure warmth and comfort...as a result, one of my roomates who is in love with Halloween, let me borrow a chipmunk costume from her vault of many Halloween costumes. I was nice and warm throughout the whole game.

Saturday night, my roomates and I hosted a Halloween party at our house. I opted for a different costume and dressed as a referee. It was a blast!!

^My two roomates as Ginger fron Gilligan's Island and Mrs. Incredible^

This semester is coming to an end and it seems like just three days ago, I was starting these classes! This semester is by far the semester that has gone by the fastest in my three years of being at App. I'm trying to slow down long enough to try and enjoy the beauties of our mother Earth. It snowed at the beginning of this week, and even though I'm very much against the cold and blustery weather that we've been hit with recently, the snow was very pretty.
It's pretty scary to think about it because this time next year I'll be preparing for graduation.
I've started to really delve into the graduate school information and I'm working to take my GRE soon (the GRE is basically the SAT for college students that are trying to get into grad school, so sorry to say that you can't escape them once you leave high school). I'm also working with the coordinator of ASU's wellness center to develop a program for my honors thesis. Now that I have officially registered for my classes for the spring, the realization of that work that is to come is starting to hit hard.

Nevertheless, no matter how stressful the next few semesters will be, I'm making the most of every moment and working hard to acheieve my goals of getting into graduate school, in particular, the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

So I leave with these hopeful and encouraging words. There are many times when you might feel like nothing is going in your favor, but don't worry about a thing because it'll all work out. Work hard. Play hard. Everything is possible with a little faith and effort. I mean, we have a brand new President and he's African American. . . . most people would have never thought this situation would have ever been a real one.

Until next time,

-Abbie

"I can change the world, with my own two hands. I can clean up the earth, with my own two hands."

Last Thursday, October 23rd, one of my room mates asked me to attend a speech with her in Farthing Auditorium (An auditorium on campus where some bands come to play, dance recitals are held, and speakers come to reach out to our Appalachian community).

"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.!!!", my room mate kept saying it over and over again to me with an
enthusiasm I couldn't deny (not that either one of us really knew who he was).

I had just gotten off work and wasn't really in the mood to sit through something she was going to because of a mandatory assignment in one of her classes, but I agreed. Stocked with a small bad of Swedish fish, some chewing gum, and my nalgene, I squeezed by the the large crowds of people to what seemed to be the last remaining two seats on the first floor.

The start of the hour was a bit rocky. I wasn't in the right mind frame at first, and was paying more attention to Kennedy's mannerisms and voice rather than the words and meanings behind them. As my bag of goodies began to run out, I quickly became preoccupied with other things and wasn't really paying much attention. I remember thinking about how Kennedy's voice was so shaky, that it seemed that he was either EXTREMELY nervous or he was slightly intoxicated.
But as I began to listen and focus; the following moments in my life were ones for the record books. These were the moments that you live for.

Robert F. Kennedy is an advocate for environmental action. He feels and voices his thoughts that "Nature is the infrastructure of our community." He is the chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper project, which involves a major patrolling and law enforcing of waterways. Kennedy's main point of his speech was to discuss the environment, mainly the rivers and how protecting them is SO important, but he began to steer off that topic into his interests about energy.



We borrow about 2 billion dollars A DAY from foreign suppliers for oil. In ONE year we give over 700 billion dollars to these foreign oil companies!! Companies which reside in areas of the world that do not particularly care for the United States either. Kennedy also threw another number out at the audience. . . One Trillion. He said if we spend 1 trillion dollars into redesigning our infrastructure for renewable energy, we could provide FREE energy FOREVER!!

FOREVER!!! Imagine never having to worry about a gas crisis ever again, because instead of bartering with shady foreign countries and their policies, we're just using FREE renewable energy. Imagine a cleaner life. An easier life to breathe in. An easier life to live in.

If you're like me, FREE anything sounds pretty awesome. But this isn't something small, like those free, stale cookies that Harris Teeter leaves out for crying babies or starving college students, NO this is FREE energy we're talking about!

Kennedy is already working with a car company to make Israel an electric car hub. They're in the process of working on creating electric outlets for every parking meter in Israel. They're also working on an electric car that holds a travel time of 300 miles, and goes from 0 to 60 in less than 5 seconds. And yes, they've even gone so far as to look out for those people who have to travel over 300 miles. There will be stations (kind of like car washes) where cars drive in and the exhaust pipe (the battery basically) is replaced with a fresh fully charged pipe. . . for FREE.

Renewable energy is the greatest energy!! Kennedy's plans are starting in Israel and he plans to move around after that. He's already gotten the go-head with some areas in Europe and he says his plans for the future involve the USA too!!!

Robert F. Kennedy's ideas are amazing and very interesting!! He is so passionate about the environment! His passion for a better and cleaner world is so inspiring to me. It was great to hear that smart people in this world are using their powers for good and fighting for something worth while.

Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween!! Check out ESPN2 at 8pm.. App is playing Wofford...and hopefully dominating!!

Until next time,

-Abbie

"Given the chance, I'm gonna be somebody."

This month has flown by and so far it has been an experience to say the least!

This year, 2008, is an epic year! With the election just around the corner, I can't walk anywhere around campus without being bombarded by advocates for McCain and Obama. But that is okay, because I am very inspired by the student involvement with this election! North Carolina is considered a "swing" state in this election, meaning that no one really knows if it will be a Red state or Blue state because the support for both candidates is somewhat...equal. I attended a forum last week where two representatives talked about particular actions that were and were not working for either political party. It was really interesting! I learned that according to some statistics recently gathered, 52% of people are going to be voting for Obama in North Carolina. 52% for any presidential candidate is considered extremely high, but for someone like Obama who is a minority and not particularly accepted by certain demographics because of his race, that is an insane percentage!

Here at App we've been given a great opportunity to vote EARLY! It really is a great idea, because the lines on election day are going to be really long. I went and voted already and it was a cool feeling because my vote is part of the growing voice for those who want to have their a say in what happens in this country by voting for who they think should be the leader of it.
For once I can have a voice in something other than a trivial decision of who should be the next American Idol or which video MTV should play at number 1 on TRL for a whole 20 seconds. No, this is a decision that will decide how the next 4 years of American history will pan out.

That is why I think it is SO important to, if you have the ability, VOTE! Vote or Die as P.Diddy would say it. I mean, if the youth of this nation would actually go out and register to vote and then actually vote, we would be the deciding factor of who would run our country, because we outnumber any other age group in this country. And, personally I think that we should take this to heart and vote because as we age, we're going to be the ones who run the country soon. We'll be the politicians and brokers and doctors of this nation eventually, so why not take advantage of what we have now....for a better tomorrow.

I'm not going to use this blog to tell you who you should vote for, but really it's time for a change! Anything is better than what we have now, thanks George.
And if I was going to use this blog to help sway your vote, I would be throwing out facts like the McCain campaign is spending over 22,000 dollars for Sarah Palin's makeup, just ask Amy Strozzi (the highest paid staffer of the McCain's campaign), she has her name on the paychecks for the past two weeks. But I'm not here to tell you who you should vote for, I just telling you to GO VOTE!!!

So go out there and raise your voice!

Until next time,

-Abbie

"You can dance. You can jive, having the time of your life."

I apologize for such a long blog post last week. It was not intended to be so long, and the second after I posted it, I noticed its length and how it took up most of the page. . . on a 22 inch computer monitor.

I'm straying away from the stresses of tests and projects for a moment to reflect on something quite exciting: My 21st birthday!!

Not only was it an epic age to be turning, but it was my "golden" birthday, which means I turned 21 on the 21st, so it was supposed to be extra special!

It was very special! Friday, I was told by my roomates that we were going to see a movie to celebrate together, but when we arrived to the Regal Cinemas in Boone, they sat there in the car and looked at me and screamed, "SIKE!". The rest of the car ride was a dark blur, literally because I was blinldfolded. I had NO idea what was going on and I gave up trying and took a quick nap. About an hour later, the car stopped and my friend woke me up. Still blindfolded my roomates guided me to our destination. I was really scared that I was going to trip over something or fall in a hole so I was quite hesitant.

After what seemed to be a very long trek, my roomates untied my blindfold, and to my HUGE surprise, we were standing right in front of Forever 21 in Winston Salem. I was able to pick up an outfit and accesories to go with it as a birthday gift from my roomates! I got a brand new dress, a purse and a top. It was awesome! After that we went to the Village Tavern and grabbed a luxurious dinner. The special trip became even more special when our not so enthusiastic waitress forgot to tell the chefs to make my order. One of the managers offered me a free dessert to alleviate the situation of the late order. Needless to say, the entree was delicious and the GIANT piece of key lime pie was equally as delectible.

Saturday night, we threw a party at my house on King Street to celebrate my birthday. The theme was "Redneck/Nascar" so all of our friends showed up in their best redneck/nascar gear and we had a great time! One of my roomates and I went to the Dollar Tree and found temporary tatoos. They were a hit!
It was a fabulous 21st birthday with great friends and fun times! Just a bunch of friends decked out in their best redneck/nascar attire, dancing around to the latest hip/hop hits. HAHA. Well, the time has come for me go back to studying for an important Cognitive exam.

Have an awesome week!

Until next time,

-Abbie

"Fall is here, hear the yell. Back to school, ring the bell."

The fourth week of the fall semester, and the second full week of classes is coming to a close with the sights of Friday in the horizon as I sit at my desk in the Edwin Duncan Center Media Lab.

I am many things at Appalachian State, one being an employee for the Reich College of Education. I am what one might call a "techie". It really is not as nerdy as it may seem; I just sit at a huge desk in a room full of brand new Macs and check out digital cameras, video cameras and laptops to students and teachers. Oh yeah, and all of the necessary accessories, tripods and fire wire cables, etc. As a Media Lab tech, I have to be familiar with certain applications on PCs and Macs. Thankfully, my love for computers and background using them for so long has helped me excel in my job!

A plus about working in the Media Lab is that I have a lot of time to do schoolwork, which leaves me with plenty of time to review for upcoming exams and complete blogs for everyone to read :)

This week has been a great week! The weather is slowly moving more closely to a Fall atmosphere: cool, breezy evenings and sunshiny afternoons perfect for tossing the Frisbee or laying out in a hammock. I can't wait for the leaves to start turning, because I'm going to head up to the Blue Ridge parkway and capture it in all its beauty with a Nikon D40 I've been so lucky to rent from the Media Lab.

With the semester in full swing, my classes have started to really buckle down, which is understandable because being a junior, I'm having to focus on mainly major and minor courses, which require a lot of attention.

Something that has really helped many students out with deciding academic paths to take is what is known at ASU as Peer Career.

A Peer Career volunteer is also another thing to add to my list of what makes me a part of ASU. It's really tough trying to figure out what to eat for lunch or wear to school some days. Trying to decide something to keep my attention for four years seems even more overwhelming! Luckily, colleges provide advising which provides students with a professional to guide them into an academic path.

But sometimes, professionals can seem intimidating or maybe they just don't seem to understand what a student, who is much younger, wants out of their life. That's where Peer Career comes in. Student to student communication can not only be helping but a little bit more comforting too! I know it's a lot easier for me to talk to someone my own age who is going through similar issues than to someone who had a similar experience. . . . 15 or 20 years ago.

Coming into college, I had decided that psychology was going to be my major, but last year during my Sophomore year, I became discouraged and was questioning my decisions. I talked to a few of my Peer Career co-volunteers who are also psychology majors, and they helped to encourage me that what I was doing was alright. I felt at ease to know that even though it seems tough at times, you can get through it! Schoolwork and obligations to outside activities and jobs and sports teams can really be a big ball of stress sometimes, but being able to sit down with someone for 20 minutes to talk about academic paths that later turn into career paths was the best comfort for me last semester.

Peer Career offers peer to peer counseling as well as professional counseling. Sometimes we would see students who did not want to talk to us because "we didn't know anything about the future or working in a professional environment", so our professional counselors as well as our pre-doctoral interns were there to take the stress off of us.

Some people relate better to their peers and others relate better with older individuals, nevertheless, having the luxury of talking to someone about something as important as academic paths and career paths is a great thing!

I'm glad that I am a Peer Career volunteer because I love the feeling that I've helped someone, even if it is a small step, it's still a step in the right direction for someone. Helping others is a passion of mine, so I guess that's why I am so excited to be a PC volunteer.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend! I know I will, because on Sunday I'll be 21!

Until next time,

-Abbie

"This must be it, welcome to the new year."

With all my greatest efforts, I have finally dusted out all of the cobwebs from my mind and said goodbye to the late summer evenings and hello to the fresh scent of fall.

I suppose an introduction is in order. My name is Abbie Martin and I am a junior at Appalachian State University. I'm a psychology major and a health promotion minor. My plan is to graduate with honors in the next three semesters and go on to broaden my education at graduate school. All of this information is located in my 'About Me' section, but sometimes people don't care to read those.

As some of you already know, school is back in session. My iHome alarm has been getting a lot of use in the past week, because I have a few morning classes. As a junior, I'm working towards mostly major and minor courses (Cognitive Processes, Health Behavior Change, Nutrition/Health, and Anatomy/Physiology). Although, I am taking one elective, Advanced Swimming. I'm really excited about that class!!

The first week of classes is always a little stressful at first because everyone, including the professors, is trying to get back into the swing of things. It was great to walk around campus again, even with the not so caring rain storms we had at the beginning of the week. Luckily, the rain has stopped and the sunshine is burning brightly and my skin is thankful for the vitamin D. I love sunny days on campus because it seems that everyone comes outside to catch a few rays or throw the Frisbee on Sanford Mall. I'm fortunate enough to live on King Street in a house so I can just hang out on a shabby chic lawn chair in the comfort of my own lawn. It's great to see all the new faces driving up and down King Street. My house mates and I even got a chance to play a few games of "sweet and sour", you know the game where people drive by and you wave; and if they wave back SWEET and if not...SOUR.

With Labor day coming up, I'm hoping to go out to compression falls or Wautaga lake for the day and have one last fun relaxing day before the patterns of class and work set in.

I hope to have some pictures up soon of my house, and things around campus, maybe even some of the falls!!

My hopes for this blog are to open a new window and shine a new light on ASU student life, for those who read about my life here!


Have a wonderful week and a safe holiday!!

-Abbie