Wednesday, May 09, 2007

The Year in Review

Here comes the fun!

This year, I have participated/ attended/ been part of:

  • Move-In Day
  • Fencing Team (for one semester- I learned how to fence foil)
  • Debate Team (for one or two debates, so not really, but the reason I couldn't pursue it further was because all the dates clashed with fencing)
  • "Made Up," the Stern Play (one of eight people, huzzah!)
  • The New York Premiere of the Rav Documentary (I was there!)
  • YU Medical Ethics (I attended the speeches and took notes)
  • YU Concerts and Chagigas (attended)
  • YU Play (I went to see "Buy the Book")
  • "Wicked Day" (The third anniversary of the musical Wicked playing on Broadway; this means I walked down Broadway the day before Halloween with a green and glittering face. The children loved me; the adults were concerned.)
  • The Darfur Rally in Central Park
  • The Israel Rally by the UN
  • Honors Program Speakers/ Speeches (Such as Rabbi Kanarfogel and Rabbi Schacter)
  • Other Speakers/ Speeches (Such as Rabbi Slifkin)
  • Salute to Israel Parade
  • Carmen (saw the opera)
  • Madama Butterfly (saw the opera)
  • Phantom of the Opera (saw the Broadway show)
  • ABT Ballet (saw the ballet)
  • Morgan Library and Museum (visited)
  • Applied to 2 CJF programs (and was rejected from both, but hey, we all need to be rejected sometimes. Especially since I'm merely a first-year student)
  • Participated in the yearly Oratory Contest (and did not win)
  • Sent a mass email to all the students of YU (cackles)
  • Went ice-skating in Bryant Park/ Rockefeller Center
  • Basked in the sun at Bryant Park
  • Wrote for The Commentator
  • Wrote for The Observer
  • Danced in the rain on a summer's night
  • Met many, many bloggers in person and sampled food from many, many restaurants
  • Watched more movies than I had previously seen in my entire life (including some really important ones like Lawrence of Arabia and Citizen Kane)
  • Saw a movie at the incredibly cool eight-floor AMC theater
  • Now have a LEO/ ACCESS card to the New York Public Library
  • Fought or misjudged nearly everyone I like
  • Was stranded in the Bronx, stuck on an elevator and took my first subway ride (that was an experience. You should have seen how terrified I was.)
  • Beauty and the Beast (saw the Broadway show)
  • Proctor for the National Finals of Chidon HaTanach

And I'm not necessarily done yet!

But the best moments are all the stories. How Fudge recognized me based on no information because I was jumping up and down in the elevator, for instance. Or how I met my friend and my other friend through the blogs. Or learned, to my utter dismay, that certain members of a room on the fifth floor all read my blog and they were the people I had been sparring with and had initially decided to dislike forevermore. Except that wouldn't work because we were supposedly friends. Or my different Shabbat experiences.

And there's so much more...all the people I've met, all the strange conversations I've had, all the things I've learned.

I've been angry, I've been happy, I've been sad, I've been irrational...and now it's all coming to a close.

Good thing I haven't done anything yet; there's so much more for next year!

I'll be back and we'll let the good times roll.

Huzzah!

7 comments:

Larry Lennhoff said...

So you're home for the summer? Do you have a job, or are you just going to sit and learn? :>)

Erachet said...

Wow, I'm impressed with all you've done in only one year at Stern!

By the way, I'm totally recruiting you for the Stern Debate Team next year. It's sad how few Stern girls are actually involved.

Anonymous said...

bs'd

What about Midnight Madness?!

Anonymous said...

So did you make the right choice of college?

the apple said...

Hmm, I sort of live in that fifth floor room, but I can't say that I've ever sparred with you on your blog.

Anyway, cool list. I hope you feel accomplished.

Chana said...

daat y,

Are you kidding?!

I love this place. Love, love, love. At times it frustrates me, at times the people frustrate me, but I finally have teachers I can respect, I finally know Jews who have intelligent things to say about their religion...I'm happy. I finally have Jewish living breathing role models. I have my people.

Oh, I'd have them at UChicago, too, no question, but it would be very different. I'd be a different kind of person, much more focused, very intent upon my studies, very intense and spouting English at all my fun English friends. So a tradeoff, yes, but a worthwhile one. :D

Anonymous said...

Chana,
That was my point.Stern may not be Ivy League or U.Chicago but for combining growth in being a Torah personality(and a future Torah role model) with a good enough secular education there is no parallel.
How you have the time for all you do is amazing.