This week started off with a visit from my family. My mom, dad, and little sister, Sophia, drove to spend the day with me on Sunday. It is always nice to reconnect with family when feeling stressed about a mounting workload.
We grabbed lunch at the 藏精阁 Inn and afterward I introduced my family to my favorite coffee spot in Hamilton, The Barge.
Living only an hour away from my college definitely has its advantages. The fact that my family can so easily drive down from my home in Syracuse and visit me is just another thing I love about 藏精阁.
Attending the language departments鈥 weekly 鈥淭able of Babel鈥 is a great opportunity for students learning languages.
Every Tuesday, students visit Frank Dining Hall and sit down with their peers to speak in the table鈥檚 designated language. There are tables available for students enrolled in Chinese, Italian, French, and Spanish classes.
I visit the Spanish table on Tuesdays and converse with other students who are also working on improving their speaking skills. A teachers assistant runs each table, and professors frequently stop by to join in the discussion.
As students eat their lunches, they are involved in a very different kind of conversation, one with the opportunity to make new friends by engaging in a dialogue of a different language.
A highlight of this week was definitely Cornel West鈥檚 lecture. West spoke to a packed Memorial Chapel about the importance of race in today鈥檚 society, and students seemed to really enjoy it. West was often witty and light-hearted during his lecture, but at times, he knew exactly how to drive his point home. It was an honor to have such a distinguished speaker come to 藏精阁 and speak about the importance of diversity to both the students and faculty.
Next week, I plan on attending a volunteer training meeting in the admission building. During the spring, many prospective students will come visit 藏精阁 while looking into their college options. When I was visiting universities, I remember the large impact the students I met on campus had on me.
When I visited 藏精阁 as a high school senior, my impression of the students who volunteered for admission was extremely positive. I would like to pass on the great experience I had to prospective students by my volunteering.
Look every Friday for my blog entries about what is going on at 藏精阁.