My first post! Getting ready for the weekend

The whirlwind of activity at the beginning of the fall semester - buying books, rearranging class schedules, reuniting with friends, luring first-years to clubs and activities, and generally just getting back into the groove - is finally dying down. In the spirit of a less hectic lifestyle and more time to talk online or watch reruns of Seinfeld, I am beginning an online journal entry for prospective college students.

College life is hard to articulate in a few brief explanations; impossible, in fact. This bi-weekly online journal should give you, a curious prospective, insight into the typical experience of a U.Va kid like me. The best way for you to understand me and my life is not through words and standard descriptions - but actions. I'll share a bit about what I DO here, especially on this oh-so-typical Friday. So I'll jump right in.

This evening, from six until eight, I'm hosting a fake fraternity party at my sorority house. As a third-year in a sorority, I live my Greek house, like many sorority girls my age. I never thought I'd call myself a sorority girl - when did that happen?! At U.Va, the earliest a student can pledge a sorority or fraternity is the SPRING semester of their first year, and so the system lends itself to people like me who are just looking for something else to add to their experience. In addition to the social Greek houses, there are multi-cultural sororites/frats and interest-associated fraternities like the Honor or Engineering Fraternity. So often students assume "going Greek" means pledging an Animal House-style party organization; the system extends far beyond that notion.

The party I'm hosting tonight is poking fun at that very idea. We're having root beer in a keg and screening "Old School" as we munch on wings and pizza. The last time I saw the movie was actually on The Lawn -that's the big grassy area near the Rotunda that encompasses our central and historical part of campus. The Fourth Year Council dragged a huge screen onto the Lawn and a couple hundred of us gathered to watch Old School and drink free hot chocolate and coffee. Just one example of how the Lawn is still alive with activity as it was in TJ's day. (TJ =Thomas Jefferson)

At eight, after the party, the big event tonight will be Homecomings. This weekend is the Homecoming football game against Akron - hope Hurricane Ivan allows it - and so tons of alumni pour back into Charlottesville. The result is packed restaurants, no parking, and tons of events with free food! Homecoming goes until 10 tonight in Memorial Gym; there will be bands playing all night and lots of student competitions. I'm curious as to what those competitions might be . . .in the past it's been a hamburger eating contest (well - not just any hamburger - a Gusburger. Fried egg a la beef. A local star available at the White Spot, our favorite greasy diner). After 10:00 . . who knows? My intramural flag football team won last night so we vowed to go out together tonight and celebrate.

Tomorrow morning I have to somehow drag myself out of bed around 8 AM - not something I typically enjoy, but it's worth it this time. My friend Mary organized an event on the Lawn called Pancakes for Parkisons, with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Parkison's Research Fund. Basically, three lawn rooms will be converted into MJ Fox-movie-themed diners, and people can come get pancakes for FREE (donations accepted). There are raffle prizes and tons of food. Me, I'm a designated "flipper" - I have to wield the pancake spatula till noon.

Then the football game at three-thirty. All those Virginia parents and U.Va alumnae set up delicious tailgates around the stadium (Kate's mom is bringing spinach-artichoke dip, I hear). Not that my social life revolves around food. Though . . . after reading this post . . . maybe I'm kidding myself here.

My weekend assignment for American Studies, a small seminar style course, is to read all of Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man'. That plus my other four classes' workload will keep me in the library all Sunday morning and afternoon. I like to free up my Sunday nights to relax and hang out with friends before another week begins. My friend Kelly bought an ice cream maker so I think my old housemates and I will make that our Sunday night project.

Yikes. Tornado warning until four. Virginia weather isn't usually this exciting.

I'll write again soon to let you know how the weekend went! Again, my entries will typically be bi-weekly, unless I've just GOT to tell you something.

Until next time,
Shannon