My Campus Tour

Hey guys, its Kirstin again. Aaron and I were sitting here talking about what sold me on coming here to Tusculum and then I got the bright idea to blog about it. When I came here for the tour, Aaron was my guide and he showed me everything there was to know about campus life. Well, while we were walking down towards the apartments, he spotted some cash lying in a parking space next to the COGs. Instead of taking it himself, he told me to grab it, and then gave it to me. It definitely helped me remember my tour here.

But we were sitting just now chatting and he remembered that that tour was with me. He couldn't believe that he let me have the money and now that he and I know one another better, he gives me a hard time about it. But he'll live with it. Just thought I would share that tidbit with you guys real quick.

~Kirstin :)

It has Been a While....

Hey guys, its Logan again. I know it has been a while since my last blog. I know that usually means that there is a lot to catch up on, if only this was true. My last two weeks have been spent deep in my Psychology book. I have either been reading and studying, or doing pages of research for a PowerPoint that I will turn into a paper in another week and a half. This doesn't sound like much fun, but we got to choose our topic; which I chose the childhood development of serial killers, so it has not been too bad. We had our first test in the class the other day, went into it expecting a horrible grade, but I came out with a "B".

On a more personal note, my slow pitch softball season has ended so I am stuck with nothing to do 'til the spring. But it is football season and Tennessee does look to be a decent team this year, just need to find a new quarterback. We also have our big cross town rivalry game this week, the annual East-West game. I'm hoping West can pull this one out. My Red Sox also made it to the playoffs despite playing as bad as you can at the end of the season. I just hope that they can turn it around, because no one wants to see the Yankees win again. That is all that is going on in my life as of now, I will try to not go as long between my post so you all can keep up with me from here on out.

- Logan

First off, I am a little mad. The first day of fall was last week, Tuesday, and today it feels like the middle of winter. Not only was it cold outside it was also cold in my computer as a tool class. But other than that my day has been pretty decent.

We have some pretty exciting events coming up. Our next football game is here at 7 against Lenoire-Rhyne on Saturday October 3. We lost our last one but hopefully we can come back and win this one so come out and help support the Pioneers. Not only that but there are little activities going on around campus. Like Fri, Sat, and Sun we have volleyball games going on between students at the volleyball courts in front of Katherine Hall. When a lot of people get involved those games are awesome. We also have Dodgeball signups on Thursday. And Friday is going to be my favorite day. Its National Denim Day Breast Cancer Support Day and all I wear are jeans. So help support us and wear those denims.

~Kirstin

The agony of defeat

With the sting of last night’s loss to Wingate still on my mind, it is a struggle to get up and get started this morning. Not only did the football game hurt my spirit, but I think it may have gotten me sick. When your throat hurts that’s never a good sign of anything!


As the weekend approaches I have yet to see anything exciting in the near future. I will spend my weekend writing a 15 page play.... the ironic thing is I have never even written a one page play, much less 15 pages. I know one day when I look back I’ll be glad I have the knowledge of script writing, but for right now I could do without it!

I will say, though, if I can get through this block I might just make it to Christmas without harming anyone. I have World Literature next and I am very excited, but anxious. I think I just have an all around rough schedule this year and I’m going to have to realize the facts.

There is a silver lining to this rough week, it stopped raining, if only for a couple of days. :)

~Heather

Block 2: Computer As A Tool

So far, block one went by decently fast and now we're into block 2. I have Computer as a Tool and it's not that exciting. We sit there and learn about a computer and its software. Like right now, we're learning all the shortcuts on Microsoft Office Word 2007 and honestly, it's not that hard to figure out without a professor telling you. I have the same software on my laptop and I breeze through finding things that others have no idea even existed and he just talks on and on about the most simplistic things and your mind can't help but to wander onto different subjects.But our professor is pretty cool. He's kinda young so it's really different listening to him than it is any other professor. But he knows how to connect to us so he doesn't completely lose our attention.

My experience here at Tusculum so far has been exciting. Having a bat and trying to catch it on the 2nd floor of Katherine Hall the first night staying on campus was extremely exciting, all the friends I have made, and all the upcoming events that I cannot wait to attend. Like tonight, there's a football game but I have to head home for tonight so I have to miss that and living in Katherine Hall makes finding a parking spot on such nights a major headache. You leave campus for not even 5 minutes and you come back to a full parking lot and no where else to park without running the risk of getting a ticket so you have no choice but to go do something else until the event clears up enough for you to find somewhere to park. It's pretty exciting living on campus.

~Kirstin~

just make the best of it!

College is what you make of it. I've only been here for going on 5 weeks, and I've made many new friends. If you're here and you haven't made friends yet it's your fault. You have to get out of your room and explore the campus. Being shy and anti-social is highly unnecessary. Coming to college is a way to get to know people of other ethnicities and different backgrounds. I make an effort to talk to everyone and you should too.

-Get out of your room every once in a while!
-Attend social activities held by student affairs!
-Socialize with the other students!
-Get involved with some kind of team!

If you see me out and about don't hesitate to throw your hand up and say hey :)

Jessica Kagias

Exactly!

Hey everyone! I'm Jessica Kagias :) I'm a freshman cheerleader and an education major. I've only been a college student for three weeks, but so far it's been the most intriguing three weeks of my life. I'm enjoying it and beginning to see that things aren't as scary as I had imagined. I was so nervous about making such a huge transition.
I had so many questions and hardly any time for answers.

Would I be able to pass my classes?
Would I make friends?
Can I afford it?
Will I fit in?
What if I get homesick?
Is Tusculum the right college for me?

I have a close relationship with my mommy. I tell her everything and she's my best friend. Knowing that she had once experienced college herself, I approached her with my questions and she gave me the best advice possible. "You'll never know until you try it."

Obviously I made it and I'm still going strong. I stay too busy to be homesick. I've made so many friends and met so many new people, and I now know.. that Tusculum was the right choice.

Time is speeding by...

As I wake up and wipe the sleep from my eyes, I look over and see my logo for design class looming over me. The third week of class has come and gone so quickly that it seems like a blur, and I find myself mixing up days. With the websites to design, articles to write and a blog to post, I feel like my afternoons are hectic and too short to pile everything in.


I am counting down the days until block break because this class is so hard. I keep telling myself I have X amount of days left and then I have a break. Thinking about the break is what gets me through sometimes. That’s one thing I can’t praise enough, the Block schedule.

Well, it’s about time I crawl out of the bed and get my day started, which will hopefully end in a good weekend. Just want to wish our Pioneers good luck tomorrow! GO PIONEERS!

~Heather

Dealing with the flu:(

Hey guys! My name is Lauren Morton. I am a freshman here at Tusculum College. I am from Elizabethton, Tennessee. Last week I was actually off campus and out of classes due to getting the flu :(. Yes, it was bad, but I am better now and getting back on track. The entire time I was away faculty and staff were calling once a day just to check in with me and see how I was feeling. Once I was back they were helpful to me in dropping my class (by this time I had missed too much to try to catch up) and they made the process quick and easy.
Life on campus is awesome. You have to be careful because you are given freedom, and you have to watch how you use that freedom. College isn't like you see on tv so much. Sure, the fun and good times all happen, but you also have to study.
I am a political science major, so it's important for me to be focused and keep my time managed well. Yes, the block scedule does help! It allows me to only focus on one class at a time, which in turn means less homework! YAY!
I talk to the people I graduated with who went to other schools who don't have the block schedule and they are swamped all the time with homework and barely have time for themselves, much less to experience college. I love the experience I am getting and I'm learning at the same time. I recommend this school to all seniors in high school! At least take the time and apply.. tour the campus.. meet with some of the students if you please.. it's an awesome place to be!

English ends Wednesday!!

This is the second week of class and I'm so stressed out. I have a five page paper due Friday and we just got the topic on Wednesday. I guess I'll have another late night on my schedule. Everone says you have to study two hours for every hour you are in class. I didn't believe them, and I was wrong. Of course. I haven't been to bed before eleven since the start of school. The good thing is our class is cancelled Monday and it ends Wednesday!! Of course we have a final exam and yet again I have to write another paper. This time the other English professors have to read it. I also work at Pal's in Greeneville. I work there on top of work study. My life is crazy right now. Especially with English. Reading a book and writing papers. It is required that we go to tutoring for three hours a week. I just sit in there and read. I don't feel like I need tutoring. Well, I probably could use it. I probably should start, huh?
Class ends Wednesday!!

Hannah :)

A day in the life....

I love all the people here on campus, especially the ones in the admission office. They're really helpful but they always give me a hard time. Today in work study they left me alone for the most part because I have a test in Psychology tomorrow and they want you to succeed.
I had a pretty decent day. I kept on dozing off in Psychology and my professor, Dr. Garris, kept laughing and poking fun at me. We reviewed chapter 10 of the textbook today, and it was about consciousness and sleep. When you sit there and listen to someone talk about going to sleep, you can't help starting to pass out, lol! Dr. Garris used me as his example for the chapter because I couldn't keep my head up. But I know he's just kidding. Bill Garris is awesome.

-Kirstin

A Little About Myself and the School

Hey guys. My name is Logan Callahan. I am a sophomore from Morristown, Tennessee. I am studying to be a high school history teacher, with a minor in Elementary Education. I chose Tusculum because of how close it was to my hometown, how small the campus size was, and how small class sizes were. I am a commuter student, which means I get to drive 35 minutes each day to come to class and I also get to spend a lot of money on coffee and energy drinks to make sure I stay awake on the road.
Many people ask why I choose to drive; it is because I am very close to my family; especially my two younger brothers. I work in Morristown; I also play on a competitive slow pitch softball team. People wonder if driving back and forth prevents me from living the "college life" and my answer is, no. Tusculum is a small enough campus where you get to know everyone, even when you don't live on campus. It's also a very active campus with people walking around outside. This is because of the great weather that East Tennessee has to offer.
Even knowing that I have to drive home everyday, I still participate in activities that happen on campus. Whether it’s an art and lecture event, an intramural sport, or a game of some sort. I also take part in the President's Society, which is an upperclassmen club that students are nominated into by staff and faculty. The President's Society does a lot with the admission office. We try to set an example and represent Tusculum to people who are interested in what Tusculum is all about. I also do my work study in the Admission Office. My work study job has provided a lot of opportunities such as, valuable work experience, getting recognized and having my face on a postcard. The best part is that the admission staff introduced me to a local restaurant called the Bean Barn; they have the best burgers in town, and is definitely a mandatory stop for anyone that is thinking of coming to Tusculum.

Thinking Outside the Block

Here at Tusculum we have something called The Block schedule. That means students go to class for three hours a day for eighteen days. ou're probably thinking, three hours a day? Does that mean I have to sit and listen to the teacher lecture the whole class period? Well, the answer to that question is no. You get a break every class, so it’s not just sitting doing work for three hours. The block schedule is a unique way of going to class, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Students here also have to attend the Arts and Lecture Series. The credits are designed to expose us to new ideas and cultures. You have to have attend four Series a year, sixteen for all four years at TC. The block and the Arts and Lecture Series are the main points in my freshman year that I am most looking forward to.

When you attend an Arts and Lecture series event, you get in for free with your student ID card. Just a sidenote: Make sure on Advanced Registration day you look good because they will take a picture of you and it will be on your ID card. Tuesday night Mark Rayburn was our Arts and Lecture event. He is called the World’s Funniest Guitar Virtuoso, and let me tell you he can play the guitar! He threw comedy into his act as well. I could tell he had experience playing guitar and talking in front of a huge number of people before. To me it was like he was also a motivational speaker. He told us that even if you don’t think you can do something just ask yourself, “what if I could?” or “what would it be like?” It made me think about the things I had put aside because I thought I couldn’t do it. Now I can ask myself "what if i can" and see where it leads me.

The block schedule is the reason I came to Tusculum, that, and it’s close to home. We’ve been in school for about two weeks now and I am very fond of the block. Right now I have class in the afternoon, 12:30 - 3:30. I'm taking English, and I have tons of papers to write! But that’s okay, because I have time to do the work.

Also, as a freshman you will have to take a class called Tusculum Experience, which gives you with information about the college. It sounds dull, but trust me, it helps! The block schedule gives you more free time to do what you want. Going to class for just three hours allows you more time to study and to do extracurricular activities.

~Hannah

First Impressions of Tusculum

Hey guys. My name is Kirstin Berzley. I am a freshman here at Tusculum college. Tusculum is an excellent college. All the faculty and students are friendly and welcoming. And the block schedule is excellent. Really what's better then going to one class for only three hours a day? Pretty cool. I came to Tusculum because I'm the kind of person that can only focus on one thing at a time and I really liked the block schedule. That and Brandon Connor. He wouldn't leave me alone about it until I finally applied. He's pretty cool. All he does is pick on students and if you have a name like mine, don't count on him to say it right.

The professors are really nice and if you need a little extra help in a class, they'll help you out as much as they can. They try their best to make sure you succeed here. And all the staff will do anything in their power to make sure you're comfortable here on campus. Anything you need, they'll do their best to get. And if you're needing a little extra help in a class, Tusculum has a tutoring center with some really cool tutors that will get you those extra brownie points in your class.