“That’s a wrap!” Those were the last words that ran through my head as I waltzed out of classes on Friday. All I have to say now is, “What a week!” The first week of classes is usually long, because you’re giving your body a bit of mental-whiplash with a whole new class routine. This week, though, was rough. Professors were quite rested and cheery, but they felt little need to wait with the work. In truth, it wasn’t that bad, but let’s just say the library and I pick up right we left off.
This semester I’m taking a theology course called “Current Events in Orthodoxy,” which looks quite thought-provoking actually. I’m Catholic and have always taken religion classes both in grammar school and high school, so I thought a class on Orthodoxy would be a little different. Professor Theodoropoulos is great. She is very focused on making the class a discussion and bringing the issues out of our text and into the classroom. I’ll also be having a bat at Biology 102 and Bio lab 112, which are always quite the Bio-duo. My Spanish class, también, parece una clase muy interactive and informative. Following Spanish, my schedule thus takes its final bow with Honors 102 : Western Intellectual Traditions II Modernity…and that, my friends, is quite a finale.
The freshman Honors Seminar is quite the epic. It’s like, oh how shall I say, the Dante’s Inferno of freshman courses. Intense…yes? Mind stimulating…yes? The bane of my existence…? Ok, I retract that last statement. The class is a very challenging, but the rewards are priceless. I am a better reader, writer, and student than I ever thought possible. Granted, we read about 14 books a semester, so I would hope my skills would improve, but this is a class that simply cultures you. We read most of the major philosophers and literary authors of the Western Ancient and Modern Periods, and when I say read, I mean we basically awake the dead and have conversations with Virgil and Plato. So, although you walk out of the class a little sleep deprived, the ability to discuss the major works of Lucretius and Montaigne, in a most intellectual and intelligent manner, becomes second nature. Sure we complain about the program, but just remember that deep down we love it… but that’s just between you and me!
The highlight of my week, though, was one of two glorious moments: seeing my picture on the Loyola web-site (I’d like to thank the Academy...), which I was very excited to see, or going to the Loyola Ice Skating Party downtown. Ice skating under the glimmering Chicago skyline in balmy Chicago winter-weather was how I spent my Friday night. It was a bit cold, but so much fun. Afterwards, we decided the hot chocolate at the rink was not quite indulgent enough for us, so we walked over to Moonstruck Café and defrosted a bit. Needless to say, heaven had struck Chicago that night at Moonstruck, as I took the first sips of my Chocolate Truffle Mocha Almond Latte…..oh, it still brings tears of joy to my taste buds!
So the moral of this blog is…..1) First week of classes…mental whiplash 2) Honors Seminar…your secret crush 3) Ice skating in a Chicago-winter-wonder-land…fabulous 4)Moonstruck…taste bud glory!
And that’s a wrap,
Michelle 
Really Michelle? Really?
Imagine my suprise when someone in my math class opened a power point from their email and I saw you smiling at me from the Loyola Homepage. Honestly! I think since I haven't seen you all year I will secretly read your blog and find out all your secrets. Yeah, I think I'll do that. :)
Posted by: Jenny Peters | January 23, 2008 at 06:13 PM