The lovely girl on the right is my roommate Spencer. I originally met her on Facebook when everyone was doing their roommate search before fall semester. Initially I was a little nervous because some people are not the same in person, but obviously I was wrong. We get along so well. So much better than what I thought. We share the same interest in many things. Although, she doesn’t like chicken wings, apple pie (how un-American!), and Blink-182. I can excuse those lapses in judgment though because she’s such a great person.

A lot of people end up hating their roommate, but not me. I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate. She watches out for me, gets food with me, and lets me wear her clothes. She has become a really great friend to me and I’m glad I get to live with her next year. I’m going miss her during summer break, but I can’t wait to see what next year brings us.

This is a picture of my first Arabic meal ever. On Friday night I went to an event sponsored by the Organization of Arab Students (OAS) called HAFLE. HAFLE translates to “party” in English. There was authentic Arabic food, dancing, and atmosphere. I listened to Arabic music before, but I heard some really great songs that night. I was able to get the playlist from the DJ. I also learned how to Dabke at this event. Dabke is a traditional Arabic dance that has many variations depending on the country. It was a really fun night dancing with everyone.

Being an Arabic major and a Middle East Studies minor, I thought this event was great. I was able to learn more about Arab culture. I was able to meet some of the Arab students on campus. I even saw some from friends from my Arabic classes. I love events like this because I enjoy Arab culture as a whole and it reminds me why I want to learn Arabic and learn as much as I can I bout the culture.

This year I was involved with Smith-Steeb’s Hall Council. I was the Wellness and Sustainability chair this year. My job was to plan events that were related to wellness and sustainability. I enjoyed planning programs for residents. It made me excited to see other people enjoy programs that I planned.

My time in BASS has been great. I have met some really great people this year on the executive board. I was also able to meet other Sustainability Chairs from other residence halls around campus. This organization has allowed me to grow as a leader and a student. I enjoyed this experience so much that I am running to be the president of BASS for the next year.