It's been good, y'all

When I first signed up for LIS 201, I had no idea what to expect. I didn't even know it was an eight-week course until Dr. Welsh told us on the first day. When I first looked at the syllabi, I got a little scared. I mean, all that work in just a small amount of time? Did she think we had no life? Or maybe she thought we had eight arms like an octopus. But, as time progressed, I found that the class was extremely easy IF you did your work on time. Now, I'm not saying that I always did my work on time. Sure, there were some times I was frantically typing away at the computer (like now) trying to meet the deadline for an assignment. Yeah, I could've just sent it in late, but really, I wanted to get it over with. There were some days I hated the class, and other times when I wondered what this woman could teach me that I didn't already know; I'd had a computer since the age of six and trust me, I knew hw to use it. However, I was proved wrong: I had no idea how to some of the stuff that was being taught. Soon, something surprising happened: I started to enjoy the course. It also didn't hurt that I was making good grades on everything, either. In essence, I'd like to thank Dr. Welsh for teaching me a thing or two about information literacy. I really did learn a lot.

USM budget cuts

Now, I'm not here to badmouth USM because I love it here, I'm just here to question some of the "budget cuts" that have occurred on campus these past few months. First off, I am a student of Latin, and it irks me that German and Latin have been cut even though classes have been filled up this past semester. Maybe the numbers have decreased some over the past few years, but the numbers still show that people want to learn these languages. Philosophy and Religion are pretty important subjects too, I think. If we cut Religion, how are we to enlighten people to the other religions out there? Let's face it, Mississippi isn't know to be the most tolerant state, and without this course we may remain to be know for that. And let me tell you, as a former Philsophy student myself, I can truthfully say that Philosophy is very important because it teaches some to read between the lines and to think in-depth about a subject. Now, I know very little on the workings of a university, but it does seem strange that we can afford this brand new parking garage that's supposed to be finished next year when we don;t have any money. Maybe that's why we have no money, I don't know. If they'd really like to save some money, they could always cut down on the amount of paper that's around campus, especially those pesky little flyers that are put on cars and all around campus around game day; I mean, seriously, if people can't figure out by now where their car is and is not supposed to be parked, then they should have it towed. Just sayin'. Once again, I'm not afficionado on the inner working of college, I'm just puttig my ideas out there.

Who needs free time? Not I!

Okay, so I'm taking nineteen hours this semester, and I, until a week or so ago, haven't begun to feel overwhelmed. Yeah, I hear you: "If you're not feeling stressed or overwhelmed, then you're not taking the right classes!" Think again. I'm an English major, and so that means I have to take many classes where I have to write, and it's not always the funnest thing to do on a Saturday night. Sure, after a while the cramping in your hand from all the writing and typing becomes a dull ache, but that's only one of the few perks. Now, all my classes are basically abck-to-back-to-back, so I was expecting some type of rushed feeling when given an assignment. Nope, not at first. But just as I was getting a little disappointed in my classes, BOOM! The freight train hit. Now, I've got three papers and a presentation due within a few days of each other, I've got CRP's and exams coming at me from every which-a-way, and I've barely got time to breathe before I have to get to another class. Whereas I was longing for a little business a few weeks ago, I'm not struggling to fit in little things, like sleeping, eating, and showering. It's like that old addage goes, "Be careful what you wish for!"

JSTTT! (Jersey Shore to the Top!)

The cast of Jersey Shore

My title may sound crazy, but trust me, it still pertains to the University of Southern Mississippi (well, atleast for me!). Imagine this: it's midnight on a Thursday night, you're running on a few hours of sleep each night, and all you can think about is going home so you can crawl into your own bed and sleep for two days. Sadly, all that can't happen until you get the ridiculously crazy SCM 201 test out of the way, and studying for it is a MUST. Yeah, that was me two weeks ago. So what did you do, you ask? Well, I'll tell you: I watched Jersey Shore! Now, if you've never watched the show (I recommend it highly, as it's a life-changing experience), it's about a group of strangers who call themselves "Guidos" and "Guidettes" who stay in a house for a summer in either New Jersey or Miami (this season it was Miami). They're all "Italian," so apparently that gives them to right to act like bad-tempered cavemen (and that's on a good day!) Believe it or not, it helped me study! How so, you ask, bewildered. Easy: I was studying types of people, and each one of the Guidos and Guidettes fit into a category that I could easily remember for the test the next day. For example, (if you've never watched the show, the next part could be a little confusing) Jenni AKA JWoww is an imtimidating type of person who likes to fight and threaten people. Scary, huh? Anyway, in no time, I had attrubuted characteristics to all of the Jersey Shore folks, and was able to easily remember the types I was supposed to the next day! So kids, next time you're parents tell you TV isn't good for you, just throw out this example at them and they'll surely be "JWoww'd"!

I'm an Eagle, and I'm going to the top

My time here at USM has been tremendous. I've always wanted to go to college, partly because I didn't have a choice; my mother always told me I HAD to go to college. She herself didn't go to college and wanted her children to have more opportunities than she had. So, when I had been accepted to Southern Miss, I was ecstatic. Finally, it was time. While most students were anxious to get off on their own, I was not; I was ready. All during my senior year of high school, I was ready to get out of Vicksburg and ready to have my freedom. I graduated, and all summer I was happy about leaving. How cruel was I not to miss the place - and the family - that had raised me?

Apparently, I had some feelings. As coming to Hattiesburg grew nearer, I started feeling anxious. What if I didn't fit in? What if I didn't make any new friends? What if I flunked out? By the time Moving Day came along, I was a nervous wreck, especially since I was going to be on my own. On the day I moved in, I made friends and fit in with a small group of people who are my best friends today. I obviously did not flunk out, and am actually doing very well in school. I have responsibilities, and I have the University of Southern Mississippi to thank.

The Centennial Exhibit at the University of Southern Mississippi was opened on March 5, 2010 and is located on the first floor of the Cook Library, where the Computer Lab once was.


The exhibit, which was created in order to honor the university’s hundred-year existence, will be opened through 2010 and will showcase everything from yearbooks to athletic items.

The exhibit was thought of by Centennial Steering Committee, a group of people who wanted to enlighten and to teach people about the history of USM while appealing to them at the same time.

The museum is complete with pictures following USM’s progress over the past one hundred years, all the way to when it was opened as the Normal College in 1910. Among some of the items the committee procured is one of the original bonds secured to build the university.

The Centennial Exhibit was made possible through donations made by the University’s Archives and also USM alumni and university friends.

Ray Guy, a professional football player who is also a USM alum, both donated to the Centennial Exhibit and worked to secure items for the museum. He and Jimmy Havard, the Forrest County Chancery Clerk and USM alumni, worked to locate minutes of meetings from 1910 of the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, where a location for the college and its funding were talked about.

The exhibit is a fascinating display of how the University of Southern Mississippi has grown in the past one hundred years, and it is a testament of how it will continue to expand in the next one hundred years.