We'll begin where I last left off: Pi Beta Phi initiation. The night before initiation, our pledge class had a pink party. It's called a pink party because we're transitioning from pledges, white, to actives, wine, therefore being pink, the transition color. It was really fun. It was like a massive slumber party. You'd think as 18, 19, and 20 year old girls we would have outgrown bonding activities, pink food, and a pinata, but you are all sorely mistaken. We soaked up every ounce of girlie-ness... and more than that, it really brought our pledge class together. Here's a picture of all 50 of us and our amazing pledge mom's, Layne and Sam.
So we all went to bed pretty early in order to wake up for initiation, which started at EIGHT AM (thank goodness they had donuts or I would have been cranky). Of course I can't tell you about the actual initiation, because that's a super sacred and secret tradition, but I can tell you that it was really special and that the after-brunch was delicious! And it was at the most beautiful New Orleans home. Here's a picture of two Pi Phi families... (from the left) Taylor, Tracy, Me, Lindsey, Christina, Vanessa. Lindsey is my big and Vanessa is my twin. We have a huge family, but the other girls in my immediate family that aren't pictured are my grand big, Hilary, and my great grand big, Beth (she's graduating in a few days!).
Another exciting thing that happened was that I was reelected to serve another term on USG (Undergraduate Student Government)! I was so happy. I'm officially a senator for the class of 2011. I didn't campaign as hard as I did for the Freshman Senator elections, but I still had a Lolli for Lauren party... with free cookies and lolli pops. I think that really won everyone over. Haha.
Now as I mentioned in my previous blog, there are many ways to tell when it's spring time in New Orleans. It happens almost over night, but there are some obvious indications: there are blooming flowers, it's 15 degrees warmer, it's humid, there's always a crawfish boil somewhere, and it's formal season!! I was lucky enough to get to go to TWO formals. My Pi Phi formal AND Delt formal with my friend Jimmy (we've been friends since NOLA). Pi Phi formal was a blast. It was at a really classy place with delicious food. It felt like prom all over again. Here's a picture from Pi Phi formal. It was actually taken to show my English professor from last semester. We were all in the same class.
Our formal was on a Thursday night so I laid low all day on Friday and watched a movie at night. Then Saturday was CRAWFEST!! Crawfest is an Associated Student Body and Tulane University Campus Programming endeavor. A lot of other governments/organizations on campus pitch in too! It was only the second annual Crawfest, but it was such a huge success that I think Crawfest is guaranteed to be around for a lot longer. Crawfest is an all day long party on the LBC (Student Center) quad. Basically the Crawfest Committee orders tons and tons and tons of crawfish and beverages so that the students and community members can have unlimited crawfish free of charge. And other vendors come out too. There were hot dogs and burgers and snowballs... for those of you crazy kids that don't like crawfish (I LOVE IT). And there are free prizes and tons of activities. But I haven't even told y'all the best part of Crawfest: THE MUSIC! We have two huge stages set up on either end of the quad, and different bands play on them all day. Big New Orleans names came to our school... like The Revivalists and the Soul Rebels. Here's the link to the website... definitely check it out! http://www.crawfest.com/
After a long day of sunning on the quad with friends, eating food, and listening great music, I got ready for my next formal with Jimmy. It was downtown ON Bourbon Street with an awesome balcony. It was awesome to be on downtown and to be reminded of how truly unique New Orleans really is. Afterall, where else do you have people throwing beads at each other from one balcony to another? After formal, Jimmy and I went to the Rat (an all-night grill-type hang out in the basement of the LBC or, rather, the UC). It was so yummy. Then on Sunday I had to do homework all day. It was not fun! But I finished my paper for American Government two days before it was due, which never happens! On the right is a picture of me and Jimmy at Delt formal.
A couple weekends later, I went to Jazzfest! It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Basically it's a huge festival with music and food and cool authentic New Orleans activities and apparel. I only got to see The Benjy Davis Project and Billy Joel because my finals were during most of Jazzfest, but let me give you guys a little inside scoop as to what else was offered at Jazzfest (besides the oodles and oodles of delicious food and drinks, and t-shirts and memorabilia): Stevie Wonder, OAR, Al Green, Jimmy Buffet, Elvis Castello, Tim McGraw, Cupid, Widespread Panic, Sheryll Crow, Santana, The Roots... JUST TO NAME A FEW! Where else can you experience that kind of music and culture? Only at Tulane, only in New Orleans can you see all of that. Here I am with some of my friends waiting for Billy Joel. It ended up pouring rain right before he came on, and it continued for the rest of the night, but that didn't stop us from rocking out to Billy.
I was lucky that I was able to go to one day of Jazzfest, but I was jealous of my friends, who were able to go 3 or 4 times to Jazzfest. Maybe next year!! My finals seemed to have taken over my life at the end of the semester. I guess my finals schedule kind of stunk: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Thursday. I never thought I'd make it through all of them! But I survived. I managed to finish my semester with a 3.9 GPA! I guess all of my studying in the James Lounge in the LBC really paid off.
I packed up on Thursday and on Friday and managed to go out to dinner and then go to happy hour at the Boot with my friends. I ended my night at the new Sig Ep house... and I thought to myself, Sig Ep was my first fraternity party as a freshman, and it will be my last fraternity party as a freshman! It couldn't have been a more perfect end to the most perfect first year!
I can't wait for next year. Hopefully I'll see some of y'all for NOLA and/or orientation. Stay tuned for some blogging over the summer! And thanks for reading!
