Thanksgiving Break! And Hair Cutting...

After six weeks at school I finally got to make the trip home for Thanksgiving. Rockhurst has a nine day break for Thanksgiving starting the 21st and ending on the 29th. During this week I have a cornucopia (yes that reference was intentional) of things to attend to including: Shadowing two dentists, Studying for finals, writing Biology reflections, signing up for the Saint Louis Marathon, going fishing, and cutting my hair. In this post I will focus on the hair cutting. To the left is a picture of the exact clippers that I use when I cut my hair. They are relatively simple to use. I just snap on a 5/8 inch guard and go over my entire head. Next, I take a scissors and trim around my ears and sideburns. The tricky parts comes when I have to touch up my neck. This requires the use of two mirrors and the clippers without a guard. By looking into the reflection of my reflection I can see the back of my head and then I must remember to move my hand oppositely of what I see in the mirror. So left becomes right, up is down, etc. Currently I am not much of a barber but my skills are improving! I only cut myself once this time......

The Importance of Being Earnest

This weekend Rockhurst's theatre department put on the production: The Importance of Being Earnest. I attended last night and enjoyed it immensely. This play by Oscar Wilde mixes a witty English dialogue with clever situational drama to entertain even those unfamiliar with theatre (such as myself). Although in high school I did attend every single Spring musical as an usher and my senior year I held the illustrious title of "House Manager" or head usher. You could say I know my way around the stage.....just not on it. All Rockhurst plays are free for students so I definitely plan to see more productions from the theatre department in the future!

Odwalla

I dedicate this week's post to Rockhurst's supplier of delicious and nutritious drinks: Odwalla. In my refrigerator you will find a large cache of Odwalla Super Protein Chocolate, an awesome combination of chocolate milk and soy. After working out with Ben Norris we like to drink our Super Protein instead of getting a late night fourthmeal at Planet Sub as many students do. Now for you nutritionists out there I am fully aware that I do not need the additional 33 grams of protein in my diet. For me, one of the main functions of "healthy" foods and drinks is not necessarily receiving direct health benefits but rather putting myself in a healthy state of mind. It's kind of like a placebo effect that overflows into other areas of my life including academics and spirituality. By drinking a protein shake I am giving myself positive reinforcement for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Safe Trick or Treat

I started off celebrating Halloween by helping out with Safe Trick or Treat put on at the Rockhurst Community Center. This program is designed to provide a protected environment for members of the local community to come and trick or treat. Kids can go through a haunted maze then play games and get candy inside the center. My job was to take pictures of the kids with other workers dressed up in costumes. It was great to see so many smiling faces even if most kids wanted to take their picture with the skeleton or indian over the construction worker (me). After Safe Trick or Treat I went on a scavenger hunt with some friends. We gave up on the hunt after about a half hour and decided that it would be better to go stargazing. After a half hour of driving my group finally came to the airport where we found a suitable place for stargazing.