Salsabration

USU is always buzzing with activity; I can't even count the number of times I have passed by the Taggart Student Center (TSC) ballroom or international lounge and there is a dinner, showcase, dance, or a combination of the three.
My favorite event of the fall is Salsabration-yes it's spelled right, it's like a celebration plus a bit of salsa flavor; the result us a night full of Latin culture, food, and fun. The Latino Student Union puts in a lot of effort to make this night in October one to remember. During dinner, which showcases a dish from various Latin American countries, students perform dances and other talents. This year, at the end of the night, my partner and I performed last and initiated the dance that lasted well into the night with more than a hundred people on the dance floor.

Election Party

I am a political science major, and one of my favorite things to do is having political conversations with people of various political orientations. I don’t consider myself part of any political party but I like to think that it's alright becuase I tend to see things from various perspectives. One of my favorite things on campus during the election process was the election party we had in November. People from all the parties showed up at the TSC to see the results come in. We had guitar hero, treats, ping-pong, and I loved the reactions when a new state was announced, there were cheers as well as boos regardless of the candidate who had won. I really liked this bi-partisan event; I met a couple new people that are now my really good friends.

True Aggie Nights

Yes, I am a True Aggie. I became one on Homecoming with my boyfriend as Utah State attempted to break the world record for most people kissing at one time. We were couple 496 to kiss if I remember correctly. We didn’t get on the A platform as tradition requires but I guess that will have to be for some other time before graduating. My friends and I have gone to several just to be among the crowd and make fun of our guy friends as they get rejected by a pretty girl when they ask her to become a True Aggie with them. But, it’s all in good fun; they eventually find a girl to kiss or just beg us to help out which induces the taunting once again.

Homecoming

There are a certain traditions that we have at Utah State that somewhat mimic those that we have all experienced at a high school level. One of those is Homecoming put on by the Traditions branch of ASUSU which stands for the Associated Students of Utah State University; they are like the student government. However, unlike high school, at least in my case, I didn’t care about a huge date or amazingly fancy dress. I went with my residents and roommates. We went to a nice restaurant and had a blast afterward at the dance, True Aggie Night, and at our building after as we talked, watched a movie, played pool, and ate ice cream until after three in the morning!

Resident Assistants Rock!

I am an RA and many times if you haven't lived on campus people may not know what an RA is or does. RA is short for Resident Assistant; it's an on-campus job that entails living in the residence halls along with everyone lives there while building community and enforcing the rules. It's a lot of work, sometimes I can look like I'm the bad one but other than that I love it and I absolutely love my residents. We're always doing fun crazy things; we are basically the coolest building ever! I recommend everyone to live on campus at least their freshman year. I might even be your RA! If I am your RA, please don't get paint all over like my fellas from upstairs did the night of the paint dance. Shhhh! Don't tell my boss!

In the Wee Hours of the Morning

Okay, so everyone goes to buy groceries right? Not everyone goes at two or three in the morning…unless of course you are in college. I recently had a “WILD!” time at Wal-Mart while my friends and I stocked up on the basics, chips, salsa, candy, and cereal among other things. I’m not the type to have cart races down the aisles but when you’re with friends at Wal-Mart at three in the morning it’s very tempting. I suppose we could have gone to get groceries at a decent hour but what’s the fun in that? Besides, when you’re in college and in Walmart at three in the morning, you are more likely to see people from campus anyway.

Spanish Club Trip Coming Up

Like I keep saying, there is snow on the ground, you can see winter on the red noses of students walking from class to class, and to top it off, I am not a cold-loving person. Spring break is just around the corner, I remember last year was a blast; I accompanied the Spanish Club, a service oriented club on campus, to Sonora Mexico to volunteer at an orphanage. It was one of the best, most rewarding, things I have ever done. I met some of the nicest people, both students from Utah State and children from Mexico. We volunteered for the week and for the last two days of the trip we even got to go to the beach and just hang out. Regardless of your language capability, it’s an experience you should have before graduating.

Escape to the Canyon

So it’s a nice sunny day with a touch of snow just to add some shimmer. It’s a nice day to go up to the canyon and just walk around second dam and enjoy the outdoors. That’s exactly what my friends Alana, Nori, and I did a while back. I wouldn’t recommend crossing the river though; it is freezing to the point of pain. When you come to Utah State just remember that the canyon is less than a mile away, it’s a nice escape from a stressful homework-filled day. Note: make sure you are prepared to walk in the canyon, it is not a good idea to take your best pair of heels. From here on out I keep a pair of tennis shoes in the trunk of my car for spur of the moment adventures such as this one.