Participate in a Fraternity or Sorority Philanthropy Event

Yay it's Thanksgiving break, I said for about ten minutes. Then I realized my house is really boring and I should write a sentimental and entertaining blog post for everyone who's at home sitting on their couches trolling the internet. Here's a look back at some of the best Anchorsplash performances since I've been at Virginia Tech, enjoy!

I was torn when putting this one on the list because it technically has to do with greek life and would be hard to do if you weren't in a fraternity or sorority. However, there is one philanthropy that I suggest anyone attend, regardless of whether they are greek or not, ΔΓ's Anchorsplash. Basically everyone in the greek community participates in this philanthropy that ends in a talent show. If you aren't familiar with Anchorsplash you may remember the act Fighting Gravity on America's Got Talent, yeah we all got to see them in the talent show before they were on TV.

Here's our ( ΠΒΦ 's ) dance for the 2012 Anchorsplash talent show. I painted all the props and background and kudos to my sister Amanda for choreographing most of this dance!
Pi Beta Phi's 2012 Anchorsplash Dance

This technically also takes "Perform on the Stage in Burruss" off of my list. I didn't exactly dance in this dance, but back in 2010 I danced in both Anchorsplash and ΑΧΩ 's Mock Rock. I don't really want to provide video evidence of my dancing skills...

Here are some other acts that I will never forget:

 ΚΔΡ's Little People in 2010
TKE's Lego Dance in 2012
ΑΔΠ's Step Dance in 2010
ΑΧΩ's Princess Skit in 2012 
ΒΘΠ's Treadmill Dance in 2011 
(They tried to do it live on stage, but there was an electrical issue with the treadmills) 
The Men of Semper Fi Society ...They do the same dance every year, but somehow it never gets old.

Since you read this whole post, here's a video of my beautiful performance in 2010. I'm in the waaaaaay back on the right. Not our best dance ever but it brings back good memories.

Pi Phi's 2010 Dance

I hope you enjoyed all of those videos, greek organizations work really hard putting them together and the show is always fantastic. Even if you aren't greek you should try to catch the talent show this winter. See you there!

Hiking the Cascades and McAfee Knob.

As I was walking to campus today with the wind freezing my face off, I thought about how glad I was that I wasn't hiking. So naturally here are my thoughts on the Cascades and McAfee Knob hikes. 

Cascades: I've actually done the Cascades hike twice now, once with my sorority and once with my parents. I made the mistake of calling this a "short hike" to my parents. Apparently a short hike is supposed to be about twenty minutes... not an hour. If you know my parents it's needless to say my dad was not pleased and my mom was thrilled. The perk of this hike is that there is a walking path option. I like taking the trail up and the walking path down, but that's just me. I'm sure my dad would have preferred the walking path in both directions, actually he made it very clear. 

 The waterfall is completely worth it though. The first time I went it was (barely) warm enough to swim. The water was freezing, but I couldn't resist sliding into the basin at the bottom of the falls. The second time was two weeks ago, so obviously not warm enough to even think about getting in the water. 

My parents and me at the waterfall

 McAfee Knob: While I'm glad I can cross this hike off of my bucket list, I can't recommend it to anyone in good faith. As with most hikes, the view from the top is fantastic but the trek up the mountain barely seems worth it. You basically just wind up through patches of woods that all look the same. The mile markers are more depressing than they are reassuring as each mile feels like five and you can never tell whether you're getting close to the top or not. I went on this hike with one of my sorority sisters and we basically just complained to each other the entire way. All I can say is I'm glad I packed some snacks because otherwise we wouldn't have made it.

Oh, did I mention it was cloudy?

Take a Class that Seems Interesting

I've actually done this twice and I definitely recommend both classes. I used one of them to fill my liberal arts elective and the other just to fill a credit amount requirement.  With course request coming up in a few weeks you should consider taking these two classes:

Insects and Society:
This online class is one on the "classes you have to take while at Virginia Tech". While I have no interest in insects, I heard this class was easy and online. It was a bonus that my roommate took it with me last year. The professors were entertaining in the online lectures and the projects were relatively easy. I'm not saying the class was an easy A, you definitely have to study for the tests and you can't leave projects until the last minute. One thing is for sure, you will come out of this class with a new appreciation for bugs!

Human Sexuality:
This class is not for the body shy... It's exactly what you would expect and more. The content is pretty explicit at some points, down to watching videos (you can imagine of what). I can say though, this is one of the only classes where I didn't miss a single lecture. I would recommend taking it with a good friend because it can get pretty awkward if you're sitting with strangers. I've heard you can't force add into it anymore if you aren't a human development major, so good luck getting it after course request. It's one of those classes where you should sit there hitting the refresh button over and over again during drop add to get a spot because it's easily the most provocative class I've taken at Virginia Tech. 

Next semester I'm trying to get into Geography of Wine as my last "for fun" class! Wish me luck!

All About the Food!

So obviously my senior year has been a bit more stressful and packed than I would have hoped, sorry for the lack of posts! I'm going to knock out all of the food I've already completed, because, lets get real, I love to eat.

Get Donuts from Carol Lee Donut Shop
Apparently Carol Lee used to be downtown and it was a big tradition to eat there before the games. I assume this is true because, even though they are now across from Food Lion, on game days Carol Lee's is crazy packed. So I may be cheating a little because I had Carol Lee's when one of my professors brought them in during a final. Technically I didn't go there... but I was first in line to get the Boston cream filled ones. She said that in the past students have said, "we don't eat donuts", but come on people one tiny Carol Lee donut can only make your life more magical.


Eat a Gyro at Suvlaki
Oh, you mean my weekly gyro? I LOVE Suvlaki. You have to get the pita and red pepper hummus too or you aren't living. Their version of the grilled cheese is fantastic too, but I guess you can't really mess up carbs and cheese. All in all Suvlaki gyro's are cheap and the meat is fantastic, and don't get me started on the cucumber sauce.


Eat at Homeplace
Oh Homeplace, it's a love-hate relationship. I love all you can eat, but I hate the drive home. In my opinion, D2 is just as good and less than half the price. I don't want to offend those Homeplace fans (aka all men) but I've been twice now and I just don't see the appeal of twisting through the mountains for 45 minutes, stuffing my face with overpriced food, and then feeling nauseous from the ride home.



Visit the Farmer's Market
The farmer's market is definitely one of those hidden gems of Blacksburg. I went for the first time this summer and although it was small I found more than enough variety. Nothing at Kroger or Food Lion can live up to their fresh fruits, veggies, and breads. Plus, supporting the local community is something every Hokie should do! Sometimes they have live music and barbeque, go ahead and make an afternoon out of it!



Eat Sunday Brunch at West End (and on second thought D2 should be added)
If your weekends are anything like mine you need to fuel up for a homework filled Sunday. While Sunday brunch at West End is some of the best campus breakfast you can find, I have to say I'm a fan of D2 brunch. I probably shouldn't admit it, but I like to go there right when it opens and stay until close doing homework (and obviously eating). Since they stay open all day, they don't kick you out after brunch. I personally think it's genius to use food as motivation to study, and to get food all day for one price! What do I eat when I go to D2 brunch? Everything. Just kidding, I always get a make it yourself waffle and some fruit and then whatever I'm feeling. That's the beauty of D2, it might not be the best food on campus, but they definitely have the lowest price for the most food.

Paint Your Body Maroon and Orange for a Football Game

With Hokie football season right around the corner, no literally THIS MONDAY!!!! I think it's crucial to caution everyone about painting themselves for a game this season. Yes, you will look really cool, and yes, it is the epitome of being a true Hokie fan BUT before you decide to dawn the sacred maroon and orange on your skin, make sure you do your research. 

Two years ago my friends and I thought that painting our bodies would be a fantastic way to show our VT pride. We decided to use regular washable paint rather than body paint because it was less expensive and we couldn't find enough facepaint to cover our entire upper bodies. After the tailgate we learned pretty quickly that drying paint and skin do not mix. The paint was incredibly itchy, not to mention it cracked all over so that we got weird tans in-between the paint. Moral of the story, if you plan to paint yourself this Monday (or for any game) spring for real body paint and save yourself the frustration of being uncomfortable and unable to enjoy the actual game! 

Sure we were smiling at the tailgate! 

(Note there are no pictures from during/after the game)

Here's a link to to buy some real face/body paint! http://www.facechange.com/cart/agora.cgi?keywords=snaz&user5=ind&ppinc=1a  ...I might just have to try this again the right way!

Hiking Dragon's Tooth Trail

So obviously I haven’t been hiding under a rock for the last three years and I’ve already done a bunch of the things on this list. I’ll start with one of my favorites, which I actually did for a second time a few weeks ago, hiking Dragon’s Tooth trail.

For a non-hiker like myself I would say Dragon’s Tooth is a moderate day hike. The trail is 2.5 miles long, so about a five-mile hike in total. Don’t be fooled by five miles, the actual hike is much harder than us amateurs would expect.

The first part of the hike is mostly in the woods at a slight incline, and then the fun begins. You have to climb over huge rocks when you get close to the top, but nothing my fifty year old mom, who I have to admit is definitely in better shape than me, couldn’t handle. The only downfall we had was not bringing enough water. If you’re hiking in the summer bring at least two bottles per person! All in all this is a fantastic hike and I recommend it to everyone, just make sure you allot 4+ hours if you don’t participate in this type of outdoor excursion often.

Oh yea and the view at the top is AMAZING!

My mom and me at the tip to of the "dragon's tooth"

Here are directions to Dragon’s Tooth:

http://www.stepinit.com/dragons_tooth/dragons_tooth_catawba_va.htm

Try it out this fall! Let me know how it goes for you...

Top 50

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I can’t believe my four years at Virginia Tech are coming to an end! When I graduate I don’t want to feel like I’ve missed out on anything, so I’m going to complete my own top 50 Hokie Bucket List (mostly taken from the SCA bucket list with some additions of my own). Every time I complete something I’ll write about it and hopefully inspire some fellow hokies to get everything they can out of their four…or maybe five…years here at Tech!

• Jump to "Enter Sandman" at a home football game
• Learn the words to the fight song, Tech Triumph, and the Old Hokie cheer
• Get a picture with the hokiebird
• Eat a turkey leg at a home football game
• Get together with friends for a football game and paint your bodies’ maroon and orange
• Wear orange and maroon effect shirts to the corresponding football games
• Rush Worsham Field after a big win
• Go to an away football game
• Cheer with the Cassell Guard at a home basketball game
• Go to the Merryman Center and visit the football museum
• Get a picture with a student athlete
• Run through the tunnel at Lane Stadium and touch the hokie stone for good luck
• Participate in Relay For Life
• Participate in the Big Event
• Pull and all-nighter at the math empo
• Participate in the corps vs. civilian snowball fight on the drillfield
• Perform on the stage at Burruss Hall
• Go sledding with an Owens Dining Hall tray
• Take a picture at the place that meant the most to you on campus
• Attend a sporting event other than football or basketball
• Picnic at the Duckpond
• Meet the University President, Charles Steger
• See a concert at Burruss Hall
• Play and intramural sport
• Go to holiday dinner at D2 (or Shultz)
• Eat Sunday brunch at West End
• Find all of the gargoyles on campus (Tip: there are 14)
• Study in Torg Bridge
• Take a picture with a painted HokieBird around Blacksburg (Tip: there are 69)
• Take a class that seems interesting but has nothing to do with your major
• Take an exercise class at War Memorial or McComas Hall
• Take a picture with the biggest VT on campus
• Participate in a fraternity or sorority philanthropy event
• Float down the river on the tubes at New River Junction
• Hike the Cascades (in the spring and when it’s frozen)
• Hike McAfee Knob and take a picture on the edge
• Hike Dragon’s Tooth
• Visit the Farmer’s Market in Downtown Blacksburg
• Walk, bike, or run down the Huckleberry Trail
• Grab free popcorn and watch a movie at the Lyric Theatre on Mondays
• Visit Mountain Lake
• Watch a movie at the Starlite Drive-In Theater
• Watch a play put on by the Theatre Arts and Cinema Department
• Eat at Homeplace
• Sing karaoke at TOTS Tuesday
• Eat a gyro at Souvlaki
• Eat brunch at Gillie’s
• Go get half-price sushi rolls at Sake House on Monday nights
• Get donuts from Carol Lee Donut Shop
• Graduate!

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