Summer at Stony: Week Two

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While week one here at Stony Brook University seemingly marked itself by being busy with personal obligations, adjusting to new people, and coming to grips with the new situation I found myself in, week two could have been considered just more of the same - but with different twists.

Classes on Monday gave me a first, specifically my first project due for a class this summer. In HIS 103 (America to 1877), my group and I gave a 20-minute lecture on colonial slave trade in the Thirteen Colonies, specifically referencing two advertisements given to us to base our project around. While the group before us was spectacular, I felt we did our best in the five days we were given and produced a respectable project. My other history class, HIS 340 (History of Modern India), was later on that day. Nothing major to report on, but I surprisingly am finding myself interested in the class' content. Why is that surprising? I'm an American History major and, usually, any type of world history becomes easily confusing or down right boring (the Hundred Years' War, anyone?), so to find myself actually wanting to go is proof that this instructor does something right.

Tuesday brought my sign language class, SLN 111, and my first quiz of the summer. I was terrified of this quiz going in, even if I didn't show it while sitting with my classmates before class started. I could feel their nervousness and figured someone showing some confidence might rub off on them. Maybe it worked; hopefully, it did. The professor took the quiz very slowly and deliberately, allowing me to feel very well about the results. My girlfriend came to visit later on that night, an unexpected surprise that boosted my lowering morale, as noticed last week.

Wednesday was a bit different. History 103 flew, but History 340 later that night seemed to be stalling. It might have been the pure fact I had a map quiz of India, a country whose geography, politics, and neighbors I know little to nothing about. Amazingly, in roughly 24 hours, I had learned about 90% of what I needed. The quiz, in turn, wasn't so bad. Class was cut short by the instructor since he wasn't feeling well, but it was no big deal for me - a friend had called and we picked up some dinner together.

On Thursday, my class was cancelled due to another professor's illness. My weekend would start early and I took advantage of this by going home for my cousin's birthday.

One note I'd like to make is on campus dining. With Chartwells gone and Lackmann in, the food content and prices have changed. I've tested what I can at the SAC dining hall. While prices here and there seem, on the average, up, the food content is way up. I've got a little bit of an addiction to the food being served because the taste is so good, or perhaps just so much better than what I remember from the last two years I've been here.

While my week might feel easy to a reader, it was still full of work and studying, mixed with personal moments and cooking. I have yet to experience my first "normal" week where I don't go home and spend my entire weekend here. I'll have more, I'm sure as I really start to adjust to summer life here at the Brook.

Don't forget to follow along on Twitter on the trending topic #summeratstony!