Student SPHere

Sorry to be an absentee blogger these past days, but school has finally switched into high gear with finals right around the corner. BUT I do want to alert everyone that today is Dine Out for Life, sponsoring the Aliveness Project, a really great AIDS service organization in Minneapolis. Go to the Dine out for life website at http://www.diningoutforlife.com/Minneapolis, find a participating restaurant and have a great meal--a no brainer!

Posted at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am currently in the midst of dress rehearsals with the Minnesota Opera's production of Rusalka, opening this Saturday night at the Ordway Center downtown St. Paul. Why watch the Minnesota WILD play in the NHL playoffs at the XCEL center when less than a block away you can catch the opera??!

FMI:
www.mnopera.com

Posted at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Dining Out For Life® is an annual fundraising event involving the generous participation of volunteers, corporate sponsors and restaurants. In exchange for their financial support, restaurants are listed in a city wide marketing campaign in an effort to increase customer traffic.

In 1991 Dining Out For Life® was created by an ActionAIDS volunteer in Philadelphia. In 1993, ActionAIDS made it an international event offering licenses to AIDS Service Organizations around the country. Since Dining Out for Life International's founding the event has grown throughout North America and is now produced in over 46 cities.

The Board of Dining Out For Life® is constantly working to expand the number of licenses around the country, as well as to gain sponsorships that benefit the entire country. On average five to six cities a year are being added.

More than 2,800 restaurants a year donate a portion of their proceeds from this one special night of dining to the licensed agency in their city. Over $3 million dollars a year is raised to support the missions of agencies throughout North America. With the exception of the annual licensing fee of $600, all money raised in these cities stays there."

FMI:

http://www.diningoutforlife.com/Minneapolis
http://www.aliveness.org/index.shtml

Posted at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If any one went to www.google.com today, you probably noted that their home screen was entirely black. While I thought that my computer was surely on it's way to officially dying, I was reminded that today (March 29th) is the annual observence of Earth Hour.

"Earth Hour is an international event that asks households and businesses to turn off their lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour on the evening of 29 March at 8 pm local time until 9 pm to promote electricity conservation and thus lower carbon emissions."

I highly recommend that everyone and any one take part by turning off!

FMI:
http://www3.earthhourus.org/

Posted at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Even though it may just be a gesture or allusion to a break, Spring Break still puts me in a rather good mood if only it means that Spring is here (or right around the corner)! I know for many of us graduate students it only means we don't attend classes. Other than this, life, family, and work goes on even if we need a break.....I know I just got back from Budapest, but a tropical spring break vacation sounds dandy and feels like a necessity...

This past week essentially boiled down to adjusting back to this time zone and playing catch-up with all of my classes. Budapest was a delight (and I highly recommend it), but it certainly disrupted my school routine. The performances went really well, the audience was quite receptive, and we still managed to see some must-see Hungarian sites. However, I'm still a little hesitant with the food as it can only be described as the antithesis of how I normally eat. Nevertheless, a good time was had by us all...

Other than this, life goes back to normal: Research, Class, Thesis, and Rehearsals with the MN Opera and a show at the Southern Theater in May. I completely forgot that my Ethics class starts after spring break, which I am looking forward to since I find ethical conundrums and debate quite fascinating, particularly in the realm of public health and bioethics.

Happy almost-Spring!

Posted at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm in a bit of a hurry with trying to cram all this stuff into my suitcase, replying to emails, tying up loose ends with school work, etc as I am flying to Budapest later today to perform and teach...

Here are some websites that have more information (although you might have to speak Hungarian to understand them)

http://www.l1.hu/main.html

http://www.bakelitstudio.hu/eloadasok.php?akt_eload=95

www.bakelitstudio.hu

Sorry to be so short, but I'm pressed for time! Until next week................

Posted at 08:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sorry I have not posted in a while. I have been busy busy busy with juggling about a million-item to-do list and some initial moments of panic:

Points of interest:

-I finally got an email from the graduate school notifying me that my application for the MA in Health Journalism/ Communications program is complete, so that's a relief as there was a bit of a harried transcript request process initially...huge relief

--I leave to perform in Budapest this coming Monday and panicked when my passport mysteriously vanished from where I had last placed it. It turns out that I moved it to another location, but completely forgot about it.....the silly things we do when we're a bit stressed out

Here are some pics from the TWISTER marathon that I was a part of the other weekend--they're pretty fun!

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=175601844&albumId=1187210

http://www.intermediaarts.org/pages/special/love_rox/gallery.php

http://home.citypages.com/slideshow/index.php?gallery=37598&type=1&page=0

http://blogs.citypages.com/ctg/2008/02/twist_and_creat.php

So, judging from this posting you can see that I am a little scattered with trying to get ready for leaving the country for the week, trying to tie up loose ends with school assignments, etc etc etc

Happy March (Spring is almost here!)

Posted at 06:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have been so incredibly busy of late that I completely forgot out my ambassadorial blogging duties--oops

Currently, I am knee deep in my STATA User's manual trying to discern various statistical programming commands and other statistical tests all for my masters project, which--when all the paperwork and red tape is cleared---should be analyzing a statewide AIDS resource/prevention hotline data. For the time being, though, I am teaching myself how to use STATA because SAS and I do NOT get along. ..In fact, SAS and I hate each other.... a lot

Other than various reading, writing, and arithmatic duties, I haven't been doing much this past week in the way of fun. I feel like the doldrums of winter are starting to kick in as it's the time when even the thought of having to put on a coat makes me slightly agitated and my hat feels itchy every time I put it on. Oh well, soon we'll all be complaining about the humidity and heat come July

Happy Valentines Day

Posted at 07:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now that we all have had week one of classes under our belts, shifted our course schedules ( I had to play the Drop/Add game) , and acclimated to student life once again, it's time to move on to more important things: Breaking the World Record for longest game of TWISTER.

This saturday, February 2, Intermedia Arts (www.intermediaarts.org) is having a gigantic fundraiser gala event featuring a gaggle of artists, musicians, and scores of fantastic events. One of these will be a giant game of twister in which they are turning their entire theater space into a giant twister board, and I have been asked to be a 'featured player' to partake in this marathon of a game.

Is 'World Record Holder' something you can put on your CV?

Check out the evets at http://www.intermediaarts.org/pages/special/love_rox.php

Posted at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, it's that time again when we must turn off the televisions in the evenings, say 'no' to happy hour invitations, and muster up the self-discipline to crack the books open and study! study! study! Today was like jumping into a freezing lake: SHOCKING!

I'm taking the following classes:

Mass Communication & Public Health,

Children's Health: Issues & Policies,

Healthcare Systems and Public Health, and

Masters Thesis

Next week I begin rehearsals for a series of performances at the National Theater of Budapest come early March, which is very exciting, but juggling work, rehearsals, and school work definitely takes its toll...

This week our research team is currently working on abstract submissions for the Internation AIDS Conference in Mexico City in August, in addition to the American Public Health Association's annual conference in October. I'm excited to attend these truly great conferences.

Gearing up for a busy Spring,

-g

Posted at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was one of the fortunate types who finished with finals last Tuesday-the last day of classes....and it feels so good to be done after nearly killing myself tryin to beat the clock, so to speak, cranking out those last two final papers. To celebrate being done with finals, I got the flu. Apparently, it's my own body's way of thanking me....so much for 'herd immunity'

I had quite a lovely, jam--packed weekend: party at Intermedia Arts, drinking too much wine and singing way too much karaoke, making fresh mozzarella (yes, fresh) and fresh raviolli with friends, and then going to a birthday party on Sunday at a mediterranean restaurant that had bellydancers....It definitely was an eclectic, yet fun weekend

Nothing else going on since finals have ended. I'm trying to take advantage of having free time since I will be going into rehearsals again come the new year for shows in New York (January), and Minneapolis (April/May) and my free time quickly reduces to zero...

Happy holidays!

Posted at 06:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm sorry for the short posting, but I have currently been up way too long, and need to allocate my time to finish a final paper due in t-minus 2 hours and it's taking me longer than I thought.....tick tock tick tock.....sometimes RefWorks makes me want to scream....

I am, however, enjoying this website that my friend sent me:

www.catsinsinks.com

It definitely will be a great procrastination tool to add to my repertory for Spring semester

Posted at 06:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy December!...and boy does it look like December outside! SNow...Snow...snow

I know this posting is quite late this week, but I wanted to draw everyone's attention to the fact that December 1--yes, today--is World AIDS Day.

If you are unfamiliar with World AIDS Day, I highly recommend that you check out some of the websites provided below:

http://www.avert.org/worldaid.htm

http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/world/index.html

http://www.joinred.com/

http://www.unaids.org/en/

As an HIV/AIDS preventionist, I feel compelled to let everyone know of the various things happening in this snowy state of Minnesota in observance of World AIDS Day. If you're curous, the Minnesota Department of Health has compiled a schedule of various events. Some of them have passed due to my late posting (sorry), but there's still time to check some stuff out!

Go to: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/hiv/worldaidsday/calendar.html

AND if you happen to be out at the Mall of America doing some holiday shopping today there is a special HIV Outreach and Education booth (See below):

HIV Education and Outreach Booth at Mall of America – Bloomington
Sponsored by the Minnesota HIV/AIDS Cross Cultural Collaborative
Friday, November 16, 2007: 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 1, 2007: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
at
Mall Of America
Highway 494 and Highway 77
3rd floor by the California Cafe'
Bloomington, MN 55425

A staffed booth will provide free HIV educational resources and referral locations for HIV testing purposes. The booth will be located on the 3rd floor by the California Café. For more information, contact Sara Khalfa, Southside Community Health Services, (612) 238-2391, or by e-mail at: sara.khalfa@southsidechs.org.

So you can Shop 'til ya Drop AND take a moment to observe World AIDS...

Posted at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This year Thanksgiving was not the typical one day affair where you cram in the cranberries, the stuffing, and the turkey in one giant, gluttonous swoop, sleep it off and then you're done. This year Thanksgiving was like a slow process of obliged eating and forced feeding--like I am being prepped for foi grois out of my liver. I had a record 4 Thanksgiving feasts to attend: 2 on Thurs, 1 on Fri, and 1 on Sat, so it's needless to say that I feel like a stuffed turkey! But I shouldn't complain since eating with great family and friends is never cause for complaint....but I think there is enough tryptophan coursing through my veins to make me lethargic for the weeks to come....I'm happy to see the passing of this edible holiday....
This upcoming week shouldn't prove to be that eventful. I have a Welcoming reception for new Board members of NARAL on Tuesday, and then on Friday I will go see my roommate perform with Zenon Dance Company at the Guthrie Theater. Other than this, I will be stuffing school--like Thanksgiving dinner--down my throat.

Posted at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well I'd like to say that I have an action packed weekend ahead of me, but this would be an utter lie. Having a rather lengthy paper due Monday means that--once again--I am sequestered in my apartment office only to emerge for food and water. BUT depending on how long this takes (I am a painfully meticulous writer when it comes to academic papers), I may try and seek a deserved break and play with some friends--we'll see. Of course, I will do my Saturday morning ritual of waking up early, going to yoga, and then heading downtown to take advanced modern dance at Zenon Dance Company and School. I'm a creature of habit and starting the days off my scheduled routine would be counterproductive for the rest of the day as I would be so--for lack of a better word--'off.'

I did, however, have quite an eventful week. Firstly, I was officially appointed as a board of director member of MN NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota Foundation for the '08--'09 year. I think it will be a really great experience and a welcomed opportunity. Secondly, and perhaps on a lesser 'professional' scale to some degree, I managed to catch the season premiere of Project Runway. I am totally in awe of people who can actually make wearable clothes--particularly under a short amount of time! What a skill! A friend of mine had a couple of us over for dinner because her friend is one of the contestants on the show, so we wined and dined prior to the show beginning. It was a delicious mixture of homeade macaroni & cheese, red wine, and high fashion--delightful!

Today specifically was a day of lectures: one focusing on the relationship between poverty and health given by a friend of mine as part of the Social Epidemiology Working Group headed by faculty member, Michael Oakes. Kate--the presenter--did a wonderful job qualitatively describing her experiences over the summer working on a research project in conjunction with the University of Alabama. Afterwards, I hiked it to the UMN Law School to attend a debate/discussion of organ transplant and its encompassing ethical debates. It was fascinating to hear three very expert opinions, and I left the room adding 'Bioethicist' to the ever-expanding lsit of what I would like to be when I actually grow up........

Posted at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)