The University of Blog

I went with my family to Estes Park, Colorado on the base of the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a beautiful area to visit. If you like outdoors, this is the place to be. We were able to horseback ride (2 hours), whitewater raft on the Poudre River (low water, got stuck on a lot of rocks), and fly-fish.

I had never fly-fished before and we went on a half-day trip with a guide on the Big Thompson River. It was wonderful. I caught two rainbow trout and one brown trout. Unfortunately, my parents weren’t so lucky. I had no idea how much skill that fly-fishing takes. We wore waders and got right into the river, and used our flies to emulate the bugs in the river. And it worked!

Estes Park is very touristy, but once we got up into the Rockies, the crowd disappeared. It was pure nature. When we got up 13,000 feet near Rock Cut in the Tundra, we saw a family of elk. We also saw elk crossing the street lower in Estes Park. They were huge!! Completely unbelievable. With all of the great food and adventure, it turned out to be one excellent family vacation.

I went to the National Network of Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW) conference (Speak Truth to Power) in Washington, D.C. at American University. We were able to go to the office of the National Presbytery and learn about such issues like the Farm Bill, reproductive rights, immigration, and healthcare. We were then able to discuss these issues and how we felt about them during a “Speak Your Mind” forum.

Every night we had different plenary speakers. One of the most interesting women that spoke to us was Mara Vanderslice at Common Good Strategies, which is a political consulting firm for Democratic candidates. She served the Kerry campaign as the Director for Religious Outreach. It really got me thinking about the connection between religion and politics. And there can be one by using faith as a “moral compass” to drive political thought. Also, by using the power of the vote as well as writing letters to representatives and congressmen, this can really make a difference.
We also learned what we could bring back to our campuses to have successful programs in which people come and care about the issues. The biggest way to accomplish this and get participants is to build relationships. We learned that this is the key to not doing all of the work ourselves.

Touring the city, we visited the National Organization of Women (NOW), which is a feminist organization working toward women’s rights. They were organized originally to help pass the Equal Rights Amendment. The other groups visited the Center for Community Change, to give members of communities tools to change their communities for the better, and the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House. The biggest thing that I took away from this conference was to just be involved and informed. Knowing the issues and writing letters is one of the best things you can do because Washington cares what their constituents think.

Back from Spring Break with site difficulties, but now we are back up. Also, I feel refreshed to tackle the last few projects and tests of the semester. Five weeks left! I know that I am counting down.

I traveled to Seattle to visit my brother. The first day while he was working, I navigated the bus system to go to Pike’s Place public market. Here, you can buy flowers, fresh fish, vegetables and fruit, and baked goods. I picked up an art print and a poster. Then, I saw some live fish at the Seattle Aquarium. After lunch, I ventured to the Experience Music Project, which is an interactive music museum. Definitely a must see for the music buffs. It was so much fun, although it was hard for me to learn the drums or the guitar. Becoming a musician is not my calling.


The next day my brother and I drove to Vancouver, B.C., and took a ferry to Victoria. How beautiful! The trip to get there took awhile (around 7.5 hours), but it was so worth it. We went out to eat at an Irish pub and stayed at a hostel (Ocean Island Backpackers Inn). For $22 a night, you sleep on a dorm bed with others from all over the world. I met a guy that went to Oxford, one from Belgium and another from France. That night we went out to a dance club (legal age is 19 in Canada), and we met some really nice people.

Canada would not be my first thought for a Spring Break destination, but it was so worth it. Even though it was a very short trip, I was able to see the Parliament Building and the Breakwater in Victoria and explore a new part of the country. And the weather was beautiful! Seattle decided to be warm and sunny for my visit making me very happy. And the break will certainly help me get through the last few weeks here.