/id09027755802d7f65
<p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman; font-size: 14pt">January 18, 2008</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><strong>BACK IN BRONZE AND BLUE ACTION</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! It’s so good to back at UCO! I moved back on Friday the 11<sup>th</sup>, and I was so happy and excited to see all my friends. I missed them so much! After a great weekend with the friends, it was time for classes to start again. My schedule is a lot busier this semester than last. On Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays I’m taking English Comp. II, Theories of Leadership, and Intro to Mass Communications. On Tuesday and Thursdays I’m taking General Psychology and Elementary Algebra. All of my classes are great except for Elementary Algebra because it’s a zero credit hour class because I didn’t make above a nineteen on the math portion of my ACT. </span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> Even though this is the first week, I’ve already had homework and two exams so it really hasn’t been the greatest week ever, but getting to see everyone has made up for it! Wednesday was exciting because it was the first practice for Freshman Follies, the variety show solely run and performed by freshman who made it past the auditions. The cast and exec. are amazing and we’re all going to have a blast. </span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> The week has already been busy, but I know things are just going to get even busier as time goes on. It’s been such a great and positive week and it’s a reminder of why I chose UCO and how much I love it and the people. I can honestly say I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else or be anything but a BRONCHO. I hope everyone had a great Christmas Break and New Year’s and is excited about the things ahead. GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="font-size:14pt"><span style="font-family:Jokerman"><span style="color:#d2c778"><strong>December 8, 2007</strong></span></span></span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><strong>A CRAZY END OF AN AMAZING BEGINNING</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! It’s so weird to be saying that my first semester of college is actually over! So many things happened this semester that it’s insane to think about, but it all went by so fast. I’ve made so many life-long memories already and I’m so thankful for it.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I’ve decided to combine two weeks into one blog because not much happened last week. The only eventful thing was that I pulled my first “all-nighter.” It was exciting? It was pretty tiring and a lot of work but I finished it all, so I’m happy. Last week was what is called “dead week” but UCO doesn’t have a traditional “dead week” so it was basically treated just like any other normal week by the professors which wasn’t the greatest thing in the world.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">This past week was one of the craziest of the semester, mainly because it was Finals Week. Last Saturday night is when the big ice storm started, and I was back home in Minco for the weekend. I made the journey back to Edmond on Sunday which wasn’t the safest thing in the world, but finals were approaching and I had to get back to Edmond. What is normally a one hour drive turned out to be a three hour drive. I only had two finals in Humanities and Healthy Life Skills and they were both on Thursday, so I had no classes until then. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">To no surprise classes were closed the next day, Monday. It was extremely boring. Ice was everywhere outside and it was impossible to go anywhere, so my roommate and I just sat in our room the entire day watching TV and studying. Wednesday was an amazing night. It was the President’s Leadership Council Christmas party and it was a blast! I had so much fun seeing my fellow PLC’ers and President Webb and it was just an awesome night. Unfortunately it was back to studying after the party. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Thursday finally came around and I was stressed to my limit. Even though I only had two tests, I was still freaking out because I really didn’t know what to expect on a final test, but in the end the results were great and I got them over with. I left for home the next day. I was happy to go home, but sad to leave my friends for an entire month.</span></p><span style='color: #1c2a62; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt'>I loved this semester and it’s sad to see it go. So many great things happened and I’m going to remember it for forever, because it was my first experience of a lot of things, but I’m so excited for the future and even greater things. GO BRONCHOS!</span><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#d2c778"><span style="font-family:Jokerman"><strong>November 30, 2007</strong></span></span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>SOME UPS AND DOWNS</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! I hope everything is great! This week has been good and bad. The bad part is I’ve been sick. I’ve been pretty miserable and coughing like crazy, but it’s slowly getting better! </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I auditioned for Freshman Follies here at UCO and made it!! I’m sooo pumped! On Tuesday we had the “Meet and Greet” for Follies so that was a lot of fun. We got to meet all of the cast and executive council and watch last year’s show. I’m really excited about this and can’t wait to get started.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Wednesday wasn’t too great because I had to go to the doctor, but I got meds so it all evened out.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Thursday I volunteered and went to Winter Glow! It’s a really good Christmas party here on the UCO campus. Kids and families from the Edmond community could come and see Santa, play games, make crafts, and go on carriage rides. The turnout was amazing and everyone had a really good time. I love Christmas so this made me even more excited!</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Next week is “dead week” so it should be interesting. Hope everyone is amazing! GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#d2c778"><span style="font-family:Jokerman"><strong>November 23, 2007</strong></span></span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>I’M THANKFUL</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! This week was amazing, and sort of short. I only had to go to class for the first three days which were good and normal. It was all pretty slow because I was pretty ready for Thanksgiving Break. </span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> On Tuesday night me and a lot of my friends made a random trip out to a park to make smores. I went home the next night after work and we had Thanksgiving for my Mom’s side. On Thanksgiving day we all got together for my Dad’s side. Both were amazing and I was so pumped to see all my family and everything. It was so much fun! </span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> The next day I had to go to work for “Black Friday” and it was INSANE. I worked during the afternoon and evening but it was still crazy and people were everywhere, but luckily I survived. Other than that I just stayed at home and enjoyed the break.</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> I did realize how thankful I was for my family of course, and all my friends here at UCO who I consider to be my family as well. I love everyone to death and realized that I’m having the time of my life here and trying not to take things for granted. I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving. GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='text-align:justify;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '></p><p style='text-align:justify;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#d2c778"><span style="font-family:Jokerman"><strong>November 16, 2007</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-align:justify;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><strong>A WEEK OF SERVICE AND SPIRIT</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! I hope life is going great for you all! So this week was definitely a lot more eventful than last! Sunday was my leadership team’s service project! I’m in the Lessons in Leadership class here and everyone in it is in a team. Mine is team LOYALTY! As part of the class we have to do a service project, film it, and write a paper over it. </span></p><p style='text-align:justify;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> For our service project we went to the Free To Live Animal Sanctuary here in Edmond. It’s Oklahoma’s largest no-kill shelter for abused, abandoned, and stray dogs and cats. It was such a cool experience! We all got to go play with and brush the dogs and cats and tidy up around the place. It was sad to see all the animals without homes, but really cool to see all of the employees and people taking such great care of the animals and place. Later that night I went to visit my cousins who live nearby.</span></p><p style='text-align:justify;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> Nothing else really happened until Wednesday when I auditioned for Freshman Follies here at UCO! Not only do our leadership teams have to do a service project, but we had to do a spirit project as well. So my team baked a ton of sugar cookies with blue icing that had the letters UCO in white on them. We passed them all out to the administration offices on Thursday to spread some BRONCHO pride! We had to include the students too, so we all stood out by BRONCHO Lake and passed out free Starbuck’s hot chocolate. We were out of school on Friday for Statehood Day, so sleeping in was a must! It was a pretty good week!</span></p><p style='text-align:justify;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> I don’t know if you’ll here from me until after Thanksgiving Break, so if you don’t, have an amazing Thanksgiving and enjoy it all! GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#d2c778"><span style="font-family:Jokerman"><strong>November 9, 2007</strong></span></span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><strong>IT’S NEVER TO EARLY</strong></span></span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! I hope life is great! Wow, nothing really happened this past week except class! Not very exciting! So this is going to be more of an advice blog. I know it may seem early, but now is the time to start kicking things up a bit! Start taking your tours and looking at scholarships NOW! I took my first tour of UCO last October.</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> Scholarships will be due sooner than you think, so now is the time to start looking into them and starting and perfecting them! Work on them during school breaks, free time, whenever. All of the hard work and perfection will pay off in the end, trust me! Good luck and GO BRONCHOS!!</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '> </p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">November 2, 2007</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"><strong>NOT THE MOST EVENTFUL TIMES, BUT IT’S ALWAYS GREAT BEING A BRONCHO</strong></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! I hope everything is going great for y’all! So this blog is going to be a little short because sadly this past week wasn’t really that eventful. But the things I did do were awesome!</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> So of course I went to class every day and all that good stuff, but Tuesday was our monthly PLC (President’s Leadership Council) meeting. I would just like to say I’m absolutely in love with PLC and everyone in it...SHOUT OUT! They are the most amazing people I’ve ever met and I love every second of it all. My heart is with PLC. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">So the meeting went really good, and we did a cool thing after. Everyone split up into groups with people with the same Majors and the upperclassmen kind of gave us more information and what classes and professors to take because we already enroll for the spring semester in a few weeks! I can’t believe it! It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that I was enrolling in the classes I’m in now. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">My other big event of the week was “Dodgeball for the Kids.” It was a dodgeball tournament hosted by one of the fraternities to promote and raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters. It was a blast! A lot of teams showed up so it was really cool to play and hang out with everyone. I played on the PLC team and we ended up getting Runner-Up of the whole thing! It was a really good night. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Well guys, that’s about it. Have a great day and I can’t wait to keep you updated here at the greatest place in the world, UCO! GO BRONCHOS!!!!!!</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">October 26, 2007</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"><strong>HAPPY HALLOWEEN!</strong></span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '> <span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone, it’s me again! I hope everything is going great for y’all! So let’s recap this past week, which was really good by the way!</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but Monday was FREEZING cold! So I went to classes, in a t-shirt, but after that I went and bought a jacket as fast as I could. I was pretty bored and didn’t have anything else to do, so I made a random trip home to do some laundry for the day. </span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> Tuesday was a pretty good day. I just went to classes before our PLC Executive Council meeting to plan for the next general PLC meeting. I love PLC and everyone in it!!!! They’re my family and most favorite people in the world! Wednesday was really boring because I only went to class and work, so it wasn’t much fun.</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> Thursday was a BLAST! We had the Murdaugh Hall Council Halloween Dance AND the Murdaugh Project! The dance was a lot of fun and just your normal Halloween dress-up dance in Murdaugh Hall. The Murdaugh Project was amazing! It was a haunted basement in the basement of Murdaugh Hall. It had a story line, amazing special effects and actors, and all that you could ask for to be scared.</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> Friday was just another work day for me, but Saturday was really fun and eventful. It was Parent’s Weekend so my parents came up to visit and everything. It was really cool because they and all of the other parents got to help us out in our service project! The parents and all of us then went to the football game and watched our BRONCHOS pick up another victory…WOOT! The fun didn’t stop there. I went to a sorority’s date party after the game and had a lot of fun! It was Halloween themed, so everyone got dressed up for it. </span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> This week was really cool and I had a lot of fun! Not too much to be stressed about, so that’s always good! Events and things like this make me so proud to be a BRONCHO here at UCO! Everything is pretty fun around this time so be excited! GO BRONCHOS! </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">October 19, 2007</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"><strong>A CHANGE OF HEART</strong></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey guys! I’m hope everyone is doing great! I don’t really know how to explain this past week, haha. I only had to go to classes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday because after that it was fall break and man did I need it!</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I just went to classes on class days, had a couple of tests, and did all of that stuff. It was also Poverty Awareness Week, so there was a lot of cool stuff going on with that like the Shac-a-Thon and Hunger Banquet and different activities to promote that.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Fall break was pretty good. I had lunch with my cousin, who also went to UCO a few years ago, so it was really cool to see and talk to her about what has changed or stayed the same at UCO since she was here. I didn’t get to go home until Sunday afternoon because of work, so that wasn’t too great, but that’s life. I was really happy to go home though, even if it was only for a few hours.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">So the biggest thing that happened this past week was my decision to drop out of pledgeship for the fraternity. I dropped out of it for a lot of different reasons, but the main reason was because my heart just wasn’t in it. I am definitely going to go through Rush again, because I love Greek life and know it’s for me! I’m excited to see what happens next, but for right now, I’m just trying to relax and enjoy everything else UCO has to offer. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Well everyone, I hope y’all have an amazing week and I can’t wait to update you on my life here at UCO! Now ask me some questions and GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">October 12, 2007</span></p><p style='margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"><strong>THINGS CAN BE CRAZY</strong></span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> Hey everyone! I hope you all are doing great! So I’m not going to lie, this past week was a little hectic and I’m not sad to see it go, at all! </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> My fraternity makes their own fraternity paddles, so every chance I got of every day; I was at the fraternity house working on my paddle. It’s a lot more work than I thought, but it’s fun too. It’s a great way to bond and hang out with your big bro and fellow pledge brothers. I’m definitely going to take a lot of pride in mine after it’s finished.</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> I just started a new job. I wasn’t planning on working this year, but I was offered a pretty cool job so I took it! I’ve only worked one day so far, but it was a lot of fun. I’m a little nervous about time management and everything, but I’ll just have to see how everything goes. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> All of the mornings and afternoons were just about like any other. I just had class and homework and that good stuff. I actually dropped my history class. I bombed our first test which was during Homecoming, so to spare me the extra stress and worrying, I dropped it and took up a class called <em>Dancing Through the Decades</em>. It’s a pass or fail class that counts as a P.E. credit. It’s only for one week and three hours long every evening. It was so much fun! Nobody in it was really an experienced dancer, so that made it a lot more comfortable. The class is exactly what it sounds like. You learn different dances throughout different decades. DEFINITELY TAKE THIS CLASS!!</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> There weren’t many different things I did this week, but instead the same thing over and over, so that’s kind of why it was hectic, but it was good I guess!</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> Oh, and ask questions!! I’d love to answer them all! GO BRONCHOS!!!</span></p><p style='text-align:center;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">Oct. 5, 2007</span></p><p style='text-align:center;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:Navy"><strong>DON’T FORGET THE LITTLE THINGS</strong></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! Wow, this week went by really fast! Not a lot really happened either. On Monday my fraternity had a fundraiser and did really well with it, so that was awesome! Not much really happened on Tuesday except for class and hang out time, which is always nice. Last night, Wednesday, we had to have our weekly pledge meeting. We usually have them every Monday, but we had to move it because of the fundraiser on Monday night. Thursday was really uneventful except for class and hang out time…again. I’m going back home tonight (Friday) and probably coming back sometime Saturday night. I haven’t got to see my family in a while, so I’m excited to see them. Plus my high school is playing its rival and both teams are undefeated, so that should be really fun to go back and watch! </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> I feel like I’ve only been telling you the big stuff and events that I’ve been going to, so I’m going to try and get away from that for a second. Classes have been going pretty good. I’m doing good in all of them except for History. I bombed our first test and there aren’t many more chances to dramatically improve my grade, so I’m pretty sure I’m dropping it, and adding another called Dancing Through the Decades. I couldn’t just drop History and not add another because my PLC scholarship requires me to take twelve hours, plus I was going to do Dancing Through the Decades anyway. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> I think my life is going to get a little interesting here in a few days. I start a job on Sunday, so now I’m going to have to balance that. I wasn’t planning on working while I was in college, but I was approached about the job and have always wanted to work there, so I think I’m going to have a good time. Plus I’m not going to work a whole lot, so I think it’ll all work out. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> I’m a little behind on my fraternity paddle, so I’ve made tonight “paddle night” so I can really work on that and try and get it done as soon as possible. GO BRONCHOS…I LOVE MY FRATERNITY!!!!!! </span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">Sept. 28, 2007</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:Navy"><strong>A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE</strong></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! Man this past week as been really weird, but good. I was still in Homecoming mode, but that’s done now. Monday was another pledge meeting for my fraternity. It was a special night because we had Serenades, pledge meeting, and we found out who our big brothers were! Serenades are for date parties. It’s where we go around to the sororities and sing to them, and if our date for the date party is there, then we exchange gifts. When we got back to the fraternity house, we had a short meeting and then found out who are big brothers were. Mine is… MICHAEL OOTEN! I was so pumped when I found out! I love that guy to death and know it’s going to be the best Big/Little combo ever! My fraternity makes their own fraternity paddles, so we cut them out that night too and have been working on them since. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Tuesday was PLC day. First we had to take pictures for the composite. Then we had our Faculty/Staff Reception, which is a reception in honor of the hard work all of the UCO faculty and staff do. They came and had refreshments and met all of the new PLC’ers and mingled with the ones already here. Right after the reception was our monthly PLC meeting, which was a blast as usual. I also had to go to a Greek awareness workshop that night that talked about hazing and sexual harassment and abuse and that stuff.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">On Wednesday was the Buddy Lounge put on by my fraternity. We were camped out by Broncho Lake from 8am on Wednesday, to 8am on Thursday. The Buddy Lounge was an area set up to promote the Buddy Walk that was taking place on Saturday. The Buddy Lounge also took donations throughout the day and night. All of this was for the Down Syndrome association of UCO. The whole thing was a lot of fun.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Thursday and Friday were pretty laid back. I just went to class and hung out with friends and went and caught a movie. Saturday was really fun because it was our first date party for my fraternity! The theme was “Beach Ball” and it was at the <em>Original Ole</em> in OKC. My date was Malory Craft, SHOUT OUT! A group of us all went out to eat before heading to the place. The night was so much fun!!! I had a blast! We just danced and hung out the whole night. I’d say it was a pretty good week, wouldn’t you? GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">Sept. 24, 2007</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:Navy"><strong>CENTRAL REWIND…BRONCHO STYLE</strong></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! So I made it through my first UCO Homecoming, or as I also like to call it, “The Most Stressful and Busiest Week of My Life!” It was probably one of the best weeks ever! I know I keep saying that I’ve had the best week ever, but they just keep coming. I could seriously write about Homecoming in ten pages because so many things were going on all the time, but I’ve decided I better keep it short. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">This year’s Homecoming theme was “Central Rewind.” I was the Homecoming Chair on PLC’s roster in the Open Division for Homecoming. The roster is your team, and throughout the week of Homecoming your team can receive points for different activities and competitions, and in the end there is an overall winner. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Homecoming officially started on Sunday, September 16 with the LAFF Olympics, which is basically a really crazy mix between a relay race and obstacle course. The big event for Monday was the talent show. PLC didn’t have anybody in it, but we got points for showing up, plus we wanted to see all of the acts. I’m proud to say that a group from my fraternity placed 2<sup>nd</sup>! Not a whole lot actually happened on Tuesday except for window painting, and extra time in the evening to do whatever. On Wednesday the blood drive began and Unity Fest was that night. Thursday was the second day of the blood drive and the deadline for the philanthropic items to be turned in for points. This year we collected items for the Edmond Hope Center.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> Friday was a big day. That afternoon was the Centennial Gardens Dedication and the Current Miss America Lauren Nelson who is also a UCO student was there to help! That night was the night everyone had waited for, CHEER AND DANCE COMPETITION! PLC and all of the other Greek houses and teams had been working on their cheer and dance routines for weeks for at least 2-3 hours every night to perfect everything. This is probably the biggest event of Homecoming and attracts a lot of people to Hamilton Field House. It was so much fun doing our routine and the crowd loved it. PLC won 1<sup>st</sup> in the Open Division! It was so cool. I was also extremely proud of my fraternity who placed 3<sup>rd</sup> in the Greek Division! GREAT JOB GUYS!!!!</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Saturday was another big day. The parade was that afternoon and I’m not going to lie, I was dreading it and didn’t want to go to it, mainly because PLC really didn’t have a float, and because it was extremely hot. We had spent all of our time on Cheer and Dance and other things that we really couldn’t get an actual float built, so we just settled with decorating a truck. But it was a lot of fun just walking along and acting crazy. My fraternity’s team won 1<sup>st</sup> place in the float division and did an awesome job!!!!! The football game was that evening. We lost the game, but it was still really fun.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">When all was said and done, PLC was the 2007 Homecoming Open Division Champions!! It’s definitely a week full of memories. I had so many fun times, grew so close to people, and just loved every second of it. While there were a lot of good times, there were some bad too. I was SO stressed out that week because I was constantly trying to remember things and getting people where they were supposed to be and trying to get as many points possible, all while going to class, doing homework, and doing 50 billion other things.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Tensions were definitely high throughout it all. When you get a big group of people together who haven’t slept in a week, things can be interesting. I seriously didn’t get more than four hours of sleep each night. But in the end, through the good and bad times, it was so worth it! GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">Sept. 22, 2007</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong><span style="color:#1c2a62">ANOTHER GREAT WEEK</span></strong></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! So the second week of school has come and gone! Where to begin? Classes have been going really good. It’s hard to explain them. My mom always asked me how they go, and of course I tell her that they’re good and it’s class, which is true. I don’t have anything bad to say about them, but I don’t exactly have the best time of my life in them either. It’s just class. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I did unfortunately find out that teachers aren’t going to be as sympathetic as you would like them to. I accidentally did the wrong quiz in class, but my teacher let me do the correct one, but the only thing is, she made me do it right there and only gave me about 5 minutes to finish it. So I didn’t make the best grade in the world and kind of got my first reality check. BUT, I did make the grade up with another quiz and assignment, plus quizzes really don’t count as much as you’d think.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I’ve already gotten busy with Homecoming activities! I’m the Homecoming Chair for the President’s Leadership Council, so we’re already meeting and gearing up for all the crazy events that is Homecoming! </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I’ve gone home for the past two weekends, and it’s been great to see my family and weird going home again. I’ve only stayed one night each time, but it’s been really good and relaxing. Plus, the food is the best ever compared to some that I’ve had up here at college.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">We’ve already had our first football game where we beat the eleventh-ranked team in the nation! It was so cool to see everybody, hang out, and cheer the Bronchos on to victory! That’s all for now, GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='text-align:center;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">Sept. 14, 2007</span></p><p style='text-align:center;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>SOME GOOD AND BAD</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! So this past week wasn’t the most exciting in the world, but I did get to do some cool stuff. Monday was my Formal Association for my fraternity. It was so cool! The entire fraternity and pledge brothers went to the chapel on campus. I was dressed in my pledge gear with my pledge brothers, excited to make one of the first steps in this journey. After the night was over, I was officially an Associate Member of my fraternity. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> That Wednesday was our first pledge meeting at the fraternity house. It was a really cool and relaxed meeting where we were able to get to know our pledge brothers a little more. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> The pledge meeting was fun, but not so much after. I hadn’t been feeling good for a couple of days and it seemed to just hit that night. I was running a fever, had chills, sore throat, and all of that good stuff. I felt horrible! Even though I felt better the next day, I figured I’d be safe and go ahead and see a doctor. He said it was a virus and I would just have to let it run its course.</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> I went home Friday night to my high school’s Homecoming. I had a lot of fun and it was really good to see everyone again. I couldn’t stay and had to come back to Edmond the same night because Saturday was a brotherhood retreat for my fraternity. We went camping and had a blast! It was so much fun, just being around the guys and kind of away from all the stress from college. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> So this week wasn’t too crazy, but it was a lot of fun. Next week will be even crazier because it’s…HOMECOMING!!!! </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">Sept. 7 2007</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>FEEL THE RUSH</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! So the thing I’ve been looking forward to the most has finally happened…fraternity Rush! It was so hard because the girls got to have their sorority recruitment the week before, so the boys had to sit back and watch them have their fun, which made me even more excited about Rush! </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Basically the way Rush Week works is this. It started on Tuesday evening with Formal Orientation which is where every guy rushing receives their bid card and attends a ten minute workshop of each fraternity in the Nigh University Center. After Orientation, everyone rushing can start visiting the actual fraternity houses. You must receive a stamp from each fraternity, signifying that you went and checked out all six fraternities on campus. After you get every stamp, you can turn your bid card into the fraternity that you wish to join. You can turn in your bid card on the very first night, or you can wait until the very last night, depending if you know which fraternity you want. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I actually signed with my fraternity on the first night. They are the most amazing group of guys I’ve ever met and have always felt comfortable around them. It’s really hard to explain it, but it’s the best thing ever. They’ve had top grades for the past six semesters in a row and have won national awards for leadership and community service which are amazing accomplishments. Everything about them is good. There was never a doubt in my mind that this was the fraternity for me. I could seriously go on and on about them.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I spent the rest of the week at the fraternity house, enjoying Rush with volleyball, live music, and just hanging out. I was so proud and excited to wear my fraternity letters everywhere I went. By the end of the week I had 15 awesome pledge brothers!</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">This is definitely going to be one of the most memorable weeks of my life. One of the cool thing about Rush is making so many friendships in general. I’m really good friends with a lot of guys who I met through Rush that joined other houses. I definitely encourage every guy out there to go through Rush. It’s something that I promise you won’t regret! GO BRONCHOS! </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color: #d2c778; font-family: Jokerman">August 2007</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>FIRST DAYS OF CLASS</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! Classes have officially started and they are a lot better than I expected, but then again it has only been three days. So my schedule looks like this. On Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays I have Lessons in Leadership/Leadership Development, English Comp. 1, and History of the U.S. Since 1877 from 9am-11:50am. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have Healthy Life Skills from 11-11:50am and Humanities: Renaissance-Modern from 2-3:15pm. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I’m pretty happy with my schedule. It’s really cool to be done with classes so early on MWF because I’m free to do whatever for the rest of the day. It’s good on Tuesday and Thursday because I get a little extra sleeping time, but the only thing I don’t like is having the gap between classes and having to go to my Humanities in the afternoon, but it’s nothing big and something that I’ll just have to get used to.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">The first days of my classes were really good and really short. I didn’t know until the class, that the rule here is that your teacher doesn’t keep you the full class period, so they were all really short. We did the same thing in each class, which was look over the syllabus and just talk about the course and ask questions. I did have reading assignments in a couple of classes, so that was no fun, but it is college so I don’t know why I was so surprised. I’ve never taken a humanities class before, so I was pretty scared about it, but it looks like it’s going to be one of my easiest and better classes, so I’m pretty happy about that. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> So far I’ve kind of had the same routine with classes and eating and everything. I’ve eaten a lot in the University Center which has a lot of different food choices. I’m not going to lie; I’m not a big fan of the cafeteria. It has a lot of selections, but just not for me. I’m a pretty picky eater. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I’ve already experienced a busy, somewhat stressful day. Yesterday I had class, our first PLC meeting which was amazing, a Murdaugh Hall Council meeting, the Broncho Difference which was a service project of sending packages to troops overseas, homework, and social time. As weird as it sounds, I kind of love days like that. Not so much the stressful parts, but the busy stuff, and fun, and getting to hang out with my friends while doing it all!</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">There have been three fairs this week: the Greek Fair, Volunteer Fair, and Organizational Fair. I’m getting so pumped for everything to really start up!</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">This sounds really fake, and I’m not lying when I say this, but I haven’t experienced a bad day or anything bad while I’ve been here. Yes, I’ve only been here for a few weeks, but its going good so far. I know that will eventually happen, but I’m just hoping it’ll be a long time before it does. GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! So I’m completely up to date with everything and know all of the important facts of UCO because I attended New Student Orientation today! </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> New Student Orientation is held on two days. After you register you are assigned to either the Bronze or Blue group and will attend Orientation on your group’s day. While I was in Student Orientation my mom was in Parent Orientation. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> The day started with heading over to the UC at 8am and registering and picking up our bags before heading into the crazy ballroom where the orientation was held. Orientation Leaders were everywhere pumping everybody up and welcoming us new Bronchos. After everyone was in the room, it was time for the Playfair. It lasted for a couple hours with a lot of games, icebreakers, and new friends. After the Playfair it was time for the Broncho Challenge which was a scavenger hunt around the campus. It was a lot of fun and we got a better feel of directions and locations of buildings around campus and important information about activities and organizations.</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> When the Challenge was over, there was a break for lunch and time to get to know your Broncho Challenge team a little better. The guest speaker was after that.</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> The parents who had been in Parent Orientation came in to meet us students in the ballroom to for the faculty panel where five UCO faculty members spoke about various subjects from plagiarism and integrity, to building relationships with professors. Countless organizations, departments, and individuals also spoke about what they were representing and how we are involved with them. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> It was then time for our parents to leave so we students could have our “student” time again. Stacie McNeiland from the UCO Alumni Association captivated us with the rich history and traditions of UCO. It really didn’t have anything to do UCO’s history, but a pretty amazing dance-off between the students came afterward. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> To help end orientation the Old Blue Crew, a spirit organization, the pom squad, cheerleaders, and Buddy the Broncho all came in to help sing UCO’s fight song and end orientation with a bang, and it worked. Everyone all came out pumped and excited to be a Broncho and ready for the year ahead. Even though orientation was over, the fun wasn’t. Later that night, there was a dance for all students.</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> The whole day was really fun. Every incoming freshman should attend New Student Orientation. You get so much out of it and feel extremely comfortable with your fellow freshman and campus. It’s a great way to help kick off the school year. </span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>A LITTLE PIECE OF STAMPEDE WEEK</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! So life is going good. It’s Stampede Week and it’s non-stop fun. My birthday was on August 18, so I got to spend it with my new UCO family and it was a lot of fun. It was pretty weird not celebrating it back home and everything, but it was still really cool. That same night was “Wake Up in Wantland,” a big party with food and games at the football field. It was raining the whole time, but it just added to the craziness, so it didn’t really mess anything up. The lightening however ended it two hours early, but it was still a good time. The next night was the “Back to School Bash” with a carnival and the Battle of the Bands. I also learned that my hometown Minco was hit with storms and flooding, so my family has sent me pictures of the flooding and damage and it’s incredible. Another reason why I’m happy to be in Edmond! GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>COLLEGE PARADISE</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! This past week has been pretty amazing. It’s been so nice just waking up whenever and doing whatever you feel like. I’ve been trying to enjoy every second of it because that will all change in the next few days when classes start. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I’ve been waking up at around noon every day and staying out late and just hanging out with my friends. I’ve actually been somewhat busy during the day. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Nigh University Center or “UC” getting a lot of the important things done like getting my student ID made, making sure my money and scholarships are taken care of, getting a parking decal, and just little things like that. My mom actually ordered my books online from UCO’s bookstore, so I had them before I moved up here. I also realized that I only had one UCO shirt, so of course I had to pick up some more.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">One of the things that attracted me was UCO’s size. It’s large and has the total college package, but it’s not overwhelming. I’ve gotten to see so many people that I’ve met just walking around campus which is really cool and reassuring. I can guarantee that you can’t walk around campus one day and not see a familiar face. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">There are so many things to do around here already and school hasn’t even started yet! There have been different events going on at night around campus such as a talent show and “get-togethers” with music and food, and a lot of other cool events to just have fun and meet new people. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">The cafeteria isn’t open yet, so I’ve been going out to eat for meals, which is really nice. There are a million places to choose from in Edmond, so that’s the only bad part about it. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">So as the week nears an end, it’s definitely going to be one to remember. It can only get better from here!</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE EDMOND</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! The time that I’ve looking forward to, and somewhat dreading the most has come and gone…move-in time! So you’re probably wondering why I’ve been dreading it. Well my mom is one of the most emotional people you can meet, but in a good way I guess. She’s been crying about me leaving ever since my junior year of high school. The first time she cried, we were both sitting in our living room watching a college football game on TV, and they showed a close-up of the student section and I looked over to see her crying and saying “I don’t want you to go to college and leave me.” I thought it was funny myself, but not in a mean way. That’s just mom being mom. I was just dreading it because of that and I didn’t want her to be upset. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I have one younger brother, so I’m the first to go. Both of my parents didn’t go to college so they don’t really know what to expect or say. Plus times have changed which makes it even harder. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">So I packed everything up Saturday morning and my mom and I set out for Edmond. We got there an hour later, pulled in front of Murdaugh Hall, and were met by some volunteers to help unload everything and take me to my room. They were so nice and a HUGE help. So I walked into my room and saw my roommate Brandon. I threw my stuff in the room and went back to register and get my key before doing some “last minute” shopping with my mom.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Well the last minute shopping trip turned into a five-hour shopping trip. I really didn’t come back with a lot of things, but there were a lot of essentials, so it was a good trip. I came back to my room where Brandon and his mom were getting our room together. The most surprising thing happened shortly after. When my mom left to go back home, she didn’t cry! She had told me before though that she wasn’t really sad about me leaving anymore because I had already met so many people and had the PLC family to come to.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">After our moms had left it was the most amazing feeling of freedom, excitement, and accomplishment EVER. I seriously can’t really describe the feeling, but it’s one that I will never forget.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I left with a few other guys to go watch UCO’s football team scrimmage before going to eat at Flatire, the most amazing burger place ever! Everyone ended the night with watching the Sandlot between West and Murdaugh Hall.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> So I really didn’t have a move-in day, it was really a move-in weekend because the very next day, my parents were coming up to take me out to eat and do some more shopping. What was expected to be a short shopping trip for sure ended up turning into a four-hour long trip, just like the day before. But I can’t complain because I came back with more cool things for the room.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">After that trip my parents left, and I was officially on my own, again. I was free to do whatever I wanted! The feeling from the day before hadn’t gone away. This is what I’ve been looking forward to for forever, and now I am getting to live it! I spent the rest of the evening relaxing and meeting up with friends and just enjoying everything. It was a great move-in and first days at UCO. GO BRONCHOS! </span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>THE WEEK BEFORE THE BIG MOVE</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! So the night before I leave for UCO is here. It’s a weird feeling knowing that this will be the last “real” night that I live at home. From now on it will just be somewhat of a back-and-forth thing, but never the same. This past week really wasn’t how I expected it to be. I thought that it would basically be crazy; trying to get everything around and packed, and seeing the hometown friends one last time. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">It was my second week of not having to work which was an amazing thing, so I took every opportunity to just relax and sometimes be lazy. I honestly really didn’t do anything during the day but just sleep-in, watch TV, and Facebook. It was a boring week, but I think it was just what I needed after working for my Dad all summer at the Braum’s Plant & Farm in Tuttle, Oklahoma. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I luckily know my roommate through PLC so we’ve been talking a lot, so the preparation for our dorm really isn’t that big of a deal right now. We both know what each other is bringing. I’ll basically just be taking clothes and bedding and then do some shopping once I get there since I’ll get a good look of the room and see what all I need. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">I went and saw a few friends that I hadn’t seen all summer tonight. They’ll be seniors in high school this year, so of course they had a lot of questions to ask me about how the senior year will go, what to do and not do, and of course what it feels like to be going off to college. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">This blog isn’t very long, detailed, or jam-packed, but it’s the way it went. Each day was pretty much the same as the one before. You are probably thinking my life at home is lame right now, and so am I…just kidding. It was completely surreal, but it’s been so exciting thinking how close I am to moving to UCO! It was not the last week I had expected, and I’m really glad because it was such a great last week in Minco. GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>PLC RETREAT</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone! So during the spring of my senior year, one of the, if not THE biggest thing happened to me. I and twenty-three other students were awarded the President’s Leadership Scholarship and spot on the President’s Leadership Council (PLC) at UCO. It was basically a two-step process. First you had to fill out the application, and then if you were called back, you had to interview for the interview committee. After the interviews, the final decisions were made. Everyone worked extremely hard to get here and each recipient is so deserving and an amazing person. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">The annual PLC retreat was August 3-5 at Robber’s Cave in Wilburton, Oklahoma. It was seriously the best thing I’ve ever been to. On Friday, only incoming members, party committee, and executive council set out for Robber’s Cave. I had already met the majority of the group leaving first, but there were some I hadn’t, and I was still extremely excited to see the ones I had. A lot of us had been talking on <em>Facebook</em> which basically meant we were best friends.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">After a stop to eat, some icebreakers, and winding through Wilburton, we were finally at a hot Robber’s Cave. We unloaded our things, played some more icebreakers, and got into groups to get to know each other better with our “me-in-a-box.” </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">That night was one of the most special ever. President Webb came out to visit and spend the evening with us and I’ll never forget his speech to us. While he talked about many things, one really stuck with me. He told and reminded us that high school days are over, and that we’re in another phase of our lives. He told us that even those our high school “glories” were important to us, it was also important that we leave those behind. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">It gave me a reality check and made me realize that it’s time to not necessarily start over, but take what we learned from our high school “glories” and apply them to our new college lives and do bigger and better things. Those things that we achieved in high school will do us no good once we get to college. It’s time to start new paths, and though it’s hard to accept at first, it’s so right. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> After it was dark, all of the new members were lined up and initiated. I don’t really want to go into detail with all of the initiation stuff just in case there are some future PLC’ers reading! The night ended with hanging out by the fire and of course making s’mores.</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> The next day all of the upperclassmen arrived to a nicely decorated camp ground. The day was so fun and relaxing with games and workshops. That evening everyone dressed their best for formal night with good food, the class skit competitions, and the extremely funny talent show. </span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> We unfortunately left the next day. I was sad to leave because I was having an amazing time, but I knew I would see everyone again in a matter of days. I feel so blessed to have met some of the most amazing people ever. I feel closer to many of them than I did with many people in my hometown. I was able to grow a lot from those few days and will cherish them and get ready for more to come. I still and will wear my white, bronze, and blue bracelet until it falls off my arm. It’s extremely important to me and will be a constant reminder of the person I’m striving to be. GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"></p><p style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; ' align="left"><span style="color:#1c2a62"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>INTRODUCTION OF A NEW BRONCHO</strong></span></span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">Hey everyone, I hope this finds you well! First of all, you’re probably wondering who I am. Well, my name is Hunter Scott and I’m from the small town of Minco, Oklahoma. I’m so proud to say that I’m a freshman and Broadcasting Major here at the University of Central Oklahoma and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I never thought the day would come that I would officially be a freshman in college, but let’s go back a little bit.</span></p><p style='line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62"> The decision to attend UCO wasn’t a hard one at all; in fact there really was no actual decision. As cliché as it may sound, I’ve wanted to be a Broncho for forever. I’ll be the seventh member of my family to attend UCO, so I guess you could say that I’ve practically grown up with the Bronze and Blue. I didn’t look at any other colleges to attend because I knew deep down that UCO was the right place for me, and my first campus tour solidified that. Just stepping on campus was enough for me. I felt so comfortable and knew it was where I would call home. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">The atmosphere and people are amazing and you can’t help but get excited. My first tour happened to be on Halloween and in the middle of Homecoming Week, so there were students and things going on everywhere. Something that I’ll never forget is walking out near Broncho Lake and a big group of students, who were campaigning for Homecoming Royalty, spontaneously sang UCO’s fight song and welcomed us as we passed by. What an awesome moment that was! I still get chills thinking about it.</span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">While my gut instinct was what I went by, UCO’s elite Broadcasting and Leadership Programs definitely helped. The Broadcasting program is simply amazing and has produced countless successful broadcasters. Leadership is a huge part of me, and something that I believe is needed in all aspects of life. UCO is the only university in Oklahoma to offer a Minor in Leadership! How great is that? It’s such an amazing opportunity that has to be taken. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">So of course the day after my tour I had to show off my UCO hoody and brag about the day before. I would have moved to Edmond and lived in the Nigh University Center that day if it was possible. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">As my senior year of high school ended I couldn’t help but be excited and ready for graduation to be over with. I graduated with thirty-seven seniors, the majority who I had been with since pre-school, so of course tears were shed and the realization of possibly never seeing people again hit. But I think overall, we were all relieved and excited. It wasn’t like we were just forgetting and throwing away the whole high school experience, but everyone, including myself, were just ready to get out, meet new people, and move on with the next chapter of our lives. I kind of felt guilty for not feeling sad about leaving and graduating, but I knew that I was moving on to bigger and better things and was completely ready for it. </span></p><p style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%;margin:0in; margin-bottom:1.0E-4pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; '><span style="color:#1c2a62">So here I am now, pumped and ready! Now that you know a little more about me and how I got here, I’m really excited to share my experiences and life at UCO with you. I know this is going to be an amazing year. Talk to you soon! GO BRONCHOS!</span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>
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Hunter's Archives
Hunter's Archives