Leslie Pitmans Blog

They aren't; They're not; They are not

I realized today, in my typical English-major way, that there are 3 ways to say "They are not". There is the original, conventional way, and then using contractions: "They aren't" or "They're not". What this has to do with anything, I know not. But I just thought I would share my realization with you all.

Connection Queens was this weekend, and what a wonderful success it was! I had a lot of fun, but more importantly, I think the prospective students had a great time. It was bit of a cold and dreary day, but we all made the best of it, and made some good friends. It sounded like many people found roommates for next year, and they also already took their placement tests AND registered for classes! Fall 2008 is just around the corner.

Beyond CQ, I also went and saw 21 with some friends on Friday night; what a great movie! I definitely recommend it, especially for Across the Universe/Jim Sturgess fans. It's an excellent film. On Sunday, though, was room selection day. The process went much more smoothly than I was expecting (Residence Life is amazing), and Lauren, Lauren, Jessica and I will be suiting together in Hayes next year! We are pretty excited.

Class registration is going on right now, as well, so I figured out my schedule last week. I'm thrilled, because I will be taking three English classes. I know...I'm a dork.

Anywho, hope you are all doing very well and enjoying the last few months of school! If you are a parent reading this, I hope that you are encouraged by my stories and ramblings; college is a great experience and it is our goal (by our I mean the student body) that your future student finds Queens as wonderful as we do. I'm here to help make that happen, so feel free to drop me a line if you would like to put in a special request! For those of you who are students reading this, I cannot wait to meet you guys, or to see you again if we have already met. You, also, may feel free to email me or comment here and let me know of concerns or questions you might have. I love talking to y'all, so don't leave me hanging!

Happy Monday. :)

Fondly,
Leslie Virginia

Like A Scene from All Those Movies

After a busy couple of months, and a tough schedule, spring break was a welcome sigh of relief. As wonderful as this campus is, we all need a break every now and then. Getting away for a little while was a lot of fun, and a break that everyone needed--students and teachers alike.

I went, with Natalie and Sarah, to Washington, D.C. where we stayed with Sarah's dad in Georgetown. We visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Air & Space Museum, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, George Washington University, the Georgetown area, and the metro stations. While I was in DC, I called my friend who is a student at GWU, and she showed me around her campus and pointed out some important DC buildlings, including the State Department. It's crazy to think she goes to school in the middle of all of that!

After a few days in DC (and one of shopping on M Street), we took at train to New York City! The ride was about 3 hours, so I was able to get some much needed rest and a bit of homework done. We arrived in NYC about 11 am, and started our trip off with a subway ride to Central Park and a speedy trip through the Natural History Museum. Wow. That place is incredible! Their exhibits are, literally, indescribable. I couldn't believe that it was my third time in NYC and I had never been to this museum before.

I met up with the senior class of 2008 from my high school who were in NYC last week. That was an odd feeling; it must have been only yesterday that it was my senior class who was in the city?! That day, Natalie, Sarah, and I spent some time in Times Square where Joey, Wes, and Eric met us; we took the subway back to Central Park, and Joey and I found our way to the United Nations.

At the UN, we took a guided tour, and then sat down and talked with Wes' godmother, Lorraine Martin, for an hour about what the UN is doing and how it is impacting our world. She is the Secretary of Sanctions in Sudan, and thus works directly with the people in charge of solving the Darfur crisis. She was very enthusiastic about talking with college students about world issues, and it was an  unforgettable experience.

Our last day in New York, we went to the Empire State Building where my friend Rebecca, who lives in Brooklyn, met up with me and chatted with a cup of coffee. Then Natalie, Sarah, Rebecca, and I went to Little Italy for lunch. After that, we made our way back to the hotel and then on to the train station where we laughed a lot and waited for our train.

We arrived back in DC late that night, and then, after brunch with Sarah's family, we drove back to school. We were greeted with some rain, but a still beautiful campus. All in all, I had a very fun and productive spring break, but I was glad to be back home.

Now it's time for business; I have 3 papers to write this week. Of course, there's Easter break this weekend, so I'll be home in Florida for the festivities. Happy St. Patrick's Day, and Happy Easter!

Fondly,
Leslie Virginia