Milenko Fadic's Blog

Last Week

Hey Guys, 

It is a pleasure to be writing to you all once again. Unfortunately, this is the last blog I write from Queens. For the summer I will be going home but I will definitely write from there.

Last Friday we celebrated Spring Carnival. This is a way for us to enjoy ourselves before a very stressful week. The Carnival had a Ferris wheel, a jumping volleyball cord, a trampoline, ice cream, and lots of fun.

The same Friday we also celebrated our international culture with international day. We had food, dances, and presentations from many countries and everything was delicious and outstanding. 

April 15th was my BIRTH-DAY! At midnight some of my friends came to my room and brought a delicious cake. The day was fun but I had some meetings and I could not do many social things.
 

Classes are over! This past Monday was the last day of classes here at Queens.

Tuesday we had the reading day; this day gives time so students can read, study, chill, or do whatever. Monday we also had midnight on ice and skated the night away.

 

That Tuesday night, we had a night breakfast and professors dropped their books and served the students. Wednesday every undergrad student had to take the Core exam which kicked off exam week. This week is that time of the year during which you have to focus and just get it over with.  

 

Enjoy the pictures of animals eating.

Till Next Time

Milenko

The last week before exams

So where do I start? To be honest, during this past week I have had a variety of feelings. In one sense, I am happy that I will be finishing classes soon. In another, however, I am sad because my first year in college is almost over and has gone VERY fast.

In other note, this week has been very fun but at the same time very busy. This past we ek, it was Greek time here at Queens. This was a time where our Greek life did some activities for the whole campus. One of the activities that caught my attention was one that I called Mr. Queen. This was an event in which four “lucky” guys, showed their feminine side and compet ed to show their abilities. I was not able to attend this fun event, but from what I heard it was hilarious. The guys really wanted to show their ability and represent their group and they performed excellent. Joel won the final prize after modeling, singing, and playing the violin.

Another event of Greek Week was the sorority football tournament. This was a game of flag football in which the girls showed their masculine and completive side to try and win. It was a lot of fun seeing the girls wrestle for the ball.

School-wise I have been very busy. In two of my classes my professors decided to challenge us. In my Core class we decided to do a Citizens Forum. This is a mock- Congress or United Nations. In the forum we present an issue and propose a solution that can address it. My class decided to tackle the media and how they are not serving the public. The first forum was Friday and our speakers did great. Similarly, in my English class we are doing a mock trial. We are a ccusing a character from a book we read. My role was to be the prosecution lawyer. It was a challenging experience but I enjoyed it greatly.

Saturday was a very exhausting day for me. In the morning, I helped with Preview Queens. I was enthusiastic to get to know some prospective students and show them the beautiful campus and explain the many programs we have to offer. I met some really intelligent students, gave a tour, and ate exquisite food.

Right after Preview Queens, three friends and I drive to South Carolina. My girlfriend was perfor ming in a play called “Grease.” It was very exiting seeing her perform and show all her talent. Sunday, they came to my house where we made some traditional Ecuadorian food and watched a movie.

This next week is going to be challenging. I have three exams and many activities to attned. Tuesday we have the spring convocation and it is also my Birthday. I will 19 years old.

Wish me good luck in the exams

Till next time

Milenko

It is raining outside!!!

As I promised before, I am going to give you a critique of the play “The Vagina Monologues.” The play was a very enriching experience. It amalgamated humor, suspense, drama, and misfortune. To me, however, the most important part of the play was the dialogue the audience has with the cast after the play was over. It was very interesting to see professors and students interact about a topic that is so important but at the same time considered taboo. Luckily for you, this play is a tradition at Queens and we have it EVERY year, so do not miss it.

My experience in Washington was phenomenal. I was astounded by the complexity of the architecture in Washington. I visited almost every museum that was opened, passed by many embassies, and saw the White House and Supreme Court. Unfortunately, when I got back from D.C. at 4a.m. on Saturday, I realized that I had LOST my keys to the room and had to walk to campus police to get the copy.

This week I finished my schedule for next semester. I am very exited to start the interesting classes of next fall but I know that they are going to be more challenging because they are focusing on my major. This week has also been very hectic because all of the assignments for my classes. Among other things, I had to write two research papers in topic I was not very familiar with. To make things worse, HP has not returned me my laptop so I have to go to the library every time I want do any work.

This month of April is Earth Month. I think it is important to acknowledge the importance of Planet Earth and Mother Nature and realize that we need to take extreme care of them. On April 1^st, in order to get the Earth Month mood going, the Cafeteria created an earth theme. There were some students that were doing presentations, there were shirts given away, and we ate with recycled utensils and plates. Another event that took place was the recycling of plastic in Diana fountain. Here in Charlotte we are experiencing a drought and as result we are not using our fountains. This week Queeners recycled all their plastic and placed it inside Diana fountain to show our devotion to protecting the Earth.

Friday, some of me friends and I went to the Latin Club Las Torres. It was an awesome experience seeing my friends moving in the Dance Floor. They were pretty good. The good thing about Charlotte is that there is always a place to go or a thing to do.

Next Saturday April 12^th is going to be Preview Queens. This is when juniors in High School get a preview of the awesome Queens’s life and experience. I am very exited to show the school and I know is going to be an awesome awesome time.

Thank s For Reading

Milenko

Wednesday, 25th 2008

I am glad to be writing to you once again. This week has been packed with activities that have had me moving at all times. I spent Eastern with my family in Columbia S.C.It was a relaxing and at the same time stressing weekend.In one hand, I had the opportunity to see some friends that I had not seen in a long time. We talked from 10pm until sunrise and caught up with our lives. In the other hand, however, my house and schoolwork are mutually exclusive. When I am home I can’t, regardless of how hard I try, do homework. As a result, when I got back on Sunday, I had to study the night away.

Monday I had a meeting with my co-chair and my advisor for CUB to plan the budget of next year. Even though I had tons of fun, by the time we finished our 2 hour long meeting, I was exhausted.

After I finished the budget proposal, I had to run to the library and read several articles for my honors seminar. The articles were interesting but LONG. I read and read, then read some more and ended up sleeping at 3:00am.

Tuesday I had to study for a big macroeconomics test. Here in college, tests count a significant part of your grade and thus you have to devote a significant amount of time studying .After I finished studying for macro, my brain was so fried that if you would have asked me what is two plus two, I would have said two hundred. Fortunately that day we had Tai Chi classes which helped me relax my mind and every muscle of my body.

Wednesday I had to wake up at 6:00am to drop my girlfriend at the airport. Unfortunately I was caught in traffic and was almost late for my first class. After taking the test, I had to run to Garinger High School to help with a forum discussion dealing with gangs. The discussion was titled “the fight to get in, the struggle to get out.” There were four guests speakers (two students and two professionals) that informed us about gangs. It was a profound experience because I had never heard first handed those types of stories.

Today the school is presenting the traditional play “The Vagina Monologues.” This play is performed by students and faculty. I will give you a full critique of the play next time.

Tomorrow I have to meet with my advisors to plan my calendar for next year. Right after my appointment, I will be going to Washington D.C. to visit George Bush (Just Kidding.) Actually, I have to go to the capital to renew my passport that expires soon. As a result I will not be able to attend the Experience Queens this weekend. I am really sad because this day is one of the most amusing days for Ambassadors.

Until next time

Milenko

Je suis ici encore

Bonjour! I am back from a much needed Spring Break. My break was very relaxing and joyous. I was in Columbia, S.C. where I became Irish for one day and attended the St. Patrick’s celebration. Columbia has the fourth biggest celebration in the country and I was very proud to attend it. The food was good, the music great, and the environment was excellent.

Even though this week we had Good Friday off, I have been very busy. For starters I have to plan the events and the budget for next year’s service committee for College Union Board. Besides that, this and next week I have to finish numerous PAPERS and I have a macro-economics exam. This Friday is also my father’s b-day so I will be going home. As you will experience, whenever you go home, you CAN NOT get any school work done.

In another note I am starting to get sad because the school year is almost over. I can not believe it! This year has gone very fast. I have learned so many new things and my mind have opened immensely. At the same time, however, exams are approaching and it is that crunch time again.

Thanks for reading

I will post pictures as soon as I get my computer fixed

Mariposas

Hello Guys!

Well first of all I have to apologize for not writing this past week. I was extremely busy and to worsen things my computer broke. I apologize.

IT IS SPRING BRAKE! All Queeners finally get a chance to take a much needed break. This year many people from Queens are going to Hilton Head or to their hometowns. This break is like a pit stop for us that lets us prepare to  finish the year strong.

Like I said before, the week before Spring Break was very packed. I was running for Sophomore class representative, office in CUB, preparing for exams, helping organize a conference, and planning my Spring Brea k. My first plan for the break were to go to New York to visit an Ecuadorian friend I had not seen in 4 years. I was ready to buy the ticket but unfortunately my friend, who sings at the Opera, forgot to tell me that he had a performance during Spring Break and he could not be my host. As a result I decided to stay here at Queens for 4 days and then go home.

I am sorry to inform you that I have some bad news. Remember the R.A job I told you all about? I did not get it. This year the applicants for the job were very well qualified and there were only 24 spot for 35 people. The good news is that next year we will have an excellent personnel in the Resident Life that I am sure w ill make and stupendous job.

Last week there were many outstanding events that took place here at Queens. The first one was a beneficiary concert promoted by the graduating class. The concert feature many Queens students and a band called five knuckles. Joel and his friend opened the concert and played very well. The day after the concert there was a 50s party. It was a really fun party. Many students dressed like John Travolta in the movie Grease. The party had this drink that I think is called ´´brown cow´´ which is made of root bear and ice cream.

Another interesting events that took place last week were the speeches by outstanding guests. The first speech was done by a minister of Rwanda who informed and inspired students to pursue a passion and combat indifference. The speech was very profound and made me pondered.

The second guest last week was Robert F. Kenne dy. It was an honor to have him speak at Sykes auditorium. Kennedy spoke about the environmental issues that occur in this country. To me this speech was an eye opener. Kennedy made me realize how politics and the environment are inextricably linked together.

My days here have been a lot of fun. Among other things I have painted, played music, watched the basketball and played tennis. Now I am starting to do some work I have some classes to get a head start and not have to worry about them when I go home. After Spring Break I have to write three big papers which will be time consuming so I using this free time to work on them.

Now you see! Last week was filled with action that entertained, taught, and inspired.

Thank for reading.

Milenko

A deep Thought

Hey Guys!

Unfortunately last week I was victim of the recent epidemic in the southeastern schools. I had heard in the news that many college students were getting infected. My luck ran out and it was my turn to suffer the consequences of the flu. This was the first time in my college experience that I have been sick and it is a horrible experience. I had to be absent from classes twice as a result of acute headaches, painful muscle fatigue, unbearable dizziness and nausea.

Yeah, this week I dropped everything in my agenda and decided to rest. I left my dorm room only to go on an excruciating trip to the cafeteria to eat. Moreover, this was the first time my loved ones were not close and thus I had to care for myself.

One might think that this week was a wasted period of time because I did not accomplish much. However, I see this time as an excellent break in my school so that I can think about my life. As a result, in this entry instead of telling about what happens in my life I will explain what happens in my mind.

In some ways, my mind has not change much since my college years. I still hold many structural and ideological thoughts that shape me in who I am. The basic values which my family taught have been almost without modification. However, I have seen that in my short period of higher education, my mind has matured greatly in so many different areas. In trying to explain my thoughts, I must quote one of my friends who says that “college is a time of narcissism.” I want to clarify that this egocentric person is NOT someone with vanity, disregard for others, or indifference. The reason why I quoted this friend is because I believe that college is a time where you can discover your self-identity. It is a time to comprehend your limits, values, fears, dreams and goals. It is a time to understand what are you made of and the difference between the theoretical and practical YOU. This seems somewhat confusing and in fact it is. Do you really know who you are? Where you are heading?

One of the examples I think of is the difference between the attitudes of my friends during the first and second semester. For example during the first semester everyone likes the freedom they possess and as a result the ambience is a little adventurous. People join Greek life, student activities, and outside organizations. Then, during the second semester, the school calms down and people seem to know themselves better.

Personally, this idea of knowing who am I is one of the best attributes college has. It not only teaches you a pragmatic technical attribute but also a conceptual skill which can help you live a happy if not noble life. Take this time to travel, to discover, to understand, to learn and experience many new ideas and actions. Remember that during this time you are the captain of you own boat and you make the decisions which will help you find terra firma, wander through an endless ocean, or drown you.

Thanks guys

Write to you soon

Homecoming and Valentines

A  Hello

I finally get the chance to write to you. This week was very busy.

Tuesday we had a fun little activity in the Trexler center. It was Karaoke night. I had a really fun time, I even a song sang Enrique Iglesias. One of my friends dedicated a song to his girlfriend and even though he was a little out of tune it was a nice gesture.

The day before Valentine’s we had a date night in the Lions Dean. This is like those show were there is a man or woman on one side and there are three candidates in the other side. They do not know who is on either side. The person asks questions and she chooses the person whose answers she likes the most. It was a lot of fun and we saw people dancing and saying some pretty funny and weird things. The winner of each round won a date for Valentines day.

Friday I had my first Core test and it was very tough. I studied a lot for this exam and I think i did OK. There is a picture of all my notes for the test. But dont get scared, if you pay attention it is not that hard.

As I said it was homecoming and Presidential scholars weekend so I did not have a second to catch my breath. Friday I met Ross, the student I was hosting, and we enjoyed a nice evening. We ate really good food and I introduced him to some of my friends. We were about to go to sleep when they asked us if we wanted to go to a concert. The band was excellent but we did not get to go to bed until two o clock in the morning. That is very unfortunate because I had to get up at 6 in the morning to help with the Presidential weekend.

Saturday was  packed. I mingled with prospective students and their families, walked P.S finalist, and gave tours of the school. It was a lot of fun but very tiring. After my duties were over some friends and I went to the homecoming game. It was a lot of fun and the boys basketball team won by a large margin.

Unfortunately today (Sunday) I woke up feeling sick. I think I caught that flu epidemic but I hope it will go away. I have to finish some work for my classes so I hope I will feel better later. I am also waiting to hear from residence life to see whether or not I got the Residence Assistance job I applied for. Wish me luck!!

BEST WISHES

MILENKO

Homecoming!!!!!!!!!!!

  Hello Everyone!

This weekend is going to be Presidential Scholars Weekend. I remember this time last year, I was competing for the same scholarship. I know some of you will be coming here for the interviews and my advice is to be sincere and CALM. Fortunately, I will be there walking people on Saturday so if anyone recognizes me say hello.

This week is also homecoming and we are very exited here at Queens. Tuesday we are going to have a karaoke night and Thursday (Valentine’s Day) there is going to be a date game. Sadly, for Valentine's my girlfriend will not be here with me :(.

Unfortunately, this week is also packed with schoolwork. I just finished my first Macroeconomics test on Friday and now I have to focus on Core. I am a little nervous because I do not know what to expect on that test. My Chinese and psychology classes are starting to get harder so I am going to concentrate more and waste less time ha-ha.

Last weekend I was able to go home. I think that every college student ought to go home every once in a while. The food, the people, the ambience, and all those things that make your house a home recharge your batteries and help you keep doing better everyday. My few days home were very amusing and relaxing. When I got back on Sunday, I was surprised to learn that the whole neighborhood was dark. I think a transformer blew and it was the first time I saw Queens totally dark. As a result, a friend and I decided to play some "blind" music . It was a guitar/saxophone duo and we sounded pretty good.

I hope you are enjoying the beauty of little things and I will write to you soon

Thanks for Reading

If you recognize me on Saturday do not forget to say hello!

Time Flies!!

 

It has been already a week since I wrote! Unbelievable!! Here in college time flies so you better make the most of it!! One thing I forgot to tell you about in my last entry was the speech that Dean Downey gave. Every semester the entire College of Art and Sciences (CAS) has convocation. This is what “officially” starts the semester. Usually a faculty or staff personnel gives a speech. This semester the Dean of Students gave a very inspirational and insightful discourse. Thanks Dean. 

This week I had my first ambassador duty. I hosted a prospective student who “Experienced Queens.” We got to go to the Levine Museum of The New South. It was a very nice experience. I got to see some cartoons and talk in a southern accent. Then we went to eat FREE food (always a plus) and watch the Super Bowl. The College Union Board (CUB) organized the event and they had nachos, pizza, wings, sodas, and a big screen.

Saturday I went to the Queens vs. Pfeiffer basketball game. Sadly we lost but it was one of the most exiting games of the season. It was the referee’s fault.

This week I am going to TRY to get as much studying in as I can. We are close to mid terms and that mean Stress. This semester I decided not to procrastinate my studies. Also, next weekend is Presidential weekend and homecoming so I am sure I will not get anything done then.

Best regards,

Milenko