Hello everyone!
I have to say, this hasn’t been one of my better weeks. For whatever reason, the past few days haven’t been much fun. But we shall go in chronological order, because there have definitely been some highlights!
Last Friday after swim practice, I was sitting at the dining table with some of my fellow first-years (Kendra, Grace, Tiffany, and Veronica Lin), and we were deciding what we wanted to do with our Friday night. It was determined that we wanted to go to “Rock the Sports Center!” an event that included moonwalks, a climbing wall, and other fun activities; go to a concert (the Make-A-Wish concert was going on that night, as well as a smaller concert called “Volumes”); and go hang out with Emma. We were in the process of resolving how all of these things would be accomplished in a few hours, when Emma walked up to the table! That was one problem solved.
You see, last week Emma and Maria (my teammates) collided in a full-speed, head-on water collision during practice. Our coach Bonnie has us swim counterclockwise in odd lanes and clockwise in even lanes, so that we can get rid of some of our strength inequality issues that come from having swum only one way our entire life. Unfortunately, swimming only one way one’s entire life leaves one with a mentality to swim that way even if one is in a lane that is not… hence Emma and Maria’s collision. They both still have concussions, and have had to stop swimming until they get better, though happily they were able to show up and cheer for our last meet. What’s really sad is that Emma actually got a concussion last year from running into Steph. Let it not be said that swimming is not a contact sport.
Thus Tiffany, being the kind soul that she is (if we were all like Tiffany, the world would be a much better place) decided to look up all she could about concussions so that she could supply her friends with the appropriate food gifts. She also spent two hours knitting a bright yellow scarf to give to Emma, who Tiffany was planning to visit after dinner. Following her example, Veronica and I had just decided to join Tiffany in trooping up to Emma’s room (once she finished the scarf, which she was industrially knitting) when Emma arrived at the dining table. We revealed to her the grand plan, which she thought was amusing, and then after some time and talk we headed over to the Sports Center as a group.
Rock the Sports Center was loads of fun. Like a good pack of first years, Kendra, Grace, Tiffany, Veronica and I ran around and drank smoothies, ate pizza, watched our coaches man the climbing wall (and gossiped about assistant coach Carlos’s fiancée, who was present) and made the most of all the inflatables present. Tiffany and I raced on the inflatable bungee-cord run (I won), fought with the inflatable tubes (she won) and ran through the inflatable obstacle course (Tiffany’s win again :)). It was great fun, and Tiffany got most of it on film (Karina filmed us, and Tiffany filmed Kendra and Grace in the bungee-cord race.) We also joined a pick-up basketball game (at home we call it “Lightning,” but one of the oddest things about being here is that no one comes from the same place. Thus we have different names and versions for everything—which is definitely odd, but also very cool.) and four of the five swimmers participating dropped out first ;). It’s very amusing how you can classify the sports. I, for example, swim, ski cross-country, and run track. That makes me an individual, longer-distance sport player who gets confused at the sight of balls. Swimmers are not known for their hand-eye coordination :).
After Rock the Sports Center, Tiffany and I bought last year’s sports jacket (on sale! The older swimmers call them “the upper half of the smurf suit”) and headed over to “Volumes.” It was an extremely unusual and cool concert, and since I’ve already written about it for an assignment, I’ll just post the description at the end if you’re curious. Suffice to say that it was an electronic concert, with sounds one would not instinctively associate with music, and that the 45-min performance was all improvised. Very cool, and like I said, my description is posted at the end.
When I returned from all the Friday night activity (that was a good night) I constructed my secret psycher gift to deliver to my swimmer the following morning at the meet against Clark and Roger-Williams. After that I went to bed, and got ready for the meet the next day!
Clark and Roger-Williams was an awesome meet. We had lots of good swims, and Keelin became NEWMAC swimmer of the week (the first time ever for Wellesley!) and I believe Hayley qualified for NCAA diving! Further, I did very well :). I swam a 56.55 seconds in my 100 freestyle, which I believe is a lifetime best, and if not, is very close to what I swam in 9th grade when I was good at the 100 free (I have since regressed… or not!). Plus, there was a lot of energy at the meet, as it was boys and girls and three different teams: ie, a lot of people! I heard later that our friends Annika and Rebecca came to watch Kendra and I from the stands, our teammate Erin (who is temporarily not swimming) cheered, and Professor Reisberg dropped by to see Veronica Yu and I as well! He even made up a cheer for us: “Dolphin, Shark, Tuna, Salmon / The Wellesley team is really jammin’ / Go Blue!” (which was sent by email, not actually cheered ;)).
My other meet of the week, Wednesday night against MIT, was also a lot of fun. I got to see Sarah, who is one of my closest swimmer friends from home! She swam the 1000 yards (that’s 40 times back and forth, guys. It’s way impressive and takes more than 10 mins. The usual response to watching it is agonized sympathy.) and through a fabulous swim won the event :). Kudos to the brave souls from our team who swam it as well: Melanie, Lindsey, Grace and Steph, I believe! The worst part is that in college, the long-distance swimmers don’t swim the 500 yards and the 200 yards… they swim the 1000 yards and the 500 yards. That’s a lot of swimming! Especially compared to Monica over here, who does three 50 frees and a 100 free totaling up to a nice 250 free…
At the end of the meet we took a picture with MIT holding up signs that say “Save the Terps!” The University of Maryland cut their swimming and diving program, and the now disbanded Maryland swim team is asking for support through pictures from the wider swimming community. They now have proof of two more teams’ support from Wednesday’s meet!
Today also contained something new! I had my first studio class today for singing lessons. Students taking private lessons at or above the 199-level have to sing for a panel of judges at the end of the semester, so our teacher Mrs. Whitten organizes mini-performances so that we can practice by performing in front of each other. I hadn’t been to the previous one (being at a 99-level, which is the beginner level, I pay for my lessons but have few obligations… e.g., I’m not taking a music theory class, and I don’t have to sing for the panel.) so this was a new experience! Moreover, I waited until last and sang my song and it wasn’t so scary after all :). And the other music students sounded wonderful (including Keelin, who’s also a swimming teammate! Good job Keelin :)).
In other singing news, I got an Ida Flemings Briggs Memorial Scholarship for $300 to help pay for the lessons! (Thank you to the Briggs family!) I recommend taking lessons, even at the beginner level; you can learn a lot, and I’m now paying $700 for the entire year ($300 I think if I took group lessons, which weren’t available when I was signing up.)) Plus, you don’t have to pay at all if you’re not at the beginner level! Still, a lot of students are discouraged about the idea of starting a new instrument from scratch; let me tell you; it’s doable and not too expensive if you have financial aid!
And let me announce that I am finally tiring of academics! (Tiffany says she’s been waiting for me to say that for months. But it happens so rarely!) This has been a crazy week: a history essay due today, a 12-page writing paper due next Tuesday (I sent Professor Johnson a pitiful email asking if I could do it over break. Whether it helped or not, she has thankfully moved it to be due December 6th and has shortened it from 8-12 pages. Thank you so much Professor Johnson! (and for the rest of you out there, this is very unusual, so don’t expect it when you get here :)), an education paper due next Tuesday (I will try my hardest, but I might use a pass to push that one back as well), a math midterm next Monday, three swim meets (Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday), my usual practice schedule (it’s dropped back to two morning weights a week, with swimming 6 days a week), music practice, working at the library, miscellaneous issues (Banner shut down, mandatory sports nutrition lecture), chemistry as usual (2 hours of reviewing the material a day, plus lab), the usual math, writing, education, history homework, and I think that’s it.
All of this was a bit too much over my normal daily schedule, where I’m still barely holding fort over looming piles of homework. Every time there’s a major assignment due (midterm or essay,) I fall behind, so I’m always in a stage of catching up. I’ve been reassured by my parents that one is always behind at college (the key is not to fall too far behind), which I’ve been managing pretty well thus far. But with swimming ramping up to two meets a week, plus usual practice and weights, and school going crazy before thanksgiving break, I need to watch out for this period next year. I’m accustomed to breaking down at around this time at home (high school swimming ramps up in a similar way, and school can always be overwhelming if you’re not on top of it.) so it’s nothing new. However, it’s finally Friday, and almost Thanksgiving Break (I’m heading home on Wednesday,) so I think I’ll be able to catch up on work and family and sleep then!
Unfortunately, as a result of all this badly-handled stress and work, I am not sleeping enough and thus have a cold. This is quite sad, but it is to be expected. The best thing to remember, I think, is that as long as I keep on going eventually it will all calm down. I’m planning on going to swim practice tonight and then going back to my dorm and sleeping.
The funny thing is, last night at the library I was slightly freaking out because I didn’t want to go to bed late (due to having weights this morning at 6:30am) and still had a writing assignment and a history essay to finish. Lizzy, who is a senior and one of my managers at the library, was chuckling, because she said that she always sees me as very in-control while she is freaking out. And now that I think about it, I often hear of students pulling all-nighters and staying up late and being behind. I never have (stayed up really late working on an assignment, or started a major assignment the night before), and so I kind of assumed it didn’t happen, but this stuff happens all the time. Hey, I suppose I’m a real college student now, right? I’m one of those kids who starts their essays at least a week in advance, but it’s funny to realize I’m not alone in being overwhelmed. In fact, I’m very far from alone, as I attested to in my last blog. It’s just been, as I said, so long since I’ve been more than a little behind academically. It can be done, though, and I’m still producing quality work. Just time to get to bed and continue to buckle down :).
As a final note for those high school readers who are reading this and are either laughing at me (I would. I am a ridiculously naive child.) or being scared, don’t be scared! (I can’t do anything for you wise to the ways of the world ones :)) First of all, there’s a LOT of support here. My teammates and friends are sympathetic, I’ve mentioned my teachers are sympathetic, my captains and mentors (athlete, first-year, etc) are here to help, the Stone Center provides counseling, there’s large numbers of adults here ready to provide support… you’ll be all set. I haven’t asked for any major help, because I’ve still got the situation under control, but if anything goes wrong Wellesley is a great place to be.
And now I’m out of time :). Mother, don’t worry (my mother worries), and sorry if this post was a little negative! It’s a stage in the process, and one I will inevitably surmount, for better or for worse :). So many new experiences at college! What fun. As always, I’m here for questions!
Have a marvelous afternoon,
Monica
ps, Picture credits due to Tiffany, surrounding members of the swim team, and Karina’s father. This week, they’re all from Tiffany’s camera.
Volumes
At Wellesley’s Chapel yesterday, I attended a concert by an avant-garde quartet of musicians called “Volumes”. From the beginning, the four invited us to come right up close to them, to observe them at their highly unusual instruments. They seated themselves in a neat parallelogram, three women and one man, dressed in casual attire, with the women closest to me kneeling on her sweater. She had a laptop and a harp before her, which she plucked rhythmically, making starkly different sounds that those coming out from the large speaker behind her. Fascinatingly, each time she plucked a string, I would hear the twang of the harp before sounds ranging from tinkling crystal to low alternating electric piano notes buzzed out through the amplifier. She’d pluck a string, and the note would echo later on delay, and as she continued doing this, eventually the same notes would tumble through the speaker unbidden by her. While the slow pressure of her finger would set the sound in motion, she would use what looked like a metal clothespin, rake, and plastic tube to make even more startlingly incongruous noises. Rhythmic plucks blended with each other to create series of three notes at a time which blended nicely with the other instruments. On her left was the man, who was working with a computer.
It was hard to tell what sounds originated from the computer, but there was often an electronic hum and static that originated from its depths. Clips of human voice and singing also were drawn out from the man’s recordings, and these bits of humanity amidst mostly electronic noise made the blend comforting when the sound built with layered instruments and increased volume. Occasionally his hands would flit around behind the keyboard on touchpads, and the buzzing would take on a different pitch or volume.
To the man’s left was another women, who had a record player and a series of records. She’d switch them out throughout the piece, and use the needle to play high pitches and unusual squealings as well as the occasional note. I had a hard time separating the woman’s sound from the man’s, as both were largely feedback-sounding: high, electronic, layered well, and thus difficult to distinguish to the inexperienced listener.
The leftmost women had an array of amplifiers, harmonizers, and other boxy brightly-covered equipment before her. She used these to distort sound, make chords, blend sound, and otherwise manipulate electronic tones into an arrangement that at points sounded like stars conversing with the ocean. The bright and rhythmic tinging at that point in the piece constrated with the lower reverberations that swelled and rolled showed how even electronic sounds, without classical instruments, could create viable images. This woman also played the flute, most unusually with a spitting motion that sounded like the crack of a whip through the speaker. What I liked most, however, was when she played a note and then made its pitch rise and fall with her equipment, so that it sounded like wind, playing through all of the other noises inseparably but adding a smoothness and haunting tone that was otherwise absent.
It’s very difficult to describe the overall sound of this quartet, especially since at the end of the piece they revealed that had been improving. This realization was the most special part for me, when I understood that they had been listening to each other and crafting this music from scratch. It was wonderful to hear from the woman who played the flute that she improvised for the challenge, for the difficulty of listening and always “saying something new.” They explained that they learned their techniques, but that they crafted a song based on the mood and on each other. I had never considered that a group of people could play such an engaging and harmonious electronic mesh that had dynamics and themes without first composing and practicing it, or even talking beforehand. I think how the song was created was even more important that what exactly was played; I’d never heard of an exercise that was so focused on listening and contributing, and this knowledge made the experience all the more special.