Hi guys! It’s about that time of the semester when you begin establishing your weekly routines – the lunch dates, the workout times, the fun stuff, it all gets added to the list of classes and work hours. Mondays kinda get a reputation for being a drag, but I do my best to avoid that! I actually only have a few hours of class (Advanced Inorganic Chemistry and my Chemical Engineering Lab), so I blocked a huge chunk of time tutoring at the VARC. In case you don’t know, the VARC is our free tutoring center, and I work as one of the tutors there. So after a long day of work and class, I get to unwind a little with some cool on-campus activities.
Tutoring at the VARC is such a rewarding job, and I have done it for 2 years!
The first thing that I do on Monday nights is Urap. I blogged a little bit about it last year, but I was only a new member and still figuring out what it was all about. Urap is an LGBT discussion group, where we can openly discuss anything and everything queer! For me, it has been a great way to learn about some of the new LGBT laws or media, and garner different opinions on some hot-button issues. It also causes me to critically think about issues that I might have just brushed aside, which is so valuable. There are a handful of facilitators who occasionally propose topics or get the ideas moving, but it’s student-run and part of QuASA. The variety of opinions in the room on a subject is what makes it so interesting! Last week, we talked about discussing gay families in classrooms and the impact on the community. I definitely learned a lot, and I am excited to continue going on Mondays. Unfortunately, I can’t take any pictures there since it is a safe space for anyone who is not out, and I don’t want to compromise that.
URap is held in the University Religious Center, which is this lovely building right here!
After that, I have been going to Ground Zero for Open Mic night! I actually went to Ground Zero as a pre-freshman during ExploreUSC, and got a milkshake with my overnight host. Sadly, it’s not a great place for me to study because I need a quiet and non-distracting atmosphere to get work done. But many of my friends do study there and love it! For me, it is a great place to relax and listen to some student poetry and music, which is a fun combination. Rayed and I went last week because Ground Zero was serving free milkshakes for the first 50 people, and then we stuck around to hear some cool poetry. It was an awesome way to bond and relax, though those milkshakes are pretty heavy. I also went back to Ground Zero that Thursday because one of my best friends in the cinema school was playing with his band! And I’ll be going again this Thursday for the Poetry Slam, so I guess I just can’t stay away. It’s definitely one of my favorite places to spend my Mondays at, and I look forward to keeping my routine up. Off to Urap!
Hanging out at Ground Zero with Rayed last week!
