TGIF

Growing up, I spent a lot of time on YouTube. I loved watching vlogs, makeup tutorials, and Kids React videos. When I got to high school, I left much of that behind--until the Oberlin Blogs entered my life. Suddenly, I was following along with lots of new cool girls as they decorated their dorm rooms with bralettes, declared intriguing-and-difficult-sounding majors, and puzzled their way through planning post-grad. The blogs were just like the Follow-Me-Around vlogs of my youth, but tailored to Oberlin! I was in love.

Now, with only a month left of school, I figured it’s high time for me to share my own Friday with you all. Don’t forget to comment, like, and subscribe!! Haha.

8:30am
Good morning, world! I wake up to the sweet sweet sounds of my phone’s Classic Marimba alarm. I’m trying to get better about not “snoozing," so I force myself to sit up and do a little wiggle to get my blood flowing. I spend about fifteen minutes watching my friends’ Instagram stories (many of which are just tearful, dramatic reactions to Homecoming), and then I get out of bed.

Though it’s pretty grey outside, from my second-floor window I can see the flowers peeking through the grass and I see my new friend Robin (she is a bird) sitting on a tree. Supposedly, it is spring, but the sky isn’t very convincing. I have a lot of work to do today, so I head downstairs to get started.

8:50am 
I make a crepe. It is beautiful and perfect. I eat it with some strawberry jam and black tea with soy milk. I feel at peace.

9:15am
I head to the living room to work on the Fall budget for the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse. I’m our organization’s treasurer, so I am responsible for compiling all of the JUICY, EXCITING fiscal data we need to stay in operation. Every year, the Student Finance Committee decides how much money each organization is allotted based off of factors like frequency of events, student attendance, responsible budgeting, etc. It’s a big responsibility to write a budget for an organization as big as the Cat in the Cream — we handle around $70,000 each year— and I want to make sure that the next class of Cat staffers has enough money to function well and bring lots of talented artists to campus! However, it is unfortunately quite tedious to complete this task, so I make sure to take lots of little pop music breaks.

10:30am
Speaking of pop music: LIZZO DROPPED HER ALBUM TODAY! I’ve loved Lizzo for many years now, and have been waiting on this new music for what seems like forever. I head up to my room and put it on. The album is centered on themes of self-love, fat girl pride, embracing sensuality, and keeping up a sense of humor when life strikes you down. It inspires me to clean my room. #SelfCare,  #LizzoMadeMeDoIt.

11:20am 
My BFF Kira pops her little head in my door and asks if I want to go to Stevie for lunch later. “There’s macaroni with brussel sprouts…” She knows me! I happen to love brussel sprouts now because I am a capital-A Adult, so I enthusiastically agree. 

11:30am 
I jump in the shower. #ShowerRoutine: Pantene volumizing shampoo, bought on clearance at the Elyria Target; a small dab of my housemate Caroline’s Aussie conditioner because I ran out of my own (sorry Caroline I hope you don’t read this, love you!!!); Dr. Bronner’s almond all-purpose soap for body-wash, in conjunction with my luxurious turquoise loofah; and, finally, store-brand Target face scrub. I am squeaky clean and ready to take on the rest of the day.

11:45am
Time to get dressed! I put on a bright pink shirt, a velvet dress, and a lot of pink eyeshadow. I throw on some sparkles and boots and head out the door with Kira. 

12:15pm 
We have lunch at Stevie! It’s pretty good today. I think they threw some pizzazz in for All Roads weekend; the quality of food is always heightened when families visit campus. I’m not mad at it! 

1:00pm
Kira and I head to the Apollo (the Cinema Studies Program’s workspace off-campus). The studio was funded by Danny DeVito, which is very cool and makes me feel like a B-List celebrity when I walk inside. Today, I’m working on my final animation project, which is a six-minute adaptation of a story of sexual violence and accountability from Creative Interventions’ StoryTelling and Organizing Project (STOP). This semester, I am producing a radio show about Transformative Justice with my friend Joey for private reading credit within the Comparative American Studies department. My film will go on our website as a visual supplement for our episodes about community interventions in violence. I’m very excited about the piece, but the work is slow going, and it’s pretty draining to listen to audio clips describing sexual violence over and over. I feel a little down after spending over two hours working on the same section. Luckily, Kira is there to cheer me up. She’s working on her own final project, all about middle school and discovering sexuality, and she cracks me up with the clips she’s working on. We make a good team.

3:30pm
Kira and I head to the Science Center to advertise the Comparative American Studies department as part of the All Roads Department Fair. We get to speak with lots of excited prospies! I love getting to pitch our department to incoming students. It gives me a chance to positively reflect on all the classes I’ve taken here, and I get a little nostalgic every time. 

4:45pm
I stop by DeCafe to grab some food before my shift at the Cat in the Cream. Tonight’s show is a senior recital by my friend Jacob Swedlow, a super talented percussionist and composer in the Jazz Conservatory. There are so many special guests on the program - tonight we’ll even get to hear from a tuba! There are lots of people on the shift tonight, so I take a moment to breathe and start writing this blog. 

5:30pm 
I step outside to call a friend and get a breath of fresh air before the show begins their soundcheck. It’s drizzling so hard today, and it just makes me feel down! It’s always important for me to be in touch with my loved ones when I’m feeling moody, so I check in on my family’s group chat. My sister is eagerly sharing Craigslist postings of apartments she’s looking at, and my mom is sending funny photos of my cat hiding under a table at the veterinarian’s office. It’s always nice to be reminded of my life outside of Oberlin. There are so many good people and things waiting for me after graduation!

6:30pm
The soundcheck for the recital starts. The music is complicated and magical, and I get into a little trance listening. I’m so excited for the show!

8:00pm
We sell out of cookies at the Cat, and the concert has everyone in the room stunned and attentive. It’s a beautiful show and a great way to combat the moodiness of the grey sky outside. 

10:00pm
I head home from my shift and have a little time to myself to breathe and reflect on the day. I work on my capstone paper a little bit, organizing some of my sources and working on filling out some more of my draft. Our first rough draft is due this coming week, so it’s time to grind. 

10:30pm
I help my friends Joey and Kira set up for Joey’s birthday party - this year, he requested a Birthday Roast. Joey asked his friends to come up with material making fun of him - definitely one of the weirder birthday parties I’ve attended at Oberlin, but I love Joey so I make an effort for him. All press is good press, I guess!!

11:00pm
Friends start arriving for the Roast!

12:30am
The Roast is over. It went well, and I think Joey was delighted by all the different sets. I can’t believe he’s 22!

12:45am
I head to sleep. After writing a budget, doing my homework, working at the Cat, throwing a birthday roast, and writing this blog, my poor little husk of a skeleton is totally worn out. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. Another ridiculous and wonderful day in Oberlin has passed. 

I dream of ponies and robots. I wake up around 2:00am to the sound of rain. All is well on North Main Street.