CC's Corner - A CSD Student Blog

Hello, Loyal Readers --

Please take 5 minutes or less out of your busy days to hit the thumbs up "like" button on the following website underneath my video:

http://thegleeprojectcasting.com/Auditions/View/7180381

Real cute video picture, huh?! Haha!

It's my dream to be on this show, so a big THANK YOU to anyone who supports me. You can like the video more than once through the use of various internet-containing devices or even different internet browsers (i.e. Safari, Firefox, Explorer, Chrome, etc.) Please help me make my dream become a reality.

Thank you again so much, and happy "like"ing!!!!

~ C.C. ~

Hey, guys!

Here's a miniature update coming your way! We've all got lots of homework already, so here's what we decided to do instead!

Stress bakin' with the roomies! What a cute little family we are! Peanut Butter-Mocha Fudge Brownies!! I make 'em the best!! ;)

<-- Carolyn (Rolyn), Maggie (Magz), and Me! This photo is missing Richa, who went home for the weekend...but we'll get her next time!!

Hope everyone's having a fantabulous week -- try to make it out to the "San Gennaro" festival on E. Houston St. at some point -- you won't regret it!

Eating Fried Oreos...uber healthy, of course!

Anyhoo, back to work!...and as always, happy posting!!

~ CC ~

Hello, everyone!

So, since you last heard from me, we've already been through a brief earthquake and a hurricane...let's hope that all of the natural disasters are put on hold for a bit, right?!

Consider this my first-ever post while I'm sitting in my lovely new NYC apartment! As a senior, I've chosen to live off campus this year with a few close friends, and so far, I'm absolutely loving it! I'm only about a 6-7 minute walk from campus, and my apartment is located right in the heart of Little Italy (good food, amazing shopping, and even a little bit of culture!). As I mentioned before in a previous post, this semester I am taking:

1. Introduction to Psychological Statistics

2. Diagnostic Methods of Communicative Sciences and Disorders

3. Intermediate Spanish I

4. Personality Theories

and

5. An Independent Study (which I have yet to organize, but intend to start working on ASAP)

So far, I am enjoying my classes, but it has only been three days. I'm actually really looking forward to my Diagnostics class in particular. It's a new course in my major offered through the university, and after just one lecture, I can tell that the material is going to really peak my interest. I think that my Spanish class will serve as both a wonderful refresher of everything I learned abroad in Madrid last semester and a way to keep practicing my vocabulary and grammar skills to increase my overall knowledge of the Spanish language.

I have had the opportunity to reconnect with several of my friends from the NYU in Madrid program, and it's good to see so many familiar faces at NYU this year.   

I have also already arranged meetings with the two clubs I am Vice President of: NSSLHA and SHMUTZ...we have big plans for this year, and I can't wait to get started on organizing all of our upcoming meet-and-greet/ice-breaker events, performances, lectures, etc.

The SHMUTZ officers and I have been discussing play and musical ideas and will soon be holding try-outs for anyone who might be interested. We had a very successful turn-out at club fest, which is evident based on the 6-page, filled-out sign-up sheet - phew!

As for NSSLHA stuff, I believe we're having our first officer meeting next week and soon enough we will hosting be our all-club initial meeting on campus, complete with yummy free food and lots of brainstorming!

I'll have to let you guys know how all of my club meetings go, and of course, how my classes this semester progress. There is lots to be done now that I'm back in the city! Stay tuned, and have a great weekend!!

Happy posting, as always!

~ CC ~

HELLO, HeLLo, hello!!!!

It has truly been FOREVER!!!! I'm so sorry :'(!!

But, I'm back now, the GREs are over, and camp counselor-ing is coming to a bittersweet end. I've grown to love my 13 five- and six-year-old, silly, fun-loving girls, and it's going to be really hard heading back to school, especially now that I'm going to be attending classes in the city again. Let's not forget I spent nearly five months in another country (Spain)! Now, I'm going to be taking classes in my major (Communicative Sciences and Disorders) once again...classes that are taught in (*GASP!!!!*)...ENGLISH?!?! Bizarre.

( Please note these are not actually my kids...I'm not allowed to post pictures of them for various reasons...but you get the idea! :) )
----> (Bracing myself for quite the change)

Anyway, I'm so happy with my current summer camp job. Not only am I getting the chance to meet and form meaningful, long-lasting relationships with a bunch of sweet and funny kids, but I have had the rare opportunity of meeting and getting to know new staff members, as well. I have one other co-counselor who I work with on a daily basis and have hung out with outside of camp; she and I work really well together, but becoming friends has certainly improved the way in which our group of girls functions.

What's nice about this camp, in particular, is that the camp directors and other main staff members truly go above and beyond by making a conscious effort to make their staff more comfortable working as one big unit. In an attempt to help each and every staff member find his or her niche, organized "Staff Rec." activities are held after camp, such as camp-wide staff soccer and basketball tournaments, movie nights, staff olympics (similar to a really intensive and competitive color war), and even an end of the year fancy banquet to ensure that we get all of our temporary summer goodbyes in.

One of these after-camp events was an open mic night that I timidly and reluctantly forced myself to participate in. Many of the staff members got all dressed up (it's always a little humorous and nice seeing everyone you work with during the day clean up nice for a nighttime function...typically we're all actively engaged with our kids, and therefore, makeup-less, sweaty, and half-asleep-looking). Anyway, I figured "why not be a little daring and challenge myself to perform as a still semi-unrecognizable first-year counselor? I love to sing, and this is a great opportunity to show my co-workers another interesting side to me, not to mention really make my first-year counselor mark outside of the actual camp-y part of camp!".

So it was decided..I would sing a relatively new song by the popular Adele called "Turning Tables". Naturally, I was extremely nervous to get up in front of my peers and began contemplating whether or not it would be acceptable to show my face the next day at camp, given I could potentially forget the lyrics or sing off-key, etc. (Have you noticed I can be quite paranoid?)

Luckily, I sucked it up and got up on stage at this beautiful, classy restaurant the camp generously rented out for the night called "The Riverview". The room the open mic night was hosted in overlooked the Hudson river through a picturesque series of windows. Facing my stage fright, I sang my little heart out...

     (<----...Me...---->)

I would say that it was definitely my best live performance yet -- go figure! Not only did I feel comfortable coming to camp the next morning, but as soon as I got there, I was suddenly overwhelmed with compliments. For the first time in my life, I got a little tired of smiling really wide and saying "thank you!" People who didn't even go to the event heard that I had sung and said that they heard I did a great job -- I was thrilled!

Through these various outside-of-camp socials, I have met a lot of nice, welcoming individuals who have ultimately become my new, over the summer family. Now, when I see all of these people during camp hours, we freely reminisce about things that have happened over the weekend or at after-camp activities. It's a nice feeling, and I couldn't be more thankful for the camp really going out of their way to make the staff feel at home...not only is it amazing for the staff members, but those personal connections that are made away from camp really add to the dynamic of how the camp is run. I have learned that when the staff connects better, things run more smoothly, and camp becomes that much more enjoyable for the kids. This is hands down one of the best summers of my 21-year old life so far.

Shall we get back to some school-related shindig? Methinks so. I'm so excited to head back to NYC, come August 28th. I'm living off-campus this year with several of my good friends, and I happen to be living very close (and conveniently so) to the speech-language hearing department. I will be fortunate enough to organize and complete an independent study this fall semester with my academic advisor, Doctor Maria Grigos, who will be teaching me more about researching young children with a myriad of speech and language disorders. This semester, I am also taking the following:

• Diagnostic Methods of Communicative Sciences and Disorders
• Intermediate Spanish (Spanish III)
• Introduction to Personality Theories and...
• Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences

I'm really looking forward to getting back into the swing of things at NYU, and of course I will be doing my best to stay involved in SHMUTZ (Students of Hillel's Mostly Undergraduate Theatre PlayerZ) and NSSLHA (National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association), as I am still considered the vice president of both...yeeep! I've got my work cut out for me this semester, and it's finally sinking in....also, ahh!! It's time to really begin to think about my plans for grad school next fall. Did I mention I definitely have to ensure that I stay on top of my blog posts too?

Hahaha...please excuse the occasional delay, and I'll try not to leave my lovely, devoted, loyal readers hanging too often (Feel appreciated yet? Good, because you most certainly are!) I've missed updating all of you guys, and I'm happy to be back.

I look forward to a busy, but nonetheless positively anticipated semester and to keeping you all informed. As for all of you prospective students and parents out there, I hope by now you've realized just how much I personally love NYU and all that it has to offer, from study abroad to academic and purely extracurricular clubs and activities to the unique courses offered to city life in general...please don't hesitate to comment or ask me any questions that come to mind. I might just be able to answer some of those questions for you. Just make sure you leave your e-mail addresses in the comments you leave if you decide to ask me any semi-personal, lengthy questions. :)

Thanks so so much for reading, and again, sorry for taking so long to let you guys know what's been up! Happy posting, and I hope everyone's summers are going just dandy! :D

~ CC ~

P.S. Hope you enjoy!! This is Adele's version of her song that I chose to sing at camp staff open mic night.

Adele - Turning Tables (Live at Largo)

Hello again, my dedicated readers!

I would just like to take the time to apologize for any comments or questions that have gone unanswered. Right before I left for Madrid, there was a change in the system, so I wasn't receiving any comments; however, I am now, and as per usual, I am happy to answer any comments or questions that you may have for me. Don't be shy, and again, I am sorry!

Happy posting!

~ CC ~ :)