Spring Break in Northbook

This is my first time blogging from home! How odd!

I think this is the first time in my life I have ever spent an entire week doing absolutely nothing. Just hanging out with about half of my friends that are home, reading and resisting the temptation to walk into Friday's and take someone's shift. It's really strange being home and not working for the first time since May 2007.

In retrospect, I could say I'm 'relaxed.' Getting eleven hours of sleep per night can define that. Or talking with my family and friends and not rushing to go somewhere else. It's just a strange feeling to have. I hope everyone is having a great break and look forward to catching up! Kali Anastasi/have a great Easter whether you are at home or school!

March 17-22

Although spring break awaits, a lot of fun things are going on here in CoMo (Columbia, Missouri)! :P. It's been a hectic week with St. Patrick's Day, Relay For Life, midterm exams and plenty of meetings, so here's a recap!

Amanda, Jillian, Susan, Kathryn, Charesse and I pose in the formal living room before Phi Mu's St. Patrick's Day Social.

The new quatrefoil photo! Instead of the typical two or three girls creating a quatrefoil, we figured out how to get a large group to! Take your thumb and pointer fingers and make two eyes with your thumbs in the center, then take your middle fingers and straighten them like a kite above the eyes, and then your 2 ring fingers arch over the kite! Yay for sorority hand symbols!

Phi Mu girls at De Javu!

Relay For Life preparation has not only been all year, but every evening of the week before Relay, restaurant fundraisers were held. Here, committee members stand in McCallister's (a southern deli) in our shirts serving on guests. Restaurants like these volunteer to donate 10% of sales to American Cancer Society, and we help them out by waiting and bussing on tables, which brings back great Friday's memories. We raised over $200!

The actual Relay was held on Saturday the 20th to Sunday the 21st, 6 pm to 6 am indoors at the Rec Center. Here is the logo for "Cancer: Game On!" on our lovely cake.

Relay For Life of Mizzou, and generally at college, is a lot different from that of Northbrook and Glenview. Not only did we have 144 teams and over 1500 participants, but we raised roughly $100,000 for American Cancer Society, with about $20,000 of that being on-site in one night! Instead of just walking the track and talking with others, Mizzou Relay has each team hold an on-site fundraiser, like a bake sale, jail n' bail, sumo wrestle in inflatable suits, pie in the face, Miss Relay pageant, etc. to raise money during the event and get people to play carnival-like games for cancer. I am so impressed at some of the fundraisers people think of (kissing booth, pay $1 to send any person at the event to 'jail' and they must find $3 somehow to be bailed out) and how successful they all are. The one thing I miss about GBN Relay is how they read all the names at the luminaria ceremony, but GBN's Relay is in June so I'll be going! Be excited! There are plenty more pictures, but the one below shows how many people we fit in the Rec and how successful the event was. What I liked about Mizzou Relay is it was not so much a fight to stay warm like in tents and walking on the GBN track, but more a night of entertainment and fundraising while battling cancer.

Here, Nicole and I are by the large ice sculpture that was donated to Relay. How awesome is that?! It got smaller and smaller and clearer and clearer throughout the night.

As many of you know, I was on the planning committee for Relay and a member of the Team Development subcommittee, where we helped recruit some of the 144 teams, kept in touch with their captains and held bimonthly team captain meetings since December. Here's our committee smiling on the dance floor at 3 a.m.

The entire steering committee poses below, happy after a phenomenal Relay For Life.

Mark Twain's J&C Community had three Relay teams and the 5th and 6th floors had a whole corner of the gym with the video games and cake walk fundraisers, as well as a ton of studious people hanging out. A couple members of the Twainers are below, with white shirts denoting participants, green shirts are team captains and orange is committee.

With the end of the year approaching, this photo is dedicated to the community sense in Mark Twain at our J&C peer advisers' birthday party on the night of March 21st. Even though everyone was incredibly tired after a long night at Relay, everyone went to the lounge for cake and cupcakes and I realized how much I was going to miss living in Twain. :(.

Now if those photos weren't enough, that's not all that's happening in my life!!

-I come home on Thursday for spring break! I packed 11 church outfits for Holy Week and three bags of winter clothing to take home. Yay college!

REVELATIONS

--While I was reading my political science text book last week, I had a discovery. The chapter discussed Congress, and I decided that after I turn 25, I want to run for the House of Representatives. The evolution of this occupation amazed me and I feel not only would it be a wonderful 'job,' but a great way to serve, make decisions, and complete other things I absolutely love doing. So keep in mind....Katie Artemas for the House...probably in some district in Illinois...2016! Vote me!

--I was on the phone with Meredith yesterday night, and she is in Washington DC for a spring break trip with U of I students. This just enhanced the fact that the whole world is connected. Not only did she go to dinner at the same Buca di Beppo we have a ton of fun memories at from 8th grade, but she met a fellow Torchie there who was interning at the White House. If the Torch bond is not enough, one of her roommates just happens to be someone I went to Fanari with for five years and never kept in touch with because she didn't have a Facebook. That's crazy!!!! Meredith, at another school, takes a trip, and a girl on this trip happens to be Greek, happens to know me, and been in my cabin for five years, and be her ROOMMATE! What an insane world.

Hope that was enough to keep you updated and bored of everything going on here, and have a great spring break to those of you vacationing or chilling right now! Much love!

March Updates

For those of you that are reading this with the intent of keeping up with my life, getting the most recent from photos that aren't on Facebook, or just interested in some seemingly excited but lame stories, welcome :)!

Here's a weekend update:

I have gotten 15 hours of sleep the past 4 days. What is this, junior year of high school?

Transportation from Columbia to anywhere is just not up to par. Never take a Greyhound bus, ever, because even if you get to the station hours early, you are not guaranteed a seat on the next bus. After purchasing my $110 Glee ticket, Kara's bus didn't take her and we ended up booking an Amtrak from St. Louis and having Kyle drive us there. Thankfully, Chick-Fil-A is open on Saturdays.

And for the record, I completely underestimated Chick-Fil-A not being from the South. It was such a great customer-service, family atmosphere for Fast Food and the chicken was in fact amazing. And St. Louis is just an odd city. "Union Station" is not actually where transportation leaves from, it's this big mall food court type place, and the trains leave from blocks away from there. Nothing like Chicago. Well, here are some photos from funny things over the past week!

Last Sunday essentially marked one of the first spring weather days, as our entire suite is on our way to the KD Spaghetti Lunch with flip flops on. 518-519 love!

As I walked Kara around Mizzou, we saw this on Tiger Plaza on the quad. What??

Contrary to popular belief, GBN and GBS kids DO get along. We had a large GBN-GBS reunion at Plaza 900, with visitors and Mizzou students. Left to right is Blake, George, Jackie, Jess (GBS side, and now to the GBN side) Steve, Zach, Alyssa, me and Kara.

Here's Jesse Hall lit green for Engineering Week and St. Patrick's Day! We can light it green for this, but can't light it purple for Relay For Life cancer awareness. Pretty sad if I say so myself.

And last but not least, here's me, Kara, Shaina and Amy on our way out Friday night.

The end!

Check out these sites

Today, Eleni recommended that I check out this website titled Gives Me Hope. A spinoff of the popular F My Life, FML, and My Life Is Average, MLIA, this site is titled "Like FML...but for optimists!"

What a great invention!!!! We need something that provides such stories of hope and inspiration. Not only can you browse it when you're bored sitting in class or lacking motivation to complete homework, but also when you're looking for stories of inspiration to reference from the common public (or, in more correct terms, the common public on the Internet).

And when you're in more of a sappy, upset or hopeless mood, they know how to get you even better. Love Gives Me Hope is just what it sounds like, and perfect for those rainy days. Let me know what you think of these sites and if you find any exciting stories for optimists like me! And who knows, maybe quotes from these stories will soon be in my inspirational quotes box on the sidebar!

Kara's here

Oh the security that the Glenbrook North Torch family provides:

It is nearly 1:30 a.m., Kara has arrived from Georgetown, and Alyssa has called to ask her a question about flattening layers on photoshop in the midst of other photojournalism majors at the Columbia Missourian. Torch love right there.

Mizzou Mile

Hi friends!

As most of you know, I'm a member of Mizzou Student Foundation (MSF) and one of our biggest fundraisers is Mizzou Mile. Mizzou Mile will take place on April 20 at 6 pm (registration starts at 5) and it was created to remind us of the importance of private donorship and scholarship. All participants will walk a scenic mile around campus and afterwards, there will be free food, music, a DJ, prizes, gift cards and more! There is a $5 registration fee that you can student charge (!!!) and all money goes toward textbook scholarships and more! I would really appreciate if you took an hour of your time on 4-20 to come and enjoy this evening, and if you turn in your form by March 24th, a tshirt is included!

Click here to fill out the registration form then turn it in to me or the office it tells you to!

Write your student number on the registration form then sign your signature next to it if you want to student charge :) Thanks and hope everyone's having a great week!

Why can't everyone get along?!

Since I've entered college, experienced dorm life, sorority life, and the life of keeping in touch with others at home, everything seems to revolve around one central thing: drama.

• In the dorm, I think the drama revolves around the issue that nobody really has this thing called privacy. You're constantly overhearing conversations in the hallway, through the walls, because you are friends with the people you live with....and that's fine. Except when it crosses the line and all these small little cliques are rivaling each other and can no longer live peacefully, happily and successfully in a living, social or academic environment. Then it's just sad. I don't think dorms could survive without drama, but it could definitely easily be toned down.
• With sorority girls, especially in the house, one person's business is everyone's business. And I can't say I don't fall into this trap, because I do. And it happens in dorms too. But one person gets cut from this, caught doing that, mad at her....and everyone doesn't want to, needs to know about it, claiming that it pertains to them. Well settle down everyone, if it pertained to you, you would know about it already. And all of this goes for dorms and groups of friends also, but that's why I think everyone should live happily knowing what they know and not going out of their way to find out things they really don't need to. But we're all journalism majors here....so that's not going to happen.
• When it comes to keeping in touch with others at home, the drama revolves not only around their own lives, classes and stress...but how other people from high school are dealing with such things. "Did you see on Facebook that they broke up?" "So and so don't talk anymore because they got into a small argument over this and that." WHO CARES. Worry about the stress of you and those directly affecting you and this wouldn't be an issue. Or shouldn't be. Or don't go on social networking sites and browse others' lives because then your own achievements become less of a priority.
• In college, with school and home friends in general, it's sad...I live under this idealistic view that everyone not only can all get along happily like utopia, but that they have no reason to dislike each other or not want to sit together in public (class, dining halls, restaurants, events...etc.) Unfortunately, that is NOT the case. Ever. Maybe the first week of freshmen year, or my 19th birthday party (which was the only successful example), but I honestly don't understand why people just can't give other people chances. You don't have to live or love this person, just sit with them. When people feel the need to be cliquey, and go out of their way to move or not invite someone to wherever they are going/dinner. If you want privacy, of course, you have no reason to invite people, it's your life. But you can still be a clear communicator by doing so, or not intentionally be flat out rude to others. I wish everyone could be less self-centered and give everyone a chance, because that person in that other group of friends that you refused to sit near in lecture because you didn't like her best friend's boyfriend may click with you very well, and you just missed out on an awesome friendship. Whatever....right?
• No. Let's all be happy and open-minded to other people, k? Cool! Forget about centering everything around drama and do what you want, find others to do it with you if that's what you want, and don't be mean about it. The end!

Lessons from KU- an oxymoron...

Today, I attended my first Mizzou-Kansas basketball game. Not only the biggest rivalry in the Big 12/potentially midwest (I don't care what you say Big 10), but two really great basketball teams. As we unfortunately lost the game 77-56, I thought I'd highlight some interesting facts I've learned.

• As Amy pointed out, the experience of going to this game was practically 11 hours. We spent 3 hours picking up our tickets from 5 am to 8 am in the morning last month, got at the game at 8:15 this morning when the doors opened at 11:30, the game started at 1 and lasted until about 4. While every time of waiting was barely productive, they were all very fun and flew by talking with friends and hanging out. But what does it say about college students that we have 11 hours of time to spend (waste?) on such things? I'm definitely a basketball fan, so that's why I don't say waste, but that's the amount of classes a full time student takes, and we just dedicated it all to a team that we rival and hate...then lost. Sad lives, you have to love competition though. And that's the lesson I take away from KU. Competition causes people to do a lot of things.

Ilyse, Alyssa, Jackie and I waiting early this morning to get into the KU game at the Mizzou Arena

Our nice, close Zou Crew seats during warm-ups. If we didn't get them....I don't even know what we would have done.

• The next lesson I learned from the KU game is a successful business strategy. As we waited outside, spirit committees distributed signs that said GO MIZZOU, sponsored by Boone County National Bank, on one side on about a 4 inch by 12 inch flier to hold up at the game. The other side contained the Google logo. At one point in the game, I looked above and noticed a vast amount of the crowd holding the poster on the GOOGLE side, not the Go Mizzou side, and was slightly confused. Then, Google reaffirmed their success by advertising with these posters. Printed in smaller lettering at the bottom of the flier, it said "Help bring Ultra High Speed Internet to Columbia from Google! Be a part of internet history with 16000 other Tiger fans. During the first timeout of the 2nd half, start chanting GOOGLE and hold up your sign. Go Tigers!" Google is attempting to use their trial wireless internet service with Mizzou students, and hit their target audience perfectly at this basketball game. What a successful business strategy. I saved the flier to put in my scrapbook so one day when I own my PR firm, I can utilize such ideas :)

Well, thanks KU and Economics 1051 for teaching me the meaning of competition and advertising in today's society. Have a great Saturday!

Facebook vs. Blogging

A lot of my followers have commented on my being 'counterproductive' about creating a blog after giving up Facebook for Lent. In a completely non defensive manner, I think that these two forms of social networking and online communication differ greatly. Thus, I will provide the top 10 reasons blogging and Facebook do not replace one another.

1. Blogging allows you to be more creative when it comes to layout, design, colors and postings- so you can create a much more unique and personalized page.

2. A core focus of Facebook with its news feed is to read about others, what they are talking about and what their pictures are of. Blogging eliminates this factor of stalking others, nonetheless, utilizing your creative skills in a productive manner rather than to discover who knows who.

3. Facebook only allows you to see other people's interests and activities, but blogging opens up the opportunity to learn a lot more about such things.

4. Scrapbookers such as myself can apply their scrapbooking knowledge to blogging when it comes to creating photo pages, writing captions and more.

5. A blog post is much more thorough and meaningful than a Facebook status, because dramatic Facebook statuses that are so thought out are probably not worth the drama anyway. Just let the whole story out!

6. Although blogs are more public than Facebook and its so called "privacy settings," more unnecessary people (such as old middle school classmates, etc.) will browse your Facebook profile than your blog because they will see you in feeds.

7. Facebook cannot be used as a diary, while blogging can be if desired.

8. The information one posts on a blog is generally taken more seriously than a Facebook album or description.

9. Bloggers don't have to worry about new games or applications, rather can add useful gadgets to profiles to enhance learning rather than useless knowledge of games and odd applications.

10. Blogs are meant to reach out to friends (maybe strangers in reality...but this one isn't) whereas the information you post on Facebook is published so any random person you have met in your life that is a 'friend' can think highly of you. So bascially, I'm not creating this blog so you think highly of me or anything, or to use it instead of Facebook, I honestly just think it is a fun and creative way to document my college life :)

Will this newfound hobby of blogging make me delete my Facebook? Of course not. But these two sites are in no way replaceable of one another and I will remain to be an avid user of both, while browsing less profiles on Facebook. Thanks for reading!!

Photos from February 2009

Below are highlights of the month of February, due to their lack of posting on Facebook.

Hanging out with all of the visitors the weekend of Feb. 19 to 21

Celebrating Mardi Gras with Mark Twain girls

At the Mizzou Arena for the Texas basketball game on Feb. 17th, where we won 82-77

Before the Phi Mu/AEPi/Phi Delt Marriage Party on Feb. 18, themed "MTV Reality Shows"

Congratulating Shane on being one of the Mizzou 39 at the Colorado basketball game on Feb. 24

On the way to the Mark Twain Hall Ball on Feb. 26, and Stacey came to visit from Michigan!

At the Phi Mu Founders Day Dinner at Upper Crust on Mar. 1

Resume

Education	University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri · Bachelor of Journalism in Strategic Communication, Minors in Business and Spanish · Expected Graduation Date: December 2012 Glenbrook North High School Northbrook, IL · 2005-2009
Activities	Phi Mu · Public Relations Correspondent, December 2009-Present Greek Week Service Director, March 2010-Present Mizzou Student Foundation (MSF) · Member, January 2010-Present. Works toward encouraging the generous giving of alumni back to University of Missouri and fundraising through various events for textbook scholarships Clemens Council · Vice president of Mark Twain’s Hall government that meets weekly to plan events and decide how to utilize funds Journalism & Communication Community Government · Social chair that plans events for 3 floors of Mark Twain’s Journalism & Communication Community Relay For Life · Mizzou Steering Committee Member since 2009, Team Development Committee · Participated as a team captain and publicity committee member since 2006 for this overnight event sponsored by the American Cancer Society where students team up to fundraise for cancer research and walk to support the struggle Society of Professional Journalists · Member of this organization that attends journalism-related speakers and networking Torch, Glenbrook North High School Newspaper · Managing Editor, Features Editor and Staff Writer, paper published 7 times a year, winner of NSPA National Scholastic Press Association Best Newspaper Award 2008 and 2009 · Built writing, editing and interviewing skills since 2006
Work Experience	T.G.I. Friday’s Location #0194, Glenview, IL · Hostess June 2007-March 2009, Waitress March 2009-Present, 20 hours/week · Door Coach as of April 2008, trained newly hired hostesses and taught them the necessary skills to work and improve interpersonal communication · Attended two coaching conferences that built leadership skills and discussed ways to improve the company Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church
Honors	Mark Twain Nonresident Scholarship · For incoming Missouri students in the top 25 percent of their high school class and a composite ACT score of over 27 Dean’s List, Fall 2009 Semester Outstanding Achievement in Journalism Award · May 2009, awarded at Glenbrook North

Summer plans

With so many conflicting schedules, I don't know who will be in town at the same time this summer! Below is my tentative schedule, which will be updated as more information is discovered, so I can make plans with everyone I'd like to see this summer. Let me know when you are available!

SUMMER 2010

May 13- Arrive back home to Northbrook from Mizzou

May 15-June 15- Have plans with friends/waitressing at TGI Fridays, Glenview, IL

May 26- Glee Cast in Chicago at the Rosemont Theater for a conert! Going with Meredith!

June 15- John's birthday!

June 17-July 12- Intern at Project Mexico

• Orthodox Basic Training (OBT) Intern where I will help with the two OBT sessions as well as help at St. Innocent Orphanage and Project Mexico's ranch
• Would you like to donate money toward Project Mexico and my internship? Write a check to Project Mexico with Katie's internship into the memo and mail it in to Project Mexico, P.O. Box 120028, Chula Vista, CA, 91912-3128

July 12-July 15- San Diego Vacation!

July 20-23- New Jersey/New York to visit Thea Stephanie and family

July 24-26- Cincinnati for the Pipefitters picnic and to visit family

August 6- Leave for Columbia to move in to Phi Mu! Then Work Week, Formal Recruitment, and sophomore year begins!

First post!

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