Spring Time - Warm Weather Coming, Decisions To Be Made...

                It’s finally Spring! While the weather’s a bit chilly in Worcester, the sun is out and there is no snow on the ground. That alone is a reason to celebrate.

                Another reason to celebrate is that the housing lottery is finally done. Every student gets a number – seniority gets the lower numbers. The lower your number is, the sooner you can choose a room. When it was time for soon-to-be sophomores’ numbers to be called, we gathered in the cafeteria with our laptops open. We had online access to watch which rooms were still available. This was organized by building, how many occupants for the room, and if there was anything specific (like an all-male floor, for example.) When I finally went up to select a room, I chose to get a single in Dodd Hall. This is an all-women dorm – the only one at Clark. I would have preferred to be in a co-ed dorm, but I wanted to experience living in a single. While having a roommate has many benefits, it’s nice to have solitary time sometimes. Also, I look forward to meeting people on my new floor and making friends beyond the group I already have.

Dodd Hall

                In psychology yesterday, we discussed motivation and emotion – a topic in which I have a rather keen interest. We talked about how actions are motivated and different things we do to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is when our body is essentially at a neutral state; the individual is not hungry, thirsty, or tired. When someone becomes hungry, for example, their body will cause a drive (hunger) and we will in turn react to reduce that drive (eat something). This raises the topic of obesity. I was particularly impressed with how my professor handled discussing such a touchy topic, especially in a class with a majority of females who may be more likely to be concerned about their weight. Professor Brown discussed biological things that may interfere with our body telling us we’ve eaten too much, but also told us about psychological reasons for obesity, such as social and cultural influences. Our culture, for example, puts a lot of emphasis on a beautiful woman being tall and thin whereas historically, if someone was overweight, it meant they could afford the luxury of not working; weight was a status.

                Now that I’ve been talking about weight, I feel I should mention the gym facilities at Clark. They really are fantastic. I go to the gym almost every day and I’ve never had a problem finding cardio equipment to use. Over winter vacation, the gym bought all new treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, and other machines. It’s really nice that so many people can utilize the space and it’s in a rather convenient location as well. I live in Wright Hall, so the gym is right across the street. Some dorms are slightly further from the gym, but they’re all within ten minutes of walking.

Bickman Fitness Center Before Winter Break

                Of course, now that it’s spring, there will be fewer people in the gym and more people out on The Green. On a typical day, you’ll see a group of about six people throwing a Frisbee around. Others will jog around the perimeter of campus. Personally, I’d rather work out at the gym and then bring a good book with me to read at The Green. It’s a very spacious area, so there’s no problem with two or three Frisbee games going on while a collection of readers/loungers hang out in the grass. The Green definitely adds a lot of culture to Clark University and I’m fortunate to have that in the middle of a busy city.

                Next year, in the spring, I’ll need to declare my major. This is required for all sophomores at the end of the year. The process of changing majors is as simple as filling out paperwork. Of course, you have to fulfill the required courses, so trying to change from biology to Spanish might be more difficult if you’ve never taken a Spanish course. I am currently considering double-majoring in psychology and economics. I went to a short meeting today with several economics professors and they discussed the courses they are offering next year. It was a very informative meeting. I hope to go to more like it. Professors are really a terrific resource at Clark and they make themselves very accessible to students.