OSU

Today I sat in class and just smiled, realizing that I no longer felt out of place or out of my element here at OSU in this program, discussing the research I can be doing. Instead, I felt excited about it and had a real desire to get started on some research and get my hands on some work right away. I realized that I was actually liiiking my program, really liked both my advisers--super grateful for both of them--, and also felt a real affinity toward some of the other students in my program. They're great! What a day, right? :) My adviser over the psychology aspect of my program, Lynley, met with me yesterday and just sort of chatted with me about my interests in research, and, as always, gave me connections to many different projects and people that are doing things that I am interested in (research-wise)which may prove very fruitful contacts for the future (jobs, research, changing the world, whatever!). It just feels good to be here, and as I sat around the table today with my fellow EP&L classmates, I felt grateful to be at OSU specifically. Our director and my advisers are particularly helpful and well respected in the field. They are also kind and student-focused, which is not the case in many other doctoral programs. I just could go on and on about them. But I won't. Instead I will tell you what made me smile as I left class. Went into the bathroom (class all day & night with little or no breaks is a real killer--though it's nice to feel productive...sorta) and immediately remembered one of the things that consistently makes me smile and wonder about OSU. Whoever designed the bathroom stalls was not a big thinker. They are so small that in order for a person to get in, they literally have to straddle the toilet in order to close the door. Try adding a backpack and other such accessories on top of that, and actually getting in the stall is nigh impossible. So...many positive points for OSU today, one annoying but funny negative. I hate to write about bathroom situations here, but I just find it funny every time. I mean, who does that? Is it a type of joke? Maybe? Who knows. So along that vein I thought I'd tell you a few more things about this great (as in large) university that I am currently attending, just in case you are interested at all in what my experience here is like. :)

1. Yesterday there was an armed robbery in the Ohio State Union building (basically the equivalent of the Wilkinson Student Center at BYU, but bigger). They say the suspect is linked to many other robberies since 2006, and they call her the "Church Lady" or something like that. They don't think she really had a gun, and it was all over pretty quickly, but hey, she got the money! Welcome to Columbus. (The Union is one block away from the institutue building.)

2. My University President is LDS (not sure how active), was voted best public university president in the U.S. in 2009, and only wears bow-ties. He has over 1000, and thus never wears the same one twice in a year, and often not in three years. He will also be speaking to the two student wards here in C-Bus on Sunday, and I'll be interested to hear what he has to say.


3. Because Ohio is such an important state right now to secure for the democrats,President Obama came and spoke to students and the public on OSU campus last Sunday. I considered heading over, but after a particularly wonderful and spiritual sacrament meeting that day, I didn't really feel any desire to ruin the feeling with all the hype and mumbo-jumbo I was sure I'd have to deal with in the oval (quad). Besides, the former vice-president spoke at my graduation, and that's practically the same thing, right? Not really. But I'm glad I didn't go. Instead, I went to a friend's and made dinner, then went to an activity at a member of our Bishopric's home. On the way back from that we got stuck in the Obama traffic, so we played Catch Phrase in the car for awhile, and then my friend Stephen actually ended up turning around from the gridlock and following a few other cars OFF the ON-ramp of the freeway. These are our scared faces: :)



If you are interested, here's a link to photos from his visit. There are some nice ones. I'll give them that much. And a lot of people. :)http://www.osu.edu/obama_visit/

4. These are some pics of my advisors--just because I was talking so much about them. Both are awesome. Lynley and her husband Eric are big names in the Motivation field of research, and super cool. She is from New Zealand, and has been incredibly helpful to me over the past year.


Brian is a UofU graduate (don't hold that too much against him) and wrote his disertation on why Joseph Smith should be studied as a good example for all people (or something along those lines). Interesting, huh? Everyone is shocked to meet a Mormon who is also a philosopher (a real one--they are generally super liberal, see my next post on the philosophy conference that I presented at--hilarious!)


I think he is going for the Gordon Gee bow-tie look here. Just trying to fit in. :)

Well that's it for now. Just a bit of OSU and the Ohio experience for ya'. More to come! Love you.