apegirl25's New Writeups

I am not a big sister anymore (person)

2002-06-28T14:17:20Z

Besides actually working for Big Brothers Big Sisters, I was also a Big Sister.

My little sister's name was Holly and she was such a cool kid. She came into the program before I started working there. She was about 11 at the time, and while the case manager was interviewing her mother, she walked down the street to a thrift store and bought a circa 1970s prom dress and put it on for her interview. Her mother was worried that Holly would never be a "normal teenager". *GASP*

I was matched up with Holly three years later. We got together and went out to eat, went shopping, went to concerts...Her home life wasn't so great. Her dad tried to buy her off whenever he was in town, and her mom was busy with her business and the other three siblings in the home. In spite of these challenges, Holly seemed to be a very well adjusted kid.

Often, when I called Holly, she would be too busy to hang out. She would list off activities that she was involved with, and really cool things she…

Hendrix College (place)

2002-06-28T13:29:12Z

Hendrix College is a four-year, liberal arts college in Conway, AR. It was started as a Methodist institution, however the church has little affiliation with the college at this time.

I could tell you all about Hendrix, but the following snippet from the Fiske Guide to Colleges sums up the institution beautifully:

Hendrix College is a surprisingly liberal school plunked down in the heart of Arkansas, offering rigorous academics in an intimate setting. Hendrix is strong in many areas but the natural sciences are definitely its forte. Math, psychology, history, and English are also well respected, and future entrepreneurs flock to economics and business. For would-be engineers, Hendrix has five-year programs with Columbia, Vanderbilt, and Washington University in St. Louis. Undergraduate research is also a distinctive feature at the school and students are given the chance to present their research at regional and national symposia.

One of the…

University of Central Arkansas (place)

2002-06-28T12:47:05Z

Universtiy of Central Arkansas is a public, four year institution located in Conway, AR. It was founded in 1907 as Arkansas State Normal School, and after a few other name changes, ended up as UCA in 1975.

It's 2000 enrollment was 8,481 with a full time faculty of 382 and a part time faculty of 120. The campus spreads out over 298 acres and is a decent looking campus.

UCA offers 9 undergraduate degrees in 83 areas, the most popular being marketing and management. It also grants 7 master's degrees in 30 areas, the educational specialist degree, the doctoral and PhD degrees in physical therapy, and the PhD degree in school psychology.

The school mascot is the Bear (it's purple and grey). UCA is a member of Gulf South Conference and National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II. There is a wide array of athletic options, but they are best known for their football team.

In addition to athletics, there are several fraternities and sororities to ~~waste your time with~~ join.

www.uca.edu

Toad Suck Daze (thing)

2002-05-21T02:20:23Z

Toad Suck Daze is a festival in Conway, Arkansas, held on the first weekend in May. You may wonder why it has such an odd name (or you may not, but just follow me here, okay?).

There is a lock and dam just west of Conway called, appropriately, Toad Suck lock and dam. The legend is that there used to be a tavern on the Arkansas River right where that lock and dam is. The locals say that the ferry workers would stop there for the night and suck on the bottle until they swelled up like toads. Thus the name (hey, I know it's lame, but apparently the locals weren't so imaginitive).

So now every spring people in Conway celebrate the legacy of a bunch of alcoholics (which is even more humorous considering Conway is in a dry county and you can't even buy alcohol there anymore). It's actually not a bad little fair, especially if you have small children.

On a side note, my sister wore a Toad Suck Daze shirt to school when we lived in Nebraska and they sent her home because they thought it was obscene.

www.toadsuck.org

November 7, 2001 (idea)

2001-11-07T20:27:22Z

An update on my life:

For those of you who don't know about my upcoming move, refer to October 31, 2001. I have found a place to live. I'll be living with a girl whom I have never met and only spoken with briefly on the phone. That's a first. My boyfriend went and looked at the house and room for rent in my stead. Now if that's not what you call trust, I don't know what is!

It's all very exciting and exhausting. My house is a maze of boxes. My two best friends came over last night to help me pack...probably not the most productive thing in the world, but it was nice to spend time with them. I find it's hard to go to sleep at night. My brain won't stop spinning with the "What if"'s and the "When I get there"'s.

I have been pondering this move for about 4 months. Never in my wildest fantasy would it have happened so quickly. I guess somewhere in the back of my head I thought it would never really happen.

It's really happening.

October 31, 2001 (idea)

2001-10-31T14:51:24Z

I went for a job interview this past weekend in Delaware. If I get the job, I'll be moving in three weeks. This may not sound like a big deal to many people, but I have lived in the same city (practically the same house) for 22 years. That's 22 years of crap I either have to pack up or throw away. It gives me a headache to think about it.

Don't misunderstand me, this is what I want. The thought of moving makes my heart soar and my head rush. To live in a place where I can go to the grocery store and not run into three people I went to high school with...the very idea is heaven! I have wonderful parents and a great family, but I have realized in the last few months that I need to make a break from them...at least not live next door to them!!!

Also, I have met a wonderful person with whom I have fallen in love. He happens to live in Delaware. The relationship will be so much nicer when we are within driving distance of each other.

I have wondered over the last…