Why don’t people write &c. instead of etc. anymore?  People should write &c. instead of etc.  I’ll be on the vanguard of that trend for sure.

Anyway, HI EVERYBODY! I’ve been itching to post about a few things but the perennial worry of posting too much, especially on a site people go to to check out what current TFA CMs are up to, has halted me.  But I think today it a perfectly reasonable day to get another nice long post out of the way!  Why?

Because I passed the Elementary Education: Content Knowledge exam! With a score high enough to receive the ETS Certificate of Excellence!  I must have rocked the math section as hard as I hoped I did. I’m also very glad to see that (at least this time) my hubris of calling out the test as easy before finding out the results actually worked out.  Now back to being concerned about the people who are on their third try of the test…

In all seriousness though, it’s a relief to have (I’m pretty sure) all the tests out of the way.  Right now I’m HARDCORE focusing on my honors thesis so everything has dropped way, way down the priority list.  The first draft should be finished this week (which is good, because my advisor is due to pop the first week of May).  It’s about women’s movements of protest in South America (namely, the Madres in Argentina whom I’ve researched extensively and the arpilleristas in Chile) and the intersection of their movements with torture and trauma theory. It’s pretty depressing (especially when I’m all alone at 4 in the morning typing one…last…paragraph…) but also inspiring.  I had the amazing opportunity to travel to BsAs from where I was staying in Cba to meet with some of the Madres and hear their stories.  They are wonderful people and this project has only made me respect them more.

Anyway, what else.  My college had the phenomenal opportunity to host the National Conference of Undergraduate Research this past weekend.  I got to see lots of presentations on educational inequity, race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, literature, history…we’re a tiny school and so all classes were essentially cancelled and I was able to spend the days soaking in learning.  Some were disappointing (like the poorly-researched “homosexuality is a choice” discussion) but most were very thoughtful and though-provoking and I made many new friends.  Hurray learning!

Other than that and a Led Zeppelin night a few days ago (which was a lot of fun and my Schnitzel and Spätzle mit Jägersoße was a huge hit) I haven’t been up to much.  Looking forward to a springly day when my thesis draft is done and I can get back to my Pre-Institute work!

I might be posting a little more frequently during the lead-in to Institute–when I get nervous, I babble, and I’m sure I will internet-babble despite my best intentions.  Until then, I am reading everyone’s blog and looking forward to meeting a lot of you not too far in the future!

–H