This is a seasonal affair, so be there or be square.

Hey everyoneee! Before I get under way with all my personal business, I figured a relatively proper introduction was due...

My name is Danielle Madere (more often than not, I answer to 'Blue'), and I am a third year biomedical undergraduate at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. I grew up in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, a small suburb of Cleveland. I'm 19 years old (20 on October 9). My favorite color is pink and more often than not I'll be sporting it in some sense. I LOVE animals-- I'm currently in the process of considering purchasing a sugar glider. I am involved with Union Board on campus (I'll explain what UB is at a later time), and I work in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (so if you've applied or want to apply there's a good chance I was involved in packing and sealing all those informational packets you receive!).

Ok, I THINK that is sufficient, but if not I'll probably hear about it later ;)

So anyway, it's time for me to continue onto what I originally intended to blog about.

Summer is in full swing here at IIT, marked by the arrival of the buzz of new freshmen participating in their summer orientation sessions. The funny part is, even though I haven't formally met any of them, I recognized at least 10 people. The great thing about a small college is that even if you don't personally know everyone, you can recognize and put a name with a face for 90% of the students. Facebook is a great tool for that-- there are ALWAYS Facebook groups for our incoming freshmen to help ease the anxiety of coming to a completely new place.

This summer has been relatively cool-- I was somewhat amazed. This is my first summer in Chicago (I am working part time and taking 2 summer classes) and I absolutely LOVE it! I went to the lake for the first time since coming to Illinois last Saturday and it was SO gorgeous! (absolutely opposite of gross smelly Lake Erie!) Some friends and I are looking into renting a boat at the end of the summer for a cruise to kick off the school year. Also, the Taste of Chicago starts tomorrow and I am SO excited! Even though I am so broke, there are so many FREE (who doesn't love free?) things to do. I discovered Lincoln Park Zoo in February-- it's free and it is SO amazing.

Ok, I just realized all the caps and exclamation points in this-- I apologize for my unusually cheerful temperament. I just love this school, love my classmates, love seeing new faces, and love this city.

Until next time... go listen to the new Cute is What We Aim For CD--I think it's amazing. :)