Another April

Welcome to the final blog post of the school year! 

My last blog post a good number of page views from Europe.  I assume this is from me mentioning my upcoming Austria study abroad trip, so I’ll name drop a few more European cities/countries to get a wider audience.  Maybe they’ll be interested in the MPA program, and I’ll be responsible for them joining.

So, I had orientation at WKU a couple weekends ago for the Bregenz-Austria trip.  I learned I’ll have to take really, really, really short showers which is impossible for me so that’ll be new.  Apparently water is crazy expensive over there.  The group will be taking trips to Munich, Germany and Vienna so I’m super pumped for both of those.  Bregenz is also on Lake Constance and I guess we can just hop into it wherever and swim around.  There’s also very little crime there so I’ll feel much safer walking around than I have in other cities.  It’s going to be a great time and I’ll be sure to write a blog post about it, pictures and all, when I get back to make everyone jealous.  

Work and school here in the MPA program have gone really well recently.  Dr. Olberding is finishing up the first draft of her book, so hopefully that’ll be available for everyone in the near-ish future.  Dr. Lambert has had a couple provisionally accepted for academic journals (one of them I’m a co-author).   Dr. Misis will be presenting some research at a conference at NKU in the fall (which I also co-authored).   This week I have two presentations for class and next week are finals, both of which are online/take-home thankfully.  After next week’s finals I have about two weeks of R&R before heading out on my great European adventure!!!

The Aronoff in April had “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Book of Mormon.”  Both were great, but completely different.  “Beauty and the Beast” had lots of kids in attendance, and a couple little girls had on their best Belle dress.  “The Book of Mormon” had a more adult crowd.  Hilarious show, but hardly for anyone below high school age.  Up next is the classic “Cabaret,” and it’s the final show of this Broadway season so no more big musicals until September.  The Cincinnati Opera will be at the Aronoff this summer due to renovations at Music Hall so hopefully I’ll get to work an opera show or two (it’ll be my first time seeing a legit opera performance). 

I think that’s about all for this month.  Like I said, I’ll write something up over the summer about my summer trip. 

Thanks again for reading!

Marching On

Happy March everyone!  I’m not even gonna mention March Madness this year.  I actually remembered to write this at the end of the month this time.  It’s hard to believe there’s only a couple weeks left of school.  Soon enough it’ll be summer time and I can enjoy a little bit of time off school.  Speaking of summer…

The Austria study abroad trip is slowly coming together.  It’s finally hitting me that I’ll be leaving in less than 2 months.  In April I have to go down to WKU for an orientation session so my family’s going to make a little vacation of it and go to Nashville for a night.  I’ve received some scholarships so far from NKU, but I’m also waiting to hear on a few more.  Everyone keep your fingers crossed for me.

March was pretty quiet for the MPA program.  Dr. Lambert did host a guest speaker, Richard Wolff, who discussed income inequality and the problems it causes for our democracy (those who are “feeling the Bern” would have really liked his lecture).  It was a great event, and I think a lot of people learned something about how crazy our modern capitalist society can be.  In April we will have the Spring Awards Banquet where Jeniece Jones, our MPA Distinguished Alumna, will be speaking. 

Registration for the fall semester just happened, and I signed up for a GIS course (which I’ve heard is a great class to take because you learn some unique skills) on Monday and Wednesday during the afternoon and Dr. Misis’ Homeland Security online class.  Yes, this means no night classes for me!!! 

At the Aronoff, I recently ushered “Newsies.”  It was a really fun show with the best choreography I’ve seen yet.  It also had a really catchy soundtrack.  Next up is “Book of Mormon” and “Beauty and the Beast” in April, both of which I’m super pumped to see.   

That’s all for now folks.  I’ll be back at the end of April for a recap of the semester and school year overall.  As always, thanks again for reading! 

Forgotten Post February

Well everyone this post is coming on March 1^st because I completely blanked last week about my February post :/.  So March will technically have two posts (unless I forget, which is very likely). 

First, I was accepted to study abroad in Austria this summer!!!!!  I will be spending five weeks in the beautiful city of Bregenz.  I will be taking a course on global leadership and a course on the psychology of good and evil with a focus on the Holocaust (should be some heavy stuff).  Right now I’ve been applying for scholarships because this program certainly isn’t cheap.  I will also be going to Cabo for a week like three days after I return so it’s going to be a very expensive, but fun summer.  May cannot get here soon enough.

Here at NKU I’ve been working on a few projects for the professors.  For Dr. Misis I’m finishing up his study on social media use by KY law enforcement agencies.  I’ve had to make a lot of phone calls.  That was the worst, because like everyone else my age, I hate talking on the phone.  Luckily the conversations were very short.  For Dr. Olberding I’m working on a literature review for her book.  My lit review focuses on special events and their impacts on diversity.  I’ve found some really good articles and studies so far, now I just have to write them up.  For Dr. Lambert I’m working on sprawl data in Excel. 

The MPA program recently hosted a dinner with ASPA that turned out great.  The guest speaker, Eric Avner, gave a brilliant presentation on People’s Liberty.  It’s a great, revolutionary organization that gives grants to people.  The grantees have done some extremely creative and thought-provoking work and I look forward to seeing what People’s Liberty does in the future.  You can check them out on Facebook and on their website: www.peoplesliberty.org. 

Coming up at the Aronoff I’ll be ushering “Newsies” (twice!) which should be a super fun show.  I just signed up yesterday to usher “Book of Mormon”!!!!!  That will probably turn out to be my favorite show ever and I will definitely write how awesome it is.  The schedule for next season also came out recently and there are quite a few shows that I look forward to working.  Check out the Aronoff’s website for more information on that. 

Next week is spring break already which means we’re already halfway through the semester!  I’ll be sure to post at the end of March to update on anything else exciting happening in the program.  Thanks again!

New Year, New Offices

Happy New Year and New Semester everyone!

The department has successfully moved into our new offices in Landrum.  All the important people are down on the 1^st floor.  I’m up on the 2^nd floor with my own office, sort of.  Two other professors have to come through my office to get to theirs, so I kind of work in their lobby area.  Either way my office is very spacious, but right next to the elevators and hangout area so there’s been some adjusting to all the foot traffic. 

This semester I’m taking PAD 602 Organizational Theory and Behavior and PAD 621 Resource Acquisition.  I highly recommend taking 602 right after “Foundations” because a lot of the theories and practices learned in that class will be very important in Org Theory.  I’m really looking forward to 621 because we’re aiding two local nonprofits with grant applications.  We are doing a service learning project with a new nonprofit called Scrap Nati. 

Over the break I was able to work a few times at the Aronoff.  I experienced my first ballet with the Cincinnati Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.”  It was a great show and had a lot more humor than I expected.  I definitely recommend more people check out the ballet.  I also ushered for “Kinky Boots.”  It might have been the most fun show I’ve worked yet.  It was hilarious with a lot of fun, memorable songs.  Upcoming I have the ballet’s version of “Cinderella” and a new musical “If/Then.” 

I’ve had a few projects for the three weeks we’ve been back.  I’m still working on a database for Dr. Misis about Kentucky law enforcement agencies and the social media platforms they employ.  I just finished up some Excel work for Dr. Lambert and Dr. Mattson.  They’re working on writing the paper so hopefully they’ll be some news on that in the near future.  I also helped organize the MPA Spring Newsletter, so keep an eye out for that in the next few weeks.

As always, thanks for stopping by!  By my next post I’ll have news about being accepted officially to the Austria program and what all it will entail! J

Final Post of 2016!

Well here it is, the final blog post of 2015.  By the time I write a new one, it’ll be January 2016 somehow.  I decided to combine November and December’s blog post because they’re basically combined anyway during the school year with all the holidays. 

For Thanksgiving I made my annual trip to St. Louis and was able to see some extended family I really only see at Thanksgivings and graduations.  I had to come back early to work on both of my final papers that were due this week.  Luckily once I get them out of the way after Friday I’ll only have one exam during finals week next week. 

For Christmas break I don’t have any big plans.  We’re hosting Christmas this year, so the house is all festive.  We had to get a smaller tree and place it in a high spot because my cat is psycho and would probably eat everything on it.  I have no idea what I want for Christmas like every year, so I’m sure I’ll be receiving lots of Amazon gift cards and random articles of clothing from the family.

Next year will bring quite the adventure as I completed my application to study abroad in AUSTRIA in the summer!!!!!!!!  As soon as I saw the announcement that graduate students could go, I knew I had to go.  Hopefully I can get some good scholarships so I’m not paying almost $6000 out of pocket/through loans.  I should be taking a class about leadership in global environments and a class about the psychology of good and evil during the Holocaust.  Both should be extremely enlightening.  I highly recommend everyone to apply for study abroad if they can swing it.  I went to Paris one summer with KIIS (the program also doing Austria), and it was amazing.  Hopefully a few other MPA students apply so I’m not alone with a bunch of undergrads (just kidding, but also seriously). 

That’s pretty much it for the year!  It’s been a crazy busy, but fun year and I fully expect 2016 to be just as crazy and fun. I hope everyone enjoys their break.  Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Thanks!

P.S. This isn't my cat, but I felt it appropriate. 

October

Well this month turned out to be much busier than expected.  Lots of good news to report luckily!

I'll start off with the announcement that I adopted a kitten!  Her name is Autumn and she's the cutest thing ever.  You know I wasn't busy enough with classes and work that I thought I would add a pet into the equation.  She's way too active at night right now, but she's also a big goofball so it balances out.  (PS thats not my cat at the bottom.)

School was pretty crazy for a few weeks there.  I had a final grant proposal due, an 8 page profile, and a midterm all within a week of each other.  Luckily I came out alive and with decent grades.  Now the end of the semester is creeping up with more final papers and all their stress. 

The MPA program had quite a few developments during October.  On the 22nd we had our annual fall reception.  There was a good turnout for guest speaker Bonnie Meyer who spoke about LGBTQ issues at NKU and within the state of Kentucky.  She gave a great talk and I really think everyone there enjoyed it.  We also just found out this week that MPA students are able to go on a study abroad to Bregenz, Austria in Summer 2016!!!! I am extremely excited about this oppurtunity (and so should every other student), and I really hope to be able to go!  For information contact Jeff Zimmerman at zimmermanj3@nku.edu or look at the program's website http://www.kiis.org/go/BregenzPO.php. 

At the Aronoff I was able to usher for the musical "Pippin."  It was quite a show and hard to describe.  It was a mix of musical theater and cirque du soleil type stunts, a very unique combo. Up next is "White Christmas" based off the Bing Crosby movie, so I hope to see some of you there!

I'll be back at the end of next month to let you know all about the happenings in November.  As always thanks for reading!

Oh and Happy Halloween!

"September"

Pinch, punch first of the month!

Soooo I forgot September only has 30 days so I’m posting this a day later than I should have, so there will be two posts for October.  At least it’s time now for fall and Halloween stuff.  Also, my birthday is Oct. 11^th so I’ll be celebrating that too :D.

September was a crazy busy month.  I trained for ushering at the Aronoff, and then worked a show on my own.  I did get to see Motown the Musical though three times in one week, so that was pretty fun.  I went to Indianapolis for a weekend.  I had relatives from France come in for a day.  I had lots of classes and class assignments.  I also tried to maintain a social life.  My monthly calendar was very full to say the least. 

October is looking to be a little easier despite having Midterms and a paper due next week.  Fall break will be the 12^th and 13^th so I will definitely be making the most of that.  The MPA program will be hosting their annual fall reception on Thursday Oct. 22th, so I look forward to seeing some of you there!

The MPA program is also going through a bit of a rebranding phase along with the university.  We’re updating our advertising materials to look more modern and in line with other NKU branding. 

Missy, Dr. Olberding and I are also going to start doing the Norse Fitness Classes during the week to break up the day and get healthy.  Missy and I did TRX today (the first time for each of us) and it kicked our butts.  I also embarrassed myself with the equipment multiple times, c’est la vie. Hopefully the more we do the classes, the easier they’ll get. 

So October should be a pretty fun month overall.  As always, thanks again for reading!