What is Gender Studies? > Residence Life > The Academic Program > Hendrix Community Blogs

Hendrix Community Blogs

Katie's Blog

Subscribe to my Blog!

November 2009

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Katie's Blog

Call Me Kathleen?

Permanent link

And the job search continues. I've had informational interviews with a BusinessWeek reporter, a New York Times clerk, and a freelance writer. I'm hoping to talk to Doug Blackmon (Hendrix alumnus, Pulitzer Prize winner) soon. For a school with a relatively small alumni base, Hendrix has given me a surprising -- sometimes overwhelming -- number of networking opportunities.

I also met yesterday with Christy Coker, the Director of Career Services, who is a repository of utter genius. I left her office with seven Post-It notes full of ideas to follow up on. She gave me tips for staying in touch with my new network, information on web hosting for a personal website, and resources for additional internship opportunities. She also expressed total dedication to working with me as intensively as I wanted, since she knows I'm aiming high. Right now she's combing through my Facebook, telling me whether there's anything inappropriate I'll need to take down. She's also going to tear apart all of the cover letters I write. It's great to have such a great companions on this great odyssey toward employment.

There is one recommendation I'm a little ambivalent about: changing my professional name. I always imagined that, as Trista Greider recommended, I'd go by "Kathleen N. Rice" when I graduated. It's the name I'd print on the covers of my books, and the byline that would run above my articles. But I never realized that I'd have to actually go by Kathleen if it were my professional name. I've never been called Kathleen in my life! Major hyperventilation and an identity crisis ensued.

The other minor crisis took place between my twin sister and me. Mandi is the best sister in the entire world, and we are pretty close even though we live 12 hours apart. We traveled Europe together during our sophomore year, and we recently decided that upon graduation we should move to the same city and share an apartment. (And cook awesome vegetarian food for each other.) The drawback that didn't occur to me was that we would be competing for the same jobs. As ambitious young women looking to enter the (sharply contracting) field of journalism, we will probably end up applying for many of the same positions.

Our first overlap became clear to me this week. We're both applying for an incredible NPR fellowship aimed at recent college graduates with "exceptional potential and drive" and a desire to work in public radio. I want it so bad I can taste it! And Mandi does too. It's awkwardly reminiscent of our senior year of high school, when we both applied for the ultra-competitive Hays Memorial Scholarship at Hendrix, and I got it. And she didn't. I would hate to do that to Mandi again, but I would also hate to stifle myself for fear of hurting her self-esteem.

We talked last night and decided that we won't tell each other what fellowships, internships and jobs we're applying for, so that neither of us feels pressure not to apply for an opportunity we find out about. Ignorance is bliss.

Posted by Kathleen Rice at 11/5/2009 5:48 PM Comments (0)

Procrastinating, by Writing about a Time that I Didn't Procrastinate

Permanent link

The paper about the fall of the Inca civilization turned out to be fascinating. It was due this past Friday, and I probably could have waited until Thursday night to write it, but I didn't. For the first time in my Hendrix career, I stayed in the library on Friday evening -- a full week before the paper was due -- and started scouring through tomes like A Socialist Empire: The Incas of Peru. I came in again on Saturday, and finished up the paper in the course of two all-nighters on Wednesday and Thursday nights. It turned out to be 11 pages -- well within Dr. Pollini's rather odd guidelines of 5-15 pages. I don't think I've ever been prouder of a finished product.

The essay is for my Agriculture, Natural Resources and Sustainability class, which I took solely to fulfill a requirement of my International Relations and Global Studies major. But the class has turned out to be quite relevant to my interests. I'm a huge fan of Michael Pollan, who (along with Eric Schlosser, Mark Bittman, and Morgan Spurlock) has defined the food philosophy I try to live by. As Pollan summarizes in his book The Omnivore's DIlemma: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." Books like Fast Food Nation and The Botany of Desire convinced me of the lurking dangers of massive factory farms, which, by relying on massive cultivation of one species of potato/banana/corn/whatever, subject our nation's food supply to the threat of blight.

In class, we've read Marcel Mazoyer's A History of Agriculture from the Neolithic Age to the Current Crisis. I've learned about agri-politics issues I didn't know existed, such as the demonization of slash-and-burn farmers in Madagascar, and gotten more insight into issues of farm subsidies, which I haven't discussed in school since my AP Gov class in high school.

The Agriculture class also dovetails with two of my other classes -- The American West and Concepts of Chemistry. Concepts of Chem is mostly an overview of basic chemistry: acids and bases, redox reactions, hydrocarbons, etc. But our book, Chemistry for Changing Times, puts an environmental spin on every issue we discuss. Similarly, the American West class addresses not just the history and culture of cowboys, but also the environmental and political implications of ranching (and mining, and logging, and...). I never would have thought I'd find that interesting, but I do.

I've also been active in the Environmental Concerns Committee this year. Yesterday about 12 of us took a tour of Conway's recycling facility, which is the largest in Arkansas. Early next year they will be installing a totally mechanized system, but right now non-violent criminals have the option of paying off their fines by working at the plant, sorting recyclables. The tour was incredibly informative -- an inspiration for the campus walks I give at Hendrix -- and sought to correct some of the myths about recycling. I learned that things I've been throwing away for years, such as paperboard, styrofoam, and glass, can now be recycled in Conway. (Although the glass must be brought to the plant; it can't be put in with the curbside pickup recycling.) I also learned that there's no need to remove the lids or the labels from plastic bottles. Sweet!

After the fieldtrip we went to Toad Suck Park, on the banks of the Arkansas River, and cooked the most delicious, homemade veggie burgers of all time. With whole-wheat buns and lettuce and tomato. Delicious! But I digress.

The class that doesn't fit into the environmental scheme is Gender, Sexuality and American Politics, which is also my favorite class this semester. After Dr. Berryman's Iraq War seminar last spring, which was a constant source of anxiety for me, I thought I just didn't learn well in a seminar format. But Dr. Barth does a great job of ensuring that everyone in the class has a chance to speak. I actually have to tell myself to shut up sometimes, because the readings are so interesting and I am engaged so fully in the material. It's like, "Calm down, Katie. Let the other kids have a chance to discuss abortion rights and the cultural implications of birth control."

I've been thinking about that class a lot this weekend, because half of our final grade comes from a journal that we are supposed to keep throughout the semeser, analyzing the readings we do. (The other half is class participation.) The only problem is ... I haven't been keeping up with them very well. I read everything, I discuss it like crazy, I talk about it after class with my friends, and I ponder it when I'm alone. But I never write about it. Which is a problem because Dr. Barth is collecting our journals tomorrow to check our progress. And here I am, writing about needing to write them. That, my friends, is artful procrastination.

Posted by Kathleen Rice at 11/3/2009 8:19 PM Comments (0)

Falling for Fall

Permanent link

Fall foliage

Last weekend, while I was gone in New York, Autumn came to Arkansas. All of a sudden, leaves of all shapes and sizes are scattered on the sidewalks. Carved pumpkins sit on front porches, and my friends are all hard at work on Halloween costumes. I swear the wind smells like hot chocolate and campfires.

The Hendrix campus is always beautiful, but this weekend was particularly glorious. After a rainy week, the ground had finally dried out, and half the student body was laying around outside on blankets. The leaves were yellow and drifting slowly down from the trees. And at least a dozen Conwegians, young and old, had gathered to walk around the campus and pose for photos. I sat outside on the steps of the Mills Building, reading about boosterism in the American West in the nineteenth century. But mostly I just people-watched.

A middle-aged woman was pushing her mother around in a wheelchair, to get her some fresh air and let her enjoy the view. A senior who lives off campus walked her dachshund near the library. A group of young children ran around the Pecan Court in the center of campus, jumping up and down and screaming as the famed Hendrix squirrels ran along the branches above them. It was a refreshing change from the homogeneity that often dominates college campuses, which are rarely home to children, pets, or elderly people.

I am appreciating this Fall in a way that most people stop doing after age six. October in Conway is a foreign concept to me at this point, having lived in other countries for the past two fall semesters. I learned how to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night and Dia de los Muertos, but I forgot how to conceive of a costume for Halloween. So I've been asking friends for ideas. Trista Greider, the internships coordinator, suggested I go as a Twister board. Several friends have offered me costumes they bought before coming up with better ideas. My options include a German beer-maid and an organ-harvesting doctor. Tough choice. Friday night is Ghost Roast, the raucous annual Halloween party, so my planning time is quite limited -- and further curtailed by the essay I have due on Friday, discussing the role of the Incas' agricultural system in the fall of their civilization. That's not the kind of fall I want to be thinking about right now.

Posted by Kathleen Rice at 10/26/2009 2:11 PM Comments (0)

Non-Stop Job Thoughts

Permanent link

It's been tough getting back into a routine following Fall Break. All I want to do nowadays is work on finding a job -- collecting business cards, making new connections, and speaking with alumni and their friends about the state of journalism. Almost none of them have good news. A typical response is, "Isn't there anything else you'd be interested in doing?" But as much as they bemoan the state of journalism, they all seem happy that I want to be a reporter.

I discussed my career goals several times last night, at a reception following the Founders Day convocation that morning. The reception honored the six alumni who were awarded Odyssey Medals at the convocation in recognition of their professional success in one of the six Odyssey categories: artistic creativity, global awareness, professional and leadership development, research, service to the world, and special projects. My job at the reception was to stand near the front door of the Clinton Presidential Library yesterday evening, taking coats and handing out nametags to the attendees. My own nametag, which read "Katie Rice '10", prompted much discussion of my future plans.

I had the chance to speak briefly with alumnus Doug Blackmon '86, a Wall Street Journal bureau chief whose recent book Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II received a Pulitzer Prize. He received the Odyssey Medal for Global Awareness. I also spoke with several other alumni, one of whom advised me that the core skill required in journalism -- the ability to see and interpret a situation, and explain it to someone else -- would be valuable in many different fields.

OK, gotta run. I'm meeting with the internship coordiantor, Trista Greider, to discuss my résumé.

Posted by Kathleen Rice at 10/23/2009 3:01 PM Comments (0)

I Wish I Had an iPhone

Permanent link

I've had the same chunky red Samsung phone for more than four years, sticking with it while friends have moved on to RAZRs, Blackberrys and iPhones. The poor thing can barely send text messages nowadays, let alone surf the net. Which is a shame, because I would have been posting dozens of Facebook status updates this weekend during my fall break trip to New York.

I went to NYC for four days to visit my (much) older brother and his kids, to see some old friends, and to tour the big city. It was incredible! Fantastic! Amazing! Astounding! Every ecstatic adjective you can think of. The trip was inspired by an offer from Jacques Steinberg, the New York Times reporter who interviewed me in August. Since I showed him around Hendrix for the article about campus tours, he offered to show me around the Times offices if I was ever in New York. Considering that I am a huge NYT fan, I figured I should take advantage of the opportunity. So I booked a flight. Best decision ever!

The following is an approximation of the status updates I would have left during this amazing, hectic weekend, if I had had a smartphone.

WEDNESDAY

Katie Rice has an awesome boss, who is driving her to the airport.

Katie Rice just shocked some New Yorkers by stopping them to ask, "Do y'all know which way 9th Avenue is from here?" Arkansas has really rubbed off on me.

Katie Rice loves hostels! Six strangers, in three bunk beds, in one tiny room. Welcome to New York!

THURSDAY

Katie Rice bought a New York Times in New York City, and is savoring it over a cup of Earl Gray and a bagel. This is happiness.

Katie Rice walked 8 blocks to get to someplace one block away. Doh!

Katie Rice is standing outside the New York Times building! And has a reason to go inside! Oh wonder of wonders!

Katie Rice is ascending to the third floor, in the coolest elevator ever!

Katie Rice got to watch a new post go up on the blog The Choice. Cooooool!! http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/boardq-and-a-part-4/

Katie Rice just met a guy with the mind of a computer, who interviewed one of her professors (Dr. Barth) a year ago. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/first-legally-blind-governor-not-quite/

Katie Rice is impressed with the NYT cafeteria and wonders if Mark Bittman gives them pointers.

Katie Rice wants to buy her sister a book about maps as art. Actually, I just want to buy everything in the New York City Public Library's gift shop.

Katie Rice loves fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt, which reminds her of childhood.

Katie Rice gets to finally meet someone she talked to on the phone once, four years ago.

Katie Rice is really accumulating business cards. Newest addition, a Business Week writer who just walked by.

Katie Rice JUST RAN INTO BEA ROGER ON THE STREET -- a fellow Hendrixian in NYC. How random!

Katie Rice respects the way the world brings old acquaintances back together.

Katie Rice really loves Cuban food -- and drink. ¡Viva Café Habana!

Katie Rice thinks New Yorkers are a lot friendlier than people say.

Katie Rice can't stop looking at the way everyone here dresses. They are an inspiration!

Katie Rice wouldn't mind if it stopped raining.

Katie Rice could really live here.

FRIDAY

Katie Rice just went to the Museo del Barrio ... which doesn't re-open til tomorrow. Oops.

Katie Rice is eating sushi on a park bench in the cold. Cheapest NYC meal yet.

Katie Rice is back in front of the NYT building. Two tours of the NYT office in two days. Not too shabby.

Katie Rice would like to give a shout-out to Hendrix alum Scott Christie for putting her in touch with Jan Cottingham. And to Jan for putting her in touch with NYT reporter Steve Kenny. So this is how networking works.

Katie Rice is astounded that NYT reporters are so friendly!

Katie Rice just met a University of Central Arkansas alum working at the Times. His band got booed off stage at the VFW back in the day, for playing war protest songs. Sweet!

Katie Rice just found out that the nameplate and bylines of the New York Times used to end with a period. E.g., "The New York Times." and "By Arthur Krock."

Katie Rice now owns a 1999 copy of the New York Times Manual of Style and Usage!!!!! And a coffee mug with the NYT logo. My excitement betrays my nerdiness.

Katie Rice just had an "informational interview" with the head of clerks -- the guy who will one day read her resume. Is it too soon to start praying for a job?

Katie Rice feels like she's in a movie, meeting up with an old friend by walking toward him in a crowded city.

Katie Rice just ended up in Brooklyn by accident.

Katie Rice is probably the least cool person in this lounge bar, but is digging the music.

SATURDAY

Katie Rice cannot force her feet to walk around again in high-heeled boots. But she has no other choice. Poor planning.

Katie Rice is drinking tea with almond milk. Delicious! These are the benefits of staying in a sketchy Chinatown hotel.

Katie Rice is on her way to Ellis Island, which reminds her of Rachel Smith: http://www.hendrix.edu/news/news.aspx?id=43299

Katie Rice: second choice career path: oral historian.

Katie Rice is looking at the WTC site, recalling Art Spiegelman's book.

Katie Rice is dining off Wall Street. I can't believe the stuff this stock broker sitting next to us is saying about how he uses his millions.

Katie Rice has run into yet another Hendrix student on fall break!

Katie Rice wants all bars to be like this. Dark, grungy, and filled with middle-aged men watching baseball. And with great beer.

Katie Rice doesn't want to be awed by the lights of Times Square, but she is.

SUNDAY

Katie Rice almost missed her plane, after sleeping through her alarm and taking a mad taxi ride to the airport. Phew.

Katie Rice can fall asleep anytime, anywhere. Except during paid sleep studies and on her 6 a.m. flight. Grr.

Katie Rice wants to know what kind of drug Delta puts in the delicious ginger snap cookies they hand out in-flight.

Katie Rice is home again, home again. Ready for bed.

Posted by Kathleen Rice at 10/19/2009 2:10 PM Comments (0)