Ashley Dilcher

What a crazy past few weeks I have had since my last blog.

I want to begin by wishing everyone a Happy Halloween. Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays mostly because I get scared too easily. This past weekend, I walked into a Halloween store and almost ran out because something jumped out at me. The only thing I actually enjoy now about Halloween is people watching and getting photos of my niece and nephews in their costumes! This year, my niece, Allison, is a butterfly and my twin nephews, Cole and Kyle, are a a monkey and giraffe.

I am running low on sleep this week, partly due to the show Long Island Medium on TLC and because of Hurricane Sandy. It is devastating watching the news and seeing all the devastation in NYC and New Jersey (among the other states). I am glad that we did not get what the meteorologists expected. With all the talk about the weather this past week, I could not help but think about the "October Storm." Two of my roommates (not from this area) did not know what happened during that storm; I remember it clearly and it was crazy reflecting back on it.

Since my last blog, I have been running around like crazy! On October 17, I was in charge of coordinating the volunteers for the 2012 Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame (GBSHOF) awards dinner held at the Hyatt in downtown Buffalo. This is a great event that honors sports figures from Buffalo. I cannot thank all of my volunteers enough for all the great work they did!

On October 19, my roommate Taylor and I lit up Niagara Falls pink for breast cancer awareness. The event, named "Billieve," was hosted by the Buffalo Bills and featured several Bills players, each of whom helped form a living pink ribbon across the Rainbow Bridge. The ribbon was formed by our pink scarves, which were given to us witha donation to the American Cancer Society. This was such a cool event to be apart of. It's a great feeling seeing how many people showed up for this event, decked out in pink, all for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or, as many say, "Pinktober."

I was able to enjoy the theatre's production of The Rimers of Eldritch on October 20. This was my first time seeing a production at NU. Everyone did a great job, including my roommate, Amy! Congrats to all who performed!

Just last week I sat down with my advisor for my last advisement of my undergraduate career. It's crazy to know that you need to take certain classes. My schedule is now made and I am waiting until my registration next week. It's a bittersweet feeling. This semester has gone by so fast. November begins and then it is almost Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know that it will continue to go by fast as the calendar dwindles to May.

Classes have been going great. I am taking two communication studies classes: video production and research methods and event planning in sports, an internship and introduction to American Sign Language. ASL has been so challenging but I am enjoying learning it every Tuesday and Thursday. I also have to thank my roommate, Jen, for helping me practice signing each night. I tend to catch myself signing various signs throughout my other classes, it's rather addicting!

Even though the past few weeks have been crazy, I cannot help but be thankful for each moment I have on campus. NU is a great place to attend. It is gorgeous in the fall. I am enjoying all of my classes even though some are challenging. I have been able to meet some great people these past two months and I cherish every moment.

Election day is next week. This will be my first time voting in the presidential election. I remember watching election day in 2008, wishing I could vote. Now I finally get the chance to and I am very excited! I will be glued to my TV watching the results all night on the 6th. If you can vote, please do. This is a great privilege that we have as American citizens and I believe that everyone should cast their votes!

Talk to you soon!