Billy

No, this won't be a sad song

william.burke1@marist.edu — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 01:27:51 GMT

No rehearsal for me tonight and I am basking in the free time! "Crazy for You" rehearsals have been fun so far. We rehearse pretty frequently - there are rehearsals every day but Thursday oddly enough. Friday was the Learn to Lead seminar I held for club presidents to learn about fundraising, designing websites, and paperwork they have to submit to SGA. It went well and I've heard positive feedback. It's obviously not the most invigorating event ever, but it covered what I wanted and went smoothly. I wound up speaking three times myself. I had focused most of my time and energy into planning the event itself so I didn't prepare hardcore for my speeches, but I was talking about the things I'm doing and thinking about every day and I don't have a problem with public speaking. It's a relief to be over though, because that and the Activities Fair were two huge events for the Club Affairs Council right off the bat. I'm in the process of filling the few spots left on my council. Amy Kate has been such a fun, reliable assistant VP, and Katie McSassy has helped me tremendously with recruiting good people. It's great that we can work together so often (she's on my council, plus the musical, Singers and Singers board) and still be great friends outside of it all. I love her within the contexts of all our relationships!

I'm making a very conscious effort to keep in touch with family and home friends. I've been dealing with some guilt about being so busy all the time. It's a little dehumanizing if I can be dramatic for a second. I very often won't leave the SGA office until something like a phone call prompts me to take a break. I'm spending five hours on SGA work every weekday, and probably 2-3ish hours over the weekend, but I'm doing my best to leave all my work for office time since I have to do six office hours a week, but I wind up there outside of those hours inevitably. It's tricky business! My friends try their best to stop me from making my 7th trip of the day to SGA and even though I protest, I appreciate it =D.

Maybe I do talk about the same exact things in every entry, but it's honestly most of my life, and it's certainly what I want to vent out. I make sure to have fun on the weekends, I promise! Until next time, LiveJournal,... (I suck at sign-offs.)

You're with me around the clock

william.burke1@marist.edu — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 05:39:05 GMT

Labor Day weekend was kind of a nice break for me after the activities fair, besides being in the office for smaller things. Now that I've hired Amy Kate as my Assistant VP, it will be a lot easier being able to delegate slightly. It's great to have someone I really trust working beside me. My club affairs council's first meeting is Thursday and I'm excited for it.

Saturday I went to the mall with Jeff, Adri, Kurtis, Christi and Amy Kate. We're a solid group this year and I really love it. Then we went to Adri's friend's apartment and partied there which was entertaining. Sunday we went to a fam BBQ at Katie Kopchik's house and then had a movie night. Yesterday Jess drove over from New Paltz and visited me for a little bit! Then last night Katie Mc (my partner in everything this year) and I slept over Jess Lane's apartment. Jess graduated last year but she's still here student teaching and lives off campus. And she's assistant choreographer for "Crazy for You" so if I make it into the musical, I'll be seeing lots of her this semester!

Today was the first rehearsal for Chamber Singers and I'm really excited about it. We also had regular Singers tonight and then I had a long, long Singers board meeting. Phew! I swear I have classes this semester too but they actually take up less time in my schedule than SGA and Singers. Plus I really enjoy all my professors so far. PS Midrise is the bomb. I love having a private bathroom, James and I are getting along GREAT as roommates, plus with Kurtis and Jeff also in my suite and constant visits from Christi/AK/Adri, there's never a dull moment. I'm lovin' it.

Live your life for those that you love

william.burke1@marist.edu — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 19:14:35 GMT

The activities fair is over! It was my first huge event of the year as VP for Club Affairs, and it was a really big success. Over 1200 people were there, President Murray gave it his stamp of approval, and EVERY club on campus showed up. I'm thrilled because it was a really positive way to start off the year and it gives me confidence for the rest of the events I'll be coordinating.

My friends are truly the best for helping me set up tables and chairs for 80+ groups yesterday, when they're not even on my council. However, after the fact, I appointed Amy Kate as my new Assistant VP and I'm very excited about that. I took them out to dinner last night to celebrate and thank them. We're having a blast this year. I love living in Midrise.

This week I auditioned for Chamber Singers, and yesterday I found out I made it! I auditioned with something to prove. This is my year to tap back into my musical side. Last year, the only choral group I did was regular Singers, and I decided it was time to go for something more. I'm taking voice lessons. I'm also auditioning for "Crazy for You" and I'm very excited for the possibility of doing the musical this year. Last year, by making it into "Rumors," I didn't do the musical, so I wound up doing less music-wise than in high school. I did Singers all year and wound up joining the board, but now it's time to raise the bar at least a little bit. I'm so excited about Student Government and being a leader, but I don't want to forget about the hobbies I've always loved.

There are certain people you just keep coming back to

william.burke1@marist.edu — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:20:20 GMT

It's rainy as hell and I'm spacy from taking Dayquill, but still having a good time. I hate being sick, even if it's just a little cold, because your only option to feel better is to take medicine that makes you groggy and spaced out. You wouldn't think Dayquill could make you feel drowsy.

I had my first voice lesson today. I'm happy to be taking private lessons again and I can tell it will help me a lot. This semester it's offered for one credit, so I added that plus Singers for credit since I'll be there anyway doing it as a club, and kept the online class I need as a pre-requisite for doing an internship. This way I've still got 15 credits, but only four regular classes. Once I go to my class at 3:30, I'll have been to all of them. My night class last night was such a joke. It meets on Monday nights for three hours. The professor's an adjunct and he's crazy easy, and just plain crazy, come to think of it. We have 4 quizzes and a 5 page paper, no final. I was seriously laughing at his syllabus. And he gave us a 45 minute break for dinner.

My roommate's here and we're getting along really well. I'm pretty happy with that whole situation. I'm coordinating the activities fair which is only a few days away, and I'm recruiting a few more people for my council of clubs. I still have a lot to discuss with Michele from College Activities, but I'm doing fine. Post-its are my friend. It feels good to get the ball rolling.

Home is where you make it

william.burke1@marist.edu — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 00:20:23 GMT

I moved in at Marist today! I like my suite a lot and it's definitely good to be back. It feels like I never left. We had a pretty informal first meeting today for SGA and I just got back from the first Singers rehearsal. My home friends actually gave me an awesome send-off last night; they reminded me just why I'll miss home while I'm away. I love them all and wish them lots of luck.

I'm contemplating how this semester will go musically. Especially at tonight's rehearsal I realized I'd be more comfortable singing Tenor 2. My conductor said he saw that coming by the end of last year. I think the combination of really overusing my high notes in high school, and then singing only twice a week and not doing a musical last year has compromised some of my upper range. I've also been out of voice lessons since high school. I'm hesitant to try out for Chamber Singers this year; I feel like my voice is too worn out, besides being busy enough as it is. I think I want to add voice lessons as a 3-credit class this semester. Hopefully it will help me re-build my range and be a stronger singer again soon. I have to try. In high school I made it all the way to All-State and All-Eastern, and I don't want to just give up on it.

Tonight is the first "social activity" of Singers camp and it's a PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT! Even better, I am leading a group with Christi! We're pumped. You should be too.

Why must sunburn be so itchy?

william.burke1@marist.edu — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 23:24:59 GMT

I'm using a Grey's Anatomy icon because I'm bummed the new season won't start until the 21st. But they used The Fray's single in their new commercial... what could be better than Fray's Anatomy? I'm ashamed of that joke already.

I finally did some packing today. It's very refreshing to leave this year knowing I'll be going back to great things. I've loved home this summer and I will soak up the next few days, but there's enough excitement in the mix that it's no longer SAD to be leaving. I'd actually be going back tomorrow but they turned my suite into the admissions office for the summer, so I can't move in until Wednesday, haha. Still, I'm always the first one to leave. I like it because everyone's still here when I go, but I do wonder how it would be to say goodbye to someone else first.

Tomorrow I'm going to Splish Splash with my buds although I was just there Thursday with my family. Hopefully people will be less inclined to stare at my tragic sunburn this time. It's quite a sight.

Apparently the Teen Choice awards are tonight, featuring the first live performance ever by Kevin Federline. So I'll clearly be TiVoing that if anyone's interested. I lied. I'll be at Christine's watching Big Brother. Janelle for President!

Hello, good friend.

william.burke1@marist.edu — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 19:26:13 GMT

I'm going back to Marist on Wednesday, and I'm thrilled. I'll be busy right away with summer session for Singers, and Student Gov't (SGA). I'm very excited about my suite and to re-unite with the great friends I've been missing. It should be a truly awesome year.

I was appointed as the VP for Club Affairs in SGA, which makes me the Council of Clubs' president. It entails about 73901 meetings a week. I run the activities fair, organize a leaders' conference, meet with club presidents regularly and represent clubs to the rest of SGA. I determine which clubs can keep their charter, and if we have room to create new ones. I feel so fulfilled and excited to take this on. I feel like I'm the right person for this kind of crazy job and I hope all the club officers who are passionate enough to be so involved are excited to work with me. I'm continuing as the VP for Men's Singers, and I'm going to do as much as I can with MCCTA (theater), of course.

This summer has been one of my FAVES. I took a break from theater; I just needed to have fun with my friends. I loved work and got really close with Teresa, who I'm seeing THE FRAY with in October! I just went camping for four days with my HS theater friends who I am closer with than ever and I love them. And I've of course stayed close with Michelle, Rob and Nicole who mean the world. I couldn't be more happy with the friends in my life.

Who'd have ever thought I'd fall off the LJ train for five months? I'M BACK!