"You're like a boy and a girl... you're kinda like both" -Bethany

"You're not slow... everyone else is just fast!" -Jung

lol.... such nice friends I have...

oh, and another funny one... "I need to start gambling I think... don't you think I should gamble?" -Bethany

So much has been going on lately I thought I would share! Today, for starters, we have a half day (we are supposed to go in this afternoon) because of the snow! But, it's still snowing pretty good out there so I wouldn't be surprised if they update us soon and say the whole day is cancelled. There was a crazy snow storm last weekend all through Virginia but it went right around us! Some parts of NOVA (aka. Northern Virginia... yes, I'm learning the lingo) got up to 3 feet of snow! In living here, I've learned an important lesson about myself. I love the snow, but I would not want to live somewhere that it snows all the time. I could handle how much we get here in southwestern VA, but anything more would be too much. Give me rain any day of the winter... let me go play in the snow.

Last month, for PDC, I organized a letter writing campaign for St. Jude Children's Reseach Hospital. Due to weather on the day we were supposed to do the project, it was split up into a multi-day project. BUT, even with only about half of our letters getting sent out, we have already brought in over $1700 for the hospital! Back in 2007, as a collective, PDC across the nation committed to contributing $200,000 over 4 years. But we surpassed that within the first two years of the project! St. Jude is our fraternity's national philanthropy... so along with this letter campaign, we do little events throughout the year that raise funds for them. For instance, earlier this year our pledges had a poker tournament fundraiser... and right now we are also in the middle of our Valentine's Day rose sale where we sit around and make a few hundred... (450 this year to be exact) candy roses and sell them on campus with all the proceeds going to St. Jude. Also, as we did last year, we will send some roses to the hospital with a picture of all of us in out white coats and some messages to the kids.

For APhA-ASP last month, we made a video (called "APhA Man") that emphasized what being a member of APhA can do for your career as a pharmacist. We only spent a few hours on it... so I think overall it was a success: http://www.youtube.com/user/Sandaj06#p/a/u/0/HDE1UoHpqvA! haha... well, I have to admit the first version Adam made was better because it had good music... but due to copyrights and all, we had to change it up a bit. Still awesome though! It was part of this year's PharmFlix Competition... the top few videos will be recognized at the annual meeting in DC... not sure if our silliness will pull it off.. but we'll see

This past Monday, we had a patient counseling competition for APhA. I wasn't sure how much I was going to have to help with the set up, so I didn't compete, but we had 8 people end up participating, which is more than any other year so far! And, our winner, Glenna, is awesome... she is going with us now to the APhA Annual Meeting in Washington DC in March to compete for our school on the national level! woot! (I think she can go all the way!)

Lets see... last month, we went to Gatlinburg on a national PDC retreat. It was great, as always. Our cabin was a little smaller than last year, but it still had a pool table, air hockey, pinball and video games, along with a private movie room... and of course three floors and a hot tub outside... so overall, not so shabby!

End of last month, I went as a P2 representative for VPhA Legislative/Pharmacy Day at the Capitol in Richmond. (http://acpharm.org/about/pharm%20day.shtml) It was a lot of driving (about 12 hours) for a 4 hour event, but it was pretty fun! We got to meed with a couple of the Virginia delegates, including Will Morefield (http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/a7b082ef6ed01eac85256c0d00515644/403f9e6004a18f8585257535005773b6?OpenDocument) who is only 26! He's the youngest in the house, but seems so incredibly motivated. He is the delegate for Buchanan, Russell and Tazewell counties (we are in Buchanan County)... so he went over all of the projects they are looking at for this area. Right now, the Appalachian power company is having crazy rate increases. Like when everyone was gone over break (well, some were still here) no one had any power for a week or so, but somehow everyone's bills were double what they usually are when there IS power. So they are trying to work with the company to figure out what's going on. They are also talking about alternative energy to supplement coal in the area, and a highway that will connect us to the world a little better (which would be amazing for this area). We also discussed the Walmart that has been in the works for YEARS in Grundy (they still haven't started building) and the outlook for healthcare with changes in medicare and medicaid on the horizon. After meeting with the delegates, we went down to the health fair and I took some blood pressures of the House employees... they were all coming in and out of meetings so many of them didn't want to get their BP taken because they were afraid it would be abnormally high! haha... but it was a great experience; I'm definitely glad I got to go!

Some very exciting news... on January 25th, our school was awarded full accredidation from ACPE (Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education): http://acpharm.org/about/fullaccred.shtml which is a HUGE step forward. Previously, we were Candidate status... and now, all we need is to get accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and we're good to go! None of this has ever been a problem for us (as the Class of 2011); as long as a college is in candidate status with ACPE, you can sit for your boards at the end. BUT, the SACS accreditation is what's going to get the federal grant and loan money for future students. Our class probably won't see it in our time here (it might be close... maybe our last semester) but if all goes well, at least for the class below us and all the new students, it will be a little easier to get tuition paid for. Right now, all of our loans are private... most are through SallieMae or Eastman Credit Union. Since I got the Air Force Scholarship, I won't have to worry about getting new loans, but it has been a major headache for some people. And even for me.. my last loan was up to 13% interest... I can't imagine what it would be for another one! Anyway, so SACS came for a site visit last week. 6 of us met with them for a student visit last Wednesday which seemed to go really well. The two guys that we talked to were basically there to figure out if everything the school says they offer their students is true (they want the inside scoop)... and they asked us things like, if you were president of the college, what would you change, and what was the biggest thing that was surprising when you got to the school. When it comes to my experience here... in all honesty, I wouldn't change it for anything. I will be in the fourth class to graduate from this college. I have been able to see it grow and develop in the early stages and see what a school goes through when it's starting from the ground up. Sure, there are always going to be wrinkles along the way... but that's going to be true anywhere you go. Basically, ACP is the place to be! haha

Lastly, for PDC, we had enough interest that we decided to have a Spring Rush this year. Yesterday, we just had our pinning ceremony to welcome in 15 new pledges! It's really exciting. Our little family is growing! And we got more girls this time... which will be good to even them out for next year. Our first pledge class this year in the Fall only had one girl. Now they outnumber the guys! Ha. But, even tho I don't know all of them yet very well, they seem like a really good group... hopefully they will all make it through initiation to carry on the Phi Delta Chi name! Last Friday, we went down to Johnson City for ETSU's initiation of their pledge class. It's so awesome to see how other chapters work... and how we all carry on the traditions in the same way. aww.

Ooo... and on the workout front, I made myself a 22 week plan (actually goes up until Ash's wedding in June... for no particular reson)... but 2 weeks in and I'm going strong. I have 5 workouts planned per week and I've only missed one so far. For our herbal class, we have to make a lifestyle modification (they always try to put us in the shoes of our patients... so we understand how they feel when we tell them to change how they live!). I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to pick yet as my modification, but in general I'm trying to just keep some sort of consistent exercise in my life... since I don't want to fall into the "Grundy thirty" category (it's the saying around here... grundy thirty instead of freshman fifteen). haha... and I gotta get Air Force fit!

Anywho... that's way too much information. But that's my life! Gotta get back to reading about GERD! Wish me luck!

xoxo, Ky