Hello again everyone! I hope things are going well for you all. Classes are seeming to be a little more challenging this year than previous years. I'm taking 6 classes this year for starters unlike the past two years where I took 5 and that alone has made a big difference in my schedule. This year I have classes from 9:30 in the morning till 9:45 at night Monday and Wednesday. Those are long days! However, that means I only have two short classes on Thursday and no classes on Friday. I'm also able to fit work study into my Tuesday class schedule so after Wednesday night everything clears up for a nice weekend! I know a lot of people who schedule their weeks like this. This way they have a four day weekend every week. I can see why people like it, but it is definitely hectic for those three days and not really my style. At least its a good lesson to learn for the next time I make my schedule. The classes themselves are also pretty different. For one I'm taking into to Emerging Enterprises and Entrepreneurship. I've never taken a business class at college so I was a little nervous since math is definitely not one of my strengths, but it turned out I really like this class! The teacher is actually an incredibly successful business man who's only been teaching for 2 semesters now so he's right out of the field and really up to date with today's economic structure. It's also not as math focused and tedious as I pictured a business class to be. Instead we have a lot of lectures and discussions on the techniques behind starting a business and how things work out to be successful. I'm finding it to be pretty interesting stuff and definitely useful to my major since interior design is all about selling your ideas. Plus I hope to own my own firm someday so this minor will come in handy. I have that class later today actually. Thats the only thing I would change about it, it starts at 7 and goes to 9:30. Kind of late, but at least its only one day a week! Well until next time! Have a good week!

Hello again everybody! So its only been a week and we're well on our way to completing our first projects of the semester. This year, unlike the previous one, I have a lot more academic work to do since I'm taking Emerging Enterprises and Entrepreneurship as well as Human Sexuality. Both classes are pretty interesting but EEE looks like its going to be a lot of rigorous work. Along with that, our interior design classes are picking up too! This year is all about office and commercial spaces, which I'm finding I enjoy more than the residential work we did last year. While residential design deals more with materials and the psychological effects of design and space as far as comfort and emotions go, it's starting to seem like office and commercial design has a lot more to do with problem solving. Of course, we still put a lot of emphasis on smart design, using sustainable products and materials, as well as making the space aesthetically pleasing. However, we also have to solve a lot of user problems. For example our first project was to redesign our professor's small office for his architectural firm located here in Syracuse. We had to go and look at the site and you could tell the office had a lot of serious problems as far as adequate space and storage. There were many specifications for what needed to be included in the new design and there were some obvious architectural elements we had to work around, however, besides that we were free to explore different options. In fact, at the end of the project one of our designs may be implemented in the new office! This kind of interior design interests me a lot more since it involves more problem solving instead of simply making a space look interesting. It's like a giant puzzle! So that's what we have been up to in our classes. I hope schools going well for all of you! Until next time! Leeanna

Hello again everybody!
It feels like I just left yesterday! Summer went by so quickly! There have been a lot of changes to SU since I've been gone though. A major one for me has been the move to the Warehouse! I visited the Warehouse for the first time the other day and it is a very interesting place. The building has this cool modern, industrial atmosphere to it and I love how all of the design majors are in one place. It's like the whole building is one big design project. The brand new desks and shop equipment are a plus too, not to mention the building has taken a big leap in its furniture choices using a lot of modern and bold designs. For example most of the chairs on the fourth floor are of Phillipe Stark's brand. So cool. The Warehouse is also only one block away from Armory Square, an area of local restaurants and small boutiques, which is also convenient and only adds to the artistic atmosphere. So even though it's a change, I'm pleased and I think the Warehouse can only improve from here.

Other than that I'm living off campus this year which is also different! I'm only two blocks away from campus which is great because it's not only a short walk to classes but it's not that far from Marshall St. either. Moving into my own place was some what of an awkward transition since I had to figure out things like cable and Internet, which have always been provided and I never had to think about. Not only that but now I go to a landlord with issues instead of calling the school's housing department. It's different but it also gives me a sense of independence and I love the look of the small apartments around here. Most of them are big old houses turned into split levels so they're all really unique and different. Some people actually rent an entire house and then live with 8 or 10 people; I wasn't that adventurous, but still four roommates is enough for me.

Other than that Syracuse is its usual beautiful self! They've added a new dorm, Ernie Davis, but other than that construction's at a minimum and everything seems to be in full swing around here. I hope every one's summer went well and you are all enjoying your first couple days back! Until next time!~