Tag: portland oregon

  • Reading Fatigue: Pulling Myself out of a Literary Rut

    Reading Fatigue: Pulling Myself out of a Literary Rut

    By Erika Nelson Every month, the Goodreads newsletter pops into my inbox. These emails taunt me by singing the praises of newly-published books: colorful rectangle covers lined up into neat rows by genre; enticing blurbs draw me in. I used to pore over these newsletters and make library holds based on book suggestions, but now…

  • The Best Beverage: In Praise of Coffee

    The Best Beverage: In Praise of Coffee

    On any particular day, my morning routine always begins with coffee. It’s a stereotype: the college student who runs on coffee. But in my case, it’s true.  I. Love. Coffee. My morning coffee is the simple indulgence that kicks off my day; a form of self-bribery to hoist my tired body out of bed instead…

  • Different Priorities

    Different Priorities

    Welcome back, everyone! I’m excited for spring term. My classes are interesting, my color-coding system is finalized, and I’m confident that this is the term that I’ll finally slay the Procrastination Dragon. And this term, I mean it. I have the habit of making overly-ambitious to-do lists; both necessary (like re-organizing the closet and taking…

  • The Case For Zoom

    The Case For Zoom

    When PSU announced that the coming spring and summer terms would continue to be remote, I had conflicting feelings. On one hand, I’m happy that PSU is looking out for students, faculty, and staff by minimizing physical contact. It’s comforting to be part of an institution that values health and safety. On the other hand,…

  • Storms Ahead

    Storms Ahead

    I wouldn’t say I hate the rain … but it’s not my favorite natural phenomenon, either. The dismal grey skies and absence of natural light. Soaked clothes and muddy shoes. Umbrellas dripping all over the carpet. Humidity that turns an hour’s effort with the straightening iron into a frizzy, unkempt mess. The ever-present risk of…

  • Dorm Pie

    Dorm Pie

    As I’ve written before, I live in student housing. Dorms— a word that connotes many things related to “the college experience”— ridiculously tall beds, hallways decorated to reflect the RA’s floor theme, washing machines that only work half the time … and above all, socialization. From bonding over bowls of instant ramen to flashcard quizzes…

  • My Journey So Far: Reflecting on My First Year at PSU

    My Journey So Far: Reflecting on My First Year at PSU

    It’s hard to believe that I’ve been at PSU for a year now! The last 12 months have brought more changes and challenges than I could have possibly imagined, both in my personal life and the world at large. Since I first became a Viking in September 2019, I’ve switched jobs, broken up with a…

  • A Capstone About Cats: Reflections on Our Senior Capstone

    By Claire Golden and Erika Nelson It was complete coincidence that two PSU Chronicles bloggers — Erika and Claire — ended up in the same Senior Capstone, but we wanted to reflect on our experience. This was far and away the most involved class we’d ever taken, but it was also one of the most…