Graduation

It has been a hard process to get to graduation, but went extremely quickly.  Natalie, David, Maddie, and Ethan came for my graduation.  I have made some great friends while I have been here at school.

At dinner after finishing our oral exams

Molly, me, Tina, and Mandy

The Master's of music education

Molly, Terry, Anastasia, Tina, Mandy

 Carolyn and I were on the 2nd row right in the center

(She is the only other master's student, but she got there a little late, so missed the first picture)

 My view from the audience

Our Commencement speaker was Steven Colbert 

 The Master's hood

 The Master's sleeves (or pockets...I didn't carry a purse, but put my keys, wallet, phone, and camera in the sleeves)

 Dr. Maud Hickey (my master's advisor, research, composition in the classroom)

Dr. Janet Barrett (Interdisciplinary curriculum, Middle School General Music, Curriculum Development)

 Dr. Carlos Abril (Philosophy, Elementary General Music, Diversity in Music Education)

 Dr. Peter Webster (Technology)

 Anastasia and I were the only one-year masters students.  We went crazy together.

 Alice Millar Chapel

 I don't know if Ethan had ever seen a pay phone before.  And, it was in a phone booth.  They were fascinated.

 The Music Administration Building (Where I had almost all of my classes.)  It is a historic building on campus, but hasn't been redone for a long, long, long time.

 The master's hood... Why don't we ever wear them as hoods?

 Maybe because we look like monks from the 14th century.

 At the Lincoln Park Zoo.

 Lake Michigan

Chicago skyline right by my house!

Kirtland

Even though I spent a lot of time doing final projects, I decided I really should go to Kirtland with my branch.  I think it was worth it.  My roommate, Charlotte, served her mission there, and the senior couple let her tell us about some of the rooms on our tour.  It was such a great trip.  I worked a lot of the time while everyone else was at a YSA conference, but I took a little time to play as well.

N. K. Whitney Store

Kirtland Temple

 I finished my French curriculum project at 11:30 p.m. and went and got in the hot tub with Rachel, Elizabeth (my roommate) and Tim

Johnson's Farm (Many sections of the D & C were received here, including section 76)

Chapel Choir Concerts

I have had several concerts with Chapel Choir.  

These are from our combined concert with Wheaton College

These are from our final spring concert.

Easter Passover Dinner

I had to sing at the Northwestern Chapel for Easter, so I did not get to go to my own congregation.  So, I decided that I wanted to see people and do something special to celebrate Easter in my own way.  I decided I would hold a Passover Seder and invite anyone who wanted to come.  I hadn't actually hosted a Seder since I got back from Jerusalem, so it took a little review, but it was well worth it.  I had a lot more people come than told me they were coming, but it worked out well anyway.

Easter flowers from Heidi's family.  It was the best surprise.

Washing hands as part of the Seder

 The Seder Plate:

• Maror and chazeret — Bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Egypt. Either horseradish or romaine lettuce may be eaten in fulfillment of the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs during the Seder.

• Charoset — A sweet, brown mixture representing the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt. In Ashkenazi Jewish homes, charoset is traditionally made from chopped nuts, grated apples, cinnamon, and sweet red wine. Sephardi recipes call for dates and honey in addition to chopped nuts, cinnamon, and wine.

• Karpas — A vegetable other than bitter herbs, which is dipped into salt water at the beginning of the Seder. Parsley, celery or boiled potato is usually used. The dipping of a simple vegetable into salt water (which represents tears) mirrors the pain felt by the Jewish slaves in Egypt. Usually in a Shabbat or holiday meal, the first thing to be eaten after the kiddush over wine is bread. At the Seder table, however, the first thing to be eaten after the kiddush is a vegetable. This leads immediately to the recital of the famous question, Ma Nishtana — "Why is this night different from all other nights?" It also symbolizes the spring time, because Jews celebrate Passover in the spring.

• Z'roa — Also called Zeroah, it is special as it is the only element of meat on the Seder Plate. A roasted lamb or goat shankbone, chicken wing, or chicken neck; symbolizing the korban Pesach (Pesach sacrifice), which was a lamb that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Since the destruction of the Temple, thez'roa serves as a visual reminder of the Pesach sacrifice; it is not eaten or handled during the Seder. Vegetarians often substitute a beet, quoting Pesachim 114b as justification.

• Beitzah — A hard-boiled egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Although both the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were meat offerings, the chagigah is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning (as eggs are the first thing served to mourners after a funeral), evoking the idea of mourning over the destruction of the Temple and our inability to offer any kind of sacrifices in honor of the Pesach holiday. Since the destruction of the Temple, the beitzahserves as a visual reminder of the chagigah; it is not used during the formal part of the seder, but some people eat it with saltwater as the first course of the meal.
• The last symbolic item used during the meal — a stack of three matzos, or unleavened bread

The baklava I made for dessert.  It was a huge success.