Helloooo, Ladies Fans! This is freshman Hayden Cagle, here with the first gym talk of the year!
As our August term comes to an end, I'm going to share a little about my first few weeks as a college student and Centenary lady!
It all starts with move-in day! I'm lucky enough to room with Brooke, another freshman on the team. Move-in day can be pretty chaotic, but Brooke and I were able to create a nice cozy space for ourselves. Although there were some tearful goodbyes, I love my new space.
Next up was orientation, which consisted of hours of ice breakers in small groups and presentations in the Brown Chapel. Even though I spent most of my time fighting sleep, I learned lots of valuable information and met some amazing people!
As a self-declared nerd, I can't explain how excited I was to get into the classroom! My Paris class was beliefs and values with professor Ciocchetti. This class was fascinating and extremely engaging. The content was based around two memoirs: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Flourish by Antonia Case. Professor Ciocchetti does an incredible job of expanding one's world view and challenging their perception of others outside one's personal bubble. This class is truly the gem of the August term. Not only was it an incredibly interesting class, but we also got to explore so many amazing places in Paris. We traveled all across the city, exploring monuments, roman amphitheaters, beautiful gardens and parks, as well as several of the different neighborhoods of Paris. We walked an average of ten miles a day! Although the best way to see Paris is on foot, I never want to see a set of stairs ever again.
Outside of my class, my favorite part of the trip was just wandering around. Paris is filled with such compelling street art. I could spend hours looking at all the various artists' and their works displayed on buildings, walls, and street signs. I saw artists like Space Invader and Shepards Fairie. I even discovered a new Parisian street artist known as Love Anarchy! Although considered the city of love, Paris truly has so much to offer, especially for those who take the time to just observe.
Outside of orientation and classes, I've been lucky enough to practice in Jill's for the first time! This last week, the other freshmen (Brooke and Olivia) and I have been getting back into the swing of things and adjusting to our new environment and team. Although it's only been a short time, I already feel at home in Jill's. I love working with our coaches, Meg and Joseph, and I truly can't wait to see what the future holds for this amazing team!
With that being said, thank you for tuning into this week's gym talk! I hope to meet you soon Ladies fans!
Hayden Cagle
