Hello all,
This week was very busy for me. Every so often in college there comes a point when it seems like everything piles up on you at the same time. Well, that was this past week for me. But like every college student does or must learn to do, you suck it up and like the Nike commercial says "Just do it". College has truly been exciting experience, this past weekend I participated in the Worlds Fair Banquet. I did a dance called the Merengue. It is a dance from the hispanic culture, its upbeat and very involved. I had a blast learning how to do this particular form of dance and i had even more fun performing at the banquet! In other news this semester has been very interesting in that i have decided to take a step back from all the activities I was apart of last semester and I am also taking less credits this semester. Last semester gave me an opportunity to realize that i cant do everything. I learned that its better to do somethings 100 percent as oppose to trying to do everything at 50 percent. Last semester also brought me a lot of personal challenges that affected me in many ways. So I used christmas break as a time to recover and recuperate, and after discussion with my family. I decided that I needed to use this semester to refocus and concentrate on improving myself in all facets of my life. All i am doing this semester is class, work, and homework. So far this has been very beneficial for me. I am getting better rest and i feel much more focused in the classroom.
So I would like to leave you with this, every college student at one point during their college career will have a period where they feel overwhelmed. Some experience it freshman year and others may not experience it until they are seniors. Don' t worry this is normal. College is great because you learn a great deal in the classroom. But a lot of the lessons we learn that will help us for a lifetime come when we are not in class, away from home and the guidance of Mom and Dad.
God Bless
One love
Red

Hey everybody, Life at Valpo is nice as usual but one can easily fell the intensity mounting as we approach finals. My last official class is over tomorrow and then next week is make or break time. This semester has been full of challenges and learning experiences and I am excited for christmas break. In more important news, I love Valpo and there are so many wonderful things about the school. But no place is perfect we have flaws here like every other schools. Over the past two weeks My residence hall has been dealing with issues pertaining to race and sexuality. this has been particularly stressful but it has served as a reminder that in this world we live in today we still have people amongst us who have yet to open their eyes. Racial intolerance is unaccepptable and I am overjoyed to know that I attend a university that will not stand for such behavior. We are taking the necessary steps to raise awareness about discrimination based on color, gender, and sexual orientation.
Lastly I want to wish all of the seniors in Highs school who at this point, have begun to send out college applications the best of luck. I pray that you all find the school thats right for you. (Of course we all know that valpo is that school!!!!!!!!)
Peace
This weeks quote
"I have a dream that one day my children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character"
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Before I begin this entry i would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my readers for missing my blogs due dates. I promise it will not happen again.
Now down to buinsess. Life at Valpo has been at times wonderful and at other times very challenging. It has been great meeing new people and partying......( excuse me I mean STUDYING) with them. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to get involved in my school community. I am apart of some great activities. But the one I enjoy the most is being a student senator. Yes I represent Lankenau hall on our wonderful student senate. It has been such a joy to work with my fellow senators,in helping to make our University the best it can be. I have also enjoyed being a member of our school's Gospel Choir. We have had two wonderul concerts this year. Gospel Choir means a lot to me becuase it is an opportunity to worship God in the middle of the week. Things can get kind of hectic during the week here at valpo and it is nice to have an activity like Gospel Choir to retreat to.
While there are many wonderful things to do while on campus college can be very challenging. This week I had two tests monday, a pop quiz tueday, a paper due wednesday, and two more tests thursday. These are the weeks when one has to push himself. Many times there is a temptation to want to just give up. But it is in those times when one must learn to push forward even when it seems like all the work is piling up on you. Once you've come out of that storm you feel stronger and prepared to take on more. I think that beyond education that is what college is meant for. College has pushed me to see how strong I can be. College has also shown me my weaknesses. For example I realize that while I acquired excellent study habits in High school, there is always room for improvement. this also applies to my time management skills; " Alright i am going to sit down and finish reading for my geography class......... just as soon as I finish watching "The Jeffersons" marathon on T.V Land. ". I think i could've used that time more effectively. The Jeffersons comes on all the time, I'm sure I can catch a rerun later. Go ahead and study". These are the conversations I have with myself to help when I tend to want to procrastinate. While this process may seem unorthodox (yes I talk to myself) it truly has helped me be more dilligent.
Well I am off to finish studying for Finite Math and Political Science
Peace
God Bless

"Accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative"
I forget who made this quote.... but its a good one

Hello valpo students,staff, and alumni. My full name is Redrick Mckinley Taylor III. But Everyone calls me Red for short. I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. I live with my mom and my little sister Angelica. They are the most important ladies in my life. Before I go on any further I would like to acknowledge my mom for doing an amazing job raising me. It is not easy to raise a black male in the city of Chicago to be strong, responsible, respectful and college bound, especially when his father is not involved in his life. She and many other people who looked out for me along the way are the reason for me being here today. I graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep. I am a Political Science and economics major. At this point i won't tell you my whole life story. That opportunity will present itself throughout the year. I'd rather use this first blog entry to explain how i ended up at Valparaiso University. I guest the best place to start would be September of last year when all the seniors began filling out applications for colleges. I had heard a number of wonderful things about Valpo. However, I wasn't sure if I wanted to apply. That was until I had the opportunity to meet Mr.Robert Zigmund or "Bob". Bob is the Admissions counselor for the Chicago area. After 5 minutes of conversation I realized that this might be good fit for me. Fastforward to february when Valpo invited us down for a visit and open house. The campus was absolutely beautiful and I loved how the Chapel seemed to be the center of Valpo's campus. I knew then that if i were accpeted, Valpo would definitely be a school i would strongly consider. Fastforward to late February, the time when high school seniors are anxiously awaiting acceptance letters. I was accepted to every school applied to. However when I recieved my aceptance letter from valpo, my familys" reaction was a bit different. We were much more excited about Valpo's letter than all the other schools.
Before I made my decision I had the opportunity to have another sitdown with Bob. We discussed a number of things but most importantly, I was able to really talk to him about my dream of being at a school where I could grow physically, mentally, and spiritually and being at a school where diversity was celebrated. We really had an understanding, and he is a huge part of the reason i am here . Bob became another member of my family, he even attended a an event that I participated in. Lets move to March. I narrowed my choice down to two schools, Marquette and Valparaiso. When I attended Preview, i quickly realized that Bob's approach to recruiting and his positive attitude was only a reflection of the Valpo community. I felt so welcome here. I loved how the Valpo community genuinely cared about the concerns and needs of every prospective student. I knew then that Valpo was the school I needed to be at for the next four years. Our next stop is June 18-19. I am officially in the Valpo class of 2010. Focus was an amazing experience. I met so many awesome people and the OA's made the experience even greater. My OA Amie Kilensmith was extraordinarily talented at being a leader. She made the group feel comfortable immediately. Kudos to Amie group 11 focus session I.
My summer was filled with adventure and excitement. I got to spend time in D.C with Sen. Barack Obama, I was responsible for 46, 9 year olds all day as a camp counselor and oh I was almost hit by a car twice. I was moving nonstop. This summer went by extremely fast. I'm sure I speak for a lot of the freshman when I say that it was very difficult to leave the friends we grew up with. But there is a little song that can help you move on. It goes "make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold". That simply means that while we our emotional about leaving old friends we can also be excited about making new ones. The two are both very valuable.
Saturday August 19th 2006 was the beginning of a new life, another chapter in our own personal books, a new level of freedom, and chance to spread our wings and fly on our own. We have only been here two days. Yet I can already see the unlimited potential that we the class of 2010 possess. There will be good days and bad, but if we always stay focused and driven and support each other inside the classroom and out, we will not only touch the sky but we will break the atmosphere.
Good Luck to everyone. One Love, Peace
Red
P.S Pictures are coming soon so don't worry
p.p.s Come visit me sometime in Lank room 524 I love meeting new people