That's a Wrap!

I highly doubt that I have ever disliked Christmas wrapping, but this year in particular I am in LOVE with wrapping up Christmas presents! I took it upon myself to make and decorate all of my wrapping papers and bows. Between stamping, drawing, painting, be-glittering, and paper folding I have managed to wrap all my Christmas gifts in festive and unique ways. And want to know the best part? You can, too!

To do some very basic homemade Christmas paper, all you need are some old paper shopping bags, some Christmasy stamps, ink, markers, and old magazines.

*Note: You just need something to decorate the paper so just stamps and ink or stamps and markers or just markers would suffice.*

Cut open your paper bag so that it can lay flat. You will obviously be decorating the blank (inside) side of the  bag. Go to town drawing Christmasy things like trees or snowflakes. Or begin stamping. I think it looks better and less-cluttered if you keep it simple. Space out your stamps/drawings, keep the colors to a minimum, and when in doubt do less. 

When you are satisfied with your paper's decor allow it to dry if need be. Then wrap up your gift. I like to save old ribbons from packages and previous gifts for just such occasions. For some of my gifts I used old ribbons and twine. For others I folded/made my own bows out of old magazines. If you would like a tutorial on how to make your own bows, click here, or to make a more classic bow out of magazines, click here.

I love these ribbons and bows! They are unique, fun, and so cheap. How can anyone beat that?

If you're looking for an even more green, earth-friendly wrapping idea, use fabric scraps. My family has taken to doing this for birthdays. We find various sizes and patterns in my mom's numerous fabric bins and wrap up our gifts with them. Tape doesn't always work so well with this type of wrapping, but a well-placed ribbon does the trick!

One last easy and fun thing to do, make gift tags. That way you can distinguish between which gift belongs to which person. Lots of places sell sticker versions of these, but you can easily make your own! I used origami to make my tags. The Christmas tree version is the easiest and my favorite!

Then you can just punch a hole in them and secure them to your package with a bit of ribbon, and you're set! Or, in the case of the snowflake, you can use a bit of tape to attach it to the package. Double-sided tape is my favorite kind of tape to use while Christmas wrapping! 

The above picture is the wrapping for my dad's gift. I reused an smaller paper bag and stamped it with red ink and a chunky, foam stamp. Fold over the top, punch a couple holes, add a ribbon and VOILA! 

This bag is for my sister, Cori. I wanted large Christmas trees on her bag, but I only had a tiny tree stamp. That's when I decided to draw on whimsical Christmas trees with funky stars. I then used puff paint to dot on little ornaments (or maybe they're Christmas lights). I outlined the stars with a glue pen and sprinkled on my favorite things ever--GLITTER! Although it is not shown in this picture, the top of the bag got folded down and a gift tag and ribbon were added to complete the bag. 

This wrapping paper was probably my favorite for its elegance and simplicity. I used a red ink and the tiny tree stamp I mentioned early. Then, since I didn't have any green ink pads, I used a Crayola marker to color the green onto the stamp and stamped that way! It's slightly more involved but less messy than an ink pad. I finished this gift off with a simple bit of twine and the origami Christmas tree gift tag that I made. Classic.

Here is a slight variation on the green and red Christmas tree wrapping. I still used the red ink pad, but since I didn't have any white ink I watered down a little bit of white paint and brushed it onto the stamp. Then, although you cannot see it very well in this photo, I used my glue pen and glitter to outline some of the trees as well as add tiny glittery stars to the tops of some of them. You can also see that I added one of my handmade bows. Oh, what fun!

This one was a simple free-hand. I drew on snowflakes with a few different blue permanent markers and then added teeny glittery stars for an added measure of fun! (Are you sensing the glitter trend? I can't get enough of it!)

This is by far the funkiest wrapping paper I made. My sister Molly is a glamour girl and so I wanted something fun and sassy for her wrapping paper. I happened to have a lip stamp (I have a bizarre collection of stamps) and so I made it Christmas-themed by alternating the red and green for a festive take on lips. I was tempted to write "Holiday Smoochies" all over it, but decided that would be taking it to the level of tacky and withheld. 

You cannot get more simple than this. All I did was add a big ribbon! However, I think it still looks great. You can do this for any season or occasion! That is one of the things I love about brown paper. It is rough but artsy and elegant. It is clean, thick, and durable. Plus, if you add a bow you are good to go for any type of gift-giving function!

I am very happy with the way this particular wrapping paper turned out. It was a bit more work intensive because I used Crayola markers to color on the stamp again and I had to do the color of the light plus the green boughs. But I picked a color and covered the paper and then switched to my next color, and I ended up with a cheery bit of holiday wrapping! Hooray! 

Well, that is all I currently have on the wrapping front! I still have Andy's family to wrap for so we'll have to see what that turns out because I am slowly running out of ideas (and holiday stamps!). But regardless, today  was a success and it makes me even more excited to give away these gifts!

Happy Holiday Wrapping!

Kate

Thanksgiving Results

Thanksgiving was an odd day this year. Being a new mom and newly engaged we decided to spend the holiday on our own as a family, just the three of us. This marked the first Thanksgiving that I was not with my parents and sisters. It also meant no football games or Thanksgiving Day Parade. It meant no obnoxious people or relatives. So, our day was quiet. We woke up and went for a run as a family in the ghost town of Ripon, Wisconsin. Then we got home and slowly worked on prepping our meal and began cooking our meal. In between cooking and listening to Christmas music (FINALLY!), Andy and I snuck in a game of Monopoly, which has always been one of my favorites. I got Andy hooked on it, too.


Overall, the food was delicious, and we ate well that night. The green beans were a little under-seasoned, but for a girl who isn't a green bean fan, I thought they were alright. Naturally, all that cooking means a lot of cleaning.

Our kitchen mid-day

But we kept up with it all and did multiple loads of dishes throughout the day. I'm a big believer in cleaning as you go (Andy seems to believe otherwise).


The cranberries were beyond tart! I knew that was the point, but I couldn't get past a few small bites. Andy, on the other hand, loved them. Alex, after making a few disgusted faces, enjoyed them, too. 

Cointreau Cranberry Relish

The stuffing was quite tasty but not how I expected it to taste. The Cooking Light recipe that we used had you make your own cornbread, but in an attempt to make things easier, we used a basic box mix. However, I think the box made more than what the recipe would have so the stuffing was heavy on the cornbread. Now extra cornbread is not exactly bad, but it overpowered the jalapeno and chorizo's spiciness just a little too much. I was hoping for a little bit more of a zip! So, my advice would be to stick with the recipe and nix the shortcut. I will say, Alex was a huge fan. He ate most of the leftovers, too.

My plate of deliciousness

            

The sweet potato gnocchi was great! Andy did a fantastic job with it. He put crushed red peppers on a plate and poured oil over it and let it soak for several hours so that the oil took on the taste of peppers. He sauteed the gnocchi in the hot pepper oil and then cooked them with pecans in maple syrup and bourbon. So we had two dishes that played with the balance between sweet and spicy. However, the gnocchi was the clear winner.    

Sweet Potato Gnocchi Pre-Baking

                                            

That day I also prepped homemade spiced cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Friday morning. The recipe came from Cooking Light. I have included the link here. They were pretty easy to make on a technicality scale, but they were a little involved. You have to let the dough rest several times. It actually worked well to make them on Thanksgiving because I could cook other dishes while waiting for the cinnamon roll dough to rise. Once I had them all rolled up, I parbaked the rolls and then kept them in the fridge until Friday morning. Then on Friday while I let them finish baking in the oven, I made the glaze to pour over them. Yum!

Par-Baked Spiced Cinnamon Rolls

All in all, a nice turn out of food and a sweet day spent with my family, and gave me the break I needed to remember why I am so lucky and to be truly thankful for all of my blessings.

Happy Holidays!

-Kate

Gettin' Through It

Today has been a frustrating so far...bills, angry babies, working boyfriends, not enough sleep. This is what is getting me through it.

Hang in there
-Kate

Sign of the Times

Lately, my only interest in blogging has been to discuss either food or Christmas. It's silly of me but it made me wonder for a second why those were the two things at the forefront of my mind. Then after a second of idiotic wondering I realized that the food portion stems from the fact that Thanksgiving is a mere 2 (and kind of a half) days away. And we all know why Christmas is on my mind--because I am minorly (okay majorly) obsessed and in love with the Christmas season. I guess my preoccupations are just a sign of the times.

So, in the spirit of Christmas and food loving I will post some favorites from both categories because I just can't seem to get enough of either! (This issue may require medical attention!)

For the food lover in all of us: If you click here you will find yourself on a page for Cooking Light's Spicy Caramel Brownies which look positively sinful and totally delicious! I haven't actually made them yet, but they are on my "To-Bake" list over the course of December. By the way, have I mentioned how excited I am  for the end of the semester and therefore the upcoming winter break. We get over a month off from classes and the best part is that since we are in the transition between semesters they can't assign any homework. Therefore I will have virtually an entire month free from assigned readings, papers, and projects. Now I still have a child so that is where most of my free time will go, but the thought of no school for a month fills me with joy!

And now for the Christmas portion of my post! I spent a lot of my downtime about a week or so ago watching "The Holiday." I watched it fully through about 4 times and then watched parts of it here and there while doing homework or surfing the Internet. This week, however, I have shifted my viewing frenzy to a different movie. "Love Actually" is my new film of choice, and what a great one it is. In fact, I "Love Actually Bombed" a friends Facebook wall last night with various pictures and quotes from the movie. I will share a clip of my favorite part of the movie with you: Hugh Grant dancing to Pointer Sisters "Jump For My Love." Well, it's actually one of two favorite parts. I also love the scene at the end where Jamie (Colin Firth) proposes to Aurelia. 

And on that note, I hope you all have a great start to your week!

-Kate

Let's Not Forget About Thanksgiving

As excited as I am for the Christmas season and all the joy and merriment that comes with it, I can't just forget about Thanksgiving. I have mixed feelings about Thanksgiving as a whole. I like it because it denotes the proximity to Christmas. I hate it because I usually only end up eating corn and rolls (such is the life of a picky eater). I love it because it's close to my birthday (and sometimes on my birthday). I hate it because it usually means spending the day with people that I find somewhat annoying. This year though Andy and I put off the task of figuring out how to divvy up the holidays between our families by declaring that we were going to spend the actual day as our own little family of three in our apartment. This means that Andy and I are making our very first Thanksgiving meal, and we couldn't be more excited! Seriously, this is a cook/baker/foodie's dream holiday! And as we consider ourselves as a couple to be a combination of those things we are truly looking forward to Thanksgiving.

Given that we are poor college students/new parents we have a limited budget and a shared disgust for turkey so we are ditching the Thanksgiving standards and giving them a unique twist. Our menu is primarily vegetarian because it's cheaper and we are not real big meat lovers. I thought it might be fun to share our menu here with links to the recipes we are going to be making so as to hopefully inspire others in their holiday cooking!

The Amell-Fehrenbach Family Thanksgiving Meal:

Cointreau Cranberry Relish ala Ted Allen: Click here






Corn bread, Chorizo, and Jalapeno Dressing (our exception to the vegetarian standard) from Cooking Light: Click here. We are just buying a cornbread mix to simplify Thursday's cooking process, but it should be exceedingly yummy!

Green Beans with Garlic Butter. This one is going to be made from Andy's own head, but I think it'll be quite easy. He's just going to saute the green beans in some homemade garlic butter to give them a bit of flavor. Plus, who doesn't need a little more garlic in their life?


Salad. We'll be doing a nice salad with fresh greens. We've really been a fan of this artisan lettuce that comes in a plastic container at the grocery store. It turns out that buying that and a head of romaine and tossing in a big bowl is way cheaper than buying all the bagged salads at the store. Plus if you have an OXO salad spinner, like us, your job is made that much easier (I love our salad spinner!).

Sweet Potato Gnocchi brought to you by Sunset.com: Click here. We are going to forego the mushrooms and spinach and make our own sauce to put over it. Andy is envisioning something spicy to complement the sweetness of the potatoes. Perhaps something with chipotle and honey? We'll see how it turns out!






Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake from Cooking Light: Click here. I am really excited about this dessert! Just reading the ingredient list makes me drool!











A Bishop, David Wondrich's version will be our after dinner drink of choice. Click here and scroll down past the instructions for a hot whiskey to get to the bishop recipe. As a side note, we're pairing some red and white wines with the meal itself!


I'll be sure to write back about how it all turned out! In the meantime, I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday and a delicious Thanksgiving!

Deliciously Yours,

-Kate

Yummy Things To Make

SUGAR COOKIES

One of my favorite Christmasy things to do is throw on some good Christmas tunes and bake and decorate Christmas cookies. When it comes to decorating Christmas cookies at my parents' house we always have at least 4 colors of frosting, a bazillion sprinkles, and red hots (little cinnamon candies)! Over the years we've gotten pretty creative in our cookie designs. My sisters like to swirl the frosting so it looks like the cookie has been dunked in tie-dye. But my dad is always the one who gets super into it. He will sit at our kitchen table with his tongue sticking out in concentration while he frosts away! His cookies usually look the best, too. 

In the spirit of Christmas and sharing, I thought I'd share our sugar cookie recipe with you. It is a recipe we got from my grandma and it is the only sugar cookie recipe I have ever known or used. I hope you enjoy!

Happy Baking!

-Kate

Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar

1 cup lard or shortening

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 cups white, all-purpose flour (or more)

Instructions:

1.) Mix sugar and shortening together

2.) Add eggs. Beat.

3.) Add vanilla. Mix.
4.) Sift salt, baking soda, baking powder, and a few cups of flour together.

5.) Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with the milk. A little flour, a little milk, a little flour, a little milk, etc. 

6.) Continue to add flour until at a good doughy consistency. 

7.) Roll out dough, cut with cookie cutters and place on baking sheet.

8.) Bake at 350^ for 8-10 minutes.

Frosting:

Ingredients:
butter

powdered sugar

milk

peppermint extract (optional)

food coloring

Instructions:

1.) Melt a tablespoon of butter and mix a little powered sugar in a mug with a little milk. Adjust with either more milk or sugar until you have a good frosting consistency. 

2.) Add a small drop or two of peppermint extract to frosting if you like it to have a hint of mint. (This is something my family has always done to our frosting. It's delicious!)

3.) Add food coloring to get desired color.

4.) Make more in various mugs or bowls with various colors.

1

Silver Bells...Deck the Halls...I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

I don't think I can explain just how badly I want it to officially be Christmastime! By officially I mean Thanksgiving Day. I try really hard not to listen to Christmas music or put up Christmas decorations until Thanksgiving Day. Some might say you should wait until the day after Thanksgiving, but honestly, Thanksgiving is about as long as I can make it. If I had to go another die I might die of sadness. So here is some holiday cheer and joy! Below are some of my favorite things about Christmas!

Cheers!
-Kate

1.) I love Christmas music. You know how we often wish our lives had soundtracks? For me, when it comes to Christmastime and music my life does have one. The music that makes you warm and fuzzy and all cozy and nostalgic? That's how I feel at Christmas and that's the same feeling Christmas music gives me! Some of my favorites are Michael Buble's album, "Christmas." I will also always have a love for Michael W. Smith's Christmas album titled "Christmastime." Track number 8, "Christmas Waltz" is my favorite!

2.) I love Christmas lights on buildings and houses! It turns our ordinary, boring homes and buildings into something magical at night. But may I say, I am more for the classly decor and the "less is more" mindset. All the tacky plastic figures and the explosion of lights is just too much for me. The one soft spot in my heart for that is a plastic Santa figure that was always in my grandparent's house as a child. Then we got one for my dad who has a soft spot for that old Santa, too. 

3.) FOOD! We always seem to find a way to work food into our traditions, especially holiday ones. What other time of year is it appropriate to give people gifts of just cookies? Plus, have you ever given or received more food than you do over the course of the Christmas holiday. Put on a Santa hat, turn on some Christmas jams and suddenly even my mom, who doesn't often like to bake, wants to make Christmas cookies!

4.) Christmas movies make my heart happy. Here are some of my top favs: White Christmas, The Holiday, The Grinch (Jim Carey version), Love Actually, The Family Stone, Christmas with the Kranks, While You Were Sleeping

5.) Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches! They truly are lovely, and I think I love just about everything about them. I love going to pick one out with my family and carrying it back home. I love decorating it with lights and ornaments. I love turning all the lights out and sitting in front of the lit up tree. I love the smell of sap and pine needles. I love sleeping under it on Christmas Eve, a tradition I hope to continue with Andy and Alex this year! I think the only thing I don't love about Christmas trees are all the pine needles that need to be swept up. Plus crawling on your belly to pour more water in the base is never fun either. 

6.) Last, but not least, SNOW! People are always getting down on snow. I know that once it gets to be February we all just want it to be spring, but can't we enjoy the snow for a little while? I know it's cold and wet, but it's also so beautiful and picturesque! I love the big, fluffy flakes that fall gently in a swirling motion and it makes you feel like you're in a snow globe. Oooo! And when the trees get all frosty and sparkly--pure beauty and joy! 

Use Your Voice!

Tomorrow during Senate the One-Fund for Karl Rove will be up for review. This is a chance to stop the One-Fund. I encourage all of you, whether you support it or not, to contact your senators and let them know how you feel. I have discovered that lots of students on campus are not being contacted by their senators and as frustrating as that is, we can do something about it. We can contact them ourselves. So below is the current list of senators and the areas they represent. If you are in an area with more than one senator and are unsure of who represents your floor, I would contact all of them via email and let them know how you'd like them to vote. They are YOUR REPRESENTATIVES and in order for them to represent you, they need to know how you would vote. Should they be the ones contacting you first? Hell yes, but if they don't you need to take the initiative. Contact your senators!

Determined as ever.
-Kate

Senator	Area/Org.
Brian Fritsch	Scott
Alexander McNeil	Scott
Zachary Muench	Scott
Logan Soich	Scott
Alexandra Haen	TAJ
Tyler Hopewell	TAJ
Jennifer Keller	TAJ
McKala Kiessling	TAJ
Andrew Miller	TAJ
McKenzie Trelka	TAJ
Andrew Carballo	Quad
Shanalijah Hernandez	Quad
Ryan Riebe	Quad
Kamelle Van Der Leest	Quad
Diakeishaye Murphy-Gunnels	Alpha Chi Omega
Hannah Erdman	Alpha Delta Pi
Amy Lindsey	Kappa Delta
Nick From	Phi Delta Theta
Adam Orth	Phi Kappa Pi
Austin Oliver	Sigma Chi
Matt Koch	Theta Chi
Rebecca Ramage	Theta Sigma Tau
Alexander Hagen	Off Campus/Commuter

Chew Toy

This post goes out to all those moms out there who are or have ever experienced a teething monster. A-hem.    Excuse, did I say monster? I meant baby. I am now experiencing the world of a teething six month old baby and in this world, he is the ruler. I am merely his servant who rocks and coos and cradles and nurses and soothes the tantrum-ing baby that has become my son.

I at a loss for what to do. I can't seem to make it better, and it leaves me feeling helpless. He cries like he's uncomfortable, and damn it! I would be too if I had little calcium spikes poking through my tender gums. But after trying various teething toy options, ibuprofen, Orajel, and lots of extra love and attention, it's still no go.

Believe me, I understand this is a necessary process and that it's one we just have to get through, but after a day filled with a screaming baby and stressed out fiancee, a girl needs to vent.

But here's to better days and toothy grins in our future!

-Kate

Previously On...Keeping Up With the Kardashians

There is one thing that my boyfriend really can't stand (okay, well maybe more than one) and that is the fact that I watch and enjoy Keeping Up With the Kardashians. I recently started watching the show on Netflix and then began to tune into E! to see current episodes. I think it is safe to say it falls under the heading of trashy T.V., but (like most trashy reality shows) it's super addicting.

Andy hates that I watch it because he seems to think I want to be like the Kardashians or live their lifestyle. Newsflash: I have no desire to be a Kardashian or have such a lifestyle. I watch the show because it's a release. It is mind-numbing and therefore fantastic to watch on a study break or late at night when you don't want to think about what's happening. You can just watch.

Despite the fact that I don't want their lifestyle, I find it fascinating because it is so far from my own. Anything that is different or I would go so far as to say polar opposite from the life and world you know is bound to make you curious. I think that is probably one of the reasons why I like the show so much. Their life is so far removed from my own that I want to observe how the other half lives like an anthropologist studying a foreign culture.

Don't worry, Andy. I promise not to wear fake eyelashes, too much mascara, or start saying "Bible" when I am telling the truth. I won't spend absurd amounts of money on clothes, cars, remote-controlled helicopters, or vacations. I am still me. I just like trashy T.V. Is that so wrong?

Yummy Things to Make!

Whether I've actually mentioned this or not I don't know, but I am a lover of baking and cooking and it is a goal of mine to share some delicious recipes with you all. A few weeks ago I posted the recipe for the scrumptious black bean burgers. Today I bring you the joy of a good cookie: Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans and Cranberries (and if you're me, Chocolate Chips!). These cookies are insanely addicting. I find myself eating more of them at one time than I care to admit, but I like to tell myself that since they are made with oatmeal, nuts, and fruit that they're mostly healthy.

Not only are they a great bake, they're also an easy one as well! Nothing better than easy, tasty cookies! It is really hard to mess up this recipe. Unless you're me and use all your baking powder on a previous recipe. I Google searched "substitutes for baking powder" and read that if I use 2 parts cream of tartar and 1 part baking soda that I should be fine. I was not fine. You may or may not know this but baking powder (and soda for that matter) are leavening agents, and without baking powder my cookies were flat as pancakes. Don't get me wrong, they were delicious, just flat. Moral of the story: Read the ingredient list carefully so as to avoid discoveries like mine when halfway through a recipe. Another moral: cream of tartar and baking soda are never a good enough substitute for baking powder. End of story.

Now, without further ado, the lovely and delightful recipe: Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries and Pecans

Speak Up!

In light of some recent events that have taken place on campus in regards to our Student Senate, I have deemed in appropriate to direct my frustration and anger to a source where it might actually do some good. I    wrote an email to our Dean of Students, Chris Ogle, and I thought I might post that email here so that I can hopefully inspire others to write something as well and propel this issue forward. Below is the email:

Hello, I am writing to you right now as an incredibly frustrated student who has lost some faith in her college and its morals. I have just been brought up to date on Senate's happenings from last night by a friend. I was aware Parallax's One-Fund failed. To be honest, it did not come as a surprise because Senate seems to be incredibly stringent when it comes to spending any sort money. Therefore I expected to hear that there were some discussions and then hopefully some revisions to the One-Fund and that it would be eventually passed. I am a great supporter of Parallax for many reasons. I am an English major who hopes to enter the world of editing/publishing/writing as a professional someday. But I am also an appreciator of the fine arts and therefore love to see anything of that nature on campus, especially when it is the work of students! You can imagine then, that I was aghast to learn that Senate approved a One-Fund for $15,000 that same night for something of which I am insanely opposed. My reasons and personal beliefs behind why Karl Rove should never step foot on this campus are besides the point, because what I am most upset about is the amount of money Senate suddenly deems fit to spend on a single speaker for a singular group with a small student base on campus. Yet they can find issue with the amount of money Parallax requested for an academic-based, student-led and created book of fine art. This is outrageous! I was informed that the Senate budget at the beginning of the year was around $87,000. To spend $15,000 on a single speaker would be spending almost 20% of our budget. I say "our" because the money belongs to the students. It comes from OUR activity fee and goes to fund OUR events. Thus, the students on campus should be able to have a say in where that money is spent. Last time I checked that was the point of Student Senate. A group of student representatives gather the opinions of their constituents and meet to vote on the ways in which our money should be spent. I no longer feel like that is how Student Senate functions. The way it runs now, a handful of students meet to decide how to spend our money based on their own opinions and views and leave those of their constituents out completely. I have felt that the senators in general have an air of self-entitlement. They forget they represent a larger entity beyond themselves. You can see why this would be problematic. Only the students (senators) in the room get to have a say. I can say this with confidence because I was a senator for a semester during my sophomore year. When I contacted my constituents I received responses and the first response I got was basically the same. The students responded saying they had no idea they had a senator before me and had no idea who it was or how to contact them. I have also discussed with other students who live in a variety of residence halls (and therefore have a variety of senators representing them) and they, too, have not been asked for their opinions or how they would like their senator to vote. As a senior I am currently living off-campus with my boyfriend and neither of us knew that there was a representative for off-campus students, much less who he is. This infuriates me. If I choose to not offer my opinion that is fine, but I deserve the right to be asked and should feel confident that my senator is going to voice my concerns and vote accordingly. However, this is not the case. And now that there are matters at hand about which I feel passionately, I feel cheated. I do not think the One-Funds presented at Senate on Wednesday night were decided upon fairly because I do not think students were made aware of what was being brought to the table. Students, like myself, were not given a chance to voice their opinions on how OUR money should be spent. Lastly, I am all for publicizing what a fantastic place and institution Ripon College is because, aside from this instance, I have been immensely happy and am proud to call Ripon my home. However, it appears that one of the main factors driving the argument to bring Karl Rove to campus was publicity. This just does not seem right to me. Karl Rove, regardless of whether someone likes him or not, is such a polarizing person and brings up polarizing subjects. Having such a controversial person on campus and then bringing in outside media seems shady. I do not want my college on the news and in the public eye because we brought a controversial speaker to campus. That is not what Ripon should be getting press for. This is attention-seeking in all the wrong ways and not all attention is good attention. Whenever I am in public as a representative of the college whether it was for the Orientation Committee or S.M.A.C., I and others are constantly being told that we represent the college and should be behave in manners such that we do the good name of Ripon College justice. I am discouraged and disheartened because bringing Karl Rove in as a media or publicity stunt seems to be doing just the opposite of that. Bringing such a polarizing figure seems like the exact opposite of "MORE. TOGETHER." Bringing him to campus will and already has, pulled people apart. There is a major upheaval being voiced by students through Facebook statuses and a "we support Parallax" group that grew to 287 members in one day. I would like to note that the people who support Parallax are not solely current students. Alumni have voiced disappointment in their alma mater in this situation as well. At this point, I want to know what there is I can do to reverse or hold the vote that was passed on Karl Rove until senators have appropriately contacted their constituents and have given them an appropriate amount of time to respond. I also think there should be some way for the executive board of the Senate to know for sure whether or not the student body is being reached in regards to the issues because I can almost guarantee that a majority of them are not, have not, and will not be given a say in these matters. I also think something needs to be put in place so that when things like Parallax are called into question that an actual discussion takes place. I was told that no one bothered to ask questions or have a discussion as to why there was any opposition to Parallax's One-Fund. Parallax cannot better itself or their proposal if they do not have a solid grounding in what the issues at hand are. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to stop this or help make these changes. Truly disappointed, Kate Amell