Tulane University Admission Blog- Maya

Tulane > All other schools

2012-02-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

By now, it's February. You've probably heard from a couple of schools. While all schools are great, not all schools have students like Rachel Schwartz. With a simple math equation and through these candid-camera shots of Rachel in her natural habitat, you will quickly understand why Tulane > all other schools.

Find me another school where students chose to celebrate Thanksgiving by turning themselves into a turkey. 

Tulane costume party enthusiasts like Rachel and Mary Grace take 80's themed parties to a whole new level: dressing up as 80 year old women.

There is such a family-dynamic on Tulane's campus that even when your friends go abroad, they miss you so much they carry your face around on a Popsicle stick.

While we can't re-write the Constitution and make it a law that all students must attend Tulane, it's people like Rachel Schwartz that make you wonder why you would ever want to go to any other school?

A Very 'Meagher' Christmas

2012-01-19T22:59:00.000-08:00

2011 was a year of 'firsts' for me.

Most notably, I got to celebrate my first Christmas with my second family.

New Orleans native Bridget (and 6th generation Tulane alumnae!!!!!) read me my first Christmas story-- "Cajun Night Before Christmas."

I even got my first stocking!

Even though I can't say 'y'all' without sounding silly, I officially became Southern and I shot my first gun!

Here we see Hugh's (my best friend Laura's dad) first (and only) glass-blowing masterpiece he made in his glass-blowing class at Tulane.Hugh's art career was short lived.

After all my Southern/Christmas firsts, Laura got to have her first Hanukkah and light the menorah. We later blew out the candles, afraid of starting our first fire...

Holidays

2011-12-10T13:53:00.001-08:00

Here at Tulane, we take things seriously.

When we celebrate the holiday season, we don't mess around.

What do we do to show how serious we are about the holidays?

We have 18 tons of snow dropped on the quad.

We take about 45 jumping pictures until we finally get one in the air.

We take family-roommate-photos and we go to Walgreens to get Holiday cards printed for our neighbors.

We love our football players who take Christmas sweater parties to a new level of serious.

We dance like no one is watching.

Happy Holidays, Tulane.

Tchoupitoulas Challenge

2011-11-30T16:47:00.001-08:00

Can you say "Tchoupitoulas?"

In New Orleans it means 3 things: 1) its the street in New Orleans that runs closest to the Mississippi River 2.) it's always funny to hear tourists try to pronounce it and 3.) IT IS THE NAME OF THE GREATEST ICE CREAM CHALLENGE ON EARTH: MEET THE TCHOUPITOULAS CHALLENGE

What is the Tchoupitoulas Challenge, you ask? It is 8 scoops of creole creamery ice cream, 8 toppings, a whole can of whipped cream, wafers and topped with cherries.

THE BEFORE PICTURE- Emily Berdy meets her match.

Just making sure you note the size of the bowl-- it makes her head look like a grape being eaten by a watermelon.

THE VICTORIOUS AFTER PICTURE.A picture's worth 1000 words... and in this case calories.

Her greatness is undeniable.

We salute you, Emily.

If you invite a Yankee to a debutant ball...

2011-11-26T07:36:00.001-08:00

Have you ever invited yourself to a debutant ball? I have.

When looking at this picture, you may think you're watching the Titanic, but alas, it is Mobile's Pink Carnation Debutant ball. However, like in the Titanic, this party of the year was a 'white tie affair'.... being that I just learned the difference between a salad and dinner fork, needless to say I hadn't heard of that either...

Meet Kate McDonald-- one of my best friends and the pride of Mobile. If accounting (or blogging) doesn't end up working out for me as a career path, I think I may have a future in being a member of the paparazzi--I think I took 400 pictures of Kate.

You can't drop by a Mobile affair without running into politician Bradley Byrne. One day he is going to be President, and on that day I am going to sell the rights to this picture on eBay.

After all the curtsy-ing and waltz-lessons, even pure-bread Southerners slip up once in a while.

Tulane-the most geographically diverse school in the Nation (!!!!)- helping Yankees like me mix with the Debutantes of the South.

Homecoming 2K11!

2011-10-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

Why being on the HOMECOMING COURT at Tulane is SO FUN:

1. You get published in the Hullabaloo newspaper! The cat ears and whiskers are optional.

2. You can take a family photo with the Cowens! I don't know about them, but I will definitely be mass-producing this for my Holiday 2k11 cards.

3. You get to take a jumping picture at the SUPERDOME! While jumping 6 inches in the hair is the peak of my athletic ability, it's awesome to be on the same field where the Saints play!

4. You get to see President Cowen (and his green hair) with a mask of Tulane quarterback Ryan Griffin. Watch out Drew Brees, Ryan's coming for your job.

5. You can be Homecoming Queen and King like Ryan and me!

Tulane Reaches Out: Outreach Tulane

2011-09-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

Spotted: 7AM on Saturday morning at Tulane University. Nearly 1,000 students showing up to volunteer with Outreach Tulane.

While you may think the photo below is out of a Nike fitness campaign, it's actually me, Cara Fonseca (fellow admission intern), Forbes Mann, and Rachel Kohn--two of Tulane's finest admission counselors.

The day began by Forbes and Rachel teaching some high school-ers about the appropriate steps they should take to apply to college. Nothing like some insider information from the college admission guru herself.

After mastering the college application, team Tulane joined up with the high school-ers to promote a healthy lifestyle and do some laps around the track; they told me we ran 2 miles but I swear it felt more like 8.

I used the blog as an excuse to take a break from running and take some picture.

The face of ferocity. Mr. Forbes Mann in all his post-2 miles run glory.

Learn more about Tulane community service here

Getting Close with the Class of 2015

2011-08-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Meet Liz Doppelt.

Liz (or 'Lizzie' as she is known in close circles) is from New Jersey and one of the fan favorites of the Tulane Class of 2015. Here we can find Lizzie standing outside of her dorm, Wall Residental College--my freshman year dorm "alma-matter."

When Lizzie isn't shooting hoops on the court or studying up a storm, she enjoys spending time in her dorm with her new roommate. Lizzie loves a good balanced diet and has a fridge in her dorm to house some healthy study snacks.

Like the mailman, come rain, snow, sleet or hail, Lizzie Doppelt is ready for everything with an outfit for all occasions. She was delighted to see how spacious the dorm closets are so she can have an outfit for all seasons.

Lizzie Doppelt: Welcome to the Tulane Family.

My All American Summer

2011-08-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

This was an All-American summer--bleeding red, white and blue.

I started the summer off right by visiting my freshman year roommate, Ashley, in her hometown of Chicago. Because Tulane is awesome and attracts awesome students, the odds of you rooming with someone super-fun is very probable.

What would a trip to Chicago be without trying to stalk Oprah Winfrey? After camping outside of Harpo studios for 2 hours, we gave up. Maybe next time.

This summer, I had my second summer interning at JPMorgan. While the view from the 59th floor overlooking the NYC skyline was incredible, I made it clear where I left my heart.

Before the summer ended, I had to take the ultimate tourist picture in front of the New York Stock Exchange-throwin' down the peace signs.

My meeting with the President

2011-04-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

As May 1st approaches, many of you are faced with the decision of making your college decision. While some of you may be making massive pros and cons lists, I'm here to tell you why you should chose Tulane. And what better way to get to know Tulane than to get to know President Cowen.

President Cowen's main advice for prospective students is to go

"where you fit in and can see yourself having a perfect 4 years." Three years into my Tulane education, I can testify to the fact that Tulane has been nothing but incredible for me.

Next, I had to know if President Cowen was a freshman, which dorm would he chose to live in? President Cowen (PC) immediately knew the answer to this question: Monroe or Sharp. He loved that Monroe and Sharp had been around for decades and he said there was "continuity and dedication" in continuing the tradition of living where many Tulanians had lived decades ago.

ME: What is something the Tulane student body doesn't know about you?

PC: I'm the only Tulane president that was both a student athlete and served in the military.

To me, the next obvious question was why did PC decide to name his dog 'Gibson', as opposed to any of the other building names on campus? PC explained it was a toss up between Gibson, after Confederate General Randall Gibson, or Newcomb, in honor of Sophie Newcomb of the women's college, but after a nail-biting decision, Gibson prevailed.

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ME: What would you be doing if you weren't President of Tulane?

PC: I would be teaching at Tulane!

My final question for President Cowen was if he was an incoming Freshman, what tides class would he sign up for? He of course would first chose his own tides class, but if that wasn't an option, he recommends signing up for anything that pertains to learning about New Orleans.

So, prospective students, on the eve before you officially decide where you are going to chose to spend the next four years of your life, heed Tulane's President Cowen's advice and go where you know you will have an incredible 4 years.

(which is totally Tulane!!!! See you next year!!!!)

Crazy for Crawfest.

2011-04-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

We've got 16,000 pounds of Crawfish, 12 music acts, 3 stages, 20 vendors from across the city and all your friends laying on the quad like fat cats in the sun.

WELCOME TO CRAWFEST AT TULANE UNIVERSITY.

Unofficial music act, Laura Meagher, thanks the many fans (me) who were cheering her on while she entertained during band intermission.

Crawfish connoisseur, Jordan Pearson, caught warming up his jumping skills before crawling into the Crawfish shaped moon bounce.

One of my favorite acts of the day, The Roots of Music, a New Orleans nonprofit organization teaching middle school students how to play instruments, came marching down the quad with 130 of the cutest/most talented kids you've ever seen.

The Givers were the headliner of the evening. Mark my words, you will be buying their CD, going to their concerts or at least see them in a Got Milk? ad within the next year.

Not only is Crawfest a cajun haven for students, but families come from all around for this incredible day. Meet the Jones. Proud parents of Eric Jones, Tulane football superstar and legend travel, Jackie and Frank travel all the way from Mobile to catch some rays and good music.

Laura only takes breaks from singing to eat Crawfish.

Crawfest is open to everyone: Tulane students, faculty, families and even this lady.

There are so many free giveaways at Crawfest--what you chose to do with them, is up to you...

SEE YOU THERE NEXT YEAR.

Louisiana Saturday Night.

2011-04-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here in New Orleans, we take our Saturdays pretty seriously.

Nothing like starting the day with some chillin' and grillin'. Here we see Green Wave Ambassdor President, Brandon Cosner and ROTC trumpet playing extraordinaire, Dan Meyers, tickling the taste buds of their fellow Tulane students by hosting a cookout outside of the Williow dorms.

We then decided to mosey on down to the Freret Street Market (the first Saturday of every month) where we ran into some Mardi Gras Indians. Take the best Halloween costume you've ever seen, times that by 12 and you still won't be able to compare to these incredible costumes.

From Mardi Gras Indians to moms and dads--I spotted this cool couple breaking it down on the dance floor and determined to show New Orleans that disco is not dead.
You really can't escape music in this city. I'm relatively tone deaf (just ask my 7th grade piano teacher) and even I can feel the rhythm and the rhyme.
If there is something with a fleur de lis or something generically New Orleans, I probably own it. My heart skipped a beat when I saw this picture frame--some of my favorite places in New Orleans squished onto one frame--I couldn't resist!
New Orleans loves and accepts everyone in all shapes, sizes and hair colors.

She's beauty and she's grace

2011-03-28T18:57:00.001-07:00

A lot of people are concerned when coming to college that they will be "just a number" and not be able to make any real impact on their university. Well, meet Laura Danger Meagher, a 7th generation Tulane student who has arguably made too much of an impact here at Tulane...

Here we see Laura, posing underneath the 30 ft x 25 ft poster of her posted in the student union center.
Everyone wants a piece of Ms. Meagher. As soon as the techies got wind of this French-Horn-Blowing-Beaut, they posted her on the Tulane homepage.

And here we see Laura again, featured on the cover of the alumni magazine, fearlessly leading the marching band through the windy streets of New Orleans.

Just when you thought you couldn't get enough, Laura pops up on the FRONT PAGE of our school newspaper, the Hullabaloo.
A secret snapshot of this Tulane celebrity was captured while this Tulane tour guide all-star tells prospective parents about how amazing Tulane University is and about how at Tulane, you are always so much more than just a number.

The Allergy Kid

2011-03-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Some of you might be wondering, I have allergies, what can I eat at Tulane?

Well, meet Ali Doppelt. Ali here is allergic to: gluten, dairy, peanuts, all nuts, most delicious things and even COLD WEATHER (couldn't make that one up if I tired). Ali and I went on a Bruff trip to show all you Zyrtec and Claritin kids that Bruff caters welcomes one and all.

While most chose saltine crackers as a side to Bruff's endless salad bar or bottomless barrels of soup, Ali's first stop in Bruff is always the saltine cracker stand.

Bruff has met its biggest challenge: feeding Ali "Ali-lergy" Doppelt a wholesome, satisfying and delicious meal. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Mask-less at a Masquerade Ball.

2011-03-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

Every Tulane student has one goal during Mardi Gras season: to be invited to a Mardi Gras ball. For those of you who are not as well-versed in Mardi Gras talk, a Mardi Gras ball honors the Krewe of a specific Mardi Gras parade and men comes in tuxedos and women come in long gowns. This year, we were invited to the Krewe of Saint Ann's costume Mardi Gras ball.

We took the obvious route and dressed up as 80's prom queens.

Unfortunately, no one told us it was a mask ball.

Lesson learned, New Orleanians take costume parties VERY seriously.

I'll be more prepared next year.

Important Life Updates.

2011-02-19T00:29:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends, family, and my mom,

Here is a re-cap of important things that have happened in the past couple weeks since my grand return to school from being abroad:

I GOT TO DRIVE A TULANE GOLF CART!! While this may not seem like a huge deal to you, to a Tulane student, driving a golfcart is on par with getting a hug from Oprah Winfrey or being a contestant on the Price is Right--it's just something everyone wants to do. I was elected to my sorority's executive board (pictured above) as treasurer! It kind of feels like I'm the banker in a big game of Monopoly...except with real money.

I got really cool new glasses! My old glasses were taped and hot glued together on the side--and not even in a cool spot, like Harry Potters. So, needless to say, the time came to purchase a new pair.
I learned how to cook! Well, not really... I'm actually eating a defrosted lean cusine in this picture... but eating it out of tupperware makes it look like I cooked it.

I dressed up as a cactus for a Wild Wild West themed party. I got a few weird looks (exhibit A: my friend Dylan questioning my attire from behind) but it was worth it.

The Hardknock Life of a Tulane Athlete

2011-01-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

Meet fearless Tulane offensive lineman, Eric Jones. While most Tulane students simply view Eric as an indestructible brick wall on the football field, too often do we forget the hardships this 6'6 giant goes through everyday.

Eric Jones came to visit me in my new apartment; however, he could barely even fit through the door.

Though a division one college athlete, Eric begins to sweat as my roommate, Arielle, shows no mercy during a head-to-head airhockey championship game in our living room.

After an intense air hockey game, this jolly green giant has worked up an insatiable appetite.

While some may find the idea of three cheeseburgers, two hamburgers, two orders of fries and a small diet Coke a daunting task, this is just a regular meal for a Tulane athlete with an appetite the size of a football field.

Five minutes later, $8 dollars of McDonald's Dollar Menu disappears.

Headin' South

2011-01-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

We've packed our bags, we're ready to go.
Dear friend Laura Meagher and I loaded up the trunk, google mapped "Disney World" and headed South in search of warmer weather and some sunshine.

I am always amazed at how much junk I can fit into my tiny clown car. We had to drive with the top down to fit all of our stuff--we're assuming nothing blew out the back, but we really have no idea.

Part of reasoning for heading South was to run the DISNEY WORLD HALF MARATHON as Cruella DeVille and the 102nd dalmatian. We got some weird looks, but we'll assume it was just out of jealousy for our awesome costumes.

I met ANOTHER Cruella DeVille at the race.
If there was a "BEST DRESSED" category at the race, we totally would have won.

Laura and I ran into the cast of the 'Princess and the Frog' and tried to get them to rep New Orleans area code 504, however, clearly this attempt failed miserably.
I'm sure at this point you're thinking "did you guys sign up to RUN in this race or just take pictures?" If there was any doubt, clearly the latter is true.
"We are the champions my friends." -Queen/Maya Goldberg/Laura Meagher

Adios Espana, Hello America.

2011-01-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

While I definitely made some great friendships in Spain, one of my best friendships was with the Starbucks staff in Spain. They loved us so much they gave us Starbucks Holiday cards before we left.

You can take me out of America, but you can't take the Cafe Americana out of me.

Stephen and I showcasing our prized Holiday cards.

We'll miss you, Hilda and the Spanish Starbucks crew.

Before leaving, I had to bid farewell to Parque del Reterio, the most BEAUTIFUL park, AFTER Audubon Park next Tulane.

My dad made a joke that I would come back wearing bull horns from being in Spain, so obviously I had to buy bull horns and wear them while walking out of the airport. My family lives for embarrassing pictures.

In case there was any doubt where my creative and artistic abilities come from, please see the sign my father made for me in the picture above.

Speaking of Baltimore and being home, LOOK WHO I RAN INTO?! JOE FLACCO, fearless Ravens quarterback. Don't get me wrong, I love the Saints, but until Drew Brees realizes that he loves me and asks me to marry him, I can't help but love both teams and be Wacco for Flacco.

French Fries and Toast.

2010-12-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

Bonjour! Being that I have an undying love for French Fries and French Toast, I decided taking a trip to France was only appropriate while abroad in Europe.

Everyone else was taking one of these pictures--but I bet in their pictures it actually looks like they're holding the Louvre, unlike in mine.

I saw many great things in France, but seeing someone dressed up as a gorilla sitting next to three women was definitely one of my favorites.

TU GOES TO THE MOULIN ROUGE!

Being the die hard Nicole Kidman fan that I am, we obviously had to take a trip to visit the Moulin Rouge. I wanted to can-can in the middle of the street, but no one would do it with me.

I managed to snag a not-so-candid photo of a chef cutting the most delicious French cheese. I've never eaten so much cheese in my life.

Eiffel tower! If you don't go to Paris for the cheese (which is really only acceptable if you're lactose intolerant), go for the Eiffel tower... It was incredible.

Me cheesin' in front of Mona.

After running from side to side of the museum to see if her eyes really follow you, I am proud to say they really do!

5:30 AM flights mean nights in airports. But you can sleep on the luggage belts! What an unexpected bonus!

A toast to the Tulanian.

2010-12-12T02:51:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was a high school senior, and I was so confused and distraught over where I wanted to go to college. That said, I thought it would be beneficial for everyone to understand what makes the Tulanian a superior breed of college student.

The Tulanian bond is so deep that they travel incredible distances to visit each other.

Meet Laura Meagher. Laura, who is not studying abroad, travelled all the way from the great USA to visit me during Thanksgiving while I study abroad in Spain.

Tulanians love each other.

Here we have newly introduced friends, Laura and Matthew, bonding over their mutual love for Tulane and throwing up peace signs for all of Spain to see.
Tulanians are incredibly friendly.

Within hours of her arrival, Laura had no trouble befriending and posing with her new Spanish senorita friends and their cute puppy.
Tulanians are politically active.

Laura and I stumbled upon a rally for global solidarity in Madrid and joined their cause.

I hope this sheds some insight into you should come to Tulane. Check out more information at: http://www.facebook.com/TulaneAdmission

Tulane Does Madrid

2010-11-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

My number one blog reader, Mrs. Heidi Goldberg, also known as my mother, commented to me, "Maya, I'm glad you are seeing so much of Europe, but I hope you are seeing some homework and school too..." Well mom, don't you worry, the Spanish restaurants may not give you napkins but the Spanish professors sure love giving out homework.

Here I am, at Tulane headquarters in Madrid, Comillas ICADE Business School.

Here's a peak inside Tulane headquarters. Here, we see dedicated Tulane scholars taking a break from their studies to pose for this blog picture.

Now the left side of the room poses for their Tulane admission blog close up.

Now, we may be in Spain, but us Tulanians are not ones to hide our true colors. We bleed green and we show it everywhere we go! Here we see Matthew Deitch and Brandon Cosner rocking the Tulane bookstore's finest.

For more on Tulane Admissions, be sure to check out: http://www.facebook.com/TulaneAdmission

Tea and Crumpets with the Queen

2010-11-11T07:53:00.001-08:00

Tulane's biggest cheerleaders are pictured here at Stonehenge reppin' the TU! Even in the middle of England, we left our hearts in New Orleans.

We coincidentally planned our trip to England to coincide with the Harry Potter premiere. What better way to get pumped up for the movie than to visit Platform 9 and 3/4. Needless to say, we got a lot of crazy looks from English people.

Naturally, a trip to England is not complete without tea and crumpets. We got into a huge debate of tea and crumpets vs. cafe du monde cafe au lait and beignets. Both extremely delicious, but cafe du monde won in an overwhelming 2-0 vote.

And naturally, I had to take a corny tourist picture in front of Big Ben.

Nothing like a little rain and 60 mph winds to make you miss that New Orleans sunshine.

When in Rome...

2010-10-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

After seeing the Lizzie McGuire movie 10 years ago, I knew I had to go to Rome. We saw everyone else eating gelato and throwing coins into the Trevi fountain backwards, so we bought gelato and threw coins in backwards too.

And of course you can't go to Rome without saying hello to the coliseum. We wanted to go onto the bottom floor of the arena to re-enact a fight, but the security guards wouldn't let us.
I had to be strategic when making my gelato flavor decisions--being that I was wearing red and white, I had no choice but to chose red and white flavors as I knew I was sure to make a mess (as pictured below). Obviously, I am a huge slob.
Here, fellow Tulanian, Brandon Cosner, models his incredible Caprese salad. At this point in the trip, we were beginning to worry if the plane would even take off with how much gelato, pasta and cheese we had eaten in Italy.
And of course, no trip to Rome is complete without visiting the Vatican museum. After seeing this place, I feel like no other museum in the world can compare. I asked an Italian to take a picture of me, and this is what I got--apparently taking centered pictures is outdated in Italy.

Castles and Bullfights

2010-10-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

I know this looks like LegoLand, but welcome to Avila, Spain. Home of the world's best preserved castle walls dating back to 1000's. That's such a Jeopardy worthy question.

We accidentally went to Avila on the Day of Saint Theresa, who was born in the city! There were tons of military parades and parties in the street celebrating this saint. What female can turn up the opportunity to pose with men and uniform?

This is my Avila postcard shot.

After a long day of touring castle walls, we decided to go to a bullfight. Needless to say, we did not know what we were in for.

We got to see the matador's warming up by swinging their capes. I must say, I think this would be a great Halloween costume. I think I'll at least make an investment in a matador hat.

In case you don't know what happens at the end of a bullfight, I refuse to be the one to break the news... just know, it was hard to watch at points and you may even consider becoming a vegetarian.

Welcome to Ireland

2010-10-12T02:05:00.000-07:00

While I never thought I would simply take a weekend trip to Dublin, I just did! Ireland was just as I would have suspected: full of redheads and potato dishes. And also full of really incredible leprechaun paraphernalia.

We also went to hear some great Irish music. Think country music that married a banjo. It was incredible-I had to buy a CD.

For your listening pleasure, I've attached the song we heard everywhere we went- "The Wild Rover." Disclaimer: You won't be able to resist singing along!!

And of course, you cant go to another country without trying one of everything on the menu. This was some sort of delicious Irish stew. Each of us had to ordered one.

Some of us had to live up to our American reputation of finishing everything that is put in front of us... but I would never want to say who.

There were signs on every other street pointing in different directions to the Leprechaun Museum. After spending several hours walking in circles, a local told me its rumored to be a joke played on tourists. It was pretty embarrassing.

When in Ireland, do as the Irish VIKINGS do! Fellow Tulanians, Stephen and Brandon, and I went on a bus/boat tour of Dublin in a "Viking ship." We all wore these silly Viking hats and roared at unsuspecting people on the street. The intimidation factor was undoubtedly tremendous.

Recently, I've been realizing I have a problem buying absolute junk but somehow justifying every piece of it. For example, my newest purchase, my leprechaun slippers. Did I NEED redbearded leprechaun slippers? Arguably not. But at the time, it seemed essential.

Mom, dad if you're reading this--send money.

Greatness in Granada

2010-10-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have a new life mission and that is to learn how to flamenco dance. While this is a creepy snapshot I took of unsuspecting Spanish girls, I had to because the flamenco dance is just the most incredible and fun dance I have ever seen. It's like the Spanish version of the YMCA.

Naturally, when in Granada you've got to check out the Alhombre. Here's an inside picture of one of the most beautiful rooms I've ever seen. While Tulane dorms are super nice, the Alhombre puts everything to shame.

I also became a real, live wedding crasher during this trip. There were just so many beautiful weddings happening in Granada, that I couldn't help but hop from wedding to wedding.

While in Granada, I had the absolute pleasure of meeting up with Tulane alum, Bridget Meagher, and one of her fabulous daughters, Maggie Meagher, who is taking a gap year before college. If you're thinking they have a striking resemblance to current Tulane student and star of my blog, Laura Meagher (left), you are correct.

While you were hitting the books, I was hitting the beach.

2010-09-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

13 miles from the tip of Africa, is the most beautiful beach city in the world: Marbella, Spain.

Clearly I try to blend in to the best of my capabilities with my Mardi Gras purple rhinestone visor. I'm still trying to figure out how to integrate the purple inner-tube into my Mardi Gras outfit--I'm sure I'll figure it out.

I sent this picture back to all my friends at Tulane with a "Wish you were here" caption.

While I do miss the beignets and po-boys of New Orleans, I can't help but have a special place for paella in my heart.

I believe part of the abroad experience is mingling with the locals. Meet Carlito. He's 88 and stayed out later than me on a weekend night.

While I love the Spanish food and the company, nothing can compete with my love for the gelato in this country. Come visit me, I'll buy you a cup-it'll change your life.

Culture Shock!!

2010-09-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

ADIOS AMERICA, HOLA ESPANA!!!

7 hours and 30 minutes later...

MADRID!!!! The start to my study abroad adventures!!!

There are a few things I do not understand about this country- for example take this outdoor swimming pool on top of the train station. It kind of looks like one of those bridges you build in high school out of toothpicks that has gone terribly wrong. But definitely going back there to catch some rays.

Another thing that baffles me is their love for displaying meat. Take this popular bar, El Tigre, which as meat hanging from the ceiling and on the counter tops. I currently am considering becoming a vegetarian.

Something else I don't understand is where is the FOOTBALL?! Sure, soccer is football here, but how can someone not understand/love/appreciate the best team in the world, the New Orleans Saints. I got a lot of confused looks while I was rocking my jersey.

Something that is universal is McDonalds: the golden arches. Here we have two Tulanians, Stephen and Brandon, enjoying the Spain's culturally rich cuisine by indulging in some Micky-Ds.

The McDonalds after effects.

The Unofficial Internship Survival Guide

2010-09-09T21:21:00.001-07:00

Now, I know what you're thinking- now that you're a Wall Street hot shot, please dispense some of your invaluable knowledge of the do's and don'ts to scoring that mega-fab summer internship. Well, here it goes:

DO NOT fall asleep at your desk. Here, in my spacious 5x5 cubicle, the filing clearly got the best of me. Don't worry mom (my #1 reader of my blog) this picture was only staged.
DO buy funny presents for your team. Who doesn't find a 1 pound fortune cookie hilarious?
DO think of tragically tacky punch lines to go along with your hilarious presents. This was the fortune cookie I designed--the Cowboy hat was as close as I could get to show my unequivocal love for Southern culture.
DON'T express your excitement through awful photographs such as this; try alternative measures such as thank you cards. (Also, I assured my wonderful manager--back left--that I deleted this picture, I hope she never finds this)
DO play up the 'starving college kid' motif and try to convince your co-workers to take you out to lunch. These were just a few tips I acquired over my 3 months interning with JP Morgan. Look out for more to come next summer!

And on an unrelated side notes, THE SAINTS ARE 1-0!!! WOOOO!!!! TWO DAT!!!!

Countdown to departure to Madrid, Spain to study abroad: 2 DAYS!!!!!!!

Hot Dogs Galore!

2010-07-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

Sandra D was right; these summer days are drifitn' away.

Nevertheless, this summer has been pretty blogworthy! Under the guidance of the Tulane Career Center,(click me) I have found myself living the American Dream in New York City interning at J.P. Morgan Chase!

May not be the corner office, but I'll take it!

How am I supposed to get any work done, when THIS is the view from my window!!!

Don't think I forgot my roots (I like to pretend I'm a native Southern belle) while I was up in NYC! I've watched EVERY episode of HBO's newest show about New Orleans post-Katrina, "TREME." I even spotted MYSELF as an extra in one of the scenes filmed on Tulane's campus. Hello, 15 minutes of fame.

There was no way I was spending a 4th of July in NYC without going to watch Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest! Eating contests are my kind of sports.

My stomach hurt just from WATCHING them eat nearly 60 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Gross.

Patriotism at it's peak! Happy 4th of July!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

2010-07-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

An Ode to: Are We There Yet?

What better way to end the year than to pile into my little sardine box of a car with 3 girls, 10 suitcases and a lifetime supply of Oreos?

Smushed is an understatement.

WAITRESSES ON ROLLER SKATES?!? I made the whole gang detour to go to have my first Sonic experience. It was incredible. And fattening.

What better way to break up the driving than to cruise in a boat.

We even got to meet Alabama Governor candidate BRADLEY BYRNE!!! Obviously, we asked for t-shirts and had them signed and personalized. Mine is framed in my room.

Somewhere in Alabama we found a mock State of Liberty crafted by the Boy Scouts. And I thought I was crafty...

I bought a lifetime supply of fireworks, courtesy of Wilma's Wild Fireworks. Bring it on 4th of July.

The How-To Guide to Surviving Tulane Finals.

2010-05-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

After 4 semesters, I have pronounced myself an expert at surviving Tulane finals. First and foremost, you must invest in a snuggie to wear to the library:

Here, we have football powerhouse Eric Jones looking fierce in his pink snuggie. That's 300 pounds of pure intimidation.

Everyone knows the key to academic success is a pink snuggie + messy hair + glasses. Here, my southern belle friend Melissa LeBato exhibits only 1 of the 3 ingredients to success while clearly, I am taking the 'finals look' a little more seriously.

To survive finals, Tulane organizes an event called 'CramJam.' Here, we meet Professor Hogg, business professor and vice president of student life, serving up a mean hamburger to all students.

One of the consequences of finals is that your sense of humor usually is the first thing to go. Unfortunately, I found that pretending to hold this lit up balloon was hilarious, while clearly the people next to me did not share my humor.

Nothing like satisfying those midnight cravings like swimming pools full of ice cream.

Amazingly, some people can get more food on their face than in their mouths. Here, we see Nikki Roy and Alex Fontova showcasing their talents.

Sometimes you just need a little extra nutrition to give you that extra boost to survive finals.

You say CRAYFISH, we say CRAWFISH!

2010-04-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

CRAWFEST 2K10.

Meet fearless student body president Blandon David. He enjoys long walks on the beach, a nice pair of cuff-links and evidently crawfish.

While some college students are busy studying, we Tulanians

indulge ourselves in over 16,000 POUNDS of crawfish.

Really gives a new meaning to "All you can eat..."

Nothing like a beautiful day filled with beautiful people.

Even future NFL superstar Tulane football player Eric Jones takes a break from tossing the pigskin for this delicious day.

Kurt Vonnegut said it best, "WEAR SUNSCREEN."

Everyone enjoys eating crawfish, but no one wants to look like one.

Crawfest came and went, but the time you spend cramming before your fossils and rocks final with your best friends is forever.

Spring has SPRUNG.

2010-04-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

In the words of Mr. Rodgers, "It's a beautiful day in the TULANE neighborhood..."

Spring has sprung here at Tulane. The weather is just so beautiful no one can stay inside. Here we are, enjoying a Strawberry Shortcake themed birthday picnic. Cool hats, right? If you want one, I have extras.

This weather works out especially well for all you crazy beach volleyball mavens out there. Here at Tulane, we don't need to travel to soak up the rays and get sand between our toes; we simply walk to the Sharp quad to hit around a few serves. Unfortunately, none of us are actually talented enough to hit the ball over the net.

Spring also means FESTIVAL time!! Well, so does Summer, Fall and Winter... but, Spring has my FAVORITE festivals. FRENCH QUARTER FEST is going on right now!

Basically, what that means is that people FLY in from ALL OVER to come to this awesome and DELICIOUS festival that we are 10 minutes away from. I bought enough food to last me for 2 weeks--thank goodness I have a big freezer.

Nothing like a little BLACK AND GOLD to start your day.

Sometimes We Run Half Marathons.

2010-03-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

Usually the only thing I like to do in work out clothes, is eat junk food... HOWEVER, this weekend marked a monuments occasion in my life as me and my dear pal Laura Danger Meagher ran the Mardi Gras Half Marathon!!!

Here we are, looking great, picking up our registration packets. It's like they knew we were slow and gave us like the last numbers.

Thankfully, I had a fearless supporter, Caroline Bradley, who made me a ultimate fan shirt. GO FOR THE GOLDBERG

Everyone knows the key to success is intimidation- so we made really fun shirts that read "Now You're Last" on the back. Unfortunately, not too many people actually saw them because we were pretty close to last...

We thought our shirts were great, but we had nothing on good ol' Fred Flintstone who came to life to run this marathon.

While I was fighting off a heart attack and struggling to breathe, this guy passed me while playing a guitar.

But what kind of New Orleans marathon would it be without bands playing every couple of miles. I know it looks like Laura and I just ran to take pictures, but, well... I guess we kinda did.

At least we finished.

CARNIVAL TIME!

2010-02-16T21:14:00.000-08:00

WARNING: IF YOU ARE AN INDIANAPOLIS COLTS FAN--STOP READING NOW!!!!!

It was a glorious day, February 7th, 2010, when America officially turned into the WHO DAT Nation when the SAINTS WON THE SUPERBOWL!!

If a picture's worth 1,000 words, this one is worth AT LEAST 2,000. This is a French Quarter shot after the Saints won. It was like it was raining $100 bills. Everyone was outside, dancing, screaming, just going CRAZY.

Because this win is worthy of a National holiday, or at least a New Orleans holiday, schools closed the Monday after the Superbowl and the city prepared for a huge Superbowl parade the Tuesday after. Also, literally the whole city came to the airport to welcome home the Saints players. Even Britney Spears doesn't get crowds like this.

Speaking of parades, it's MARDI GRAS time BABY!!!!!! I managed to steal some really good costume ideas for next years Halloween.

It's always exciting when your friends become celebrities of their own. Here, my dear friend, Laura Meagher (WHO is 7th generation TULANE) and no stranger to this blog, showcased her french horn skills this Mardi Gras. I've already asked her for her autograph and to play at my wedding.

It's always key to bring a bag to the parades. I don't mean to brag, but clearly I did pretty darn well for myself with catching some awesome stuff. My mom would probably call this stuff "junk" but clearly they are Mardi Gras treasures.

A lesson for any Mardi Gras novices: DRESS UP! There is nothing too crazy or too extravagent for the streets of New Orleans. Here I thought I was all hardcore with my green wig, until I found these guys:

COCKROACHES EVERYWHERE!!! AHH!! My worst nightmare. But hilarious nonetheless.

I found this guy just weirdly adorable.

In conclusion, book your tickets for MARDI GRAS 2011. I'll save a spot for you on the couch.

BLACK AND GOLD SUPERBOWL!!

2010-01-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

First things first, in case you missed it, THE SAINTS ARE MARCHING IN to Miami to win the SUPERBOWL!!! It was like Obama won all over again--people were dancing in the streets and honking horns.

Unfortunately, I'm not in this picture, but I would be way cooler if I was...

Sorority rush was this past week! Tulane does second semester rush which is SO great because it allows the freshman girls to become acquainted to Tulane, make their friends and THEN go through rush. So, we put on our finest dresses and I googled SO many funny jokes to try to impress girls. I think it worked.

Of course the house had to look spic and span. So, obviously that entailed blowing up a HUGE PICTURE OF ME and putting it on the wall. My ego is yet to come back down to earth.

After all that hard work, we got the best pledge class ever!!! (Minus my own...) We went to rock and bowl for bid day where we danced the night away, bowled gutter balls and ate greasy food we regretted the next day.

While sorority life is always fun, volunteering is just as fun! Here, we have philanthropist extraordinaire, Elisabeth Whitehead, showcasing her fantastic painting skills during MLK Day. Basically, MLK Day is just this crazy day where 1000's of New Orleanians come together to volunteer. She had to paint over the walls I messed up.
Tulane group shot! (Which was taken was before I tripped and spilled paint everywhere...)

2009 came and went...

2010-01-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

So, the real nightmare before Christmas came and passed... Mid-Terms 2009. I survived. There were many high and low points, but we all made it. And we're probably going to make shirts to prove it.

We tried to teach my southern belle, Melissa, the wonders of wearing leggings as pants. Because Tulane IS the most geographically diverse school, us Northerns are forced to interact with the Southerns. I mean, we tolerate them.

The best part of finals is Cram Jam. This picture captures a Miss Laura Meagher enjoying the nacho-cheese bar...maybe even a little TOO much.

And now for the Holiday Best Dressed List of 2009 as according to me:
Here, you see me and Miss Hannah Z-L modeling a recession proof wrapping paper dress. Don't worry, Tulane is a green school so obviously we recycled them after.
And here, at my sorority's Christmahanukkwanza party, the group of Chi O's finest tried to hit all the major holidays with our festive gear.
And last, but not least, we decided to create our own ugly Hanukkah sweaters. I would never want to brag, but these lit up. I also make birthday and wedding sweaters. Just saying.

MMBOP.

2009-11-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

Ladies, I know what you're thinking: Oh my goodness, my middle school crushes, HANSON, came to Tulane. Well, you are correct. Those bodices blondes came to Tulane with their luscious locks to promote their AIDS awareness campaign.

I still don't really have a voice from screaming "I LOVE YOU ZACH! PLEASE MARRY ME." He's considering it.
Happy [belated] Halloween!! We had a pumpkin carving fiesta at my sorority house. No one really trusted me with a sharp knife, so I was the designated photographer.
We celebrated Arbor Day here at Tulane's campus. We planted so many trees throughout Tulane's campus. Mother Nature would be so proud of us.

Baltimore celebrities and dedicated blog followers, Heidi and Paul Goldberg (AKA my Parents), came to visit me. They were a pretty big hit on the Tulane campus. None of my friends really escaped without a hug from my mother. They're already planning their return trip. (And thank goodness because my laundry pile is getting pretty high.)

On an unrelated note, I went to Harrah's!! Sure, I lost ten dollars, but I felt pretty cool doing it.

Greek Week/Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

2009-10-27T21:39:00.001-07:00

This is probably as close to the Olympics as I'll ever get: TULANE GREEK WEEK OLYMPICS!!!

This has to be the biggest game of Twister-EVER. Needless to say with my minimal athletic ability and non-existent flexibility, we decided it would be best for the team if I sat that round out.
After Twister was a giant game of tug of war. All those hours sculpting the guns in the gym must have paid off because we won!!
Thank goodness there needed to be a designated photographer because human pyramid wasn't really my calling either. While the pyramid is impressive, let us not neglect the amazing angle and awesome photography skills OF the pyramid.

Something I am good at is celebrating birthdays! I turned 21 this weekend! YAAAY!!!! I know, I am the oldest sophomore--ever.
Just needed a close up of the cake. Apparently this cake is most popular amongst 2-4 year olds but I see no reason why a 21 year old can't get equal enjoyment.

Later, Gator.

2009-10-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

For all you dedicated blog followers out there, come visit Tulane and let me be your tour guide! That's me. Giving a tour.

I told a lot of bad jokes that day. I hope that didn't deter people from coming to Tulane.
We just had Fall break! My sister came to visit. I picked her up in that awesome gator hat. She tried to pretend like she didn't see me.
We went on a gator swamp tour in the Louisiana Bayou. The gator looks harmless now but once that little guy puts on some holiday weight, he'll be almost 500 pounds. The little kids next to me didn't even scream as loud as I did when I held it.

This was swimming literally next to me. It was really fun going on the boat tour, but I'd much rather look at pictures of alligators than be that close to one ever again.
Our crazy tour guide had alligators doing tricks. Watch out Animal Planet, I think I found the next Crocodile Hunter.

Here Comes Homecoming

2009-10-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Here at Tulane, we don't only pride ourselves on beauty and brains... but also ATHLETICS!! Welcome to Homecoming Weekend!!

Fearless French horn mastermind, Laura Meagher, gave the camera (and Marshall--our opponents ::boo!!!::) her most fierce look of intimidation. It's hard to make a band uniform look so good.

Tulane football is too intense for a college stadium, so we chose to play in the Superdome.

Basically the whole school came out to watch the game. And while we may have let Marshall win this game, we most certainly put up a good fight.

These boys make even the cheerleaders look spiritless.

On an unrelated note, HALLOWEEN IS COMING!!! Not sure what I'm going to be yet, but as you can see, I'm currently working on some options.

2009-10-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

So we're only at the halfway mark to Mardi Gras, but that doesn't stop the Mardi Gras Indians from coming out to party.

Tipitina's, the greatest place on this side of the Mississippi, always has exciting bands and performances. Last Saturday night, some Mardi Gras Indians shook their tambourines and broke out the dance moves for us. I haven't asked yet, but I'm hoping to borrow one of these outfits for Halloween.
Speaking of costumes, SOUTHERN DECADENCE was a couple of weekends ago. It's pretty hard to keep up with all the New Orleans festivals. It's usually safe to always assume there's something hip happening in the quarter and simply go downtown in costume.
I am clearly the product of being the youngest child. Having minimal laundry experience, I tragically washed my whites with some purples. Though this picture does not do justice, lets just say this polo is now used for sleeping only.
You're probably wondering to yourself, 'who that really fit and good looking person is in the black shirt?' Though I am also wearing a black shirt in this picture, I was talking about Joe our fearless ABS, BUNS & THIGHS teacher/guru. We had a sorority day at the gym--three days later and I'm still sore.
If you're not in college yet--take notes because I have discovered the ultimate sleeping solution. It's not my roommate's fault that I require 12+ hours of sleep a night and go to bed at 8PM--so, $3 later we have fixed the problem: A SLEEPING MASK. I never claimed to be the coolest kid alive.

Target's stock just went up...

2009-09-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

This one's for you, Mom!

First day of school--Sophomore year! I realize I am in my (super cool) pajamas, but I was just so excited, I couldn't wait!

I would argue that I am Target's best customer.

The gang and I set out the first night back on campus to buy a bunch of things we didn't need and probably will end up stuffing under our beds. We were successful.

We were successful at avoiding the Freshman 15! Now it's time to worry about the Sophomore 16... So we chose Weight Watcher ice cream.

Hannah clearly has beauty AND brains; it was so hot out, she went straight to standing in the freezer.

They remembered us from last year! What can I say? I'm just trying to help fix this recession.

Summertime Stories

2009-08-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

We can get pretty crabby in Baltimore...

We both felt the need to each buy two of those hats...for obvious reasons.

I became so cultured this summer! Behind me you see the Washington Monument. It started raining shortly after, so 'Operation Turn Maya into a Cultured American Citizen' was cut relatively short. Luckily I'm only 20, so there's still time.

This summer I ran with a group called Back On My Feet!

Back On My Feet is a non-profit that "promotes the self-sufficiency of the homeless population by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem." Check out the website! It's the best cause! (And will force you to get in shape!!!)

While summer was fantastic, nothing could take my mind off of Tulane, New Orleans, jazz music, ridiculously delicious food and every other positive thing about this place which is just too many to name.

Tulane, here I come!

The Traveling Tulanian

2009-06-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Greetings from a traveling Tulanian!

Because I missed the New Orleans heat so much, I decided to take a summer trip to the next hottest place (pun intended) ISRAEL!!

It's really no surprise that we managed to find every soldier in Israel and pose for a picture.

While in Israel, I met another CHI OMEGA!!! We obviously had to rep hard and drop the "X Ω" Symbol. Israelis looked at us like we were totally crazy. Actually, so did most Americans.

No blog entry is complete without the classic "wish you were here post card" photo.

Some girlfriends and I went on a 3 day hike ACROSS the country.

If you're thinking I'm so athletic and intense, i hate to break the news to you but you're wrong--

Israel is smaller than New Jersey, so it sounds scarier than it was.

My sleep-over camp skills truly shined when I WOW-ed my friends with my s'more making abilities.

We also went paint-balling. I was the first one out. And I'm still black and blue.

I really wanted to bring my new friend, Camille the Camel, home to New Orleans with me. I loved her--until she spit on me.

Even Camels smile thinking about going back to New Orleans!

2 MONTHS TIL TULANE! AH!

Left My Heart in Louisiana

2009-05-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

This Blog post is dedicated to the fearless and wonderful: JEFF SCHIFFMAN

For those of you who do not know this face, Jeff is one of the head honchos in the Tulane admission office. He's kind of a big deal.

During finals week (BOO!), Bruff turns into 'CRAM-JAM' and brings out the DJs and fruit bars. Everyone trades in their TI-83s and whips out their dancing shoes. Major dance-offs go down during Cram Jams.

Some people take pictures with their teachers on the last day of school, we took pictures with our favorite Bruff employees.

After school ended and we were all packed, my best friend Hannah and I embarked on Hannah and Maya's Excellent Adventure: ROAD TRIP 09

Here we are in our car, Thelma and Louise style--ready to conquer the highways.

Crusin' the open roads.

We may or may not have stopped at every single ridiculous stop along the way and tried on all possible silly southern things. We each (for obvious reasons) bought two of these hats.

She really wanted it. I had to talk her out of it.

My boots are made for walking. Not really. I try to avoid all possible movement.

'BAMA! We'll beat you next year! Roll WAVE!

My post card photo shot. I was so proud.

The rumors are TRUE!!! DOLLYWOOD EXISTS! Dolly Parton has a theme park nestled somewhere in Tennessee. We went.

AMERICAN IDOL '10. WATCH OUT. (NOTE: this is a video--watch it!..But turn down your volume..)

MORAL OF THE STORY: 17 hours later, Hannah and I had the best road trip ever. We'll be doing it big again in August. Let us know if you want us to save you a seat.

Put Your Dancing Shoes On...

2009-04-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

So I ran for student government senate, and WON!

As one of Bruff Dinning Hall's most frequent guest, I got Ms. Nijia--Bruff Goddess and food Mastermind--to endorse me and rock this 'VOTE FOR MAYA' shirt. Needless to say, I think that's what put me on top.

My Chi-Omega family has it all: beauty AND brains (but we don't like to brag...). We had a 'C' themed party, and we dressed up as 'CALCULUS'... U + ME = US.

I voted us best dressed.

JAZZFEST WEEKEND HAS ARRIVED!!!!

While you were studying for finals, us New Orleanians put on our dancing shoes and tapped our toes to DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, BON JOVI, EARTH WIND AND FIRE, DIXIE CUPS, JAMES TAYLOR and like a ZILLION others.

While there may be April showers to bring May flowers in other states, it has been nothing but CLEAR skies here in NOLA. But still, gotta rock that sunscreen. Becky takes such good care of me.

I thought this was a joke... Alligator Pie... it wasn't.

And of course there are parades just roaming throughout the fairgrounds. What would New Orleans be without parades?

I know, I am jealous of myself. HOWEVER, fly down now and I'll take you to Jazzfest Weekend Extravaganza #2 this upcoming weekend. CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE!

YOU GOT SERVED.

2009-04-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking: TULANE IS THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD, I JUST WISH THEY WOULD SOMEHOW BEAT LSU!!!!

My thoughts exactly.

This weekend was RELAY FOR LIFE.

Relay for Life is a 12 hour marathon of walking/running and participating in other events to raise money for cancer.

LSU came. We challenged them to a dance off.

I don't want to say we destroyed them, but,

WE DESTROYED THEM!!! check us out.

Our lip gloss was poppin'.

There were PIE EATING contests.

I'm not really such an athlete as much as I am a motivational life coach. So, I gave everyone high-fives as they made their laps around the track.

Even hard-core athletes such as myself need a break sometimes.

To find out more about Relay for Life--click here! It's a great cause.

Crazy for Crawfish

2009-04-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Jersey Shore!

Well, not really. But my friend invited me to his fraternity's date party and it was 'Jersey Shore' themed, so we obviously seized the opportunity and bought the most touristy and embarrassing outfits possible. Needless to say, we were the best dressed.

Us Tulanians love community service--especially community service that involves going to basketball games for free. Some girlfriends and I simply greeted those die-hard Hornets fans (including Regis Philbin) and as a result we got to watch the game! We actually had courtside seats, we just figured we should climb up to the nosebleed section to get a great panoramic photo for you... haha I wish!

While Hornets games and costume parties are great, nothing could ever compare to CRAWFEST. Basically, Crawfest is a day long celebration of music and food on the LBC quad. Literally the whole school comes out to tap their toes and tackle 16,000 POUNDS OF CRAWFISH.

I wasn't kidding about the 16,000 pounds of Crawfish.

Incase the food and music wasn't enough to keep you occupied, they had fire dancers and Mardi Gras indians come to Crawfest.

Just your regular Saturday.

My sorority big sister, Becky, helped plan Crawfest! I was like a proud parent that day. I just wanted a big bumper sticker that said "My Child Planned Crawfest" or something of the sorts.

CRAWFEST '10. BE THERE.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2009-04-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

While you were tanning in Florida over Spring Break...

...Ashley (my roommate) and I went to New York where we spent WAY too much money and got tragically lost riding the Subways in New York. All I'm saying is that there is only one street car in New Orleans--much easier to navigate.

So important question: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WENT TO CHUCK E. CHEESE? Too long ago! That's when!

In honor of one of my best friend's birthdays, we went to Chuck E. Cheese, here in New Orleans. It is just as magical at 20 as it is at 10.

ALSO!!!! FRANK WARREN CAME TO TULANE!!!!! Big deal is an understatement. Frank composes the 'Post Secret' series where people send in their secrets on post cards. He came to our school and spoke to us, signed book ands clearly, took pictures. Also, not to brag, but he hugged me. I will never wash that dress again.

Yesterday in Bruff, there was a dance off between a Tulane student and one of the Bruff masterminds. Basically, it was the Tulane version of West Side Story (minus the gang component...)

Last but certainly not least, THE BRITNEY CONCERT WAS AMAZING. She started her Circus tour here, in New Orleans, and I must say I laughed, I cried, I smilled, I sang. If she is coming to a town near you, GET TICKETS. Or just come to Tulane and we'll go together next year. Whichever... but preferably the latter.

An Ode to Food

2009-03-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

So, you would think a week of being completely showered with presents and candy would be so fun (and it was) but you have NO IDEA the emotional toll it takes on you to have BUCKETS OF BROWNIES just DUMPED ON YOUR BED, staring at you when you come back from class.

Like THIS is what I found when I opened my door and came back from psychology one day. Amazing!! But also, any female's (with summer coming in a few weeks) NIGHTMARE. But mainly amazing!!!
This was MY ROOM. Hard to recognize under all the balloons and streamers. I don't mean to brag, but I HAVE THE BEST BIG IN THE WORLD!!!
After being spoiled rotten for a week, our 'bigs' were finally revealed to us! Mine is BECKY SAHM and she is nothing shy of fantastic and amazing!!! And this is our beautiful family photo. I feel like I should have it enlarged and put above a fireplace.
However, aside from sorority life, there are more great things happening on the Tulane campus. ABOVE IS AN ICEE MACHINE!!! Your eyes are NOT DECEIVING you. Bruff (our dining hall) has made it's best investment and ordered TWO ICEE MACHINES. Just think of all the money you'll actually be SAVING by coming to Tulane--I know I used to spend upwards of double digits on slurpees weekly.
Shout outs to my 10AM Monday, Wednesday, Friday breakfast crew who all romantically shared our first slurpee together.

Now, while life is always bright and exciting here at Tulane, I must say that sometimes, our immune systems fail us. First, I made this picture smaller because I look so sickly and awful in it and well, that's because I WAS! But, even being sick at Tulane is fun!! When your sick, the Hillel BRINGS YOU HOMEMADE MATZAH BALL SOUP. No joke. Pictured below is Hillel hottie, Shira (like Madonna-she needs no last name) who brought me my soup.

Beat that, any other school! I dare you!!!!!

Mardi Gras Madness

2009-02-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!!

To explain New Orleans during Mardi Gras is to unmask the seventh wonder of the world. The whole city comes out and stands out on St. Charles, waving their hands and yelling the famous line, "Hey Mister! Throw me something!" Clearly, from the picture above, you can see Hannah and I did quite well for ourselves.

It is important to understand what to wear to parades. Take Hannah and myself as example.

1. WEAR RAIN BOOTS. Maybe not the most fashion forward thing, but your toes will thank you for not being stepped on.

2. BRIGHT COLORS. When it comes to bead catching, there is some steep competition. Anything to set you apart is a huge plus.

3. FANNY PACKS. Personally, I think they're making a come back. And practicality wise, you just can't beat the fanny pack.

Friend shot!

As you can see, the WHOLE city comes out. And if you have any great costumes or small siblings or cousins-bring them. Cute kids always get the most beads.

My TWO favorite favorite costumes were easily these:

It's like Halloween x a billion.

So you may be asking: What are you going to do with all those great beads you got?

Well, to answer that, you must simply come and look at the trees.

363 MORE DAYS TIL NEXT YEAR....

Why My Life Rules

2009-02-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

Now, I don't mean to brag, but my life rules!!

It is officially Festival Time here in New Orleans. As you can see from this picture, this city has taken out their Mardi Gras flags and painted the town PURPLE, GREEN and GOLD!

While this is my first Mardi Gras (apparently, pronounced 'Maw-dy Graw' by the locals) I have learned rather quickly. February means parades, beads and KING CAKE. While some kids worry about the notorious 'Freshmen Fifteen,' I've started to worry about the King Cake Kilos. Essentially, King Cake is a traditional New Orleans dessert which is decorated in purple, green and yellow frosting and sprinkles. If you've never had it before, book your flight immediately and come try this.

Always leading the way, Tulane decided to bake the city's LARGEST King Cake. Word on the street they made 300 FEET of King Cake. They set up tons of tables (seen above) on the LBC quad and everyone came out with bags (I brought tupperware) and grabbed King Cake.

You'll probably be able to find us all at Weight Watcher meetings next week.

On a side note, my dorm has been playing a wide spread game of ASSASSINS! Basically, everyone got an envelope with the picture of someone in Wall and a spoon (your weapon). To no surprise, after the game was in session for 30 minutes, I was killed. My assassin is the boy pictured above... so when you come to visit campus, please give him a dirty look.

But maybe the most exciting thing EVER that happened was that I met JAIME HAYES. Aside from being a New Orleans art LEGEND, Jaime Hayes was part of the reason why I fell in love with this city! After visiting Tulane, I was wondering the French Quarter and fell into his shop; it was there I knew I had to be a part of this city. His art is so fun and innovative and just incredible. So during my routine stop in his shop, when I stopped into his shop and saw him, I basically started hyperventilating.

I still haven't washed that hand that touched him... (kidding...sort of.)

Sweet Sorority Life

2009-01-29T22:28:00.000-08:00

This week has been one of the happiest weeks of my life!

Why? This past week was RUSH and after two intensive weekends

full of meeting houses full of girls, I got a bid to become a member of

CHI-OMEGA!!!!!

Aside from getting the awesome gear

that I am proudly displaying to the right, I have met so many phenomenal and awesome girls who are also in Chi-O. I have taken up permanent residence on cloud nine.

Fun Tulane fact: Only 30% of the campus is greek, so don't think you HAVE to go greek. Now, I may be somewhat biased, but going greek rules. But, I just want to stress that don't think you have to go greek to have a social life-definitely not the case!

Once we got our bids, those Chi-O cuties took us to RockN'Bowl, which

is an experience all within its own. RockN'Bowl. After you arrive in New Orleans, come visit Tulane, fall in love, eat a Po-Boy and go to the French Quarter, you HAVE to go to Rock'N'Bowl. Under normal

circumstances, there is some jazz or zydeco or funk band playing music while you bowl (such as below)

But, for our bid day, the Chi-O girls RENTED out Rock'N'Bowl for us and after we all realized none of us have any bowling skills, we dominated the dance floor.

Oh. And if you're reading this and you're somewhere up in the northeast or Michigan or basically anywhere outside of New Orleans, let me know and I'll send you my sweater BECAUSE IT WAS 70 DEGREES TODAY (sorry if that was mean).

A New Year in New Orleans

2009-01-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

Dorothy said it best: "There's no place like home."

Sorry mom and dad, you guys are great, but nothing can compare to

living next door to your best friends with the city of New Orleans at your finger tips.

Right before leaving for winter break, some friends and I went on somewhat of a "Photo Safari" of the faces of New Orleans. I've repeatedly said New Orleans culture is unique to any other place in the world, and after looking at these pictures, I think you'll understand.

Working a desk job from 9-5 just isn't for everyone...

Watch out Adam Sandler! This guy and his harmonica look like they could be crafting the newest version of the Hanukkah song

Halloween 2009?

I guess why settle for silver when you can be gold.

I couldn't make this guy up if I tried.

While on our photo safari adventures, we ended up running into this outdoor art and food fair called "Ferret Street Festival." Doing what we do best, we ate too much food and spent too

much money. But, I did get the coolest bag at one of the booths (note left)! Sometimes you just gotta support those starving artists.

But, even after buying that bag, I still had money in my pocket. So, me and the gang

ventured over to Cafe du Monde for some coffee and beignets. Now, WARNING, once you eat at Cafe

du Monde, you will never drink Starbucks, Seattles Best, PJs and such EVER AGAIN. Cafe du Monde coffee changes lives. There should be a warning label on it. Plus, the beignets are maybe the most

fun thing to eat since sloppy joes. I recommend wearing white while eating the beignet so that you don't get the powdered sugar all over you, like I did.

So, words of wisdom of the day (aside from come to Tulane), are come to New Orleans,

go to Cafe du Monde (in white) and bring your camera.

**Side note- must thank my dear friend Eric for taking most of these pictures! Thank you!

S-NOLA!!!!!

2008-12-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

So, two days ago it was 75 degrees. Everyone whipped out their shorts and t-shirts, the sun was shining, life was beautiful. This morning, I wake up hearing someone scream "SNOW!!??!!!" I figured I was having a nightmare, as I am DREADING going back to Baltimore and dealing with this 30 degree nonsense. HOWEVER, it ACTUALLY snowed here today!

In case you're curious what this beautiful, wonderful building is... it's Wall Residential College... the best dorm on campus...I can't even pretend to be modest.

So, that was maybe the best start to any day.

I am also proud to say that I survived finals week. I feel like we should get congratulatory shirts or something exciting. I have this theory that wearing glasses automatically makes you more intelligent. Surprisingly, it hasn't been confirmed by scientists, however, it has been working for me so far.

I know-between the TI-83 and the glasses you are probably taken aback by the levels of intelligence that are emulating off the computer screen.

Tulane has made finals week surprisingly fun though. Sure, there are no "I survived finals week" shirts (YET!!!) but, there have just been various activities happening to make this week a little bit more enjoyable--like the gingerbread house making contests and holiday parties.

Meet my RA, Rob. He is so multi-cultured.

And again, let us not forget there was a LITERAL SNOW DAY today. What could be happier during finals week than a snow day?! I have a theory that President Cowen somehow arranged this all. I'm telling you, this man accomplishes incredible things.

On an unrelated note, I took my first spinning class today. I realize some [crazy] people do this voluntarily, however, my friend Kelly had to basically drag me to the Reily (Tulane's gym which is definitely bigger than my mall). Don't get me wrong, I go to Reily quite often--but usually I go because they have an incredible smoothie bar on the bottom floor. Regardless, I made it through spinning class alive.

Some people sweat from spinning class-but we glisten, we know.

Stay warm!

CRUNCH TIME (not the work-out kind)

2008-12-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

Reasons why this week RULES:

#1. Today was a SNOW DAY here at Tulane!!!

Don't go blaming global warming yet...it was totally man-made snow, but regardless, there was snow. 4 TONS OF IT!!! A bunch of trucks came and turned ice into snow! There were snow ball fights, snow angels and obviously, hot chocolate. Find me another place where you get 70degree days AND snow days..

2. BRITNEY SPEARS ANNOUNCED SHE WILL BE OPENING HER "CIRCUS TOUR" HERE IN NEW ORLEANS IN MARCH!!!! (I obviously bought tickets within the first hour of the sale)

3. FINALS WEEK IS HERE. Now, I know you're thinking "WHAT?! WHY IS FINALS WEEK A GOOD THING?" I mean, it's not. But, it's all about finding the silver lining. For example, every day is basically a pajama party! Glasses, fuzzy slippers, polka dot pants, everything goes during finals week!

4. CHRISTMAS IS COMING! Now, in case you haven't figured it out by my name, Maya GOLDBERG, my holiday season is usually filled with dreidals and menorahs. So, when my fantastic, phenomenal and all other positive synonyms roommate, Ashley, suggested we decorate the room with some holiday cheer, I got pretty excited.

My first christmas tree! And note the lights in the background.

Reason #5) CRAM JAM!!! As mentioned before, it is currently final season here at Tulane. Cram Jam is as exciting as it sounds. Basically, Bruff turns into a magical place at midnight with cotton candy, candy apple bars, FOCUS VITAMIN WATER (which I don't care what they say, it makes me focus better), games, prizes, music, everything. Did I get studying done? No. Did I have a fantastic time? Absolutely.

Note the focus water in my hand.

So, in conclusion, life is great.