O Tannenbaum

Jealousy rarely accomplishes anything... However, when I saw that the math lab down the hall had a Christmas tree... I knew that the CS lab needed one. :)

We are the Nerd Herd

Halloween after Open Lab

(L to R) Bissi, Anna, Me, Lonnie, Avinash

Fall Family Weekend

Each year, WVU hosts Fall Family Weekend. Families of students at WVU can come to classes, go to sporting events, tour the campus, and generally see what their kid/sibling get to do every day. This year my father and mother couldn't attend with me on Friday (Though Daddy did go to my Business management class with me on Thursday), so Daniel and I adopted David Terris and took him to classes with us.

Accounting was interesting.... Italian was hilarious! The boys tried to understand Fabio, but their greatest enjoyment was listening to the obnoxious students behind us. I think Economics was David's favorite... He could follow the calculus part just fine.

Sneaked into a Engineering Classroom--Awesome--

After all of that, we had lunch at the Mountainlair --possibly Daniel's and my favorite part :P-- Then I gave them a tour of the CS lab; we took a PRT ride to Engineering --trying to find Aerospace E. where David may attend next year--

then back on the PRT to the downtown campus

where I showed off the library.

All in all, it was a beautiful autumn day for Fall Family Weekend.

My 21st Birthday

Classes were awesome! I got to visit with Dee & Sean. Then after meeting with my English professor, I met Dee (again) for lunch! After BUSA 320, I rushed to meet Mama, Daniel, & Grandpa.... We then traveled to Outback where we met my Dad. Where, I got my last birthday speech from my Dad (until I get married)...My dad always seems to have great words of wisdom to impart to me. Even so, on my birthday, Dad seems to out-do himself. He told me about how on 21st birthdays the world tells young men and women my age that they are responsible enough to handle certain responsibilities, such as alcohol. Daddy continued to say that he and mom had considered me responsible enough for several years and were very proud of me. He told me about how God had grown me in his grace. But, he stressed with me the danger of complacency and the need for perseverance. "Laura, you may feel tempted to think that you have arrived, and in many ways you have." But, I cannot stay this way. I must keep striving for the goal of sanctification. I will never achieve perfection this side of glory, but that is not a license for sin.

After we enjoyed a tasty meal, we went home to play 500 rummy and open gifts!

Did anyone else watch the VP debate? Not the way I wanted to end my birthday, but the parties didn't consult me on the date. :P

School Stuff

The tax form 1040 can be scary, but it can also be fun! So, do you take the standard deduction or the Schedule A deduction? Yes, I actually know what that I'm saying.

Io mi chiamo Laura Powell. Sono di Morgantown. Io sono studentessa di Italino. (Can you guess what that means?)

Economics gets more and more complicated, but who doesn't love a science that confirms your conservatism?!
Apparently liberal history books can get some things right: [Luther's] insight into the meaning of "justification by faith alone" was a gradual process that extended between 1513 and 1518. The righteousness that God demands, he concluded, did not result from many religious works and ceremonies but was given in full measure to those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ, who alone is the perfect righteousness satisfying to God. To believe in Christ mean to stand before God clothed in Christ's sure righteousness." (The Heritage of World Civilizations, Chapter 17, p.499)



Does CS101 every get old? I submit that it does not! Listening to Sean lecture, I was again reminded of things I had forgotten and I brushed up on other things. It's great to be working with the CS101 department on campus again. Not only do they help me maintain my knowledge of Microsoft Office, they are my friends. I can't imagine what school would be like without CS...

Lexicon, morphology, syntax, phonology, & semantics... these are all elements of my English 321 course. I think I might have been about to tell you something about 1 or 2 them before this week. Now, I am trying to master their definitions and use that knowledge to interpret data in the history of the English language. For example: Did you know that the insult hussy came from the Old English noun huss? Huss was a house wife... In present day English the meaning has changed quite a bit. This is part of semantics. Interesting, huh?



Management is critical to any business, but it is also important for people in general. We manage our finances, time, and lives every day. What are the core aspects of management? Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling.

These are some of the many thing I have learned this week... I can't wait to Week 2. Let's go Mountaineers!

Open Lab

The view outside the CS101 window -- (I took it at a weird angle)

Many of you know that I work for the Computer Science department... I am a proctor for the CS101 open lab on Fridays. Well, I finally got pictures of my home-away-from-home. (Sorry-- No pictures of my friends) Anyway, for your viewing pleasure. :)

The Teacher's Desk -- I sometimes steal that awesome chair

The view from the front of the classroom (where I generally stand)