iSchool

I arrived in Seattle yesterday afternoon so that I could have time to get familiar with my home stay hosts and the UW campus. I am so fortunate to have found fellow MLIS student Sammy through the iConnect message board. She and her husband offered to house an on-line student during orientation/residency week. Sammy and Tim are incredibly gracious and hospitable. They live in a condo in Kirkland overlooking Lake Washington, and not far from their home there is a bus stop on a direct route that is just minutes from campus. Sammy is a second-year residential student. She so kindly gave me a campus tour after I arrived yesterday, showing me every building I will need to visit this week, the student parking areas, and the bus stops to and from campus.

This morning we rode the bus together to campus. I spent the morning taking care of campus business while she went to work at the Suzallo Library. My first official events took place this afternoon. First there was the All iSchool Orientation where we were introduced to the dean, the staff, and the faculty members. The dean is an Aussie and quite a hoot. In fact, all of the iSchool facilty and staff seem very upbeat, passionate, and humorous. I was fortunate to sit next to a gal whom I discovered to be in all all three of my classes. I was happy to have connected with her.

After the orientation I attended the iSchool Fair. There was food, freebies, and a chance to win a $50 gift certificate. How can you beat that! There I met one of my instructors, and I met my assigned faculty advisor, face-to-face. My advisor is really, really tall, and though I don't know if he is going to be a good match for me, he is very easy on the eyeballs. My web design instructor has a similar career path as mine, so I had a nice chat with her.

According to the dean, if we're riding a bus (for instance) and someone asks what are we studying at the U, we must respond, "My school is the iSchool." And, if that someone gives us a funny look and tries to walk away we must follow them and bother them until they ask us, "What is iSchool?" Then we are to tell them, "We are inspired by information. Information changes lives. We make information work." Then we must hope that they are impressed.

All in all, it was a good first day. Tomorrow I do not have any scheduled activities, but I have many business items to take care of and some homework I'd like to get done before classes start on Thursday.