The (Almost) Hipster: January 2016

Thursday, January 21, 2016

What to Wear for Sorority Recruitment

I never thought I was the type of girl who would be in a sorority but rushing last spring was one of the best decisions I have ever made. While recruitment can be fun, it is also stressful and can be confusing. I'm here to help ease a little of that nervousness with a clothing guide for winter recruitment.

At Johns Hopkins, we have recruitment in January so that freshman have a semester to settle in and meet the different sororities; however, that means that there's a good chance that it will be mighty cold out. We have 4 days of recruitment: Ice Water (cute casual), Theme Round (business casual), Pref (formal), and Bid Day (white dress). Below you'll find a little guide for each of these rounds.

Winter Recruitment: Ice Water Round by marisaelle96 featuring flat brown knee high boots

All throughout recruitment, you want to be wearing something that makes you feel confident. Make sure your clothes reflect your personality (and are comfy for a full day of standing and girl-flirting)! Ice Water is the cute casual round. A nice pair of jeans with riding boots is a great choice for those in colder climates. I absolute love wearing flannels and I think the vest and necklace add great finishing touches to the look. This year, Hopkins is giving all the PNMs (Potential New Members) a shirt to wear for Ice Water, so make sure you accessorize so the sisters you talk to can pick you out from a crowd.

Winter Recruitment: Theme Round by marisaelle96 featuring cropped pants

Next we have Theme Round, at other schools it might be called the Philanthropy Round. This round is business casual. Don't be alarmed when you hear the word 'business'. Business casual outfits can be adorable and are actually some of my favorite outfits to style. You can't go wrong with a pair of patterned business pants. I recommend that you check out H&M if you're in need of a pair. These pants look great with a nice sweater and some boots or heels. Just remember the business does not mean stuffy! Your personality can still shine through and an outfit like this will help you stand out in the sea of other PNMs.

Winter Recruitment: Pref by marisaelle96 featuring fringe booties

On our third night of recruitment, we have Pref Night. This is the most formal night and is a great reason to buy that dress you've just been dying to have. PNMs wear formal dresses in any color (think Homecoming or Winter Formal, not Prom) and sisters wear black dresses. I would choose something similar to the dress above because it's cute, appropriate (keep it classy, you're not going clubbing), and in one of my favorite colors. Because of the cold weather I would opt for boots, but you can always wear weather-appropriate shoes over and change into your heels once you get to the round.

Winter Recruitment: Bid Day by marisaelle96 featuring a white dress

The end of recruitment is finally here! You've finished pref and you're about to get a bid and meet your new sisters! At our school, PNMs wear white dresses for Bid Day. Just keep it nice and simple with a white dress, nude heels, and a cute bow or necklace. You'll be meeting a lot of new people today so wearing something like a burgundy bow is a great way to help them remember you.

Good luck to everyone who is going through recruitment! Remember to let your personality shine through and that everything will work out for the best!

-Marisa

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Top 5 YA Books of 2015

I love reading. I read quite a lot, basically whenever I have free time. So, because my reading list is so extensive and I did not have much free time this year, I only read a few books that were published in 2015, but I did read enough to compile a top 5 list. Without further ado, my top 5 books of 2015:

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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - Two high school students meet at the edge of the bell tower and become unlikely friends. They pair up for a class project that instructs them to discover the "natural wonders" of the state they live in. While discovering more about the world around them they are also discovering more about themselves. It is a beautifully intricate story that brings mental health to the forefront of readers' conversations.
The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett - Bex Adams has her heart set on following in Da Vinci's footsteps and plans to spend the summer before her senior year sketching actual cadavers and working at a local market. Her plans might not be as concrete as she thought they were, though. One night on the late bus, Bex runs into a mysteriously attractive boy named Jack. Both characters are quirky and lovable but they both have skeletons they are hiding from. Readers' will be rooting for the characters throughout the whole book.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon - Madeline has SCID otherwise known as the "bubble baby disease." She is allergic to the world and has been living in an airlocked house for the last 18 years, not once stepping foot outside. She had never really felt like she was missing out on much; she takes classes online and spends most of her time reading or hanging with her mom. She starts to question everything about her world when a boy in all black moves in next door. Yoon weaves an intricate tale that will surprise the readers at every turn. My only complaint is that I feel like the ending was a little rushed and kind of a last minute thought.
The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise by Matthew Crow - Francis is a teenage boy who is the narrator of this emotionally honest story. Francis' home life has never been all the great and he has had to live a rather independent life. He is planning out his years after school when he is diagnosed with leukemia. As his life is falling apart, the last thing on his mind is making new friends, but it is exactly then when he meets Amber, a fierce spirit who also has cancer. The book will have you laughing out loud and bawling your eyes out.
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell - So, this is not necessarily the greatest book of 2015 but it's definitely a must-read if you are a fan by her previous book Fangirl. The book is basically a rip-off Harry Potter so any HP nerds will see alarmingly similar characters, activities, and descriptions. However, it is still an interesting read. I feel like it's almost purposely written to read like a fanfic. Simon Snow, the chosen one, attends a school for young wizards (Watford's) but grew up not knowing that magic existed (ring a bell?). He believes that his roommate, Baz, is out to get him and that he also happens to be a vampire. The plot is rather simple but it has ghouls, vampires, and magicians galore as well as a rather interesting love story.

If you want to know what else I'm reading, check out my Goodreads profile at www.goodreads.com/marisaelle. What were your top reads of 2015?

-Marisa