Good Travels

      Oh no!! Today was our final full day at the beach. I'm so exhausted from touring, but at the same time I don't want to leave. I'm sure you all know what I'm feeling. The Wanderlust is still very alive inside me. But all the same, it was a wonderful last day!
        To make up for yesterday's screw up, we went first thing in the morning to Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant. This is an absolute Must-see! You definitely get your bang for your buck--a house tour, a tour of the farms, a Gullah Theatre show, a lecture on the slave houses, and a walk through the gardens. Our bus driver's name was Bob, and he was the best tour guide to talk about the farm. I definitely want to come back to the plantation during the months of April, May, June, July, August, and then again in October. Starting next month will be their strawberry picking season. Then comes peach tree picking, then blueberry picking, then muscadine grape picking. THEN in October they have a giant corn maze and pumpkin picking. See? I just need to go back. Especially for the peaches and grapes.
          The Gullah Theatre was put on by a woman descended from a South Carolina slave. Her great-grandmother lived to be ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN years old. Thats 117. Amazing. She was a slave as a young girl and spoke Gullah fluently. This woman could understand her great grandmother and learned a little from her before she passed away. But let me tell you, she has an amazing voice and is a wonderful story teller. Definitely something to see.
           Some facts about Boone Hall:
               ~It's been rebuilt several times, once due to a fire, once due to hurricane damage, and once because the new owner just wanted to. But a lot of the structures in the house were salvaged from the older versions
             ~A Russian man bought the house at the outbreak of World War II, and he was very invested in his race horse, whose bloodline eventually sired Secretariat.
             ~Boone Hall was a cotton plantation until after the Civil War. After slave labor was no longer an option, they switched to pecan production because it is not nearly as labor intensive as cotton picking. They still have Pecan trees, but a lot were destroyed during a hurricane in the late 80s.
              ~You might recognize the patio and backyard of the house from a certain famous movie called The Notebook. Yes, we stood where Ryan Gosling stood. The scene where Allie's parents completely reject Noah takes place on this property, along with the boat scene that takes place in the salt water marsh that borders the property.
                ~A family still lives in the house part time. They raise thoroughbred horses and use them to play polo. Definitely a little unique for South Carolina.

     After our tour of the Plantation ended, we drove over to Sullivan's Island and laid out on the beach (we found the other spring breakers) and proceeded to be covered with sand. Apparently, the wind decided to act up today. It was in every nook and cranny. I bit down on it several times. But the sun was nice, and the water was bearable. We jumped into the ocean a few times to wash off the sand, but not for too long. However, it was great to wave ride again. I even dunked myself in the water a couple times right before we left.
      The latter half of the afternoon was spent touring Fort Moultrie, which was the naval stronghold for a short time before Fort Sumter took over. It's a pretty neat place to tour--a nice view of the ocean, and some neat crevices. Side note, if you go at 4:00 pm, there's no charge for the tour because it closes at 5. So save yourself some money. It's definitely doable in an hour.
         Dinner commenced at one of my favorite places--Poe's Tavern! Yes, I returned and had the Amontillado burger. It's such a cool place. The burgers, all named after Edgar Allan Poe's stories or poems, are delicious, and the building itself is awesomely decorated. I suggest sitting outside, weather permitting, but definitely sneak inside to see all the neat decorations.
        And of course, it being our last night, we HAD to get dessert. So I stopped in Kaminsky's on N. Market St. in Charleston and got a huge piece of Spice Hummingbird Cake. And Emily, more of an ice cream girl, went to Peace Pie, an ice cream sandwich place that adds a layer of pie filling into the ice cream sandwich. She got triple chocolate, and it looked killer.
        Now, I'm going to go shower and attempt to get all the sand off my body. We'll see about that. Wish me luck!

What a Bust--learn from my mistakes

So this morning, I took a quiz of what kind of traveller I am, and as I expected, I got the planner. This is true, I do plan. I make packing lists (even though I always manage to forget something). I like knowing what I'm going to be doing on my trips, where I'm going. All that good stuff. And yet--I managed to muck today up!

      After the beach, which turned out nicer than we thought it would (I finally got to ride the waves), we were going to go to Cypress Gardens and take a swamp boat ride. If this place doesn't sound familiar, it is where they filmed one signature scene in The Notebook, where Allie and Noah are riding in a canoe in a swamp filled with swans. You pay $10 to get into the Gardens, and if you choose to do the boat ride unguided, then it's no extra charge. So we drive about an hour and 20 minutes from Kiawah Island, into the middle of nowhere. At first, my apple GPS took us to the wrong spot. Then, once we finally find the location, it's CLOSED!!! Not just for today, but because of flooding. So basically, permanently closed. We were soooo disappointed. I swear, when I looked on the website last night, it said nothing about this. It still has up all the information about tours. We planned to get there around 2, before the last entry at 4. But no. It was closed. I felt like such an idiot. So learn from my mistakes. Do your research. Make sure the things you want to do are available to be done! 

     But we tried to make the most of the day. Emily and I were both tired after driving about two hours there and back. However, we did get the chance to stop at the Angel Oak Tree, which is this amazing Live Oak that's over 400 years old. It has wooden posts holding up some of the gigantic branches. Some of the branches go down into the ground and back up again. I wanted to climb on it so badly, but I made sure to pay attention to the signs: "Please don't carve the tree or climb on the tree." But y'all...it's literally the perfect tree to climb on. I could've found a place to sit and read for just hours and hours. It's such a beautiful place, and I promise, there's the magic of an angel in that tree. It's definitely a Charleston treasure--a must see. 

      We came back to the room, and I'll admit, I took a nap. I got a little more sun than I thought I did, and driving is exhausting. So, yes, I took a nap, preparing myself for dinner. And for some reason, when we were driving back into the city for dinner my GPS took us through the most trafficky area imaginable. Another lesson--use google maps, not apple maps. I've decided that if I ever live here (which I would love), I'm going to have to become very proficient at riding a bike. I just won't be able to deal with this traffic. Dinner ended up at Charleston Crab House, which is delicious. Definitely another suggestion. They have a cute little patio now, and the shrimp and grits are great. It's also one of the more affordable seafood places in the city. 

      Since we weren't on the beach for the sunset, we walked down the pier, and it was still beautiful watching the sun fall over the city. PLUS, we saw two dolphins swimming real close to the pier. I love dolphins--it's definitely on my bucket list to swim with dolphins. Or sea turtles. But more likely dolphins. 

     And now we've settled back into the condo watching the finale of "The Bachelor." So it wasn't the best day ever, but it was still a good day. I'm going to learn from my mistakes. But it was a beautiful day. I got some sun, saw a beautiful, old tree, ate some yummy food, and saw dolphins! Tomorrow, our last official day :( will be awesome! Plantations and a trip to Sullivan's Island. Stay tuned!!

Bonjour, Charleston!

     So I decided that since this week is a special week (Spring Break!!), I'll be doing a post every day during my stay on Kiawah Island/ Charleston, SC! This way I don't have one MASSIVE post this Saturday that no one will likely read all the way through. Smart, right?
      Official Day 1--Today--was awesome! My travel buddy Emily and I are both pretty adventurous people. Don't get me wrong--we love our beach time. It's an absolute necessity. However, both of us are too restless to sit on the beach for more than a few hours at most. That's what is so great about being just a short, beautiful drive from an awesome city! For those of you who haven't had the chance to visit Charleston yet, put it on your bucket list now. It's amazing, beautiful, bustling, and historical. I don't think it's possible to get bored in Charleston. If you do, I'm impressed.
       We started off the morning a little slow, not making our way to the beach (only a five minute walk from the condo) until about ten am. We wanted to let it warm up a little bit because the sky was a bit overcast. We tried to just lay on our towels for a little while, but it was still too chilly, so we did what any normal people on the beach would do...go on a sea shell hunt! Except we found way more than just silly old sea shells!! Here is a catalogue (to use the scientific term) of our findings:

1. Sea shells (all but one are whole)
2. A horse shoe crab shell
3. 5 leopard spotted crab shells
4. A partial sand dollar
5. A STARFISH!!!!
6. A sea horse skull!! 

This is not a drill. We really did find all of these awesome treasures! It was the best sea shell hunt I've ever been on. Emily's got a great eye!
        After lunch, we ventured into Charleston, my second favorite city in the country. An absolute must when visiting this city--The Historic Open Air Market. Here, you have a variety of different vendors--"Made in China" all the way to watching women weaving sweet water baskets right there in front of you. It's crowded; it's loud; and it's awesome. The market never fails to please. I think Emily and I walked the length of it at least three times in search of bumper stickers. Don't worry, we found them.
        If you have the time, we started walking around the surrounding area, stopping at St. Phillip's church which has an eerie ghost story to it. A picture of the ghost has actually been captured. But the church has a sign in their graveyard, denying the existence of any spirit on their property, with the exception of the Holy Spirit.
       It was my first time to take a walk down to the pier, from which you can see Fort Sumter. Unfortunately, we were too late to catch a boat out, which is okay. We had a great view, and we devoured some delicious Belgian gelato. I suggest chocolate orange--it's weird yet delicious. Give it a try.
       *Warning, eating in Charleston is not for the faint of heart or the weak of wallet. Finding an affordable place to eat is a chore, so this is why I suggest skipping down the road a ways to King Street, home to YALLFEST (the best weekend of the year). I gave Emily a tour of where the book festival hosts panels while we waited for our chosen dinner place to open. We also popped into Blue Bicycle Books, the host of YALLFEST. If you're ever in the city, go support this awesome business. Dinner, we ventured out of the country, and tried some Pad Thai and Chicken Fried Rice at Basil, which may be the best Thai place ever. I'm not kidding. Also, get their fried wontons. I would've been happy with that as my meal.
       The day finished with the beautiful drive through the Live Oaks back to Kiawah, watching the sun set on the beach, and trying the different flavors of macaroons from Macaroons Boutique on John St. The owners are the sweetest, and the pastries are literally delicious. I'm not kidding.
       Here's a summary of the places we've been today:

1. Kiawah Island Beach
2. Charleston Open Air Market
3. Charleston Candy shop (they yell "Free Samples" all the time, and it's awesome!) 
4. St. Phillip's Church
5. Charleston Pier
6. Blue Bicycle Books
7. Macaroons Boutique
8. Basil Thai Restaurant

Stay tuned for tomorrow when we dive into the world of the Notebook!!

Change is Now

Trigger Warning: This blog post touches on sexual assault and associated issues.

This semester, I am taking a Violence Against Women course, and after watching the documentary "The Hunting Ground," I feel like I need to speak out against the egregious campus sexual assault issue.
People have this misconception about sexual assault that the perpetrators are strangers who jump out of bushes and grab their victims, never to be seen again. While this does happen, the more common perpetrator is a friend, acquaintance, or someone talking to you at a party. They use alcohol as a weapon and they prey on people they believe to be weak or separated from people, someone who wouldn't be missed for some amount of time. One in six women will be raped in their lifetime. One in  thirty-three men will be raped in their lifetime.
As if the act itself is not horrifying and traumatizing enough, if a young woman or man finds the courage to tell someone about their assault, a majority of college campuses A) say they're lying, B) turn them away, C) blame the victim, or D) tell them not to report the rape. As I was sitting there watching the movie, I felt myself getting sick. How can a trusted adult figure of power treat a student like this? How can they accuse them of lying without hearing the facts? How can they just turn them away?
I am not by any means stereotyping right now, but a large number of sexual assaults are completed by fraternity brothers and athletes. This is not saying that all frats and athletes are rapists. This is saying that a significant portion of predators are fraternities and athletes. And on a college campuses, they are the most dangerous predators. Why? Because they are protected by the universities, especially at large, college town campuses. Universities gain more from fraternities, so there is incentive for them to protect them. And athletes, with sports also being a large form of income for large universities--what kind of university president would pull the QB off the team in the middle of a winning-streak? Do you see the problem?
Sexual assault cases are being thrown out to protect the school and its reputation. That's the school's job--to protect the school. Not the students. Let me rephrase that...NOT the students? I cannot comprehend this. School's are wrong. A school's job is to protect and serve its students, not just a small portion of students. By protecting their students, they are protecting their university. The school cannot control the actions of its students, but the one thing it can control is how it reacts to transgressions against its students. If the university can say that they take care of their students when something bad happens, then in my opinion, that's a quality university. Falsifying crime reports on campus does not make it safer. If a school cannot take care of its students, then they will lose more money rather than if they just try to protect themselves.
Students, change is in the air. Now is our time to make a difference. Get involved in the sexual assault revolution and help to change your university. Make them hear you. And don't be a bystander! If you see something not right happening, don't be afraid to help. But first, time to learn. Here are some resources to help you make a difference:

1. First, and most important, know your Title IX rights!
http://knowyourix.org
2. https://rainn.org
3. http://nomore.org
4. http://itsonus.org
5. Also, if you have the time, I highly suggest watching "The Hunting Ground." It's hard to watch at parts, but it ends on the hopeful note of change.

Next week, we will have a more cheerful topic. But when I get something stuck in my spider web of a mind, I have to talk it out. This topic has been weighing heavy on my heart, and I hope I've done a small part in affecting change for this important issue! Now it's your turn. So what will you do?

Getting out!

Whoops! I guess I'm a little late this week. I was in the middle of watching Last Man Standing, and I realized, "I didn't write my Saturday blog post!" At least you know that I'm not a robot now. So...you're actually welcome!
      This weekend has actually been pretty full, which is why I want to talk about the importance of getting out when you're in college. I don't mean getting out like going to clubs and parties. I mean, sure that's part of the college experience, but it's not the defining characteristic. But just getting off campus with your friends is really important. It gives you perspective and takes your mind of the looming stress of Midterms.
         Friday night, the honors college here hosted a formal that was open to the entire university, but since they're advertising isn't on top of things, the attendees were mainly honors kids. If you haven't been to Chattanooga, you should come before it becomes a major tourist destination. This is the one time I will encourage you to be a hipster and do it before the crowd. But our formal was in Coolidge park in a pavilion that had an enchanting view of the carousel right next door. My friends and I looked super fly and were ready to dance until we dropped. Except the music at the beginning of the night wasn't exactly "bumpin." I don't know what it is about the 90s, but you just can't really dance to that kind of rock music. Thank goodness, a new DJ stepped in and hijacked the music or else that would've been a long night. I honestly probably would've gotten into it.  I can dance to anything if I'm in the mood. And college kids can be pretty harsh critics of lame dancing music, that's for sure. But once the night got going, there was no turning back. For me, there are few experiences that are more fun than just being crazy and dancing with your friends. There's no pressure to impress a guy. You know that really no one else is watching you, so you can be as weird as you want. Except when my roommate says to me "No, Hannah. Don't do that in public again. Ever." when I try to do the Apple Butt Dance from Sisters, but whatever. I did it anyways. The best part of the night was A) impressing everyone with my knowledge of "Hollaback Girl" lyrics and B) My roommate teaching me to swing dance. Yes, she got frustrated because I didn't pick it up IMMEDIATELY, heaven forbid. But I picked it up. That's a pretty satisfying feeling folks. So lesson No. 1, dance with your friends whenever you can, even if it's just a youtubed 80s mix in your living room. That can be fun too.
         Saturday, one of my best friends urged me to come on a hike with her, her boyfriend, and another couple. I know what you're thinking, "Hannah, why would you want to fifth-wheel?" And I really didn't, and yeah, it had it's awkward moments, but because Rachael's a great person, she made sure I wasn't ignored. We went to Foster Falls, which is about a 45 minute drive outside of Chattanooga. It's not really a hike to the falls...125 yards to be exact. But it's pretty gorgeous, and the landscape is awesome. But there was a trail that we took that goes around "Climber's Loop," so if you didn't get it from the name, there were a lot of people climbing the side of the mountain. It was terrifying. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack just watching them. We stood watching a couple of guys climb. He was pretty tall about and was trying to hook himself when he started to fall. Thank goodness his friend was paying attention and balanced him. (Sorry, I don't know climbing terms). But all of us were about to throw up. I can only imagine how he felt. Apart from that, it was an actual hike. We took a trail that went to nowhere, tried another STEEP trail that again led to nowhere, and I was the first and only to fall and slip. I knew it would be me, if we're being honest.
         But standing in this beautiful landscape where I actually felt like I was in a Twilight movie, it's just a reality check. If I can get out and do this, and I'm healthy enough to do it, if not coordinated, then life's good. All my stresses about relationships, grades, work, my book...they're not important. It's nice to just take a step back and take in the beauty that I'm surrounded by. Chattanooga is a beautiful place, y'all. Both the city and the mountains. So get out here.

**An awesome book to read about mountain adventures and romance is Kathryn Holmes's debut novel The Distance Between Lost and Found! Definitely need to add this book to your TBR pile!
       
How are y'all getting out?

Going Under Cover

       Okay, I didn't really go under cover. That would've been cool, though. I always thought I would've made an awesome spy. But that's not really what I'm here to talk about.
       I'm not going to bore you with the details, but this week was pretty much awful. By Monday afternoon, I couldn't wait for the weekend. No, that's normal for me. I was especially dreading this assignment that I had to do for my off-stage theater class. We have been studying alternative forms of theater in plays like The Laramie Project, Fires in the Mirror, Body of an American, and others that take real life, interview accounts and turn them into art. So my professor instructed us to observe and interview our surroundings on Thursday, the 25th. I, being the introvert that I am, was none too excited about interviewing a bunch of random strangers, especially people that weren't students. I could deal with talking to students, but people on the street? What if they got angry and yelled? What if they didn't want to share? What if they said something I didn't want to hear?
      So I found a solution. I paired up with a friend who is much more exuberant than me, and together we walked to downtown Chattanooga to interview the city-folk. And here's where we went and what we learned:

1. Hart Gallery--this art gallery services and supports homeless, mentally disabled, and other unconventional artists in the Chattanooga area. When we walked in a group of 6 men and women were sitting around a table working on a variety of art projects. Some were just talking. We talked to the owner of the gallery, along with two of the artists who were more than excited to show us their beautiful artwork. It was wonderful to see how proud and happy they were about the art that they had created. And I have to say, I could never in a million years create the art that they did. Even if society doesn't justify their experience, they are supported and justified by Hart Gallery.

2. The Crash Pad--"An Uncommon Hostel" in Chattanooga that may be one of the coolest places I've ever heard of. This cool, chic hostel not only affordably houses travelers to our city but also encourages and enhances their outdoor experience in our awesome outdoor city. All of the products in and used by The Crash Pad are local to Chattanooga. The roof is a green roof (so a garden on top of the building) that heats and cools the building. They're providing a unique experience to our visitors with the goal of making Chattanooga one of the top tourist destinations.

3. We interviewed a volunteer at the Chattanooga Aquarium. This woman does not live here but volunteers once a month because it allows her to get in the water with aquatic animals, an experience that she would normally only have every few-several years. She doesn't normally explore the city, but she has ventured into downtown, and says everyone just seems so happy here. It's a joyful city. Then we got into a discussion about coffee, and it just took off from there. My favorite quote "Once you start analyzing coffee, you become a snob." :) I guess I'm a snob.

4. Then we hit the most nerve-wracking part of the afternoon--riding the city buses. I know this shouldn't be a big deal, but for me, growing up in a suburban bubble, this is a big deal.  Our first bus driver was a kind old man who talked to us about the history of Chattanooga. He has lived here for 50 years, which means he's seen a lot of the changes that the city has undergone. If you didn't know Chattanooga before the awesome hipster city that it is now, it wasn't such a wonderful place. But it's made bounds and strides to be one of the top cities in America. Then we turned to one of the bus passengers, asking him how he was today, and his response was: "I'm blessed! How about yourself?" It was such a happy response that it made both of us smile. Unfortunately he got off before we could really start talking to us about his playwriting. The next man we spoke to had stunted speech, but I was able to hear a few words: "stuck." "fifteen dollars." "church feeds." Then it was time to switch buses.
       Our next bus took us into the North Shore area, and I think the female driver was probably my favorite of the day. She seemed more interested in finding out about us then in us finding out about her. She wanted to know who we were, where we'd been all day, what people had told us. We could tell that she has a relationship with some of her passengers when they got off the bus, and she asked them what they were cooking for dinner so that she might try that. When she finally let us talk to her, we asked what makes her angry. She was silent for a moment before responding: "I don't get angry. I'm just not that type of person. I'm a happy person." It was such a surprise--no one so far had responded like that, so we asked, "Well what keeps you so happy?" "People like you young ladies. Talking and finding out about you keeps me happy." What a great way to end the day, both for us and for her. We were her last round.

      This assignment is something I never would've done in a million and one years. I just couldn't imagine it. Now, I'm beyond grateful that I was forced to. It turned a horrible week into the best day. I'll always remember the people who were happy even though they're suffering or may not be in the top tier of life. A common theme among our interviewees of what made them happy--their families. They worry about their families. They care about their families. Their families are the lights of their lives. And that's so beautiful. In a world of chaos and violence, people are worried about their families.
      So now I'm challenging you to do what my professor challenged us. Go out in your city. Talk to strangers. Ask them about their day. Ride the city buses and get to know the bus drivers. You never know what you might learn, who you might meet, and what might change you. Happy interviewing!

Collegiate Level

     When it came time for me to start looking at colleges, I had it in my mind that I was going to go far away from home. I was totally ready to go experience the world away from the supervision of an only-child home. Boy, did I believe that. And I had my sights set on Tulane University in New Orleans. If you haven't noticed this from my book synopsis, I love New Orleans. I still have a dream to possibly to attend Tulane (maybe graduate work), but that's beside the point. Tulane was so lively, small, cozy, close-ish to family if need be, and they have a great english program. I was all set to go. But then I actually started to think: distance, my friends, my future, and most importantly MONEY. I know money shouldn't be the key decision of where you choose to go to college, but if you're also thinking about graduate school, then it should most certainly be a part of the equation.
       Because of this, I started to look at in-state colleges. UTK was out of the question. Half of my graduating class was going there, and one thing I was unwavering in--I didn't want to be in high school anymore. So I turned my sights to UT Chattanooga. In between Tulane and UTK in size, it's in a new, up and coming city, with a campus that's actually a campus, and a lot of good merit to it. I wasn't exactly dazzled by my tour. I remember asking about the music program, and my tour guide returning with "well, we have one"......... Yeah, so note to future and present tour guides, know your stuff. You're representing all aspects of the school, not just your own interests.
       But I liked the campus, I liked that the english department wasn't totally forsaken, and I definitely liked the city. I could fit in here. So I applied to two schools--UTC and Tulane. I mainly applied to Tulane just to say that I could get into a competitive school with a fairly small acceptance rate--AND I DID!! However, I was satisfied with being a Moc. Don't get me started on our mascot...
        I'm not going to lie to you, the first few weeks to month of college were Hell. My roommate was just as awkward as me and went to her boyfriend from home as a safety blanket. Which I don't blame her for. If I had had a safety blanket, I would've been running to it too. Everyone else seemed to be clicking except me. But slowly, I started to warm up to everyone. I started smiling, and talking, and hanging out in people's rooms. The people I lived with my freshman year are still some of my closest friends, and I will always be thankful for the living learning community that I had the opportunity to be a part of.
       I've come to discover that freshman year is the year of desperation. You're grasping to make friends and hold onto them. You're looking for a place. And once you get into a groove, it's great. You have someone to go to Wednesday movies with, spring break plans, living arrangements for next semester. Then you get to sophomore year, and it's like the test year. Freshman year academics were nothing--basically high school. Sophomore year is when the academics really begin. Sophomore year is when you discover who your real friends are, who you can actually trust, and who just became your friend because it was convenient. But you're also more involved; you know the city.  You're a little bit more confident.
      I don't really know where I was going with this. I've just been thinking a lot recently about the difference between my freshman and sophomore years. They couldn't be more polar opposite, despite being in the same place with basically the same people.
      College is great. I've had great laughs, made a lot of memories and some great friends. I've gotten to know a great city that I'm proud to call a second home, even if it is hipster. I'm proud to go to UTC, even though some people say, "But why would you go there when you could go to UTK?" UTC is a great campus with a lot of opportunities for students. I have an awesome mentor, a creative writing club, a christian organization, and our annual literary magazine just published my short story--the first official thing I've ever had published. Chattanooga has given me so many opportunities, and I know I made the right choice in UTC. I didn't end up far from home, but I landed in the right place. There have been some hard times, but that's a part of growing up, right? Wow, do I sound like an adult. Is this what 20 does to you? I wouldn't change my mind about my college. It's all a matter of finding the right fit for you. It's okay if your first choice isn't the best choice. Transferring is a hassle, but it's still an option. I wouldn't have my crazy awesome roommate right now if not for transfer students. So good luck picking your college, and to those of you who are there or have been there, I hope you made the right choice. I'm a Chattanooga Moc and proud!

For you prospective English Majors out there, here's a list of some schools with respectable english programs not in any particular order (shout out to my adopted Hix family for making me this list all those years ago!!):
1. Sewanee: University of the South
2. University of Virginia
3. Columbia University
4. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga :)
5. NYU
6. Emory College
7. Washington University
8. Brown
9. Tulane University
10. Hamilton College