Jen Hite-Smith

 

Busy Bee

I’m in the middle of rehearsals for the fall musical which opens in less than four weeks. I’m getting a little stressed with rehearsals every night, sorority stuff, 18 units, and a boyfriend to fit in somewhere!

I’m finding that junior year is more overwhelming than I thought it would be. Even as stressed as I am, I am making time to spend with friends and also finding time for me. Gina has been a godsend for me. I have found so much comfort in her friendship, and it is interesting to me that we never really knew each other before this year. I wonder if we would have been ready for each other—that maybe our friendship was made for this moment.

I can’t wait to go home for fall student break! I haven’t been home in three months—I am homesick and want to see my mom. We are going to a football game at my high school when I get home. I’m also going down to Malibu with my sister to at least put my toes in the sand! It will be nice to take a break and maybe get some sleep at home

 

 

Back in School

So much to talk about…a whole summer!! I stayed here in Stockton all summer and only went home once. It was a good summer but felt different being as I wasn’t home. I miss the beach and sunsets in So-Cal.

I started leading worship at my church, First Baptist Church, which is amazing. I love it! I worked at American Eagle Outfitters in the mall and got a great discount. I have almost an entire wardrobe! I also started dating a good friend of mine, Chris, from my church.

We have been together for three months now, and he’s great. I think it really helped that we were friends for a while before we dated. All of our friends are happy we’re together. I really haven’t met anyone like Chris before, and it’s cool that both of my parents really like him. We spent a lot of time together this summer when we weren’t working.

Other than it being really hot in Stockton, and no air conditioning, I can say it really wasn’t that bad. I went on one vacation over Labor Day weekend to Hume Lake. It was amazing. I had so much fun and met one of my new best friends, Gina. She goes to school at Pacific as well. And now school has once again taken over my life!

 

 

So Ready for Summer

I miss Southern California so much! I want the sun and sand and cute surfer boys. I want to head down to Malibu with my sister Brittney and run across the street to get clam chowder at Neptune’s Net. We lie out on the beach for hours and tan. Then we rush home to shower just so we can turn around and go out again. I love hanging out with my sisters and getting coffee with my mom.

Summer in So-Cal is like a fresh breath of clean air for a stressed out college girl like me! Sometimes the little things in life just mean so much. Unfortunately, I won’t be living at home for the summer, but I will take a few weeks to visit. I need a break…I am so ready for summer to be here.

My sister’s high school graduation is coming up really soon and I am so excited. She and I are getting matching tattoos! It’s really hard to believe that she’s already going away to college—it seems like only moments ago that she was coming to high school with me. Now she will be coming to college with me! It will be really great to have her here. Maybe she will be a Tri-Delta sister too, but whatever decision she makes, I will support her.

Work at Outback has been great and I love it! Everybody there is really awesome. I made the decision to stay in Stockton, so I’m also looking for summer housing here, which has been harder than I thought. It’s better for me, though, because when I go home I don’t have a room anyway. I sleep in the den and it’s really hard having no space or privacy.

I love my family dearly, but I really need to stay in Stockton and work. All my friends from church are fabulous and I’m looking forward to being able to hang out with them. I already have plans to go water skiing with Sarah and her family, and the fourth of July is going to be awesome!!

The school year is so close to being over it’s almost scary. I have three presentations this week, a final paper and makeup final next week, and two finals the week after. Oy vey!!

Anyway, we are having Senior Week in Tri Delta right now. We do a whole bunch of fun things for them, as secret senior buddies. We give gifts and posters to celebrate all they have done for us. I will miss most of the seniors very much. It is hard to think that my best friend, Amy, will be graduating and leaving Pacific. She is going to graduate school in London next year, and getting married the year after.

Speaking of weddings, you know that you are getting older when your friends start getting married. I am going to three weddings in May, singing at two of them. It’s awesome, but a kind of weird phenomenon. This whole growing-up-and-being-an-adult-thing….? One thing’s for sure. Once it happens, there’s no turning back.

 

Back at School

So Spring Break is sadly over and I have to get back to my life, even though it was nice to kind of forget myself for a week. I spent it at home in Camarillo, CA and went to Malibu to visit my best friend Matt. It was so fun and relaxing to be near the beach again. I miss So-Cal so much sometimes, but I’m really glad I’m here.

Here’s what’s going down in my life right now:

1) New job at Outback. I just finished my training and I love it. The people I work with are awesome and the environment is great.
2) My classes are kicking my butt. I have got to FOCUS!!
3) The sorority house is great and my little and I have been spending a lot of time together, which is awesome. I am looking forward to her moving in next fall. We have our big philanthropy event soon. It’s a 5k walk-run called Miracle Miles where we raise money for children’s cancer charities. I’m really excited – it’s gonna be a fun day!
4) Time change totally threw me off…spring forward sucks.
5) My mom is coming this weekend for Mom’s Day at Tri Delta. YEA for getting to see my mom!
6) Nick and I broke up. It was a mutual decision and the best one for us both. It’s a bummer, but sometimes you have to put yourself first…so I did. Hopefully we can stay friends. He’s a great guy and I care for him, but he’s not ready to have a relationship with me, and frankly I’m too smart to be wasting my time in a dead-end relationship.
7) My sister got accepted to Pacific…if she comes here it will be amazing. The Lease girls back in action together!!
8) I might be staying in Stockton for the summer and working instead of going home, so I am looking for an apartment.

Alright, so that’s about all I have going on right now. Whew! That’s a lot actually. I’m really ready for summer to be here, as it is pouring right now and I am reminded of the beautiful weather in southern California. Oh summer, please come soon!!

 

Life…It’s Good

I can’t believe it’s March already. It just feels so weird to already be taking midterms and looking towards the last of my sophomore year. It just goes by so quickly. The last few weeks have pretty much been amazing. I am constantly reminded everyday of how many great people I have around me. Not just on campus, but in every part of my life.
It has been six months since I started singing with the Crosswalk Worship Band at First Baptist Church, and it has been great. I know I can count on them if I ever need anything. The people there have become like my second family, outside of my sorority house.

Things at the house have also been awesome! We have one week till initiation and the whole house is buzzing with excitement. We have the largest pledge class on campus right now. I am almost finished with the presents I get to give for my little, Sarah. I made a pretty pillow for her, a house tradition, and also a special collage with pictures of us. I am so blessed to have such an amazing support group. These girls are my best friends, and I’ve really seen that lately. They’ve been especially supportive.

I’m dating a guy from church and it’s been a fantastic couple of weeks. Nick really is an incredible person. He’s funny, genuine, generous, romantic and totally gorgeous. When you live in a house with 50 girls, you really have no privacy, so everyone knows about him. After my last boyfriend, Jake, and I broke up, things were really hard and complicated. Nick is the first guy I’ve had real feelings for since Jake. I’m just having a lot of fun with him, and whether it turns into something serious or not, I know that I will get a great friendship out of it.

My mom is coming up this weekend to see me. I am amazed that she is taking a special trip up just to see me. My mom and I have been best friends my entire life, and college was a hard adjustment without her. We’ve definitely had to work at staying as close as we are. The time we get to spend together is so much more meaningful because it doesn’t happen very often. She also gets to meet Nick, which is good because her opinion is really important to me. Wow, it really has been a great couple of weeks. Other than the midterms and projects I have coming up very soon, I am really looking forward to Spring Break and the rest of the semester.

 

 

Happy, Happy Semester!

So January passed us by very quickly. My birthday was on the 15th, and it was incredible. My sorority sisters decorated my room and the hallway all around my room with balloons, streamers, and posters. I woke up and was very surprised! We also had formal recruitment in January when we got back to school. We have an amazing group of girls in the new pledge class. I am so happy to have all 21 of them. And I got a little sister in the house. Her name is Sarah and she’s fabulous. It’s really cool because she and I get along like me and my younger sister at home. Having Sarah helps me not miss my real sisters so much. I also was in the Theta Alpha Phi Revue, Battle of the Sexes. It was so much fun and my little sister, Brittney, came up to see the show.

February mean’s Valentine’s Day, or for me, “ Single Awareness Day is here,” and I actually spent the night in the library. I have so much homework this semester that I’m a bit overwhelmed. But the truth is, I’m so happy right now. It has been a great semester so far. I’m spending more time in my sorority house and I love the people I’m hanging out with. College is what you make it and I want it to be fun. So, I’m going out when I can and have decided not to do any shows for the rest of the semester. As soon as February is over, I’m planning to go visit my best friend, Matt, at Pepperdine. I’m already starting the countdown to Spring Break! Viva Las Vegas!

 

 

Next Semester Fun! Upcoming Activities

So Thanksgiving Break has come and gone. I had a great visit home and my sisters and I did what we do best—SHOP!! It was a blast, and the turkey-day feast was awesome. I am currently stressing about finals. Two tests, two papers and a presentation!! I don’t know where to start, and I admit I’m more than a little worried. But that’s the way college is. I’m sure with the proper amount of study time, I’ll be fine.

I am starting rehearsals for the Theta Alpha Phi Revue, which is put on by the theatre fraternity. I also will be auditioning this week for The Vagina Monologues. So I will have plenty to do next semester, not to mention Sorority Formal Recruitment immediately begins when we get back from Winter Break.

Also, I just got elected Music Chair for my house, which I’m very excited about and will be helping out with activities for recruitment in that aspect as well. The only drawback is that my 20th birthday is the same night as one of the nights of recruitment. But it will be great to celebrate with my sisters ’cause there is nowhere else I’d rather be!

 

Closing Night

The show is over and I’m sad, but now I can actually focus on some other aspects in my life. I have so much to do at the sorority house, and classes are coming down to the wire. It will be so nice to have time for myself, my sisters, my friends, and most of all, SLEEP! Friday night was great though. The composer of Heart’s Desire, Glen Roven, was here from New York. He loved the show! A group of my sisters and my roommate came to the show and brought me flowers. Ahhh, adoring fans! It really did mean a lot to have them there. My best friend Matt also came up this weekend to see the play. I really miss him, and I appreciated him traveling all the way up from Malibu just to see me.

I’ve realized that over the last couple of weeks, I have neglected my friends a bit. I miss them. In fact, I realized I haven’t gone out on the weekends for the last four weeks. However, there is plenty of time to catch up with them now. And they have been pretty understanding about it. I also have made some new friends with people from my church that I am hoping to spend more time with soon. Tri Delta’s formal is coming up soon — too soon, I haven’t found a date yet, but I’m sure it will work out. But, now I can catch my breath and relax.

 

College’s 9 to 5

Honestly, which professor invented midterms? If you know the guy, let me know cause he needs to be taken out or something. Did they honestly just wake up one day and say, "Classes are too easy! I must cause my students to fear me and become emotionally dependent on grades. I shall give them huge tests that are worth 25% of their grades. Hahahahaha!"

If you couldn't already tell, I just finished up my midterm season, and I barely survived. Right now, I work at least 20 hours a week (at Macaroni Grill) while taking 18 units and being a full time sorority girl. As you can see, I am REALLY busy! It is possible to manage all of these tasks. Once you throw studying in though, life gets hectic. I love going to bed at 4 am and waking up at 8 am! Luckily, it all paid off and I got pretty good grades. Looks like I won't have to be a superstar senior and spend another year here at Pacific. Yea!

In other news, recruitment went well. We got 10 new girls pledging the house. It's weird to think that I've already been a member for a year and a half. I'm glad that we constantly get new girls to share this house with. Being in a sorority is a great privilege and, of course, a lot of fun. Pretty soon I will be a senior and then graduate, and all of this will be a memory. Until then, I'm going to live it up and have as much fun as humanly possible so that I have GREAT stories to tell my kids, though I’ll have to leave some of the details out.

 

 

Crazed Craziness

As we enter the last two weeks of rehearsals for “Heart’s Desire,” I am more and more stressed. Part of being on stage is being emotionally available and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. It’s hard work and I’m tired, but I’m satisfied with how the show is coming along. Classes are coming up on midterms, and stuff at the sorority house is busy too. We have initiation in about three weeks, and we have all these activities that we are doing with our new pledge class. I’m very excited because we have some awesome sisters coming into the house. I know I made the right decision to join this house. My sisters have been really supportive as I approach opening night. And I need them, too.

I went home last weekend for the first time this semester and got to hang out with my family and friends. It was great! I forgot how much I miss being around them, especially when I am so crazed with everything that goes on in my life. One thing’s for sure, I’ll never forget where I came from. I love being here at Pacific, but sometimes it’s necessary to get back to your home and appreciate the good things there.

I am realizing, as well, that while I’m here at Pacific, I have to really be aware of myself. I need to take care of me. I need to sleep, eat healthy and take time to relax in the midst of the craziness of life. The problem for many freshmen is that they don’t do any of these things, and they forget that they can overwhelm themselves if they aren’t careful. So, with that, I’m gonna go call my mom and confirm that my family is still coming up for the show next weekend and let her know I love her. I know she worries about me and I want to let her know that I am fine. After that, a power nap—the greatest invention ever. Twenty minutes is enough for me!!








 

 

 

With a Song in My Heart

What a busy week for singing! Greek Week has been awesome, and our girls have done an amazing job with our Lip Sync entry. The Homecoming Festival is on Saturday and will be so much fun. I hope we do really well at the Lip Sync this year, because everyone is working so hard! I just love living in the sorority house with all my sisters. I feel so at home when I’m there.

I also have been very busy with rehearsals for “Heart’s Desire,” our musical this fall. I got asked to pick up a second role, so I have been busily learning music. The set comes in this weekend as well, and I will be helping with the load in. All in all, this has been a good week.

I have been singing on the worship team for my church, First Baptist which is across the street from campus. I walk there for practices on Sunday mornings. A lot of students from Pacific go there because they have late services, and people can still sleep in. I love singing in church, and it is a good de-stress time for me.
I am doing well in classes, but I am very ready for a break from school. I have a week before I can go home!! It has been two months since I’ve seen my family and I am very ready to see them. I miss my sisters and spending time shopping and laughing and just goofing around with them. Soon enough I’ll be home. But for now, just working hard, and enjoying my time here with my friends and my sorority sisters.

 

Starting Up Sophomore Year

My sophomore year has started off very differently than my freshman year. First of all, I moved into my sorority house after pledging last semester. It has been incredible. I love the girls I live with -- they have been very supportive and are great to have around. Living with 50 girls can be stressful and emotional, but overall it is something I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a way to really get involved in college. Secondly, when I arrived at school this fall, I had a boyfriend. The relationship was rocky, because the long distance was difficult to deal with. We decided to take a break and focus on school and ourselves right now, which is something that I am counting as a blessing. Sometimes time is the only thing that can help.

I have been at school for about a month now and it is a bit insane. I am enjoying my time here though. I auditioned for the school musical, Heart’s Desire, and I got a part! The show is going to be amazing. It has only been performed one other time before. Rehearsals started two weeks ago and will continue until the show opens in October. I am very excited to work with Professor Haffner once again. I know that with classes and rehearsals, I will be very busy, but I am confident that this semester will be a good one. I am involved with this community, my community, in many ways and I am enjoying every minute of it.

 

For the first time, learning really means something.

I have my first big essay due in Mentor 1 today. It’s about a personal event in my life, and I have to compare it to the readings in our book. I have to let my group read it and peer-edit the paper. Am I nervous about that? You betcha! It’s pretty nerve-wracking to write about a personal event in the first place, but then to allow three strangers to read about it is more than a little scary. My professor asked us to pass them around the table and make revisions. After that, we discussed our papers. I found out some funny, interesting and even sad things about my group members. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. We all understood the fear of sharing our lives with each other.With that understanding came friendship. For the first time, learning really means something. Going to class isn’t just about books, professors and essays. It’s about reaching for that knowledge that you had inside of you all along, just waiting to be brought out.

 

Roommate Bonding

I have auditions and homework and beginning-of-the-school-year events. My roommate and I continue to grow closer as we settle into our own routines. We go to all the home basketball games because our next-door neighbor is on the team. I get to sing the national anthem tonight!  My roomie and I have lots in common, and we love just hanging out together with our neighbors. Some of them get along and some don’t. But that’s a part of living with a group of people you don’t know. Sometimes you have to compromise to make it work…it’s hard when everyone is thrown into this whole process of trying to find out who they are at the same time as trying to meet and become friends with other people.

The first semester is almost over. We made it through midterms and have moved on to studying for finals. Mentor I is almost done (Thank God!). Going home will feel good, but second semester is just around the corner…there is so much more to come. College life has been good so far, although I’ve learned that being here means being an adult with responsibilities and tough decisions to make…but I can do it. I know this is the place for me and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

 

There is so much to take in!

Between residence hall rooms (smaller than I thought), eating in the dining hall (not exactly Mom’s home-cooked dinners), south campus (where all the classes for my major are), ASUOP (just an acronym for our student government), new roommate and neighbors (very cool people I will be sharing space with)…there is so much to take in! College is so different from anything I’ve ever known before.

The first day was not half bad. I already like most of my professors and classes, and tomorrow I have two more. I like that I don’t have to go to every class every day. It makes it easier on the homework load. As I was walking through the quad in the student center, I saw a sign for auditions for the fall musical. How exciting! I can’t wait to participate in all the great theatre programs. A group of people from my hall are going to dinner in a few minutes. The food is okay…but I miss meals with my family.

I can tell this year will be a whirlwind. I am hardly homesick, but I call my mom anyway just to say I love her. She cries and tells me she misses me already. Then I cry too.

 

Opening Night

The rehearsals are long and grueling…I’ve never worked this hard on a show before. It’s a lot of difficult material to learn. But finally opening night comes and ready or not, we perform. What a rush! They loved it! We head outside for the gala in the courtyard that the theatre fraternity has planned for us. Our director lets us visit with our “fans” then calls us aside for an announcement. He tells us how proud he is… and then offers a bottle of champagne to the senior girls in our show. We pop the cork out into the lawn as a symbolic good luck charm to get us through the show. I’ve never felt so free before.

In just 6 days my mother will be here to see me perform. I hope she likes it and can see how hard I’ve worked. She is my biggest fan and moral support.

 

My first college audition

When I walked into the Long Theatre, my pulse was racing. I was auditioning for my first college musical! I can’t wait…my head keeps playing the song, “God I hope I get it, I hope I get it!” from A Chorus Line. The butterflies keep flying around in my tummy as a constant reminder that my nerves are very high. This, however, is a good thing. If I’m not nervous, I’m not on my toes. I go in when my name is called, walk up on the stage, hand my music to the accompanist and announce my name for the director. He nods and I begin…the first two verses are easy, smooth sailing, and I head into the bridge where the highest “money note” is. Get this note and it’s all downhill from there. I nail it and I know it! I’m beaming until he asks if I prepared another piece. “No, sorry”, I reply. Another piece?! I totally screwed up this one…I’ll never get a part now.

They make us wait almost two weeks as they finish auditions for the fall play as well. Finally, the day comes…I go to class and as soon as it’s over, I run to the drama building. I can’t look…I open my eyes…YES!! I made it…and so it begins. Rehearsals start the next week. Monday through Friday 7:00 - 10:00. Oh my God, we have only five weeks to learn a show and put it up…it’ll never happen. But of course I always say that, and we always make it work.