Elks National Foundation Blog

By 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar and Elks Scholar Advisory Board member Nate Baker  Nate Baker, 2013 MVS scholar sponsored by Tyrone, Pa., Lodge No. 212, is the freshman representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board and new to college life. Throughout his first year of college, we followed Nate's adventures during his first year at Cornell through monthly blog posts . Freshman year of college taught me a lot of lessons. We’re going to set those lessons about international relations, statistics, Spanish and history aside for now and focus on “less-conventional” ones learned through experience and trial-and-error. It’s not that Just War Theory, multiple regression, and the Jacobite Rebellion aren't important—they have their place, but summer’s here. Here are a few things that no guidebook or college tour will tell you about your first year at school. It’s always freezing and there's no sun. Take Vitamin D. This one is vital. The first cold days of the fa...

By 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar and Elks Scholar Advisory Board member Nate Baker  Nate Baker, 2013 MVS scholar sponsored by Tyrone, Pa., Lodge No. 212, is the freshman representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board and new to college life. Throughout his first year of college, we’ll be following Nate through monthly blog posts . Check back each month to see what new adventures Nate encounters during this first year at Cornell! About halfway through January, I was confronted with a decision that would shape my next three and a half years in college. This decision answered a few key questions about my future:  Who was I going to live with?  Where would I live? Who are my best friends going to be? And, most importantly, which fraternity am I going to join? The period referred to as “rush week” was over—my body ached from skiing, paintballing, and walking. Dinners, activities, parties, and about five too many “speed dating” events had decimated my stamina ...

By 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar and Elks Scholar Advisory Board member Nate Baker  Nate Baker, 2013 MVS scholar sponsored by Tyrone, Pa., Lodge No. 212, is the freshman representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board and new to college life. Throughout his first year of college, we’ll be following Nate through monthly blog posts . Check back each month to see what new adventures Nate encounters during this first year at Cornell! Finals are done, grades are in, and the semester is over. If you've been keeping up with me, my extracurricular endeavors, sports, two jobs, social life, and, oh yeah, that Cornell curriculum have been keeping me more than busy. Coming home was bittersweet. I said goodbye to all the incredible experiences and opportunities up on the hill, but welcomed my family, girlfriend, my new kitten, old friends, and the Christmas season back into my life. So, for my last post of 2013, I thought I'd leave readers with something a bit lighter. Wit...

By 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar and Elks Scholar Advisory Board member Nate Baker  Nate Baker, 2013 MVS scholar sponsored by Tyrone, Pa., Lodge No. 212, is the freshman representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board and new to college life. Throughout his first year of college, we’ll be following Nate through monthly blog posts . Check back each month to see what new adventures Nate encounters during this first year at Cornell! Order in the Cornell court! I like to act like someone I’m not. Someone quite possibly guilty of a horrible crime. Arguing with overzealous attorneys is my idea of a good time. If I were to get selected for jury duty, I’d probably be pretty pleased. I'm not some weird, punishment-loving person (well, I do go to Cornell...), I just love mock trial! Over the past month, I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit reading affidavits, revising direct examinations, and listening to opening/closing statements. I’ve been in a suit so much th...

By 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar and Elks Scholar Advisory Board member Nate Baker  Nate Baker, 2013 MVS scholar sponsored by Tyrone, Pa., Lodge No. 212, is the freshman representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board and new to college life. Throughout his first year of college, we’ll be following Nate through monthly blog posts . Check back each month to see what new adventures Nate encounters during this first year at Cornell! Une Rue de Montreal While just about everyone else fled campus this October to head home, I headed up to the “True North Strong and Free.” That’s right, O Canada! Montreal, to be exact. Equipped with my weak understanding of the French language, passport and bookbag, I boarded the bus for a seven hour international journey out of the infamous “Cornell bubble” and into the real world. The Big Red Marching Band was going to Canada! After crossing the border, several sessions of mad-libs, watching the worst movie that anyone can fin...

By 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar and Elks Scholar Advisory Board member Nate Baker Nate Baker, 2013 MVS scholar sponsored by Tyrone, Pa., Lodge No. 212, is the freshman representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board and new to college life. Throughout his first year of college, we’ll be following Nate through monthly blog posts. Check back each month to see what new adventures Nate encounters during this first year at Cornell! Reno, NV—the site of the 2013 Elks National Convention... ...and an awesome time! After returning home from a wonderful Elks National Convention in Reno , having one last hurrah with my friends, filling out forms for what seemed to be years, and trying to decide what was essential to bring with me to college, I finally made the trip to Cornell University! As I and many other Elks scholars like me (I’m looking at the freshmen) begin their collegiate careers equipped with the gifts, well-wishes, and advice of more-experienced fri...