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As a graduate ambassador, I have many duties.  In addition to writing a weekly blog entry, I must also check my e-mail daily (dmt.ma@colum.edu), post five photos to the Graduate Study at Columbia College Chicago Flickr account, and represent my program at various events, such as college Preview Days.  This Spring semester, I also hosted an event at the Graduate Lounge in 600 S. Michigan, a space on campus specifically for graduate students.

Although David Marts, who works in the Graduate Office, said that the event we hosted did not have to be stress inducing, I was still somewhat stressed.  I know he said that we could do whatever we liked (“B-movie mini marathon” was a suggestion), but I still felt a bit worried.  I wanted to host an event that would be fun but also relaxing.  Honestly I wanted to host an event that other DMT & C students would want to go to.

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For the event, I decided to build on something I experienced previously in the semester.  My peer, Ruth, had our cohort watch the documentary “Life in a Day” as her recuperation presentation for one of our courses this semester.  It was super nice to, as a class, cuddle up together with some fruit and pillows, and watch a movie (even if it was only for a half hour presentation).  Below is the trailer for the documentary.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT_UmBHMYzg&feature=fvsr[/youtube]

So, I figured my Graduate Lounge event could be an opportunity to get the DMT & C students back together to finish watching the documentary.  And that’s what we did!  We ate fruit and “well done” popcorn (a euphemism by my classmate for burnt popcorn), laid on the couches, cuddled with pillows, and watched “Life in a Day.”

The documentary is so simple, engaging, and well shot.  At the end of watching it, you feel human– you remember you are a small piece in a larger picture.  You know, all that mushy stuffy us DMT & C students love.

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What was really nice was the opportunity to spend time with my cohort and first year students.  Time in which we weren’t in class, sitting in the hall outside of class and “complaining” about class, or rushing out of class to the elevator.  Instead, we just sat and hung out while watching a documentary– like normal people (not neurotic graduate students).  And honestly it was super awesome.