Coburn Childs

Class: 2012 (Sophomore) Major: Finance/Management Minor: Communication Hometown: Pawtucket, RI

November 8th, 2009

Hi everyone!

After a busy week, I finally got to relax a little bit this weekend before undertaking another busy week… just a couple more weeks until Thanksgiving break, and I'm getting quite restless! Haha

 The Bryant Singers had our "Voices in Harmony" concert at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI on Saturday night, and it was a hit! We had our last rehearsal this past Wednesday, so we were confident it would be a great show. The bus left campus at 4:30 on Saturday, and we got to Newport by 5:15. When we arrived, we did some voice warm-ups, then practiced our set, along with another joint set we would be doing with Salve Regina. After pizza and some mingling, the show started promptly at 8 pm, with Bryant's President Machtley standing up to say a few welcoming words to everybody.

Our choir did a few pieces, including "Uma Famliia," "I am But a Small Voice," and "So Well I know Who's Happy." This was followed by performances from Salve Regina's choir and a cappella groups doing a few songs each, then Bryant's a cappella group, The Bottom Line, showcasing their talents on a few more contemporary tunes. A lot of my friends from the Singers are part of The Bottom Line as well, and they did a great job!

The night closed out with the two choirs' joint performance on the songs "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "Song of Purple Summer," which is from the Broadway show Spring Awakening. An old friend of mine, who sang in a choir with me when we were both kids, happens to attend Salve Regina and sing in that choir; and since we both sing tenor, we had a sort of musical reunion after a number of years - it was a great way to end the night!

I've attached some pictures from the show!

 Gotta love the Bryant-themed black and gold ties!!

The Bottom Line singing "My Happy Ending"

Bryant's director, Flo, and Salve's director, Don, taking their bows... we could not have done it without them, of course!

After the concert, refreshments were served, and there was a time to meet, greet, and mingle with all of the guests. My family came to the event, as did a number of my friends from Bryant, so it was great to spend some time with everyone. The bus arrived back at Bryant around 11:30, with everyone in a great mood from a wonderful night of music!

Until next time,

Coburn

Introduction!

November 2nd, 2009

Hello everyone!

Wow, it is so exciting to be a new Student Blogger here at Bryant! I suppose, before I get ahead of myself too much, that I should properly introduce myself. My name is Coburn Childs, I'm from Pawtucket, RI (home of the PawSox), and I'm a Sophomore, looking to graduate in 2012. I am a Finance/Management major, and my minor is Communication - it was hard to choose what I wanted to do, because so many things interested me. But luckily, here at Bryant, the core curriculum is giving me some of everything!

I am involved in a number of outlets—through both work and social activities—on campus. First, I have a job in the Office of Admission, so if you call us up, there's a good chance that I'll answer the phone and talk with you! J I am also a Resident Assistant in Hall 5 (one of the Upperclassmen Halls), and I absolutely love doing that - I get to know all of the other students in my building, as well as many in the Lower Village area and all around campus. As RA's, we work to make sure every student who lives on campus is getting the most out of the experience, behaving themselves, and making friends. It's one of my favorite things I do here at Bryant!

As far as clubs and organizations go, I am an active member of the Student Ambassadors, so I get to give campus tours, as well as participate in a number of events where I get to meet—and share my passion about Bryant with—students interested in attending this University. If you are interested in visiting Bryant, you should look into a campus tour or a "Day with Class." I am also involved in the Bryant Players, the drama club that puts on 4 productions a year in our beloved Janikies Theatre! I hold the position of co-Social Chair in that organization, and I have also just been cast as Professor Plum in our upcoming show "Clue" that we will be doing in December. On top of these commitments, I play keyboard on the music team of the Bryant Christian Fellowship - we meet weekly in the new Interfaith Center on campus, and we always have a good time. I am also the Secretary on the "executive board" of the Bryant Singers; we've got a concert at Salve Regina (in Newport, RI) on November 7th, where we will be singing a number of selections from a variety of music genres. I am also a Staff Writer for Bryant's weekly newspaper, The Archway; if you get your hands on a copy, look for some of my articles in either the Campus News or Variety sections.

"So what about classes?" you may ask… haha, I definitely save time for those, too! They take precedent over all of my other involvement - I won't lie, they are quite challenging. My two favorite classes this semester are Statistics I, an Honors Program course that has given me the opportunity to do a number of interesting surveys and other math projects, and History of the U.S. Since 1865, a fascinating class that chronicles America's transition from the Civil War to where we are today. As a matter of fact, I am submitting a 10-page paper this week titled "The History and Evolution of American Cinema." My three remaining courses take up the bulk of my time; they are what we call the Cohort, which consist of courses in Management, Computer Information Systems, and Managerial Accounting. The three classes are integrated with many case studies and group projects that focus on many different aspects. The final project for that class also counts as credit for all three classes, so it has been quite a ride so far! I can't say that I'm not frustrated at times; however, I know the experiences I'm getting—of different core principles being integrated throughout my course work—will definitely be beneficial in the long run!

Well, that is a little about what I do here at Bryant. In addition to this, my hobbies include movies, travel, spending time with family and friends, playing volleyball, eating, music, writing, and talking - Haha! I also come from a big family (I have 5 sisters), so there's always a new adventure at home, too!

I hope that you will continue to tune in to my blog. I'll be posting once or twice a week, so I'll be sure to keep you updated about my adventures as a Bryant University student!

Until then,

Coburn