Buckle Up with Brooke

I know I always say how much I don't want to go home. My apologies to anyone reading this who is wondering why I go back and forth so much. In all honesty, I debated not going home, but I just left town early Saturday morning for home and came back early Sunday afternoon. I promise there was a purpose for my visit home this weekend. Earlier last week, my twin, Hunter, asked if I wanted to come to watch him pitch in his scrimmage. Even though it wasn't a real game, I wanted to be there to support him. When he pitches in the spring season, I usually have class, or he is far away. It is rare for him to be pitching a home game on the weekend. Hunter set out an Owens Community College Baseball sweatshirt for me to wear, which was sweet. He barely missed any of my basketball games last season, so I know it meant the world to him for me to drive down to support him. I thought he pitched great! My dad and I were a little worried after watching his warmup, but he did great.  On top of w

Does anyone else feel like they are barely afloat right now? Sometimes I question if I bite off more than what I can chew, but I can't help myself.  I have this desire in me to be involved in every single club or extracurricular on campus. If I am being honest with myself, a double major with a minor and a collegiate sport should keep me busy enough. Somehow, I still find myself applying for new positions or volunteering my time when the rest of the group is content with doing the bare minimum. Last week, I applied for a position on leader's council. My teammate, Peyton Warnecke, introduced me to leader's council and told me she thought I would be a good candidate. My original thought was, "oh no, not another club." Even with doubts in my mind, I applied for the position, and I am glad I did. The interview was fantastic! The executive board members were very welcoming, and I think this is a great opportunity for me to learn how to lead amongst my peers off the cou

9/11 is a tragedy engraved in our entire nation, if not the entire world's minds. It was a moment most people never thought was possible. The United States was a powerhouse. Nobody could stop or hurt us, until that day. I was born in 2003, so I was not alive for the heartbreak our country endured on that day. I remember growing up listening to adults talk about where they were when the World Trade Center collapsed. Teachers were sitting in their classrooms, holding their crying students. My parents were at work, frantically trying to contact each other. The entire world was frozen in time. I know I won't have the understanding my parents have of this tragedy, but I want to do everything I can to honor those who risked their lives on that day.  \ Each year, the women's basketball team comes together to run the 110 flights of stairs in honor of the first responders who ran into the towers. Those first responders were selfless. They rushed to the towers and ran in to save peop

If I am being honest, I did not want to go home this weekend. Ohio Northern is starting to feel more like home, which is great. Last year was rough for me. When you go to college, your entire life is turned upside down. I know I didn't handle it as well as my friends. I spent multiple nights crying because I was not used to being so far away from my twin brother. My parents felt they needed to call me every minute. They were so worried for me.  This year has been an entire flip from last year. I find myself with numerous unanswered calls and texts from my family. I am genuinely enjoying my time. Thus, I am not glued to my phone. A key aspect of my new outlook at Ohio Northern is living in an apartment. The dorms felt suffocating. There was no space for anyone to move around, and we had no privacy. In the apartment, I can close my door anytime I want, or I can sit with all my roommates in the living room. The apartments feel like home, not a jail cell. I know this sounds like an exa