Courtney's Blog

Eating for People, Planet, and Animals — by Courtney Shephard — Nov 01, 2009

I am not a big fan of Halloween. My scare tolerance is zero, my costumes tend to be "too weird" (apparently dressing as a 'carnivore' is a little much), and I really despise all things gory, even fake gory. So, it should not come as a surprise that I decided drink tea and catch up on work instead of join the gathering of characters last conveyed last night. However, this morning I bounced out of bed because today is World Vegan Day!      comments (1)

The Great Divide — by Courtney Shephard — Nov 09, 2009

I have spent the past few week going crazy watching the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733) pathetically crawl through the Senate. Yes, I know that it was only introduced on September 30, but we are talking about climate change, aka a really big deal! The prospects of a Senate vote in favor of the bill before COP15 are basically zero, which means that the likelihood of the United States making a meaningful contribution to the negotiations is dwindling. But I am not going to bore you with stories of how this situation makes me lose sleep at night. Instead, I want to share some really interesting research that I learned about last week regarding the clear partisan split within Congress concerning climate change.     

Fall Break, Career Services Update, and Wordle Crazy — by Courtney Shephard — Oct 11, 2009

Can you believe that it is almost the middle of October? It is crazy! Last week the Nicholas School enjoyed Fall Break on Monday and Tuesday (Duke Law School is on a different schedule, so I attended my 8:25 am class on Tuesday instead of sleeping in). In addition to massive amounts of homework and note typing (I will never attempt to type more than 60 pages of notes in one day again...), I went over to the Duke Gardens in search of fresh air and a bit of respite.     

New Kid in the South — by Courtney Shephard — Sep 19, 2009

As a new blogger to "From the Trenches,” I think that it is best to get the obligatory introduction out of the way first. My name is Courtney and I am a humidity-intolerant transplant from Evergreen, Colorado. In a nutshell, I am a recent graduate from The Colorado College, avid tree hugger, and member of the Duke University’s Class of 2011. Please let me be the first to tell you that I am so excited to be here!     

Where Are the "Other Fish In the Sea?" — by Courtney Shephard — Oct 26, 2009

Have you ever heard the adage, "there are other fish in the sea?" Although this is commonly used following unfortunate dating experiences, I could not shake the phrase last week despite the fact that school was my sole activity. Apparently, the phrase became integrated in the United States in the early 1900s and continues to find its way into daily conversation despite the fact that it is dangerously close to becoming a fallacy.     

LINKing it All Together — by Courtney Shephard — Oct 17, 2009

Every Monday afternoon I take a class with students from the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC. One of my professors is in Washington, D.C. and the other professor is in Durham. Does that sound impossible? It's not, thanks to the LINK Teaching and Learning Center.     

What a Journey! — by Courtney Shephard — Sep 27, 2009

It's incredible to think about the 180 degree turn that my life has taken in the last year. I know that there are many college seniors out there wondering if continuing to graduate school directly after their undergraduate years finish is the right decision.     

What a Journey! Part II — by Courtney Shephard — Oct 05, 2009

I left the last post with a stressful ending for a stressful time. I promise that the ending is happy, so stick with me for a few tips on how to and how not to make your application process to graduate school positive (or maybe less painful?) experience!