Andrea

the real world exists...

...and clearly it's so exciting that it's driven me to blog about it.  Funny story. Blogging is actually incredibly relevant to my new job.  Today was my first day as an Account Coordinator for a technology-driven global public relations consultancy (please don't read back to my January posts where I was applying for jobs in sports administration.  We're all entitled to change our mind, right?).  While most of the companies we work with, especially one of my accounts, are more hard-technology companies, there is also a social media sector ... and the words "Facebook group" and "Twitter" were floating around the office today as I signed on AIM and Skype in order to communicate with team members in San Francisco and New York.  You get the idea ...

This all leads me to ask ... have a mentioned how fabulous the women in career services are?  Take advantage of this amazing resource.  And start early.  They have so many tools to help students discover their personality and jobs that might be a great fit for them.  They have an extensive alumni career advisory network to assist in answering questions about jobs and careers.  They have an equally extensive list of local businesses willing to accept St. Mike's students as summer/fall/spring interns.  And there's never a day where they don't greet you with a smiling face and open ears as you tell how you've changed your life plan for the third time in a semester (I think my six roommates and I covered just about the entire employment spectrum this past spring ... but we're all living proof it will work out!).   

Since May 15th (graduation) my life has been crazy.  I've applied for jobs, been on interviews, second interviews and in some cases, third interviews.  But I finally decided on technology PR and am moving to Boston to work.  I can't move into my apartment until September 1st, so I'm crashing with one my SMC roommates for a few weeks and then my sister for two more.  And I just got news tonight that (cross your fingers everything goes through) another former SMC roommate will be my new roommate in my apartment.  And the first person I saw when I left work today was a friend of mine from St. Mike's.  Not to mention I've seen two other SMC Alum and a current SMC senior who all work within a block of me.   For a "small" school we seem to have a pretty good grasp on this geographic area!  Next Wednesday night I'll be attending an SMC Alumni event with another one of my former roommates ... a Red Sox game! My roommates and I were always extremely close, and I'm glad that most have us have been able to see each other a TON this summer (we were on a streak where every 2 weeks was the norm).  And slowly but surely each day one more realizes that we're not going back and that this "real world" thing isn't so bad, after all.  I think these post-graduation thoughts are the most true testament to what an amazing place and experience four years  at St. Michael's College truly is.    

congrats, ash!

Well the very exciting news around our townhouse (and the campus) is that one of my best friends at St. Mike's was crowned Miss Vermont 2008 this weekend!  Ash competed yesterday at the Barre Opera House and made her first official appearance today at the Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans.  Three of my roommates and myself drove up today to surprise her. We actually had great timing and met up with her parents shortly before the start of the parade and they brought us over to see her.  She looked beautiful (as always) aboard her horse-drawn carriage.  It was a beautiful day and there were SO many people there - a true spring event in Vermont! 

This afternoon I caught the second half of the baseball double header with one of my roommates.  One of my senior sem partners pitches for St. Mike's so I was glad I could catch part of his game!  Then we all met back at the house and went out for a HUGE dinner to celebrate with Ash tonight.  It was great to all be together and relax .. and for Ash to tell all of her amazing stories of the weekend. 

Everyone around this house is either freaking out because their senior sem / final portfolios are due within the next three days or freaking out because we're packing so our parents can move us out this weekend (before the rush of graduation comes).  Tomorrow begins the last week of classes for the semester ... and for us, forever at St. Mike's.  I have two days of classes left, one weekend left on campus with the underclassmen, one last tour to give ... all those "lasts" that occur in the next three weeks start tomorrow.  Everyone keeps saying it's bittersweet, but to be honest I'm only seeing the "bitter" aspect right now.  When I realized I was giving my last tour tomorrow, it really gave me an opportunity to reflect on the past four years here.  While I've tried to soak up every moment of this semester, it's never been more true than these past four days.  Our new motto is "take pictures of everything."  Whether you end up at SMC (I hope!) or a college that better suits your interests, I can promise you it will go by FAR too fast.  Either way, I can only hope when you get to the point we're at that you can look back on those four years with the  best of memories with the best of friends...

today's the day

So I think I'm suppose to be nervous right now, but I'm not.  We're presenting our Senior Seminar project this afternoon at 2:30ish - the last of 14 groups to go (we still haven't figured out if this is good or bad).  We met last night as a group to go over what each person is saying, made some last minute corrections to the Web site and watched the videos through.  I know we'll be fine, though - between writing the paper since November and conducting interviews since January, we know it "like the back of our hands."  Everyone who has gone has had the same feeling. I'm most excited to see Bill + Mark's presentation - they did a movie on the life and studies of cryptozoologists (no better place than Vermont with the "Champ" discussion).  The parts of the movie we've seen so far have been amazing.  And they've been working since we 'passed in' our projects on fine tuning everything.  This shows what a range of topics were in our class this year - everything from Lake Monsters to Brittney Spears to Cambodian Refugees.  It really is a great opportunity to explore something you have a passion about.

As I look outside my window right now you can see the trees are starting to bud and leaves are coming out.  We've all said it, but it's been three gorgeous weeks of weather here and campus is starting to get all fixed up and the plowers replanted (another reason it's my favorite time of year here - this place is picturesque during the fall and spring).  There's no better time than to visit now!

Yesterday we had our last Founders Society coordinator / adviser meeting.  We went over Sunday night's allocation meeting, Friday's event, and concerns everyone had.  Drew joined us to talk about the E-Team he is forming with Carrie next year (read their blogs) - after doing my technology internship this past summer I think it's going to be a huge success.  We also decided on our two new coordinators who will be replacing me and Mal next year (Josh and Nick will be staying around) - they'll be  introduced at Friday's dinner, as well - and they'll both be great! 

Outside classes? Another reason I love SMC.

Despite the fact the temperatures got to nearly 80 degrees today, I'm pretty sure most of campus was watching the Bruins' game tonight (and unfortunate loss).  I'm getting worried that the sun is going to stop shining soon because we've literally had the most gorgeous two and a half weeks there.  And there's no place like St. Mike's in the spring - perhaps my favorite part is you're never too old to have class outside.  Professors are always taking their classes out to the quad or the teaching gardens when the weather gets nice (and it's most appreciated).  Students also venture outside to enjoy the "fun" side of the warm weather - intramural co-ed softball (a SMC favorite) is in full swing.  My friends who live in the 300 townhouse areas are now claiming their front yard as a "beach" despite the fact the single patch of snow from the jib fest earlier this winter is still there.  This past weekend my roommates and I certainly took advantage of one our last weekends here - we spent time together, watched our friendly Ashley in the annual SMC talent show in McCarthy, visited with our friends, gave tours for the last Accepted Student Open House, relaxed in our backyard, had a fire pit with our neighbors, ran by Lake Champlain (there's a great bike/running path that goes by the waterfront) and ate dinner all together with our two other very close friends downtown on Sunday night to end the weekend. It was an amazing weekend with great friends.

The countdown of the "lasts" has definitely begun.  I just finished my last college paper ever!  On Wednesday we (finally) present our Senior Sem and with the possibility of only one more exam in my Media and Iraq class, even the assignments are over.  It'll be nice to relax and enjoy the gorgeous weather and last few weeks, but part of me wishes I had lots to do so I wasn't thinking about it.

On Friday we have our last Founders Society event of the year - our annual end-of-year party.  It  has a theme each year.  Last year we did "Fun in the Sun" which worked out nicely because we had a GORGEOUS spring day.  This year we've decided on "Dress to Impress:  Purple and Gold" to stick with the St. Mike's colors.  We'll have a nice dinner and then the coordinators and advisors will honor members who have worked particularly hard throughout the year and our seniors.  It's always a fun time and a great way to end the year.  Today I gave two tours - admissions is in the middle of a busy "season" as seniors must make their decision by May 1 and juniors are starting to look at the school (it's never too early to start!).  This morning I gave a tour to a group of juniors and their parents and this afternoon my tour group was made up with college counselors from various high schools and and independent schools around the country.  They are here on a week-long bus tour to look at the Vermont colleges and bring the information back to their students (I had one counselor as far away as Texas).  They had lots of great questions and seemed genuinely interested in my experiences here! 

RA "Educationals"

First off, our Residence Life staff does a great job of putting events on throughout the campus seven days a week.  Last night Kate, one the ACA's in the 100 Townhouse Areas.  Each semester, the ACAs are required to put on an education.  Last night, Kate invited Dan Couture, a representative from Financial Aid, to come speak with us.  And he was great - very informative but provided humor into a situation where it was needed.  Participants ranged from people who didn't even know they had financial aid to people who already had their post-graduation budget planned.  He explained terms, consolidating ideas, deferring from grad school.  It definitely lived up to it's name of "educational," but like I said we were all able to share some laughs over the whole loan repayment process.

It literally had been gorgeous here since last Saturday.  The sun has been shining every day and everyone's pulled out the summer clothes (you'll quickly learn that 50 degrees is like a heat wave in Vermont).  Frisbee practice has started in the quad already.  And while it looks like a rainy weekend, they said that last Saturday, too.  So let's keep our fingers crossed for at least some blue skies!

I was suppose to go home for an appointment tomorrow, but it's canceled.  While most of my roommates are off-campus for the weekend (an extremely rare occasion in our apartment), I've just decided to stay here, catch up on some sleep ... and write my LAST paper.  It's a 10-page paper for my Media and Iraq class, and I'm writing it on the comparison between the coverage of athletically-related servicemen and those who do not necessarily have athletic affiliations.  I have a passion for sports, so I'm actually really looking forward to writing it.  Scary, however, to think it may be the last paper I ever write!   

While I just realized that three weeks from today will be my last college classes ever, I'm beginning to be okay with it.  I've finally accepted that fact that I am not, in fact, returning to St. Mike's next year.  I'm still looking for different jobs and deciding if I will accept my offer to grad school.  It's all going to work out.  And the day after graduation all of my roommates and three of our other friends are leaving for Florida on vacation for a week.  Just another way to delay this so called "real world" a little longer ...   

It's done!

I think I'll probably be smiling in my sleep tonight.  The reason I've been MIA for a while is because of Senior Seminar.  For journalism students, this entails an approximately 20 page paper that is written on your paper topic during the first semester and then culminates with a media-related project second semester.  For my group, our topic was the effects of youth sports specialization and our project was a Web site with embedded video.  After having four tapes chewed in the capture deck, we were finally back on track with a week to go.  However, last Tuesday night a file of a video we had made somehow went missing and the backup file wouldn't open ... needless to say there were many late night (and early mornings) spent working on the journalism labs.  Our professor was nice enough to give us an extension until today because of all our technological-related problems.  And we're finished!  After sitting in the lab all day Sunday (it was sunny, 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky ... torture), we put the finishing touches on our site this morning and uploaded it to the Internet.  SO this means you can check it out!  Our project is called "Keeping Up With The Jones': The Impact of Youth Sports Specialization" and can be viewed at www.youthsportsspecializaton.com !  Make sure you sound is on to hear the videos.

It's so weird to think that this is the last "big" project I'll have as a college student.  My only really big thing left is a 10-page paper for my Media & Iraq class (I'm doing it on the media coverage of athletes in war), and it'll basically be graduation time for me - scary!   So much of my academic time at St. Michael's has been involving journalism - from my internship to classes to summer work.  It's involved MANY late nights in the lab and computer issues and multimedia projects.  And as much as we've all complained our way through it, we decided the other morning in the lab that we would do it all over again.  One of my roommates remarked how journalism allowed me to have "academic memories."  I guess it's true ... people in this major do have the opportunity to get close.  And there is time for "fun" in the lab. 

This weekend was the Wyclef concert at St. Mike's.  And it was an AMAZING show.  It was definitely the best concert that we've had in the four years I've been here (and I've heard from many people the best in a while).  They ended up selling out the show which is great for the school - and a testament to all the hard work put in by the Student Association.  On Saturday we all had to wake up early for the Accepted Student Open House (if you didn't make this one, there's still time to sign up for the one on April 19th).  The rain even held off for the morning tours, and I think it ended up being a great day for everyone involved.  Saturday afternoon ended up turning out beautiful - one of those days on campus when everyone brings their work/fun/chairs outside to enjoy the weather.  There really is nothing better than spring at SMC ... and this week looks to really kick it off!

"...and nothing, woah nothing, is going right"

James Taylor's lyrics to his popular song "You've Got A Friend" really sum up my life best right now ...  because I can't catch a break!  I've had a string of really bad luck lately (basically anything involving technology in my life just breaks at really important times).  Bad things come in threes ... for me, it's more like tens.  The end has to be near (I hope?)!

Last week I was busy with new tour guide interviews (along with Josh, Nick, Mal and our advisers).  We had sixty people who ended up turning in their applications and showing up for interviews, so it's going to be a very hard decision.  I met so many new faces - and people who genuinely love St. Michael's and are excited to share their experiences.  Everyone has such a different - and interesting - story to tell about how they ended up here and their experiences thus far.  This coming Friday we will all meet again to mull over applications and their interview write-ups and decided who will be selected.  It's really unfortunate because we have so many qualified candidates and only a small number of spots to fill.  I hope those who don't get selected this year will try again next winter!

Spring Break's two weeks away (I've never needed a vacation so bad), which means our Senior Sem is due in only three weeks!  Everything has been relatively unstressful until yesterday, when the capture deck decided to chose the mini DVR tape up.  I'm in the process of figuring out how (and I guess if) it's possible to retrieve any of the information from the tape).  It really was the "straw the broke the camel's back" for me yesterday.  Keep your fingers crossed for me ... I need any luck I can get right now!!

I spent the morning in the Admission's office this morning doing work study ... and fielding phone calls for prospective students and their families.  Some are still anxiously waiting to receive their decision letter, while others are calling to schedule visits for our upcoming (and third and final) Accepted Student's Day on March 10 or inquiring about Accepted Student Open Houses in April.  While I believe Monday's program may be full (it never hurts to call and ask), I HIGHLY encourage you to come back up and visit us this spring if SMC is one of your final choices.  We offer to Accepted Student Open Houses in April ... the one I attended is what made my decision to come here!  They're highly valuable (including a introduction, optional campus tour, student and parent panels, and an academic and activities fair where you have the opportunity to meet with professors and campus reps).  It really is a great deal to get an accurate feel of campus!

even crazier weather

I just realized this morning that this is my second to last break as a college student - and the upcoming Spring Break isn't anything to look forward to as it will be full of doctors appointments, errands and working on the job search as graduation inches closer and I join this "real world" - I have a feeling it's not nearly as exciting as the popular TV show.  Although President's Day Break is really only Monday and Tuesday off from classes, I don't have classes on Fridays, and my only class on Wednesday (my senior seminar) is canceled, so I had a nice week long break.  Last semester I had so much going on with my classes and the Innovating Incubator project that each time I was home was spent writing papers and studying for tests, so for the first time I've actually been able to enjoy a break from school -- I've spent the past two days skiing and spent Saturday night with all my family celebrating my grandmother's 80th birthday.  My family is incredibly close (we spend summers together), so it was great to see everyone for only the second time since August. 

After FREEZING ski on Saturday (it was a very cold 5 degrees at the top of the mountain), it's nearly 50 degrees and pouring today.  However, because the roads are so cold, everything has turned into a glazed sheet of ice around here - which means my parents (both teachers at the local high school) have the day off.  It was nice to wake up to a pot of coffee made and a delicious breakfast.  Hopefully the roads will clear up by tomorrow, when I plan to head back to school.  I figure after today's weather there's no sense in me sticking around here for another day of skiing.  Plus, two of my roommates spent the weekend at school, so people will be around there as well.  I'll have to go grocery shopping when I get back, put my sheets back on my bed, help clean the house for another week - oh the joys of living on our own. 

And in the meantime, I'll continue on the job search.  I know I say it nearly every week, but I can't say enough about Donna Atwater and the entire Career Services department.  They really are great.  I met with Donna last week for the first real time since practicum - it was great to finally see her again.  She's always reassuring that things will work out in the end - and I'll meet with her again when I get back to make some more changes to my resume (we're struggling with a spacing issue) and continue to hunt down jobs in the athletic communications area (preferably in the Northeast).  Looking for jobs has allowed me to stumble upon on these great internship opportunities - although I had two great internship opportunities, there really are some great national programs out there to look into after your sophomore year.  It's never too early to get started in the job search process, and there's always opportunity for the always-important networking!  Even as a first year on campus, you can take advantage of Career Services and all they have to offer!

I'm off to watch a documentary for my film group for my Business Communications class.  Enjoy your week!

the essence of smc

I had a very St. Mike's filled few days this past weekend! On Friday night my roommates headed up to our friend Ashley's house for a night of home cooked food and relaxing.  It was great -- and some much needed time away from campus.  On Saturday morning, some people headed back to school while three of us headed off for a day of skiing at Smuggs.  The mountain was packed, but the skiing was AMAZING.  Definitely a result of the storm from last week.  We left around 2:30 when it started snowing quite heavy again and were back on campus in time for the men's basketball team.  The honored the 1957-1958 men's basketball team which traveled to the NCAA semifinals during halftime.  It was a really great ceremony - and neat to see the players and assistant coach who made it back to campus.  And perhaps the best part was, the men's teams snapped their 13-game losing streak with a win over Southern Connecticut.  Considering they were a game away from tying the longest losing streak in program history, I was still impressed with how many students and other fans were there in the stands.  It was also "Think Pink" day, raising money and support for the breast cancer foundation.  A great turnout for a great cause.  On Saturday night we headed downtown to meet another roommate and her boyfriend for dinner - we ate at one of my favorite local restaurants right off of Church Street called American Flatbread.  It's this great flatbread pizza that's made with all local and organic product.  Delicious! 

On Sunday a couple of us woke up early again to head back to Smuggs for a morning of skiing.  It was snowing pretty hard in the mountains but it was a great morning nonetheless.  I continue to be thankful for our $30 ski pass there.  You really can't beat it.  We left early because we knew it might be a hairy ride home, and we had to be back at school by 3 p.m. to go see Chicago at the Flynn.  It was one of the three Broadway shows we will be seeing there this semester - and it was fantastic (and Nick and Josh were sitting right behind me)!  The costumes, the singing, the choreography, everything was meticulously presented.  Although I was exhausted from two days of skiing, the show was totally worth it.  The cultural pass - the reason we get to see such great shows for a one-time purchase of $30 - is another win-win situation for SMC!

Working on our senior seminar project in the lab last night, we discovered how few weeks are left until our project is due - and how few weeks we really have left at St.Mike's.  It makes you appreciate weekends like this past one - nothing crazy, but just quality time spent with some really great friends and being able to take advantage of everything that SMC and Vermont has to offer.  I know Mallory and I probably say it with each post we write ... but these next few months are really going to pass too far!

 

finally what i've been waiting for

Well after a wonderfully warm Monday and a dreary Tuesday, the snow has been falling on campus since I woke up this morning and hasn't let up ... we're expected to get 3-5 more inches by morning and another 1-3 during the day tomorrow. Schedules for tomorrow morning are already being changed around in my townhouse in anticipation of an early morning trip to the mountain.  I hope it stops snowing and the roads clear up so we can make it there for the first runs of the day!

I have my first exam of the  semester tomorrow. It's in my Media & Iraq class.  It's an open note exam, but we've covered so much material, and there is just so much general background information on the war and Iraq in general that you're expected to know, that it actually turns out to be be more than expected.  One of my roommates is also in the class with me, so we sat down tonight and outlined the study guide and looked up a lot of things we had confusion about.  Sometimes it's really nice to study with a roommate and bounce ideas off each other.

After that it was a very relaxing night in our house.  While a couple of my friends were in bed early (the campus flu has hit our house hard and one of my roommates is up early to student teach everyday), the rest of us hung out together downstairs.  Two of us are taking Calligraphy this semester, and our homework assignment for the night was just general practice, so the two of us sat down there writing out quotes and everyone's names over and over and over again.  Another roommate worked on making some homemade Valentine's.  It was relaxing though - and one of those nights that you just enjoy  everyone's company.  Plus we're all like little kids when it comes to snow!

Everyone's starting to (slowly) recover from the shock of the Pats' loss (although I was surprised by the  number of Giants fans on this campus) and I think a lot of eyes were on college basketball tonight.  Syracuse lost a close game to UConn earlier, and I'm off to watch the end of the Duke/UNC game in bed.  It's great to have Dick Vitale back announcing - he really is the voice  of college basketball, albeit  an opinionated voice. I just saw UVM picked up a big win tonight, too.  If only some of this  luck could spread to our men's basketball team - keep your fingers crossed for them this weekend!