Mallory

P-Day

The beginning of the lasts has begun, one of which was my last P-Day.

P-Day stands for "Preparation Day" and this is the 52nd year of its existence.  52 years ago it started as a a way for the Junior Class to fundraise for their senior week... and it has grown and grown into the Spring Day of SMC. 

Our E-Board, most specifically the Programming Secretaries, are in charge of planning and executing the day.  Colin and Steve (the Programming secretaries) worked their behinds off to make sure the day was full of activities. 

Pday actually began Friday night with the comedian Rob Riggle (he is on the Daily Show).  Our friend Kevin opened for him and a lot of people think Kevin was funnier than Rob.  Rob was great though.  One joke he did in particular, about Long Islanders, was so funny.  Colin is actually from Long Island so he really got a kick out of it.

11am Saturday morning was the trike race.  SO MUCH FUN!  Me and my girlfriends got dressed up in ridiculous costumes (as did many others) and went to the Alliot rotunda to ride around on a tricycle.  It was absolutely ridiculous as the obstacles included a "kid's car wash," flour, pies in the face, and a brick pathway to ride between.

Then the inflatables were up and ready around 1pm.  The E-Board actually got to do the "Extreme Air" inflatable a little before 1pm which was so cool.  It was basically a Sky Diving simulator, it used a huuuge jet and you just floated on top of the air.  The guys who ran the inflatable were so cool, they actually held us down but when they would go on it to "test it out" they would go WAAAY up in the air and do flips and stuff.  Other inflatables included an obstacle course, a bungee bull, sumo wrestling, and more. 

And of course there was food!  Delicious!!  What happens is you grab a handful of tokens and then you go into the food tent and "spend" the tokens on different items.  Everything is free because the Student Association pays for the day, but the tokens are a way for us to keep track of how much people ate.  We had everything from Chinese food, to pizza, to Ali Kebabs. 

That night we had another concert.  State Radio was brought to SMC through a Mytracks competition that our radio station - WWPV - won.  Our friends James and Billy were in the opening band "Fall Line" so we wanted to go and show our support.  The concert was really good! 

And to finish out the day we had a Midnight Breakfast (which actually started at 11pm) in ALliot.  I think that was my favorite part of the day.  Everyone is tired but in such a good mood and there was so much delicious breakfast food to eat!

I figured I would go to bed pretty soon after but I should totally know better with my friends.  We ended up hanging out for another few hours and then the boys got back from cleaning up after the concert.  Somehow that turned into an impromtu dance party for 2 hours.  Around 4:30am we finally were tired enough to head to bed. 

Epic Pday and definitely the best of the 4 I have had at SMC.   

Why be a Religious Studies Major?

I am often asked by fellow students, parents on tours, my own parents, and many others I come into contact with why I chose to major in Religious Studies.  My quick response which I have crafted over the past four years has been simply, “think of it as the equivalence of a history major.”  The typical response is a quick head nod and, “Ahh, I see.”  But do they really? 

            Being a Religious Studies major is more than the equivalence of a history major, but often there is not the time necessary to fully explain my decision on selecting what many consider an unconventional major.  This paper will examine my decision of choosing to study religion, the benefits of the education I have selected, and the misnomers that often come with it.

            I started my education at Saint Michael's College with a declared major in History.  That first semester I decided to take one history course, Early Latin America, along with other classes that filled my Liberal Studies Requirements.  In high school I had participated in Model OAS, a college accredited course styled after Model UN but focused on

Latin America

.  Having an extremely positive experience in this course for two years I strongly believed that my interests lay in studying global history, with an emphasis on

Latin America

.  Unfortunately the Early Latin America course at Saint Michael's did not meet my expectations.  I unfortunately had an adjunct professor and while I realized it was unfair to base my entire opinion of the history department on him, I still was not impressed.  I also did not feel I was receiving much support from my history advisor, and as an unknowledgeable freshman this greatly upset me.

            At this time I was also taking Varieties of Christianity with Professor Kroger.  The class quickly became my favorite and I realized I might want to further pursue my studies in the area of religion.  However, I noticed when it came time to pick courses that only sophomores were allowed to take 200-level Religion courses.  Professor Kroger was going to teach Political Liberation Theology, a course based on Latin American history, that coming spring.  I still believed that Latin American history was my calling and I did not want to miss out on this opportunity, so I declared a minor in Religious Studies because then Professor Kroger would allow me to take the class.

            It did not take much convincing after this to switch my major from History to Religious Studies.  The more I interacted with the faculty in the Religious Studies department, the stronger I could sense my belonging there.  To this day I say to anyone who will listen how I believe the RS faculty are among the most supportive and caring faculty on campus.  I think testimony to this is found by the sheer number of students who know the faculty well, despite the fact that they are not majors.  Despite my independent nature, I welcome their support whole-heartedly and appreciate their advice and wisdom.

            There are a great number of benefits to majoring in Religious Studies.  First of all, while there are set requirements, there are very few classes that are required for all majors.  Instead we are encouraged to explore the areas of Religious Studies that we find most attractive, which leads some students to focus highly on non-Christian religious, or the ethics of Christianity for example.  My focus has been the period immediately before and following the birth and death of Jesus Christ therefore I have taken classes in New Testament studies, Early Christianity, Judaism, and the Greco-Roman world.  The requirements in the major are feasible, unlike other majors on campus.  This allows students to also pursue other fields and pick up double majors, or minors.  For awhile I was a double major with Classics, however with an increased interest in Business I chose a minor in Classics so that I could also minor in Marketing and pick up some Management courses.

            A major in Religious studies also improves ones reading, writing, discussion, and analytical skills.  Classes are based on discussion from previous reading, and often religion can be so nuanced one has to undertake a careful examination of the text.  There are often no right answers or interpretations when studying texts that are thousands of years old, therefore students have the ability to develop analytical skills that allow them to critically question and study documents as if they are the first scholars to look at them.  Through various presentations and simply in-class discussions students also develop public speaking skills which can be very useful in many areas of life.

            There is no other major on campus that combines the arts, history, philosophy, politics, global studies, language, sociology, psychology, and ethics all together like Religious Studies.  I have studied the music and art of Hindus and Celtic Christians, the history of many of the world’s major religions, philosophy of the Greco-Romans and how different people understand God, the politics surrounding Political Liberation Theology, the cultures of countries across the world, the language of Ancient Greece, and Christian ethics on modern-day issues.  Some of my courses were cross-referenced with other disciplines, and many more should have been.  It is an incredibly comprehensive major and no two classes are ever the same.  Now more than ever our world is realizing how religion plays such a large role into how people think and what they do. 

            My major in Religious Studies prepared me for the hardest academic experience I have ever faced, studying abroad at

Oxford

University

for a semester.  I chose to study religion there, an opportunity I would not have had if I was not a major at Saint Michael's College.  I took two courses, one on Early Christian Theology and the other on the Protestant Reformation.  At Saint Michael's College I was given the necessary preparation required to study at

Oxford

.  My major taught me how to write a solid research paper, as I have written one or more nearly every semester since declaring my Religious Studies major.  It also taught me how to research the paper, read primary texts, and decipher secondary sources.  I was also prepared to defend and support what I wrote in my papers at

Oxford

to my teachers who were evaluating me there. 

            I often am faced with people who do not understand my major.  Friends think I am studying theology, my grandpa thinks I am going to be a nun, employers expect that I am focused on non-profits, acquaintances assume I am devoutly Catholic, and many question what I can “do” with a major in Religious Studies.  I do not mean to associate negative connotations with any of these “conclusions” that people make about me, but many of them are not true.  I simply love to study the history of many different people and I find it fascinating how different cultures have developed different understandings of the divine. 

            What can I “do” with a major in Religious Studies?  The real question should be what can’t I do?  I could choose to one day teach Religion in a high school or become a campus minister. In fact, I can graduate and work just about anywhere I want to, whether that job has any direct connection to Religious Studies or not.  My goal is to attend the

Harvard

Business

School

in a few years and there has never been a moment where I regretted selecting to major in Religious Studies and not Business.  I have gained a greater understanding of people and their values through my major, and my communication skills have improved immensely.

            Why not major in Religious Studies?  Beyond the technical skills you develop, there is opportunity to understand people and their cultures, learn new languages, and most importantly engage in a little self-discovery in the process.  Perhaps not everyone will understand my major, but that is what makes it interesting.  In every interview I have attended the first question the interviewer always asks is, “A major in Religious Studies?  Why is that?”  When I articulate the benefits of my major and how it has prepared me to work for their company they are often impressed because it is something they never thought of before.  To be honest, it makes me unique and unforgettable which is exactly where I want to be in the eyes of a future employer.

Accepted Student Days Post 2

I have also had the opportunity to work in two academic internships.  One was with A.G. Edwards, a financial advisory firm, and one with the ECHO-

Leahy

Center

on

Lake Champlain

, a science aquarium and event space.  Internships allow students to put the skills learned in the classroom to use.  It is a great way to gain work experience but still get academic credit.  You don’t have to be a certain major in order to participate in our Academic Internship program, as a Religious Studies major both of my internships focused on Event coordination and marketing.  I am grateful that we are allowed such a variety in our education.  The only downside is that my grandparents are thoroughly confused as grandpa thinks I am going to be a nun and grandma thinks I can give her stock advice.

Beyond academics, I have been able to take advantage of different activities on campus.  This year I was elected Student Body Vice President.  The Student Association on our campus is incredibly active.  We are given a budget typically around half a million dollars to siphon out to different clubs and programs.  We currently have over 30 clubs for students to get involved in; Photography, Drama, Fly Fishing, and Green-Up are just a few examples.  We also work with Administration to make meaningful changes on campus.  Last semester we helped to rework parking and the housing lottery, we secured free public transportation for students and we spearheaded the drive to compost food from our cafeteria.  This semester our focus was to create an on-campus redemption center, plan our spring concert plan our Spring day called P-Day.  The spring concert was a few weeks ago and featured Wyclef Jean, as you can imagine it was a pretty big deal and it was SMC’s most successful concert ever.

So, if life couldn’t get any busier, this year I am a coordinator for the Founder’s Society, the club on campus that works with the Admissions and the Alumni Departments.  I am the Alumni Coordinator for the program, which gives me the opportunity to attend Alumni Board meetings, help out at reunions and alumni weekends, and assist in the coordination of the Alumni Children’s Christmas Party.  I am also a tour guide and I blog for the school’s website.  I try to give readers a good sense of what daily life is like in the blog.  I’ve written about Super Bowl Sunday, grocery shopping, and even Spring Break.  I definitely encourage you all to check out the blogs, as you can get a very candid look at Saint Michael’s living.

I hope you can tell… It is not hard to excel here with all the love and support you are given from everyone you meet.  Honestly, who doesn’t want to be in that kind of environment?  While I have obviously taken advantage of the many opportunities that have come my way, I have been encouraged and supported by our faculty and staff.  They have pushed me and every student on this campus, to succeed and give 100% into everything we do.  I clearly can not give you one reason as to why you should choose Saint Michael's College, but I hope that I have showed how much we are offered and how everyone, no matter what their interests may be, can find the one thing about Saint Michael's College that is special to them.

No one is going to tell you how to live your life when you are in college, and I can guarantee you nothing about your Saint Michael’s experience except that if you allow it to be, your time here will easily be the best 4 years of your life.

I wish you all the best in your college decisions and I can only hope that you will feel as at home at Saint Michael’s as I have. I only regret that I won’t be here next year to see your class begin one of the greatest adventures of your lives. Congratulations on your acceptance to Saint Michael’s!

Accepted Student Days Post 1

So I had the honor of being the student speaker at the Accepted Student Days this April.  Below I have copied my speech in case there are any students who wanted to relook at it, or for those of you who are prospective students and didn't attend those days.

Good morning!

My name is Mallory Wood.  I am a senior Religious Studies major, marketing and classics double minor and I am planning on graduating in 26 days… but believe me I am not counting.

Unlike most of you sitting here, hailing from New England states and might I guess many of you are the infamous 20 minutes outside

Boston

; I am actually from a tiny town in

New York

called Chateaugay.  Just to give you a taste of what my home is like… I graduated with 36 students, we have more cows than people, one stop light, and a town hall building that also serves as the town library, town auditorium, pre-k, and last but not least the basement is home to the only form of entertainment in Chateaugay… the town bar and bowling alley.

But despite the fact that we may come from very different towns… we actually have a lot in common.  We are both seniors, scared and excited that the school year is almost done, afraid and sad to leave our friends behind, but curious about what our future holds.  We are both about to make big life decisions that will have a great impact on our futures and everyone is telling us that we need to think carefully and not make the wrong choice.  We are both in (what we think) is the best year of our life and we are wondering how could anything possibly be better.  We are nervous about final exams and papers, looking forward to that “one last summer,” and hoping that in 10 years we can look back on our choices and experiences with no regrets. 

I undoubtedly spent the best 4 years of my life, and the fastest 4 years of my life, at Saint Michael’s College.  I made friends with the best people in the world and had opportunities that I could never have dreamed of 4 years ago when I was sitting in those bleachers.

So what can I say to you so that at the end of my speech you will run up to me, hug me, and tell me that you couldn’t possibly even think of considering any other college to go to? 

First of all… you are probably wondering what your “typical Saint Mikes student” is like.  They say we hug a lot here, you might have read that on

Princeton

review.  I’m here to tell you it’s true and not as weird as it might sound.  And while it is certainly hard to generalize each person, I think that we are overall friendly, outgoing, and interested in doing good for others.  We look out for each other and take care of each other.  Many of us want to live on campus, participate in sports, clubs, or campus ministry activities.  We hold doors open for each other, we support each other, and we become family.

But, we also check out email 56 times a day, we love eating Chinese food at the cafeteria on North Campus affectionately called “The Sloan Zone,” 75% of our wardrobe says “Saint Michael’s College” on it, when the temperature outside gets above 50 degrees we wear shorts, we naturally have hundreds of friends on facebook, and we believe that Wednesday nights are the equivalent of Christmas because that is when our school’s online newspaper is delivered into our inboxes.

But why should YOU chose Saint Mikes?  What makes this college stand out from all the others? And do we really bleed purple and gold?  The answers to these questions are different for everyone so before I give you my response, I think you should hear why some other current students were interested in attending Saint Michael’s.   

   

Norah, a double major in Music and Education from

New York

says, you come in here not knowing who you will meet or what your classes are going to be like.  But she can not stress enough the importance of community, not just among your fellow students but your professors… even the people in Alliot! 

Billy, a transfer student and Business major from

Massachusetts

says he transferred here because he liked how much there is to do in the local area.  Ski resorts are easily accessible and downtown

Burlington

has everything, music, shopping, restaurants, and more.  But since SMC is just outside

Burlington

, Billy likes how easy it is to get away from the busy life of downtown and just come back to school, relax and study!

Pam, a double major in Education and Psychology from

Massachusetts

says that she has become really close to the professors in her majors.  “They have all been very supportive and really have taken the time to get to know me well, I feel so comfortable with them,” she says.

For those three students, that is why they chose Saint Mikes.  And my reasons are very similar.  But why stay here?  For me it has been the opportunities.  The ENDLESS opportunities, academically, socially, and otherwise that are given to us.  This is what sets Saint Michael’s apart for me, so if you don’t mind I will share some of the most important opportunities that I have had with you.  And hopefully you can see yourself – over the next four years – having similar experiences at Saint Michael's College.

Fall of 2007 I studied abroad.  In fact, over 30% of our students take advantage of this program.  While many of my friends went to ski in

New Zealand

or do community service in

Thailand

, I spent 3 months in

England

studying at

Oxford

University

.  I went to

Oxford

knowing that I was going to be facing a rigorous academic schedule.  Imagine researching and writing 12 papers, each over 10 pages long, in 8 weeks.  In a typical semester at college we are given 8 weeks to research and write ONE paper, not TEN.  I estimate that I spent over 300 hours in the Bodleian Library.  My biggest souvenir from the studying abroad has been a British accent that my friends and I will occasionally slip into.  And when I say British accent I really mean a horrible British accent… and when I say we occasionally slip into it, I really mean that you are lucky I am not speaking to you in one right now. 

I have to give Saint Michael's College credit for academically preparing me 110% for that experience.    Freshman year I took an honors section of the first year seminar, which is focused on writing, reading, and discussion skills.  I’ve never been a confident writer and I got “C’s” on more than one paper in the class.  It took a lot of work but by the end of the semester my writing improved so much, and I ended the class with a solid B plus. 

Our professors at SMC are so supportive of their students and they often spend time outside their office hours meeting with people who have questions or need extra help.  Without that kind of support I never would have excelled in my writing at

Oxford

University

.  Their support also helped me achieve the greatest honor of being a Saint Mikes student… this year I was accepted into Phi Beta Kappa.  This is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honors society and a huge honor as less than 1% of undergraduates in our country are inducted into Phi Beta Kappa every year.

Wyclef!

AMAZING CONCERT!

It is really hard to say anything negative about a concert that I still feel like is going on almost a month later.  Yes this post is a bit outdated, but I just couldn't stop from writing about its awesomeness!

Everyone had the most amazing time at the show and Wyclef was incredible.

The day of the show was filled with setting up the stage and making sure all the last minute details were set.  I got to actually go with Alex and Owen to the airport to pick Wyclef up, he flew in around 3pm.  I was nervous that I would get star-struck but I think I kept my cool... ;-)

Alex and I drove Wyclef and one of his bodyguards to get some food then we dropped them off at the hotel.  We were pretty giddy after that... the concert seemed so much more real!  We headed back to SMC and got back to work in the gym. 

Around 7:30 (concert started at 8... Wyclef on at 9) Alex and I headed back to the hotel to pick up Wyclef and a few people who were left there.  We didn't end up leaving the hotel with Wyclef (who actually introduced himself as 'Clef) until about 8:45... no joke.  We literally pulled up to Ross, got out of the hot SUV we were driving around, and Wyclef walked on stage.  Right before he went on Colin and Steve got to introduce him... so awesome!  Wyclef had this red jacket on that just screamed "I'm a star."

He seriously put on the best show I think I have ever seen in my life.  And I had a great view, our E-Board stood ON STAGE to watch the concert, in the back left corner.  Wyclef did Sweetest Girl twice, one on stage and the other he actually went into the crowd.  That was pretty cool to watch, his body guard ("Beast") was just pushing people out of the way as Wyclef went through. 

The last song he did was "Carnival" from his new album.  He actually had us all go in the front of the stage and just dance and sing.  He also had everyone swing their shirts above their head (good thing I had two on!) and he brought the lights up.  It really looked like a carnival, it was amazing.

After the show I got my t-shirt autographed... yay! 

Then we had to clean up... BOOOOO!  Everything had to be torn down because the next day was a HUGE accepted student day at SMC.  (And ps I had to give the speech at 11am)  We were in the gym with other SA reps until roughly 2:30am cleaning up and clearing out.  So what else was there to do besides go to Denny's and celebrate on a successful concert afterward? 

Simply amaaaazing.  I hope I get to see him in concert again one day!

Spring Break days 6-7

Wednesday and Thursday were focused on more fun in the sun. 

Wednesday:  The boys and Bo played in a basketball tournament for part of the afternoon and Hanna, Pam, Norah, and I went to Dippin Dots to get some little frozen icecream balls of goodness.  Troy got sunburned pretty badly. 

Thursday:  As it was our last day in Florida we needed to have an amazing time doing all the things we wanted to do, but hadn't yet.  Norah left us early Thursday morning, so our group fit a little better in the van.  We ended up spending the day bopping around the resort.  The boys wanted to watch day 1 of March Madness.  We actually filled out our brackets that morning ... looking back I did pretty well for not knowing a thing about college bball.

Thursday evening was one of the best nights in Florida.  We all went out to dinner at House of Blues, which is at Downtown Disney.  Dinner was DELICIOUS and our 30% off coupon made it even better.  I had soup, cornbread, pulled pork, and a tasty beverage.  And with our receipt we got to cut in front of the entire line that had started gathering for the concert that the HoB was having that night... RUSTED ROOT!  Of course the only song any of us knew going into it was "Send me on my Way." 

The opening group "One Flew South" was horrendous.  They are the butt of a lot of jokes now.  They started out fine, but all their songs sounded exactly the same and the guy in the middle was hysterical.  He sang the high notes as he tapped on a hand drum (looks like a tambourine without the cymbals) with a brush-like stick that is often used on a snare drum.  So he is tapping away on his "instrument" as the guys on either side are legit playing guitars.  But I think it was the faces he made as he sang that made him stand out the most.  Absolutely hilarious.

Rusted Root was of course fantastic.  I fell in love with the song "Ecstasy." (As did most of my friends)  They were a great live show and I definitely recommend it to anyone interested.

Friday morning (Day 8) we basically woke up and packed up the van.  Bo, Hanna, and Kevin's flight was about an hour before ours and Owen left earlier that morning to catch his flight.  It was sad leaving our Spring Break paradise but we had SO much fun.  It was really exciting for me to be able to share a place that means so much to me with my friends.

Spring Break Day 5

Tuesday - the day after St Patty's Day - one would expect we would keep a low profile... but not us!

It was the only overcast day of the week... which oddly worked out just perfectly as we said we wanted to go to a waterpark on a cloudier day but chose Tuesday in advance.  It worked out just great!

We went to Wet and Wild for the day and had the most phenomenal time ever.  I think the scariest slide was the one that you just dropped straight down for 6 stories.  Not everyone would do it, but all I could think of was how much my 13 year old sister would LOVE it.  I think because it was cloudy that day not as many people went to the park, which worked out for us! The lines weren't long at all and we really got to take advantage of all the rides, many we did more than once.

We raced back to Orange Lake Country Club after the day at Wet and Wild so that we had plenty of time to shower and get ready, we were going to visit Owen's aunts house in Lake Mary (about an hour away.)  Unfortunately we hit a lot of traffic so it took us a bit longer to get there, but we had the best dinner ever!  So worth the drive!  His aunt was sooooo wonderful, and her friend was there too (and let me tell you she made the best cobbler I have ever had!)

We left very happy and VERY full.  And as it was the story of our trip, once we got back to the resort we went to bed so we could get up early and enjoy that sun the next day!!

Spring Break Day 4

Monday was also Saint Patrick's day... amazing!

We woke up and (you guessed it!) went out to lay in the sun.  Norah was so excited to see the resort and hop into her bathing suit for the first time!  The day was pretty lazy, as we knew we were going to have a late night, so not too much happened.

We went back to our villa to change into our green outfits in the afternoon.  We were a sea of green!!We wanted to get into the downtown Orlando area as soon as possible to celebrate St Patty's Festivities and eat an early dinner.  We found a TGI Fridays (um they are EVERYWHERE in FL) on International Drive and got a semi-good meal.  Then we drove around to find a spot to hang out. 

The night was absolutely epic.  We ended up at O'Shucks, this random and small bar on I.Drive.  Apparently they have Karaoke there everynight, but not on St Patty's Day.  Instead they had this woman "DJ'ing."  I put DJ in quotes because she didn't have a clue what she was doing and told us that her 15 year old son burnt her all the cd's she had.  It was the most random assortment of music ever.  We met some crazy fun people, one couple in particular were just unreal!  We clearly were the youngest people in the entire establishment, but we were the LIFE of the party!! 

All in all... the best St Pattys Day ever!!

Spring Break Day 3

Sunday we got up a little later, and needless to say we did not make that 3 mile morning run that morning OR for the rest of the week!  It was another beautiful day at Orange Lake Country Club, and Bo Pam and I were literally shaking with excitement as we knew that NORAH was going to be arriving that day.  It was going to be a HUGE surprise to everyone else, as they had no clue she was going to come.  We kept it a good secret!

We just spent another day at the pools, hanging out and tanning.  The boys decided Hanna and I were getting too tan... unbelievable... no such thing haha!  We saw some water aerobics, and heard BINGO being played haha.  They are so funny sometimes on our resort with their activities.  The boys and Bo also played Basketball during the morning. 

The day was pretty low key, but us three girls couldn't contain our excitement!  Bo and Ben were making pizzas for dinner that night, and the whole time Pam and I were eating we were so nervous!  We had a really late dinner because we went to the Outlets during the afternoon, and Pam and I knew we were going to have to leave to get Norah right after we were done eating.  We (somehow) worked it  out that everyone thought we were going to the grocery store. 

After dinner everyone put on their bathing suits and headed to the hot tub thinking that Pam and I would be there soon.  Pam and I booked it out of the resort.  We really had to stop at the Publix so we ran in and were as fast as possible then we drove to the airport.  We called Bo and told her to tell the group that "oh no! Publix was closed!  Mal knows where another grocery store is so we are going to go there."  They totally believed us!

We got Norah and headed back to the resort AND we even made it back to our villa before they did!  Pam, Norah, and I chilled on our back porch and devised our surprise plan!  We left Norah on the porch when everyone got back, so they couldn't see her.  Then Pam and I told everyone we had a "yummy surprise" which apparently everyone took to mean we had bought ice cream cake!!

We led the group to the back porch and SURPRISE!  Their faces were unbelievable.  Everyone was so excited, and never guessed Norah was coming for a minute!  The surprise was perfect!

Spring Break Day 2

Saturday morning we woke up pretty early.  I went for a 3 mile run with Owen, Troy, Tomas, and Ben.  Troy decided that we all needed weird nicknames, I think he went with some Star Wars character.  I picked Princess Jasmine because she is my fav Disney Princess and since we were so close to Disney it only seemed appropriate.  Thank goodness the nicknames didn't stick though, I don't think I would enjoy being called Princess Jasmine for an entire week.  But during the 3 mile run it was funny :o)

After we got back, showered, and had breakfast we all went to one of the pool complexes on the resort and claimed our lawn chairs for the day.  We laid out in the sun, tried out the lazy river and the water slides, read magazines, played water volleyball, and just TOTALLY relaxed and enjoyed each other's company.  It was simply amazing and SO WARM.  Vermont weather needs to catch up! (PS It snowed today...)

In the afternoon, after we ate lunch and got out of the sun for a few hours, we went to a different area on the resort and played some beach volleyball.  One thing that I love about my friends is how active we are, but how we don't need to entertain each other in order to have a good time.  So naturally, we had a blast playing beach vball.  It was kind of windy, but no one cared! 

Dinner was delicious - Hanna, Tomas, and Kevin made us French toast and bacon.  Then we all got ready and headed down to Universal's City Walk.  We went to this one club, I think it was called Coconut something or other.  They had a live band doing hiphop and R&B covers... AND THEY PLAYED SWEETEST GIRL!!!  Of course we were thrilled and cheered quite loudly ... we're so excited for Wyclef to come!

It was a late night, so we went right to sleep when we got back knowing we probably wouldn't be waking up at 8am the next morning!