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Rachel D'Antonio's Blog: Me Being Me

Drive-In Movie = Good Times

June 4, 2011

I have been blessed with growing up in a town that has a drive-in movie theater. Almost a forgotten treasure, drive-ins are a completely different experience and I'm not talking about the ridiculously overrated 3-D business. No, I'm talking about an actual good time had by all experience. At the Mansfield Drive-In, you get to see two movies for the price of what most movie theaters charge for 1 child's ticket. So last night myself and three friends loaded up the car and drove east from SJC. We arrived early to get a good parking spot and waited for the sun to go down. We played with the frisbee, consumed a lot of snacks and drinks, and then snuggled into our blankets and lawn chairs as the film began. Our double feature was X-Men: First Class and Pirates of the Carribean 4.

The movies were pretty good, and even if they weren't (which we later found out most critics thought) at least we left feeling like we had a good time. You can bring your own food (unlike theaters that charge you $3 for water, $4 for a candy bar, and $10 for popcorn), eat and talk as loundy as you want, becasue no one else can really hear you. You can move around and see other movies. There's a snack bar and bathroom. You're all set.

The fact that when at the drive-in you see cars from all different states you know they drove all the way out here for this rare summer gem especially. Seriously, no one from Massachusetts or New York is vacationing in Mansfield. They acknowledge the drive-in as an art form that is slowly and sadly disappearing (curse you 3D!) and have come a few hours out of their way to experience it.

Now if you should decide to go to a drive-in  there are some tips I've picked up over the years:

1. Bring layers. You never know.
2. Bring games to play before the show. Cards, frisbee, etc.
3. Bring snack and drinks. ALWAYS. This is a no-brainer people. The snack bars are cool and nostalgic, but more for the experience rather than taste. And yes, some drive-ins allow alcohol as long as you don't go around being obnoxious.
4. Get into your comfy clothes because by the time the 2nd movie is done, it's like 2:00 AM and jeans are uncomfortable.
5. Bring a little flashlight, just in case.
6. Always stop by a gas station on the way there and clean your windows with the squigee thing. That or bring some Windex and towels. Otherwise you'll definitely notice the smudges where your windshield wipers can't reach. It will bug you.
7. Speaking of bugs, bring BUG SPRAY. Either that or those nifty OFF! Clip On's.
8. If there are more than 2 of you, bring portable lawn chairs and watch it from outside, because if the people in the back seat are actually there to see the movie, they never have a good view.
9. Bring a portable, battery operated radio so that you don't kill your car battery. Especially if you're watching it from outside the car, you can't hear your car speakers all that well. 
10. Sitting on the roof of your car is usually prohibited, but it is AWESOME (and the best view)!

Now, the drive back seems longer and that's because you just watched two movies, stuffed yourself with food, and then have to stay away at 2:00 in the blasted morning to get home. When we finally got back to campus early this morning and started unpacking the car we got a jolt of energy and an appetite. Suddenly wide awake we headed down the road to Goldroc Diner for some greasy, fried breakfast and to experience another classic American staple. You'll notice most American staples come from around the 1950's, look at how Sonic is booming in Connecticut! Yum... Sonic...well, I know what I'm doing next week :)

May 16, 2011

Swan Song

No I have never, nor do I intend to ever see this year's epic and twisted movie Black Swan. But I do know something about Swan Lake and that the phrase "swan song" is a a song that swans sing before they die, or according to Wikipedia is also an idiom for "final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement." I've seen snippets of Swan Lake, either on PBS or in movies like Billy Elliot. Even people who don't know much about ballet (which is just about everybody) at least knows about Swan Lake and can hum those notes from Tchaikovky's infamous song. It's moving. It's graceful. It signifies the end.

Oh my dear reader, please don't cry for me.

I'm not gone yet but I'm about done with my undergraduate status. Henceforth I am an alum of SJC, and the only reason that stinks is becasue I lose all those aweseom student discounts I have become accustomed to over the years.Only yesterday I graduated and today someone asked me what I do at Saint Joe's and I replied "I'm a student." Quickly I retracted it, remembering that my status changed to alum. It's like the grace period you have after New Year's and keep writing the previous year.

SO...Yesterday I graduated. It also rained like crazy and I've developed a bit of a cold. But I'm onto the next chapter of my life... the one most unknown to me.

Since I was 17 there's been one question I've dreaded hearing every time I gathered with family and friends I hadn't seen in some time. It was a polite and appropriate question, one said out of concern and interest. But this question also comes in many forms, such as:
"Where are you applying to college?" "What are you going to major in?" followed up with "What are you gonna do with that?"  and few more such as "What are your plans after graduation?" "What jobs are you applying for?" "Are you applying for any Graduate Schools?" and "Do you want to get your Masters in anything?"

Now do you see how hearing these questions asked seasonally, like clockwork can be a little overwhelming and dreadful? Yup. Especially when you have no clue how the heck to answer them because you haven't figured out a plan yet. Thank the Graduation Gods that I wasn't asked by anyone yesterday what I was gonna do next, because I might have either just burst into tears or freaked out at them. Needless to say, it was an overwhelming day.

The rain cancelled so many plans included staying dry, taking photos, and having a post-grad picnic across the street at Elizabeth Park. Improvisation! Moved all the food to my Aunt and Uncle's house a town away and I finally relaxed... and got dry. The ceremony was surreal and went by a heck of lot faster than I expected it. As I sat in the second row and observed cardboard in the graduation caps warp from the rain that ambushed as when we proceeded from the chapel to the tent , the dozens of speeches and introductions sounded like fuzzy noises. My mind was elsewhere. I felt my black flats slowly fill with water from the mushy grass beneath them. I looked to my left where my entire family would wave at me every now and then with big grins on their faces. Props to them for showing up in such horrid weather!

It didn't really occur to me towarsd the end of the day when my family droppped me back at school and I took off the robe and weird hood-thing that was practically chocking me that I realized the halls had emptied out for the most part and that I wasn't going to be here in August to see them fill up again. This realization was my first step to acceptance of the events that occurred that day.

Funny, I thought, that this is when I start to think of it. Not when I filled out the graduations forms, dished out graduations fines and bought the wardrobe, painted my name on the Graduation Rock with my fellow graduates, during graduation rehearsals, the baccalaureate mass, or even throughout the ceremony itself. Maybe I did for a minute when I woke up that morning at 7:00 AM and my room was freezing cold and I could hear the rain hitting my window. I just thought to myself  "I'm not going to graduation" and pulled my comforter back over my head. But I couldn't go back to sleep. My mind was groggy, I felt exhausted due to the lack of sleep (my own fault since I went to bed around 4:00 AM). I just laid their as my alarm went off and seriously considered calling my parents and telling them not to bother coming and that they should call all the aunts, uncles and cousins to tell them it was off. Why put everyone through a long ceremony in awful weather just so they could see me for 7 seconds onstage?

What was graduation anyway? A public ritual? A Swan song? A way to see people you hadn't seen or just forgotten about since freshmen year? A short walk across a stage just to receive an EMPTY graduation folder? It all seemed so unnecessary to me at the moment. But then again, many things seem useless so early in morning.

Eventually my conscience won out. I thought about how my entire family had all pulled together and RVSP'd, and took the time out of their schedule. And that graduation is more for them than it is for the students. It may be all about the students, but the pomp and circumstance of the whole thing was so parents and grandparents could create a proud and loving memory, and it wasn't my place to deny them that. Plus, I think a small part of my rational mind (and I mean small) knew I was being stubborn and subconsciously avoiding graduation and the inevitable change.

But I did eventually get up. Showered, poured glops of moose, gel and hair spray onto my head even though I knew it was a lost cause due to the 95% humidity. I went to graduation... and then proceeded to graduate. Although it was only yesterday, it all seemed like a blur. Like another person's memory actually. Maybe if I had taken some photos it wouldn't feel so alien to me. Maybe if I had stayed throughout the rain and looked for friends, co-workers, professors and thanked them personally and taken a photo with them instead of making a dash for it the moment the ceremony was over.

I am here on campus for the summer continuing my little internship in the Office of Student Affairs. Part of me just cannot let this campus go. As we all know, I begrudge change. This is me taking baby steps... plus, I haven't moved off this campus for three-years straight, so I've accumulated quite a lot of stuff .Moving out is going to be a summer-long process requiring quite a few trips back and forth. Not to mention, this will give me time to make my good-byes to the many families I've belonged to while here.There is still time for that, I keep reminding myself. For the goodbyes and the thanks-yous, and all those "one-last-times" before my final departure from 1678 Asylum Avenue. I'm very fortunate for the experience and life I built here, and  because I have an entire summer to sing my swan song.

Would You Care for a Spot of Tea ... at 4:00 AM?

So, quickly, my week in review using numbers:

• 10 yellow roses from my family
• 3 undergraduate awards Wednesday night
• 4 AWESOME new trailers and movies to look forward too (Harry Potter 7.2, X-Men First Class, Transformers 3, and Immortals)
• 1 Better Connecticut TV appearance
• 1 very bitter-sweet yet hilarious farewell to Steve Carell's Michael Scott on The Office.
• 1 fantastic and completely unforgettable Royal Wedding.

Now, I know there were two extremes approached by people when it comes to the royal wedding; either you hated it and saw it as an uninteresting waste of money or you're a die-hard who embraced it  (such as my self) while gobbling up every TLC, Lifetime, and Hollywood Access program available on the matter.

So last night I practically pulled an all-nighter. I set my clock radio, iTouch and cell phone alarms for 4:00 AM, laid out my dress,  prepared my coveted "Keep Calm and Carry On" mug and packet of English Tea, and set my channel for PBS to get the legit BBC coverage. So, of course I was up until 2:00 AM doing HW and talking to friends.  Amidst this all-nighter I was able to take a 2 hour power-nap before I was wide awake, dressed and sipping Twining's English Breakfast Tea from my coveted "Keep Calm and Carry On" mug, all the while sitting under my Union Jack Flag and surrounded by Harry Potter posters. I told you I was a little obsessed... There I was, up with the the birds at 4:00 AM and droning out their annoyingly chipper chirps with my sporadic crying (tears of joy and envy, of course!). Oh, the gowns, the hats, the trees in Westminster Abbey!

And Kate's dress, simply to die for.

I embraced the royal wedding for a great number of reason.

1. I'm a certifiable Anglophile. Don't worry, it's not illegal and only a little bit contagious.
2. Since I was 10 and saw the MK & Ashley movie "Winning London" I became enthralled with British royalty and truly believed it would be me up there at that altar with William, while he placed that Welsh gold ring upon my finger. Ah, the ridiculous dreams of a young optimistic American girl dreaming of faraway places...
3. It's nice to have some HAPPY news to focus on once and for all. Seriously, what's wrong with getting a little caught up in a fairy tale?
4. I'm rooting for Will and Kate! I mean look at these two:

So judge away, I don't give a flying scone. I watched history in the making and enjoyed every moment of it.

The Dog Days Are Over

I'm done!!!!! Well at least with my senior capstone coordinating seminar course. This morning I did my final art history presentation here at Saint Joseph College, thereby completing all requirements for the art history major here at SJC. There have been the ups and downs, but it's been a wild ride well worth it in the end. My passion for art history sparked something in me that just leaves me in awe of art, and seeing history in a completely different way through the eyes of artisits and their creations. 

Today was Symposium Day, a day for celebrating and showcasing students who share their knowledge and research with the rest of the community. This is my 2nd time presenting for Symposium. Last year I collaborated with Megan Malcolm (please reference RADicalRae's Gallery Tour) on the "Life and Death and the Egyptian Gods" and it was invigorating to be up there and discussing the ancient culture and people through their art. So this semester it was actually a requirement for my coordinating seminar and I presented my senior thesis "Echoing the Spirit of Bernini: Hellenistic Influences in Early Italian Baroque Sculpture". It was my final assignment for this class; the very end of the end. So I got up there are just started talking. Talking about ancient history, religion, Europe, artists, mythology, and so much more. I was in my element. After the presentation and the support from my friends in Student Affairs, the Art Gallery, my professor/adviser, and fellow students I was ready to well up and cry from amount of love and support. This is a very emotional month for me! I then went straight back to work at my Student Affairs internship, where literally as I walked into the door,  Florence + the Machine's hit single "Dog Days Are Over" comes on the radio. Ironic right? Yet so poetically perfect for this moment. it was soon followed by Katy Perry's "Firework" by which time I thought that fate could give it a rest. I got it!  I sit down and realize that the worst is over. I felt liberated. Ah.. .only 2 papers, 1 presentation and 1 exam left. Then it's out into the real world, wherever the heck that is.

Next big project: Finish job applications! GAH!!!

It's Not a Celebration Unless There Are Rainbow Sprinkles

It's true. After my 7 hour comprehensive exam on Friday I went to the cafeteria and had me a heaping helping of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream doused in rainbow sprinkles as a "hurrah!" for myself. However, there was still a heavy burden weighing on my shoulders; it's called my "Senior Art History Thesis" and it resided in my backpack. After the comprehensive exam I turned in my multiple blue books and received my 28 page thesis back in the cheerful yellow folder I had turned it in with three weeks ago. Now we meet again, but this time the yellow doesn't look as cheerful. My professor points to the folder, gesturing me to pick it up and says "I made a lot of comments. Make sure you read them." ... Oh, Lordy! My heart rate jumps and the paranoia sets in. I started to understand Ron Weasley on a whole new level. To me, opening this folder and revealing  whatever grade  that laid within its pages was as if I were receiving a formidable and angry red Howler.

So what did I do? I went straight to my room and I hid that yellow folder on under my bed. That's right, I shoved my fear right under the bed in the space directly neighboring the Boogeyman. Out of sight, out of mind. I needed a break after that beast of an exam, and worrying about my paper when there is a less than a month of school left was not going to help.

So I started to unwind and enjoy the weekend with an awesome Blue Jay Fest! I made s'mores, smoothies, tie-dyed a t-shirt, played laser tag which included an impromptu dance to Katy Perry's "Firework", followed by rock climbing on the side of a giant inflatable tiki-man's face and finally the free photobooth. But then, just as quickly as the photobooth snapped shot after shot of me and my friends, the weekend was over. Sooner or later I would have to face the music, or in my case the daunting yellow folder.

Monday came along and the first step I took was removing the yellow folder from under my bed and place it in my backpack. Did I look at it? Nope. I carried that thing around like an albatross for the last 2 days. Finally this evening I was in the CAE and I took the folder out of my bag. I opened it. I removed the thesis paper from the left pocket. The paper then promptly proceeded to fall apart when the little staple holding together 28 pages gave out, as if it were Argos, Odysseus's faithful dog who promptly died upon his master's long awaited return. I see this as a sign foreshadowing the fate that awaits me on the last page of the pile  in front of me. So I go through them, reading the comments, until alas, the final page. Reading more comments I come upon a lonely letter in the bottom corner. "A" it says. At first I mistake this a the beginning of yet another sentence, but I quickly realize it's not. It's my actually grade! I immediately start crying. I am a roller coaster of emotions and I only have myself to blame for dragging this out. I should have just ripped that sucker off like a band-aid last Friday, but my insecurities and doubts settled in first.

How do I calm down and celebrate this small victory? Go to dinner and get a heaping helping of chocolate ice cream and pour on the sprinkles. Their bright hues making everything seem better and festive. I can relax for an hour or so now and relish in this accomplishment  whilst in the company of these little colorful and edible confetti, otherwise known as Rainbow Sprinkles.

It's Friday

Now, don't you start getting all upset because I am "quoting" the ever controversial Rebecca Black. I make such a bold statement because

1. It is in fact Friday. I can't help it. Life just happens this way.
2. I've heard my friend Chrissy sing this line a dozens times this week.
3. I've mentioned this brief sentence in regards to my Art History comprehensive exam 4 times alone yesterday.

So I've been dreading Friday's for good reason. All my assignments are due on this once treasured day. Now I can add a scheduled 6 1/2 hour exam to the list of "Things to Dread This Semester That Occur on a Friday." This week has been blowing by and I've just wanted to get this day and exam over with. With all this pacing about my room with notes while I listen to a Mozart to stimulate the brain to retain information (a trick I learned from my middle school music teacher, Mr. Johnson) I'm starting to drive myself a little batty. So yesterday, Thursday, when I received four phone calls from my family inquiring about how my exam went, I almost went postal on them.

4:56 PM My mother calls me-
Mom: "Hi, how did your big exam go? Do you think you did well?"
Me: "Yeah, it's not today. It's Friday."
Mom: "Oh, sorry! Well then good luck dear!"

5:22 PM My older sister Katie calls-
Katie: "So, how'd you do today?"
Me: "It's not today, it's Friday. I'm studying for it right now."
Katie: "Ha! Good luck with that then."

6:45 PM My father calls-
Dad: "How are you doing? I know you had a big week with your Asian Art presentation on Monday and your exam today."
Me: "Yup... well the presentation went well. As for the exam, it wasn't today. It's tomorrow, Friday."
Dad: "Oh, okay. We can talk about it then. Good luck, honey."

7:36 PM Before I even look at my phone I know it's my younger sister Francesca calling. I pick it up-
Me: "It's on Friday!!!!" I shout. Silence.
Francesca: "Wait. Are you talking to me?"
Me: "Yes, because you're going to ask me how my exam went, aren't you?"
Francesca: "Well...yeah, but --"
Me: "Well I'm telling you to save your breath because it hasn't happened yet, okay? It's tomorrow, Friday. Capisce?"
Francesca: "Oh, okay. Well then, I suggest that you cut Red Bull from your diet and go to bed. Now."

Oh, if only she knew how much Red Bull I had consumed this week, it would frighten her. Somehow I've gotten it into my head that Red Bull is like some magical elixir of life for any college student.

I love and appreciate the concern and support of my whacky but oh-so-lovable family, and I commend them for communicating amongst one another despite the blatant fact that they communicated the incorrect information. Well, at least I can say that I completed my exam. It took me 7 hours, but I went from Paleolithlic to Abstract Expressionism. My right hand, still suffering the permanent nerve damage done by carving Sue Sylvester's face in a pumpkin using only a tiny paper clip way back in October, now just lies here at my side, dead as a doornail. Ahhhh... TGIF. Now, bring on the weekend!

April 11, 2011

The Dramatic Tale of Billy and the Opera

What a weekend! So full of comedy, drama, anxiety and tears. Well, not for me in particular, and it's not really a dramatic tale (sorry for the misleading title) but I was there to witness it all on campus at the Bruyette Athenaeum. 

On Friday I went to see the Queene's Companye's performance of "Taming of the Shrew" directed by my two dear friends and mentors, Laura Sheehan (Director) and Tai Fester (Assistant Director). The all female cast was quite the commendable crew, so take that sexist Elizabethan laws! The performers brought the words of Billy Shakespeare to life, and I was practically in stitches throughout the play! Oh, the costumes, the gestures, the facial expressions, the eye rolling, women chasing each other with broomsticks, etc...what's not to love? It was such a great performance that I almost forgot to be offended by the sexist moral of the story that any woman can and should be domesticated. I'm just saying, if my husband practically beat me and then forbid me to have any food like Petruchio did to Katherine just to teach her to be obedient, I would loose it and threaten to eat him first! Unsure about journeying into the land of Shakes? Try watching "Kiss Me Kate" or the cult classic "10 Things I Hate About You" (RIP Heath Ledger) to get you started!

After a long Saturday of errands, pacing my room and reciting the entire time line for Western Art History  in preparation for my upcoming exam, and finally some chores (like trying out the new Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips in Collide-O-Scope for the upcoming Easter Weekend) I was ready for an even longer Sunday. The Connecticut Opera Guild's annual scholarship competition for young opera singers from around the US was held here at SJC! So from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM  I was working in the Bruyette as "Front of House" assistance while 24 contestants came to audition two songs (arias) each. The hallways were filled with the sounds of chirping, clearing of throats, spontaneous kung-fu moves, and the occasional short outbursts of opera as they prepared for their monumental audition.

I thought I was nervous pacing my room in preparation for my big exam, but seeing these young and anxious contestants pace the lobby and dressing rooms for 6 hours pained me. They'd worked so hard and I was so impressed by every aria I heard. Although my job required me outside the auditorium, I still heard their clear voices carry through the walls. Contestants surrounded me as they listened to their fellow friends and competitors perform on the other side of those formidable doors. Soon enough I was starting to get anxious for each of them myself! Oh, it was nerve wracking! So it was a great pleasure when Yohan Yi from California won the grand prize scholarship. He was so patient, polite and funny while waiting his turn at the very end of the competition, and from what I heard on the other side of those doors he is an outstanding bass-baritone! he even came up to me at the end and asked to hug me!!! Ah, it was like a dream come true. I can now cross "Embracing an opera singer after a major accomplishment/performance in their career" off my bucket list.

Oh, although I can't get up on stage and recite Shakespeare or carry a note I still love the arts!

Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

Today is room draw. Usually I would be sitting at a table with a highlighter and chart while students would come over, peer at the diagram and for the briefest of moments you see utter desperation in their eyes as they check to see if their first choice is still open. That's how important the selection of one's room is to them. You set your heart on something after you've planned it out and  envisioned your future with this plan and how everything will be oh so hunky-dory. But then wham! You have to start expecting the unexpected and sadly not get your hopes up.

After the marathon that was last month, I expected from the looks of my calendar that April would be a pleasant month. But here comes Murphy's Law, taking his sweet but revengeful time at my expense! Now my schedule is packed again with events, added homework to some syllabus, picked up a new job on campus, and and it looks like  the time I wanted to really work on applications has just flown out the window.  BLAH! Forget March, now is the time to freak out!

However, for a bit of lighter news, after last Friday my older sister picked me up and we used my Outback gift card that I won (reference October 30ths blog "Pumpkins and Museums, Baby!") to go out to eat. Granted, after I got over the initial shock of how much the interior of the Outback has changed, I scarfed down 1 order of Bloomin' Onions (extra sauce), 1 bowl of clam chowder (extra crackers) and a plate of Fresh Tilapia with Pure Lump Crab Meat. I washed it all down with a large Shirley Temple, which I told our waitress Michele "to keep 'em coming." For dessert I ate an entire pack of Sweet and Sour filled Twizzlers, my form of therapy.

The next day I spent immersed in nostalgia from visiting the old lake I used to practice at with my high school crew team (a long long time ago) and then off to my local library  during a huge book sale nonetheless! Book sales (or even used bookstores like the Book Barn in Niantic, CT) are so much fun becasue they're so full of character! Not only do you find some rare gems for 1/10 the retail price, but you get some oddballs as well. Honesty, I was tempted to purchase a copy of Terrifying Steamboat Stories by James Donahue, More Uncommon Cats! by John Guevin, and John Hostetler's highly anticipated and completely revised 3rd edition of Amish Society, just because they were quirky. Alas, I refrained and picked up a book of photographs chockablock full of the British wilderness and two VERY large novels that have been on my reading list for quite some time: Elizabeth Kostov's The Historian and Sussana Clarkes' Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Someday, I can't wait to have the time to read them!

Now crew team and the library are two major pillars in my life. I consider crew my first major crush and accomplishment  in high school. Aside from badminton and croquet I didn't excel at sports. So color me surprised when I was moved up from port seat 2 to starboard seat 7! Being on the lake, rain or shine, 5:00 AM practices, freezing waters and a bout of bronchitis with 8 of my teammates will always be treasured. Not only was I in the best shape of my life (like I'm talking a practically visible 4-pack) but it was the last time I was ever tan. The next year I developed PMLE (photosensitivity of the skin to the sun) and have sported 100 SPF instead of tan ever since. After my first season of crew I couldn't wait to get back to the lake in that long narrow boat, but I also got a summer job at my local library. I carried this out through the next year and when training came down to it I had to choose between the two. It was hard, but I was so in love with the smell of the books on the shelves and I loved working with the women at the library so much that I chose it over athletics (not a big shocker to most people, but it was to me). The library has since been my refuge. My home away from home. My mecca. Everything is so organized and has a place at the library. Plus, reading a book is more addictive than watching TV. Again, something I would have never expected or planned, but it all worked out in the end.

Hopefully the same can be said about the rest of this month!

April 3, 2011

Husky Nation

I'm a SJC Blue Jay, and I'm probably violating so code of conduct by saying this but at heart I always have been and always will be, unapologetically, a fan of the UConn Huskies. I can't help it because (and I quote the Gaga when I say this) Baby, I was born this way! It's in my blood I couldn't be more proud of them!

So I went home this weekend (well needed after the 2-3 week marathon of work I just did) and had a restful time (more on that later) while also basking in the small hometown glory that is Storrs, CT! Nothing is more exciting like seeing all the students in town pumped about our local NCAA champions. It brings me back to my days where my mom would take us down the road to Gampel Pavilion around midnight to join the hordes of fans ready to great them upon their return from away games and championships.  Rebecca Lobo was my hero (yup, had the basketball with her face on it and everything). Heck, what's even better is that we even have a Husky alum here on our SJC campus -- our own Coach Deb played for the women's team. Sometimes I have to remind myself not to gawk! Alas, I learned around the age of 11 that basketball was not my forte (along with every other sport that requires running around..) but I still support the men's and women's teams.

Can't wait to get out of class Monday night and see the men's big game!

Me Being...Pooped: Part Dos

Okay, I will admit it. Hello, my name is Rachel D'Antonio and for the past few weeks I have been a terrible Student Blogger. GASP! I know, I know. It's been so long that I didn't even notice this nifty new feature on the right side with my profile and what-not. Hmmm.... I guess my powers of observation have briefly left me during this time of great duress and I don't blame them. Heck, if I were them I would bail too! It's no fun to be around a Debby Downer, but let me tell you, it's even less fun to be that Debby Downer, so lets try to reflect and find humor in my life for the past month, shall we?

Now, this week's title "Pooped: Part Dos" is ever so properly called thus because being burnt out is a continuation of how I feel as a Senior right now (and reference to my July 9th post, which, when looking back looks like a breeze in comparison to what I have now... ). But I think that after today, when I handed in my 27 page thesis paper and gave an enthusiastic 25 minute presentation on the Hellenistic Influences in Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Early Italian Baroque Art, I should be able to relax for a weekend.

Sacrifices made to stay focus during Crunch Month:

1. Spent my Spring Break cooped up in the UConn Library  with no internet, overlooking the North Storrs Cemetery (how ironic) while I hammered out 10 pages over a 4 day span. I know, I'm a slow writer.
2. I had my friend Hurley confiscate my TV remote! That right there speaks volumes to the sacrifices I make! But as much as I love watching new episodes of whatever the heck is on, I am way too lazy to get off my duff and manually change the channel on the set. Channel surfing without a remote (like in the 1950s and 1960s) is  pure exercise. Hence why those lazy kids sat so close  to their TV sets that no amount of carrots in the world could fix their eyesight. However, the same could be said about looking at a computer screen for an average of 18 hours/day.
3. I gave up a few hours at work this week which is bad since that is my only source of income, and how else am I gonna buy iTunes gift cards for myself to enrich my awesome indie-folk-rock play-list? I need to buy the EPs for Foster the People and Boy & Bear. Priorities people, priorities. 
4. I am as of now, running on 6 hours of sleep over a 56 hour period. Yup, true story.

I think I deserve something... ANYTHING. This means taking some time for moi. This also means getting some legit food in my system since all I've consumed in the last 24 hours are:

• 2 Red Bulls
• 2 Mountain Dews (haven't had one of them since I was 13!)
• 1 Fun Size! packet of M&Ms
• 1 Fun Size! Twix bar (literally, smaller than my pinky finger... where's the fun in that?)
• 1 Strawberry flavored Boost drink that's just been in my fridge since forever.
• 1 box of Wheaties, no milk (The box promised me it was the breakfast of Champions and to jump start my metabolism, when really I needed something to jump start my brain and thesis paper at 5:30 AM...would've saved me the trouble of banging my head up against the wall)
• 1 Dunkin Donuts glazed doughnut that I just snuck from the CAE... Yeah, I'm a rebel.

However, I did find that creating an interpretive dance at 3:30 AM for Kid Kudi feat. MGMT's "Pursuit of Happiness" is one way of waking up for sure. But it is a relief to know that major part is done, right? All I know  is that I couldn't have made it this far without a little help from my friends who were encouraging and supportive, especially when I was on brink of two breakdowns due to technical difficulties with my laptop/now former BFF, Isadora Compaq. I also know that tonight I'm going to bed before 9:00 PM for the first time in 3 years and that is something worth celebrating.

Hold Governor Malloy to His Word!

These words are everywhere in local media these days, Facebook, news, blogs, posters and billboards. With so many rallies and protests occurring around the world for multiple reasons, it seems that CT is getting one of its own.

When I heard about the proposed tax increases and the decrease in CICS (Connecticut Independent College Student Grants) earlier this week, I couldn't help but feel outraged. Living in the state of Connecticut and receiving an education are important to me. This grant allowed me to have the choice of college that best suited me and I feel terrible if future incoming students are not given that same opportunity. The cost of living and education is high enough, so raising the taxes and then diminishing the federal aid for its residents who want an education is just going too far.

So I've tapped into my inner radical (RADical Rae to be exact) and with a little help from my friends we started gather signatures for a petition and people to participate in Monday's "Save Student Aid Rally" at the capitol!

For more information about CICS and whether or not they have helped you in the past, feel free to contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Hope to see you at the "SAVE OUR CICS!" rally this Monday!!!!!

February 17, 2011

If You Have Nothing Nice to Say...

I had a very successful program today, if I dare say so myself!  As part of my Student Affairs Special Projects Internship I worked with the fabulous Dr. Barnard (Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students) in putting together a way to educate SJC students about a new social networking disease.

In case you haven't heard, harassment, passive aggressive comments, and gossip have made it to the internet via college students. What better way to make people interested in this than a cool free t-shirt designed by moi?  In order for student's to win of these snazzy tee's they had to complete a quick 15 question quiz (also designed by moi) that ranged from privacy issues online as well as how to identify online bullying and preventing it. All 100 shirts were gone in less than an hour! Huzzah!

February 13, 2011

Adventures in Possum Hunting

Ever heard “Oh, what would do for a Klondike Bar?”  Well, I dare to go one step further and ask “Oh, what would a girl do for the $5 necessary for green-tea fried ice-cream?” Yup, I went there!

Well, the poor girl really has no choice when her parents offer the $5 to her only if she takes care of the “Possum Problem” that’s outside in the garage. Yes, there was a large, hairy, rat-tailed possum just chilling in the trash barrel at my house yesterday where I proceeded to spend a great deal of time on this issue... like, way more than seemed necessary. Now there are many people to hold responsible for this:
          1.      my older sister for misplacing the lid to the trash barrel
          2.      me for not tying the bag of trash
          3.      my parents for leaving the garage door open.

After my older sister wussed out, I took matters into my own hands, and all for a (not-so-crisp) five dollar bill. For all I knew, this was a nocturnal animal awake in the middle of the day and most likely riddled with rabies. Left to it, and with what little ingenuity God accidentally bestowed upon me, I took a wide rake, placed it over the top of the barrel and kept my distance. My father reappeared at this point, looking fed up, went right up to the barrel and wheeled it out and tipped it on its side. But did Mr. Possum leave? Nope, but my father did, which left me outside with a garbage barrel of open trash and a possum who happens to be faking dead. No matter how much shaking and rattling, he did no budge. And I have issues with poking animals, dead or alive.

So when he wouldn’t leave after a half-hour of humanely trying to prod him out, I left for my fried ice-cream date with my friends, in hopes that the thing would just leave by the time I got back. But did it?

NO!

Thirty minutes later I returned home to see the possum was not in plain sight in the barrel, but when I used the rake to move the contents within, the possum, eyes gleaming, sprung up in the back of the barrel, opened its snarling mouth and hissed at me.*

It was getting dark, and I was afraid that our little vicious possum would invite his possum posse (also known as a passel) to join him and infect them with rabies, and claim our trash barrel. Although I had my doubts, my father insisted that if we just leave him out over night that he would eventually venture off into the cold abyss of north-eastern CT.

Yeah, he was right and the possum left. And then I researched possums (opossums) and apparently it is normal for them to be awake during the day in the cold winters, so the rabies were not an actually threat.

            Lesson learned. I hope…

*N.B. The picture of the opossum above is not personally mine since unfortunately I didn't have a camera on me during this spontaneous and scary moment. However, I can assure you that he looked just like that! Vicious, right?

How to Be Productively Unproductive

It’s really not as hard as you think it would be… trust me. Just do everything you've been putting off. One might think that will all these snow days and delays that there is no possible reason to fall behind in work. WRONG. The only motivation coming your way is to do anything but homework. However, there is a productive side to unproductivity (a term I just coined), it just depends on how you see it.

I’ve gotten a lot done over the past couple of snow days, however, not much it was academic. With any snow day or delay, there is time to catch up on sleep, eating loads at brunch in the dining hall and, of course, there must be more sledding! Aside from doing 4 loads of laundry (and actually taking the time to fold my clothes), cleaning my room, writing thank you notes, playing board games with friends, making animal figures from the red wax found on those mini Babybel cheese bites, I even began to exercise! Well, to some degree that is.

Thursday: Sledding on the hill at the O’Connell Center, which is harder than you think since hiking up a hill that is 3 feet deep in snow and using impromptu plastic trash bags that were commandeered from the Housekeeping supply closet takes a lot more time to get used to.

Friday:  My friend Hurley really wanted to go ice-skating with SPEC, so she signed me up while she was at it. It’s been a while since I last went ice-skating, so at first I was a little uneasy, then I found my stride! I’m proud to say that I did not fall once despite being surrounded by waves of "youths" and that annoying pain shooting up my legs from having cankles and what I suspect is the beginning of bowed-legs. I’m telling you, tightening my laces did not help that cause one bit.

Saturday: I attended a free Hot Yoga class at West Hartford Yoga (WHY) where they turn the temperature in the room up to 90°F to make you sweat out all those toxins! In less than 3 minutes I was working up a sweat. This is not your mother’s yoga. Next time, I will try something a bit more slow paced… and colder.

Now all of this sounds nice and leisurely (and free!), and I felt awesome after all the impromtpu exercise, however, not much of it pertained to my school work. Due to a severe case of "senioritis" brought on by my impending graduation, along with all these snow days it is just hard to get into “School-mode." I still feel as though I'm on vacation.

But, where to begin when coming to the end?

Last semester. Here it goes.114 days until I walk across that stage.

Now I'm back on campus and to some lovely weather. In case you hadn’t noticed, I LOVE snow, especially when you can make a day out of it. I love it as much as I did when I was five-years old and I don’t think I ever see that changing. However, it has been pointed out to me by many people that the only reason I can still love it is because I don’t have to drive a car in it or pay the plow man. Oh well, ho-hum!  It sure made the first week back to campus more interesting.

However, unfortunately when returning to campus this semester there was a great loss and sadness to the SJC community. Mike Gessford from the dynamic duo that is “Mike and Justin” passed away last week. He was an educator, a friend, and a positive energy that inspired and unlocked potential in students and co-workers. I was blessed to have experienced a number of his training sessions on campus over the past four years and gain such an incredible insight and positive outlook. As an Adventure Education instructor, I can hardly think of anyone more adventurous and outgoing as Mike. His presence on campus and in our lives will be irreplaceable just like the memories we have of him. The number of SJC students that changed their Facebook profile pictures to one showing Mike along with the number of students, staff, faculty, and alumni that attended his wake and funeral service despite the icy storms just goes to show that his connection to this community were more than strong.

Mike's passing comes as a reminder. A reminder to live each day to the fullest and never take for granted the things you have or the people in your life. So, thank you Mike and God Bless.

Hmm... Whatever Shall I Do Today?

Finals are over, thus starting the beginning of the end. Never will I ever have an opportunity to get an ENTIRE month off during the winter as I have for the last 3 years.

I have been spoiled. I have misused precious time, a whole 3 months to be exact! So much can be accomplished over the period of 30 days when you have no job or classes to attend.

Now, as I embark on my final Winter Break EVER, I'm wondering how to make the most of it since I will never have this much free time ever again. My First Winter Break was ruined when I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed and suffered from a bad reaction (we're talking bruised cheeks the size of grapefruits). The last 2 breaks were a bit of blur, so I can only assume I did nothing of interest.

However, I want to make the MOST out this time so I'm starting off by compiling a list, sort of like a Bucket List, but college break style.

Things I want to do:

• re-teach myself how to knit
• teach myself how to ski again (it's been 10 years...)
• teach myself how to ice-skate (I have weak ankles)
• perfect my own recipe for a Red Velvet cake, yum!
• get started on writing my Memoirs, Volume I
• start scrap-booking (this is my least favorite)
• watch all the movies and TV shows I've missed out on, via Netflix
• go to my local library and read ALL the books I have put off
• learn how to be ambidextrous
• go to at least one sporting event (and for once actually understand what the heck is going on!)

Things I need to be doing (but are dreading):

• start looking for future employment, post-grad and all
• learn how to speak French (my mother's idea...)
• start going to the gym again (my doctor's idea...)
• begin my research for my final 25+ page paper for Art History 
• did I mention start looking for a job?

There is a HUGE difference between "want" and "need." In fact, I tell myself this every time I fill up a shopping cart at Marshall's. Now, the chances that I will get any of this done... I'm not gonna lie, it's about slim-to-none. In case you are planning on placing any bets on my behalf, I highly encourage you to go for Option C: Staying in my PJs and sleeping the days away, and that includes falling asleep while making snow angels (don't ask why, but it's happened before).

Wishing you all the best for the holidays and the New Year. See you in '11!

P.S.

My most sincere condolences to the SJC Library Staff and the friends and family of Sheila Ward -- a wonderful librarian and an awesome co-star. Her presence and reoccurring role as one of the "Library Police" will be missed.

December 11, 2010

  Lulu and Snow

So to celebrate my last day of classes, last night I went home to Storrs, CT to see the fantastic Rufus Wainwright's cozy Cabaret performance at UConn in the Jorgensen Center with my mother. Walking into the newly refurbished auditorium that still smelled of fresh paint and new carpet, I realized I had not been back here since my high school graduation 3 years ago. I had one of those nostalgic moments thinking of how I sat in the old cushioned red velvet seats and waited for my name to called before I walked across the stage.

But now I was in the audience and waiting for the talented and soulful Rufus to appear. And boy, did he ever! As I chowed down on my $9 Italian focaccia sandwich and chocolate truffles, I started to realize that besides myself and the other 20 college students there, the entire cabaret audience was composed of people over the age of 50, sipping on wine (not that there is anything wrong with that!). An announcement to hold all applause during the song-cycle of the first set (an hour long) built up the dramatic anticipation. The lights dimmed and out walked Wainwright, slowly and silently, wearing a long-trailing gown with a thick black feather collar. The 6 foot train trailed behind him as he sat in front of piano, and in one sitting he belted out  the entire set from his latest album "All Days Are Night: Songs for Lulu" with only short, silent breaks in-between. A painfully honest and somber tribute to women with some references to Shakespeare' sonnets, this set was so much more different than what I was used to. Why? Well aside from not clapping, an eerie eye covered in kohl (belonging to Wainwright) appeared on the screen behind him and repeatedly opened and closed slowly throughout the first hour.

Although I do appreciate how artistic and talented Wainwright was to have accomplished the first set, I enjoyed how the second set picked up and was much more inviting with all the candles on the stage sans the  gown and the"eyeball". It was a whole new experience when he sang "Memphis Skyline", a tribute to the "ever amazing" Jeff Buckley. The way he vocally channeled Buckley almost brought tears to eyes, and then again when he did the infamous "Hallelujah" cover which he smartly pointed out everyone has done by now, it's latest victim being Susan Boyle. I was SO glad I got to hear "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk", "Poses" and "Grey Gardens"!

Clapping, cheering, and 3 encore songs later, we left the building to find it was SNOWING outside! It was so beautiful. The campus was quiet (something that is rather unusual for UConn) and huge flakes were dusting the trees and roads. All in all, it was a great night of entertainment and atmosphere. Now if only somebody would write my final papers for me.

‘Tis the Season…

For final exams, papers, procrastination, and festivities! Yes, they do all fit together, in one way or another. As one holiday break closes another begins. And yes, I did get to see Harry Potter 7 with the family and I shall see it again tomorrow and the week after that. It was really THAT good!

As the wreaths and bows adorn every door on campus, and every lamp post is wrapped like a candy cane with red ribbons, it’s hard not get caught up in the holiday spirit! As the countdown to your final days for the fall semester begin, so does the stress from realizing that all those final papers you were assigned at the beginning of the semester are due. All those major exams you were warned about are looming just around the corner.

But this is also the time when students tend to be most vulnerable. Not only are our immune systems trying to fight off colds and sinus infections, but we must also resist the urge to pass the time:

• hanging out with friends before the month-long separation,
• checking-out every DVD in the library before the halls close next Friday
• frequenting the Marshall’s next door as the amazing discount prices on name brand items beckons us
• watching every horrible "Christmas" movie on ABC Family and Hallmark (really, who okays that stuff for production?)
• cleaning your room and doing laundry rather than open your text book

On another note, I am so glad that my antics on YouTube amuse you (Lord only knows why) so I would like to say, in the words of Frederick Douglass: “Thank you much!” and to keep an eye for the latest installment of RADicalRae next week where I tour our dining hall and whatnot while putting all naysayers to rest! Really, it was quite the victory :)

November 19, 2010

Tradition…

*Since I broke "tradition" and missed last week's blog, I've made this one extra long and boring, but with visual aids to keep your attention.

Tradition- [ tr uh - dish - uh n ], noun, A term made infamous by Tevye, the milkman from the popular 1971 film Fiddler on the Roof. (Seriously, you try saying it without that amount of robust-gusto!).

People often associate Tradition with this time of the year when the holidays are just around the corner, but you might be surprised to how many daily or regular traditions you keep, such as sitting with the same group of friends for meals at the same time in the cafeteria, or watching Glee every Tuesday night no matter what is going on. I kind of love tradition since it’s the antithesis of change (and we all know about how I feel about change). Well, at least that’s what I thought, until my friend Tai played the role of the Devil’s Advocate (quite well I might add) in a ploy to get me to break tradition and have fun by going to see the midnight showing of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows”. I have a strict tradition that is about a decade old, and I’m not about to break it now. I am a complete “Potter-head”, say what you will, but every time a Harry Potter movie comes out in the theaters I have to see it that first night with my father. Now he has never read a Harry Potter book, but every year he gets excited to see these movies and every time, like clockwork, at the end of each one he says “That was a great movie! I enjoyed that. So tell, me what actually happened?” and on the car ride home I explain the plot and watch revelations dance across his eyes. But new traditions have arisen as my sisters and I have gotten older and we’re away at school, so this year I will wait (even though my sisters won’t) to see this movie when everyone has returned for Thanksgiving.

So when I explain to Tai why I cannot go, she points out that:
“Maybe it’s tradition to break tradition.”
“NOOO!” I screamed back.  

Such an idea appalled me! Breaking tradition? It was unheard of! And then it was stuck in my head for quite some time, because… Tai had a point. I started to reflect on the amounts of traditions I have in my life a (as of now I am at a total of 67) and if any of these traditions have actually evolved without my notice. Yes, they have. Darn it!

Now, let’s be clear, the option to see Harry Potter 7 at midnight is the most tempting thing I can recall at the moment, especially since it’s like reliving the final book release 3 years ago, but there was a nagging feeling that even though I would have an amazing time, something would be missing; it wouldn’t feel the same as the others. So I respectfully declined the invitation and spent my Thursday night working from 6:30 to 10:00 PM, studied for a test and then wrote a paper for class (for once I didn’t procrastinate!). But, this morning I have suffered by painfully listening to every single person I know come by and relate there wonderful experience of the night before to me. Cruel world! I know I will have fun seeing with my dad (and traitorous sisters), but maybe tradition isn’t something worth sacrificing new memories and traditions for. Hmmm…. Something to ponder as Thanksgiving approaches.

The Adventures of the Midnight Capers

I’m in the mood to share with you all some fun memories while also putting some people in their place. What could’ve brought on such a mood? A delightful surprise from a old Partner in Crime, and hearing from First-Year Students that there is nothing to do at St. Joe’s because
a. We’re a small school, and
b. We’re a women’s college.

Well, that's a bunch of hooey! Besides there being some event going on EVERYDAY (I should know). This is COLLEGE, not some summer camp where they plan daily afternoon activities and babysit you. No, here you are given much more liberties and choices. Use your imaginations!

So, today I received a most pleasant surprise when a friend of mine, Nora, all the way from Florida paid a visit. Nora’s sense of adventure is infectious and there has never been a dull moment, especially  since she's the co-founder of the SJC Midnight Capers. Let me explain:

When I first met Nora during our first RA training 2 years ago we were temporarily living in Mercy Hall (which is currently all offices) and we were without internet and television. So what did she propose we do? Grab towels, wrap them around our shoulders, and explore the campus in the middle of the night. Now, in retrospect some of this stuff is probably unsafe and against the rules, not to mention we had JUST met, but all of this doesn't matter when going on an adventure! So off we were with our makeshift capes and flashlights, roaming the dark and empty hallways of Mercy (scarier then you think). We watched the stars, played hide-and-go-seek, scared each other half to death, and then discovered we were locked out of Mercy. After trying every single entrance into the building we eventually called Campus Safety to let us back in at 3:00 AM. Oh, the looks we got from the Campus Safety Officer... Going on a Midnight Capers adventure was always impromptu, stowing away in the middle of the night, dressed in our "capes" and having adventures that I probably cannot mention since we made a solemn vow to never mention them... well that and the fear of being held liable, because some just may have been against the rules...

From then on, I knew Nora was going to be one of those friends you hear about in college that stay in your life and no matter how far apart we are, we could pick up right where we left off, always starting with a heaping warm bowl of queso blanco and corn chips from Moe’s at Blue Back Square, then off for some more shenanigans.

The experiences you have at any college is not going to be based on the activities they provide, but also the education you receive and the memories you have with friends. So the happiness of you experience here at college depends on YOU; it's up to you to either make the best or the worst of your time. 

Now I am not encouraging you to go out and start breaking laws or hari kari, but I am saying that even though you are older, I sure as hope the imagination and fun has not been sucked out of you yet.

Museums and Pumpkins, baby!

That's all my exhausted little brain can recall when thinking of the previous week.

So last weekend I spent almost entirely in museums. On Saturday I took a trip with my Renaissance Art History class down to NYC to spend the day at the Metropolitan and look at their collection of early and late pieces, along with an amazing 9 room exhibition on loan all about Jan Gossart: Man, Myth, and Sensual Pleasures (how’s that for a title!?).  Sunday I spent at the Wadsworth down the road to volunteer for their “Sunday Seranade” series where the Hartford Symphony Orchestra was performing. Now I’m in the works with my internship at the SJC Art Gallery to go back to NYC and visit more museums to study their modern and abstract art for research purposes about an exhibition we are planning. Tomorrow, some more museum stuff coming my way as I volunteer for the Wadsworth’s “Community Day” (free admission!)

Now here at SJC, the campus is ALIVE with Halloween. People are dressing up, bowls of candy are readily available in offices, Halloween parties in the Res Halls. Even Bon Appétit pulled out all the stops for their annual Halloween lunch with employees clad in a variety of costumes. Upstairs in Student Affairs we entered this year’s annual Pumpkin Capers competition and submitted a version of Sue Sylvester, shaved into a pumpkin. Sydney Lake carved the awesome "gLee" logo while I wrangled Sue. Now I didn’t have a pumpkin shaving kit, I only had a defunct pumpkin carving kit. So I MacGyver-ed this baby by using a small paperclip as an impromptu peeler to shave into it. 

Riddle me this: What is scarier than Sue Sylvester grinning at your from a glowing pumpkin?
Answer: The amount of time this Student Affairs intern put into it…and how fast pumpkins go moldy...

I think I have done some permanent nerve damage to my right hand. But, by the end, I was sure proud of it, especially when “Glee Patch” won the Best Quality award!! Plus, entering my name to the raffle produced positive results and I won $25 to the Outback Steakhouse! 1 delicious order of Bloomin' Onions, Aussie Fries and a gallbladder attack, coming up!

October 20, 2010

Fall Peak Week!

So I went home for Fall Peak Week and had a lovely time picnicking at the local dam and then going to the orchard for apple picking. We brought a camera so here are some photos I took with my younger sister, Francesca who came home that weekend from college in York, PA :

These 2 pictures were taken at the Mansfield Hollow Dam, and I just LOVE the way the sun was hitting everything!

What can I say? I love apples and the sheep love me!

To Be or Not to Be…A Mac or a PC? (Hey, that kinda rhymed!)

WARNING: This will probably be the most controversial topic I will ever touch base on, so please do not take offense.

These are the dilemmas that plague my very existence these days. Now I know that by daring to ask such a question online, immediately readers will loyally take sides. It’s like Obama vs. McCain, Team Jacob vs. Team Edward, Yankees vs. Red Sox, Jen vs. Angelina. Will it ever stop!? No, no it won’t.

So why on Earth is technology on the brain, especially since I am technologically-illiterate? Well, this weekend I went home once again for my father to fix my laptop, Isadora. And yes, she is of the PC Isadora’s, and I love her dearly and believe her to be irreplaceable. We have a history, me and Isadora, one that goes back 4 years to a wonderful Snow Day back in high school when she arrived at my door step. I should probably stop naming things and becoming so darn attached to them… but I digress. When home, my older sister took one look at my father and the laptop and announced once again, for zillionth time “You should get Mac!” You see, my family has evolved from being a 5 PC household to a bunch of converted Mac-oholics.

But just like learning Spanish, I gave Mac a chance during my formative years in elementary school, but I was just not grasping the concept of Mac like I did when I finally tried a PC in middle school. Since then I come to love things such as right-click and the whole Windows operating system. And you might recall I LOATHE change. But one has to be fair and admit that there are flaws to PCs, otherwise Mac wouldn’t be the other best contender and Isadora would not break down every couple of months. Mac has some features and applications that are rather cool along with some great customer service, plus there is the whole not-being-so-susceptible-to-viruses-thing.

I think what makes this whole Mac vs. PC thing even greater is that even in the media it seems that celebrities and movies are taking sides by prominently sporting a Mac or PC. The message is that cool, hip, younger rich people get the sleek white laptop with illuminated apple have Macs while older professional people have outdated PCs. PC is trying to counteract the stereotypes with their latest adds by also appealing to younger generations and updating their programs. It's a good thing that I am prone to all things cool, so advertisements have no affect on me whatsoever.

So, in the end, do I convert  and invest in an expensive Mac and struggle to adjust for a while but save myself the agida of system failure? Or do I stick to what I know and accept that there are going to ups and downs in the future with my PC? Well, only time and my bank account will tell.

When it Rains, It Pours

Happy 10/01/10 Day!
And yes, I am talking about the weather again. The rains have returned to St. Joe's! And so have all the wellies and umbrellas. But it's just in time for tomorrow's Family Day, so all the grass won't be so ... blah. However, as much as I love the rain and thunderstorms, it is ridiculous that everything is flooding! My younger sister in York, PA said that her Res Hall was evacuated because the little bucolic stream that runs outside her room flooded the entire area, including the buildings! Oye-to-le-vey!

SO I guess I'm here to tell you to all check out the LATEST installment of RADical Rae on our SJC YouTube page, where you see me doing my thing.

Lending a Helpful Hand Every Now and Then

So yesterday concluded the end of Mercy Week, and may I say it ended with bang! About 4 service projects and over 100 volunteers dispersed from SJC in their navy and gold Mercy t-shirts to go donate some of their time for the greater good of bettering local communities. 

I began my very busy Saturday morning at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art for their free monthly ";Last Saturday"; event in downtown Hartford. For 4 hours I helped young children make surrealist landscapes out of magazine images, colored pencils, and watercolor paints. Needless to say, these kids needed no direction and got to creating some of the oddest things for children of their age. They LOVED it! After the crafts and the surrealist dance performance, I headed on over to Pope Park down the road.

There I spent 5 hours weeding, mulching, and planting and watering trees. I was glad the weather was sunny, but the heat soon set in and I was sweating like a pig and covered in dirt. Not to mention I thought it was rather special when a butterfly landed on my shoulder, but that notion quickly dissipated when it flew away and I realized it had pooped on me. When I finished I was rather pleased on how much improvement had been accomplished by our small group, plus, I had also acquired a tan. Then I returned to campus and that "tan" sadly turned out to be a layer of dirt that promptly washed away in the shower.Needless to say, I'm still very pale.

So I was getting ready to rest for a while when I was called in last minute to usher for the ";Beatlemania concert for another 4 hours. I hustled on over to the Buryette and got to see an AMAZING show. I especially loved the 2nd part when the selections got more "trippy". Being an usher, I stand in the back of the auditorium, and since the music was so load and catchy, I couldn't help but belt it out.  Thank goodness no one could hear me.

By the end of the day, I had been on my feet for about 15 hours straight and they hurt like heck, but I couldn't help but collapse into bed with a smile, feeling that really I did accomplish something, even if it wasn't the heap of homework awaiting me...

Entertainment: Part I

I know it's not Friday, but this week is gonna be chockablock full of entertainment that I wanted to share it all with you!
On my schedule (which I wish I had Tivo for...)
Easy A - a hilarious movie that is a  take on an American classic, The Scarlet Letter . I saw this movie at Blue Back Square and loved it! I recommend it to all (well, not  all, because I am sure some people have different tastes than me when it comes to comedy)! Not only did my 9th grade American Lit class come rushing back to me, I was able laugh really hard, something I was desperately overdue for. And, yes, throughout all the witty repertoire and scandalously funny scenes, there were a couple morals to this story:

1. Always be honest with your friends
2. Besmirching your reputation for others can snowball
3. Reputation shouldn't matter, but it does, and it hurts.
4. Don't allow yourself to take on too much (i.e. other people's responsibilities and lies)

Boardwalk Empire on HBO - the history major in me cannot wait to see this take on Atlantic City during the roaring 20s when gangs and Prohibition were just getting started!  But the history major in me will have to wait because I do have the time to see it. Now that we have HBO in our rooms I hope to catch this series on re-run.

Glee on Fox is back! OMG, this show changed the way I watched shows forever. And the way I listen to music. It is hilarious and smart, so it's sort of hard to resist becoming a "gLeek." Plus, I always love a good soundtrack and Glee's got it beat! There is a Glee party going on in Assumption Hall lounge on Tuesday at 8:00 PM to see its long awaited return on the big screen. Rumor has it that there will be a Glee cake!

PLUS, the SJC Art Gallery (located in Bruyette Athenaeum near Lynch Hall) has an exhibition opening reception this Thursday. The titles are "American Anthology: 20th Century Paintings and Prints from Regionalism and Conceptual Art" from various artists and "The 42-Letter Name" by Robert Kirschbaum.  My favorite room is the 2nd one with all the cool Op Art on display. I'll even be there with a video camera and doing a spoof for the next RADical Rae installment, so you might be in it.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Is it Fall Yet? Yes, please!

So, Fall may not officially start until September 22^nd, however, my appetite and wardrobe says that fall is here and it's here to stay... for a while, at least. How do I know? Well, for one, the fact that it's getting chilly and I've broken out my sweatshirts and sweaters every night. The second reason: I've started my routine "Fall-like" food binge in preparation for the upcoming hibernation season, something I look most forward to. It's a regular diet that consists of  Pumpkin Latte’s at Starbuck’s, mugs of hot apple cider, and bowls of Pumpkin and Deep-Dish Apple ice-cream in the cafeteria. Even slices of pumpkin bread for breakfast!

Although I’ve never been a die-hard Fall fan as other New Englanders’ have, probably due to my constant hesitation to change, there is something about Fall just evokes childhood memories and a sense of warmth deep inside, despite the growing chill outside. So, as you start to worry about raking all those leaves (students- aren’t you glad you’re not home for that this year?!) try to remember the fond memories of Fall, even something like pumpkin picking (which I am putting in my agenda ASAP!)

What’s your favorite thing about Fall?

Internships: Are They Worth It? Well, yes! (Duh!)

So, now that it is my 4^th and final year here at St. Joe’s, my typical academic schedule has changed a little, and by a little I mean that it is so packed that I am going from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. EVERY DAY. I am never in my room; ergo I am doing a wonderful job at loosing the “Open Door” contest in my hall.

I always knew that balancing 2 internships would be a challenge

1. because I would cramming over 30 hours of internships and work into a 5 day schedule on top of a full course load, and
2. I would have to ditch my usual undergrad comfy attire of gym shorts and sweat pants and trade them in for something a little more “office appropriate.” Marshall’s, here I come!

However, at the end of every day, after I take off my uncomfortable shoes and scrounge for food in my room because I missed another meal in the cafeteria, I can’t help but realize the great contrast I have in all my positions, especially the internships. I am learning about so much about so many different fields – all at the same time! One starts to realize all that goes into the production of Student Affairs, the SJC Art Gallery, and the Office of Marketing & Communications. And although these positions are keeping me rather busy, I couldn’t ask for better places to work because the Staff are all so welcoming!

They may all be different fields, but they all have one thing in common and that is getting their message out there to students and community members. Whether if it’s a Club Fair or an Art Exhibit, or even a Student Blog (cough, cough!), the great amount of work and effort never ceases.

Internships are a great experience for everyone, even the unpaid ones (I should know!) You gain not only the skill sets and bragging rights on a résumé, but also a look into a world that might just be your career for life.

Settling In

So I returned to campus Sunday from an almost disastrous 3 day trip to Pennsylvania and back only to discover the Res Halls chockablock full of students I didn’t know. The First-Year students have an energy and outlook on college that is just so much more alive and excited, that my tired bones and gray hairs ache at the thought of my first year on campus 3 years ago. I remember the excitement of being away from home, (no parents, rules, etc.) that it makes me want to be more excited. Sigh...If only I had the time!.

These First-Years buzz around campus, attend meals and class on-time, and even participate in activities and events! Soon enough they will settle in and fall into their own schedule, things will be more laid back, they will disperse, skip classes, etc... but hopefully their excitement and the life they bring to this campus won’t die down.

I myself am experiencing a “settling in” scenario in relation to campus life right now:

1. A new schedule (I seem to have changed mine about 4 times in the last 3 months…) and getting used to going to classes again.
2. Being on campus, but not being an RA. I know this might sound weird, and I never thought I would say this, but it feels strange not knowing every student's name, hometown, birthday, and favorite color...

So I end the first week of my last year at college looking forward to a 3-day weekend and waiting patiently for my own settling in to take place. Hope everyone enjoys the beautiful weather!

Going Places

So they’re back.
Well most of them are anyway. Every day I look out my window and see more and more people walking by, and cars dropping off suitcases, boxes, ... and students. The two main doors next to my room are opening and slamming more often. I am sharing the hallway, bathroom, and fridge with more people. Nowadays, I have to wait to use the laundry room and the nice big shower. I hear furniture moving all the time. I’m keeping the volume level on my iPod speakers down to be more considerate of my neighbors (not that they want to hear the sad crooning of Morrissey or Chris Martin). I’ve been spoiled this summer, having the whole campus to myself.  It’s like a big playground when no one is here. It will take some readjusting for sure.

When I returned to campus I dropped my stuff off in my room and went straight to the bathroom to find myself in the company of 3 other girls. This caught me off guard because a) I'm not used to people being in the bathroom I use, and b) they were strangers and since being and RA for the past two years, it is rare that I have been anywhere on campus and not known someone's name. What was I supposed to do, introduce myself there and then while one girl brushed her teeth, another washing her hands, and the last one who was leaving? No, I don't want to start my year off be being the weird senior student who lives at the end of the hallway and introduces herself in bathrooms. Something tells me that it's not the right foot to start off on...

So this week I am posting on a Wednesday because I won’t be here on Friday.  Tomorrow I am off on a road trip with my mother and younger sister to York, Pennsylvania where we will deposit said younger sister off there so she may begin her first year of college. I will probably cry like I did when she graduated high school a few months back. I will probably also reflect on how different my life could have been if my parents had allowed me to go to college in Pennsylvania 3 years ago when I begged them. Of course, back then they said it was out of the question and my only two options would be commute to UConn or live at Saint Joe’s. Well I opted for Saint Joe’s for the obvious reason of not having to live at home and commute. When my younger sister broke the Pennsylvania news to me she was nervous that I would go on a typical “Rachel Rampage” at finding out our parents were allowing her to attend college in Pennsylvania after denying me the opportunity. Yes, my blood boiled for a moment, but before I went all Hulk on them, I realized I was okay with the decision.

I wouldn’t go back and do things differently and swap my college experience here for one I could have had, because the one I’ve had here so far has been AMAZING.  Trust me, no one is more surprised at this than myself. Being here had given me too many fond memories and opportunities, so much so that I feel confidant that upon graduation (May 13, 2010--be there!) that I will be going places.

The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away

This week has been a tough one. A lot has happened, but I won't go into much detail out of respect. However, seeing so many loved ones go through different stages of grief and loss for 3 unrelated incidents that occurred in the past 7 days is my definition of tough from now on. Sometimes it can be too much to see the people you care for in pain and you have to take a step back and breathe; take your focus off of it for a bit, no matter how hard it is to think of anything else.

So, on that note I shall provide a “lighter side” of Job 1:21 a la Saint Joe’s:

• Saint Joseph giveth me an air conditioner in July
  Saint Joseph taketh away my air conditioner in August
  Mother Nature & Weather.com promiseth me cooler days to come!
• Saint Joseph giveth me digital cable in March
  Saint Joseph and Comcast taketh away my cable completely in August
  Saint Joseph and Comcast promiseth me my cable back PLUS HBO and Showtime within the week!
• Saint Joseph giveth me brand new washers and dryers, good enough to live in
  Fate taketh away said washers and dryers upon their first use (my bad!)
  Facilities promiseth me that all will be well with washers and dryers soon!

So, I hope that all my temporary “loses” have brought a smile to your face, even if it’s little one. You see, with every loss whether it is life, love, or even superficial-materialistic items; there is the promise of something else to come. Sometimes you just have to be patient and wait.

Me Being ... Superstitious

... and how could I not be on Friday the 13th. Every year it comes around (sometimes twice) and never has anything really wrong happened on any Friday the 13th I've lived through. But, you see, that makes the anticipation even worse the next year when it rolls around. I just keep waiting for something bad to happen to me on this day.  Does that make sense? Oh, man ... the paranoia is really sinking in fast these days.

Oh, well.

If anything bad were to happen on this notorious day would I be able to blame it on F13 or just chock it up to everyday bad luck (aka life)? Sure a lot of bad things happened during the week, but there was no F13 looming over my head then. So, I guess you can say this week is like a test, one of many I'm sure. 

It's something I've come to accept (life, that is) which is why I only allow myself this day to be constantly watching over my back. No reason to be paranoid all the time, so I save all that pent up worry for this day alone.

What's the worst that happened to me today? Right now the end of the summer is looking like the worst kind of luck looming over my head. What's in store for tomorrow? Oh, it's all carpe diem, baby!

August 6, 2010

Me Being … Random Part I (A Week in Review)

Not much going on here. Not even a common theme that I can make out from the past week. So I’m just gonna go on about my life: I went to a dear friend’s wedding on Saturday, temporarily hated Tuesday, and have thought it was Thursday all week. And I miss the CREC kids "like whoa". My schedule has opened up a lot since their departure, but now I don’t know what to do with myself these days!

Saturday: I got to see some old SJC friends at a wedding for SJC Admission Counselor Michele and her husband Chris. It took place near the beach and luckily it was a perfectly sunny day. Both the place and happy couple looked beautiful! Love like that is inspirational and humbling at the same time. Michele and Chris even had the rather brilliant idea of replacing the traditional wedding cake with a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cake, and guests could go up and make Ben & Jerry’s sundaes. If that’s not pure genius, I don’t know what is. Yum!

Tuesday: Not the best day this week. Why? I took the day off to go to the beach with some family, but unfortunately after we ate our picnic my mother realized that Tuesday was not her day off, Wednesday was. So before my toes could touch the welcoming jelly-fish infested  waters, we were packed up and driving back home. It was sad to see my entire summer paycheck leave my checking account on Tuesday, but it was August 3rd, ergo, Tuition Payment Day here at SJC. Hey, at least it went towards something good like an education (at least that is what I keep telling myself).

And I don’t think I could’ve gotten through it without the help of the ever so wonderful Rosario Silvestre in the Financial Aid Office – she is probably one of the nicest people on campus! She is helpful and cheerful while she helps you sort out all the things you still don’t understand about loans. In case you haven’t learned yet, the Financial Aid Office is there to help you (hence the word “Aid” in their title), so don’t be shy! They want what’s best for students and give great advice, so I highly recommend that you visit them (Mercy Hall, 2nd floor) with any questions.

Thursday: Finally! I got to go out with some of my old residents and friends to celebrate Summer RA April’s 20th birthday at the Cheesecake Factory down the road from school at Blue Back Sqaure. Eating amazing food outdoors and laughing is always a necessity.

And now that it is Friday, I still can’t shake the feeling that it is Thursday. Oh, man. Am I off or what? What am I looking forward to next week? I simply cannot wait for another day at the beach and to see old friends move back on campus!

Me Being ... Proud

Theatrical...dramatic... despite what you think, they are not the same!

Dramatic: I'm so upset, yet so proud of the CREC students this summer. 43 students from across Connecticut have come together and formed such strong friendships with each other. I've spent time with them, laughed with them, cried with them, seen them open up and be honest and try new experiences while here for a mere 4 weeks. So many jokes and memories, yet they've made it this far and completed a rigorous and sometimes frustrating course. Chris Martin dared to ask the obvious question: "Why must all good things come to an end?" Well? Why must they? Seeing these kids grow in so many ways is an experience I know I will treasure forever. So I am sure that today, when those kids pack up and leave, I will be sobbing. Oh, whatever will  the parents think... Probably that I am a drama-queen.

Theatrical: So I paid a visit to the Pope Pius XII Library on campus last week and Laura followed with a camera in tow, so of course wackiness ensued. Laura, being an actor and all, oozes theatricality (in a good way!) anywhere we go so it is very contagious. Even in a place so holy and sacred as a library!

So yes, there is another installment of "RADical Rae" up on our YouTube page so go take a gander :)

July 23, 2010

Me Being... Theatrical Once Again

What are these?! Pictures? Of Moi? I look rather jubilant, actually. And who, pray tell, are those two strict ladies? Hmm.... well stay tuned and you might just find out what this is all about ;)

Me Being … Shakespearean

It never really hits you until the calm AFTER the storm just how much you appreciate the little things. Like the rain that brought a cool breeze in this week, or the reappearance of flowers on campus. Or even air conditioning that miraculously shows up in your room one day after you passive aggressively blogged about it … Ah, yes. Note to self: must enjoy the little things.

Nonetheless, it’s been another intense and busy, but FUN, week with the CREC kids. It’s different being an RC (aka an advisor to RAs) instead being the RA itself. I’m not as involved with the kids, so learning all of their names has been the toughest part. But, we’ve been keeping them rather busy with this week’s activities: Scavenger Hunt, Big Prize BINGO, and Tie-Dying t-shirts (my hands still show the Technicolor effects of it whilst I type this out). But last night, the RAs and I took the students to see Capital Classics Theatre Company’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These actors didn’t know it, but they had a hard task ahead of them: winning over the approval of 43 high-schoolers.

After witnessing the stress these kids are experiencing with papers and portfolios, I expected the grumbling and the complaints about having to attend a 3 hour performance, outside, spoken in Elizabethan verse and iambic pentameter. But all those naysayers who said they would much rather be working on a lab report that was not due until Monday became believers in the word of Sir Billy Shakespeare. Ahhh … It was like being thrown back into the my 7^th grade Language Arts class where my teacher Mrs. White theatrically traipsed across the room as the mischievous Puck. Much hilarity ensued while the actors gave a stellar performance and interacted with the audience. After the performance it was hard to get the kids to calm down and ready for bed as they giddily remarked about how cute the actors were and related their favorite comedic lines and scenes over and over again.

So again, it’s the little things, like seeing young people develop an appreciation for Shakespeare, that make the end of a long day—or even week—that much better.

July 9, 2010

Me Being … Pooped Part I

I’m pooped (pardon my French). Why? Because I am just gosh darn busy these days, duh! Combine exhaustion and heat and you have a perfect recipe for feeling all tuckered out.

I have been waking up at 8:30 AM and going to sleep at 3:00 AM. Why? Oh, it just might be because I'm working 2 jobs and don’t have an AC in my 2^nd floor room, which means despite 3 fans, my room was at a whopping 99° F for the past 5 days! Even the lush landscapes of SJC have sadly wilted and dried out to resemble nothing other than crunchy brown despair. The humidity – simply unbearable. I have given up on my hair, have worn loose gym shorts and tee-shirts to work everyday (rather unprofessional) and gone through a whole bar of soap from washing the sweat off me. But I haven’t had time to dwell on such petty details, and that’s because on Monday the CREC students arrived. All 43 of them bustled into their nicely air-conditioned rooms (yes, I am full of envy). However, much credit is in order since these kids stuck it out when we dragged them away for the comforts of their AC and into the sweltering heat of the outdoors for Team Building activities. Such little troopers!

CREC is a different kind of camp. "SJC CREC Camp" does not have a lake to canoe in or pine trees to hike through, but we have teachers and RAs at the ready to mold the lives of young high-schoolers. During the day these kids attend a college level course, either Biotechnology or Health & Medical Sciences; two subjects which I know I could never even begin to comprehend, so again I give props to the kids. However, in the evening they’re with us (aka RAs & RCs) and are either playing or doing homework until it’s 11:00 PM and we’re telling them it’s lights out!

But needless to say, it’s been hectic, but I know that by next week things will have settled down, especially after I get some rest this weekend. Plus, weather.com promises me temperatures in the 80s… but they’ve lied to me before, so we’ll see how that goes!

P.S.
Get used to seeing many blogs in the “Pooped” series.

P.P.S.
I hope everyone else is staying cool in during this cruel weather!

Me Being … A Movie Star

Now who wouldn’t want to grow up to be a famous actor? Me, that’s who! Like I said in my bio, I have severe stage fright. But since coming to St. Joe’s that has subdued a bit. Only one person seems to be able to crack me out of my shell, kicking a screaming, and that one person is Laura Sheehan. She's so tricky, that Laura. I just wish I knew how she does it so that I could build up an immunity.

“Let’s do a Student Spotlight Profile on you for the web site!” she said.
“Okay…?” I said (SEPTEMBER 2009)

“Let’s put you in Outlook !” she said.
“Um, sure…?” I said. (NOVEMBER 2009)

“Let’s do a student blog with you!” she said.
“Alright…?” I said. (APRIL 2010)

“Let’s do a movie!” she said.
“Fine! I fold! I acquiesce! What more do you want from me?!” I said. (JUNE 2010)

You see, there’s a pattern in there somewhere, I just know it!

So for the last two weeks I have been “On Set”. When Laura shouts “Action!” I go into random mumbling mode and talk about whatever pops into my head (WARNING: This tactic is not suited for everyone, so please do no try this at home!)

Eventually,  this one video turned into a series of videos titled “RADical Rae” (you’ll understand when you see the movie). Here's some photos from the set:

Again, they’ll make more sense once you see the movie - coming soon to:
www.youtube.com/user/SJCConn

June 25, 2010

Me Being … Feng Shui

Thank you all for the birthday wishes, even though my last blog was all about getting older and changing, I swear I had no ulterior motive to extract birthday acknowledgment from everyone! But to update on the weekend’s festivities, it was sheer irony that I ended up at the theater with my family on my birthday/ Father’s Day and saw Toy Story 3, a plot that screams nostalgia and change. Tears were shed during this roller-coaster of emotions. It was like Up all over again. Curse you Disney-Pixar. Curse you!

However, upon returning to campus after a busy weekend at home, I noticed the SJC community buzzing with change. Nothing major, same place, same campus but with small subtle changes like the appearance of young children here for summer camps, orientation groups and tours moving from one building to another, the Capital Classics performers building  and rehearsing on their outdoor stage, the beautiful renovation of the 3^rd floor of Mercy Hall, or the feng shui occurring in the Student Affairs office.

So I returned to my room to unpack and take a much needed nap only to find that all of my posters fell off the walls during my absence. Cursed humidity, you’re right up there with Disney-Pixar. I had also left my room a clutter, so for the first time being in my room was not comfortable. So I started to make changes, pushed books and nick-knacks around, cleaned up, and even started to move large objects downstairs to where my new room will be come fall semester (it’s like have having a giant closet for all my storage needs!).

But it seems that whenever I start to get comfy somewhere I then have to relocate. I often look upon it with disdain at first, the idea of all that manual labor, but once I am re-situated I get caught up in the whirlwind of unpacking and decorating to make it comfy all over again.

So at the end of the summer, the camps will sing their last kumbaya, those girls here for orientation will be here classes, the actors will pack up and take their stage and laughter with them, the renovated offices will just be offices, and I’ll have settled into Madonna 125 (where the temperature is much cooler). But the campus will still be there, same place, same location, but getting ready for a new kind of buzz.

June 17, 2010

Me Being … Older

Currently, my official Facebook status reads: “3 days.”

Three days until what? you might ask. Well, three days until my birthday which means I am three days closer to not only being legal, but also being older. Birthdays are bittersweet. Some embrace the day as a right of passage and mark of success, while others dread wrinkles and the attention. I relate more with the latter. I’ve always struggled with change and if growing older wasn’t the very definition of change, then slap a beard on me and call me Rip Van Winkle. I thought I couldn’t handle turning 20 last year, but with close friends, a LOST marathon, and a Funfetti cake I was able to plow through what I considered to be my mid-life crisis. Mid-life crisis at 20!? you might ask. Well, yes, yes it was. If taken into account my unbalanced diet, lack of exercise and distracting driving skills, a worry-wart such as myself can only hope to make it to the ripe age of 40. I believe it was Oscar Wilde who once said “To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable.” Well, Mr. Oscar Wilde, you are my hero.

The realization that the transition from teenager to twenty-something year old was a sucker punch of the worst kind. I worried that it was no longer acceptable for me to browse the Teen Lit section at the library, watch shows on Disney Channel, read my subscriptions to Seventeen or Teen Vogue, pull pranks on friends, or even eat packets of Dunkaroos or Fruit Roll Ups in excess. I noticed the white hairs on my head had numerated to a grand total of 23, which meant I was not only one year closer to graduating and being thrown into the real world, but one year closer to looking like my mother. How did I deal with this? Terribly. I made many desperate attempts to try and relive my childhood which eventually landed me in a dark hole of unattainable nostalgia. Luckily, July started and my schedule became so chockablock full with responsibilities and having fun with my friends that I didn’t have the time to worry.

In the end, all a person can do when taking a stand against change is to raise their fist and shake it at Father Time while shouting “To heck with you!” I continued to be me, no drastic changes or sacrifices necessary. Lesson learned: You can be you at any age, but with a shorter haircut and more sophisticated wardrobe. So, what are my plans for my 21^st birthday? Eating cake and watching Disney Channel at 8 PM for the gripping conclusion of the two part season finale of “Sonny With a Chance”. I can’t wait!

June 10, 2010

Me Being ... Ready

It usually takes me a while to wrap my head around something and then do it. I need time to adjust and get ready. Working in the Office of Marketing & Communications is how this whole blog situation started. This blog would not be published online had they not asked me. I have big shoes to fill in respect of my predecessor, the Awesome Siobhan Kelly. I was unsure how this would come along, especially since I’m not a English major and have no aspirations to write, but perhaps my influences and life experiences have shaped me in a way that maybe, just maybe, they shall pass as great material for blogging.

I sure am honored that someone other than myself thought me interesting and worthy enough of blogging for public viewing on the World Wide Web! Heck, I’m surprised it has come this far. You see, I used to be the typical kid with severe stage fright of anything that dealt with putting my self out there, which often resulted in a bad case of deadly mortification.  However, since coming to college I believe that I have in fact blossomed into the – albeit unkept – social butterfly I am today.

I’m by far no crème de la crème and I’m not one to Photoshop and tell…. But I was not sure what I would do with a school blog until taking the photo you see as the main image (above). It was a humid morning full with the promise of rain, and  as always I was reluctant and taken off guard. I did not come to work prepared for a photo, but after a minute I acquiesced, shrugged my shoulders and said “Oh, heck! I’ll Kurt Cobain this in a ‘Come as You Are’ sort of way.”

And then it struck me, like the black gold Jed Clampett accidentally struck on his Ozark swampland that fateful morning of ‘62. (Cue lightening bulb) The confidence and moxie I needed sprung from the ground and into that unkept-frizzy-haired-head of mine. “I shall accept this challenge! And I shall write a blog worthy of the public eye! And it will be me just being… well, me!”

So there you have it, the beginning of something new. If you have read this far, I sincerely congratulate and thank you! To conclude this rather random introduction blog, I hope that in the future you will find me entertaining, thought provoking, at times humorous, and God willing – intelligent.