Merry Christmas!
I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas - I know I did! I was able to spend time with lots of family and celebrate with our yearly traditions of special foods, music and fun. I have four cousins on my mom's side of the family and all of us (along with my sister) have a Secret Santa gift exchange - we pick names at Thanksgiving and set a $25 limit - this year I had my cousin Emma, who is a sophomore in high school. My cousin Tom, who is a senior in high school, had me. It is so much more fun to do a special gift exchange like this, it was clear that everyone had put a lot of thought to what their cousin would want! Being that I am the oldest of all of the cousins and the next oldest is my sister, I have really enjoyed watching my younger cousins mature throughout the years. My cousin Tom will be headed off to college next year, which is hard to believe! Even though we have had many of the same holiday traditions since we were much younger, Christmas is a definite time that I see my family getting older - there isn't any voracious unwrapping of gifts, but instead a general sense of enjoyment of being together!
My dad's family is much smaller, but much more eccentric. Each year my grandmother gives us all a challenge to complete before the next year; this year we had to make something to wear out of duct tape! I made a purse, and I used my hot glue gunning skills to bedazzle it with some beads that I found in our basement...no winner was chosen, but we all had fun creating our pieces! We also have a Yankee Swap gift exchange, which is always cut throat - but lots of fun. This year our challenge is to be conscious about using our "talents" to better the world around us. It's a little less light hearted than the duct tape challenge, but it will be a great year-long challenge!
My mom, sister and I are headed down to New Hampshire tomorrow to meet up with my mom's best friend Linda and her daughter Brittany and then we will all head to NYC. I am SO excited for our trip - I'll update you when we get back, plus I'll write my second annual year recap in honor of New Year's.
Holiday wishes to you and your family!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Congrats EA I Accepted Students!
All of the students who applied Early Action I to SMC have received/will be receiving their decision very soon! For those of you who are prospective students/prospective parents who worked hard to apply to SMC EA I, congratualtions on all of your hard work!
Students who are accepted at the EA I deadline will be receiving an invitation to join "KnightSpace," an online community of prospective (accepted) SMC students. This is a great way for accepted students to meet one another and discuss the whirlwind that is their senior year - if you are an accepted student, join KnightSpace when you receive the invitation! I am on there as are the rest of the bloggers - we are available to answer questions etc...Request me as a friend when you join, I'd love to hear from you!!
Students who are accepted at the EA I deadline will be receiving an invitation to join "KnightSpace," an online community of prospective (accepted) SMC students. This is a great way for accepted students to meet one another and discuss the whirlwind that is their senior year - if you are an accepted student, join KnightSpace when you receive the invitation! I am on there as are the rest of the bloggers - we are available to answer questions etc...Request me as a friend when you join, I'd love to hear from you!!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
lots to report!
A lot has happened since I posted last, even though it was only a few days ago! I handed in my thesis and celebrated with my class on Thursday, which was great. As I mentioned in my last post, we became really close throughout the semester and even though I am happy to have my thesis behind me, I am sad that the process is over!
I wrapped up in internship on Friday with a final official visit to Make-A-Wish. I will head back to the office for the holiday party this Thursday and see everyone again, but my hours are completed, my paper has been turned into my advisor and we have had out final meeting. This internship was a great experience...which leads me to my next piece of news...I was offered an internship at Eating Well Media Group for the spring - needless to say I accepted the offer! I am SO pumped about this internship. I interviewed with a really cool team of editors and got a really great feeling from the office as a whole - plus my good friend Sarah was offered an internship too! I will certainly keep you posted on this internship next semester!
My other classes are also done - this upcoming week is exam week, but I only had papers (which I finished) and a take home exam (which I got up early to finish on Friday), so I am officially done! All of my classes were great this semester, but I am looking forward to my schedule next semester.
I attended two pot-luck dinners this week - one was a LEAP reunion for my September LEAP and one was a gathering for my Dominican Republic trip. It's a lot of fun to attend pot-luck dinners now that I am a senior because I am able to cook something in my kitchen and bring it to share.
In other news, my NYC plans are firming up - my mom and sister along with my mom's best friend (her roommate from college!) and her daughter and I are going to head down to NYC on December 27th for a few days of sightseeing, shopping and fun. We have tickets to the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall and hope to see all of the typical NYC sites - my sister and I have never been so we are really looking forward to it!
I wrapped up in internship on Friday with a final official visit to Make-A-Wish. I will head back to the office for the holiday party this Thursday and see everyone again, but my hours are completed, my paper has been turned into my advisor and we have had out final meeting. This internship was a great experience...which leads me to my next piece of news...I was offered an internship at Eating Well Media Group for the spring - needless to say I accepted the offer! I am SO pumped about this internship. I interviewed with a really cool team of editors and got a really great feeling from the office as a whole - plus my good friend Sarah was offered an internship too! I will certainly keep you posted on this internship next semester!
My other classes are also done - this upcoming week is exam week, but I only had papers (which I finished) and a take home exam (which I got up early to finish on Friday), so I am officially done! All of my classes were great this semester, but I am looking forward to my schedule next semester.
I attended two pot-luck dinners this week - one was a LEAP reunion for my September LEAP and one was a gathering for my Dominican Republic trip. It's a lot of fun to attend pot-luck dinners now that I am a senior because I am able to cook something in my kitchen and bring it to share.
In other news, my NYC plans are firming up - my mom and sister along with my mom's best friend (her roommate from college!) and her daughter and I are going to head down to NYC on December 27th for a few days of sightseeing, shopping and fun. We have tickets to the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall and hope to see all of the typical NYC sites - my sister and I have never been so we are really looking forward to it!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
It's Done!
I presented my thesis last night! I was incredibly nervous before/during the presentation--I haven't been that nervous in LONG time, but it went really well. I read my presentation along with six of my other classmates and then we fielded questions. The first two questions were directed at yours truly, and I was pleased with how I did. One of the questions was asked by my advisor (the professor who I meet with several times a year when choosing my schedule; I've also had him for two classes and worked with him as my internship faculty advisor), and the other was from another professor who I'd had several times.
Seeing all of the people out in the audience who were there to support us was a great feeling; other English professors go to support the department as a whole but also to support individual students who they have had in the past. Despite the fact that the professors are typically the ones asking the hard and scary questions, as soon as it's said and done they are the first ones to congratulate you! Every professor who I'd had in the past came up and personally congratulated me, which was great! My parents and my sister were also able to attend, which was really special--they got to meet my advisor and see me present my most important academic paper thus far.
I am really sad to see this process ending. My class has really come together through the process; we all supported one another throughout the entire process, especially during the presentations. I couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of all of them while they were presenting. Because we have been together for the entire semester, we have really seen each other's papers change and evolve. It was as if I had 13 siblings up there presenting the work that I know they worked so hard on. BIG shout out to my classmates, and a huge amounts of praise for a job well done!
I will officially be finished with my paper tomorrow when I hand it in at 2:30. After a few formalities, my class has decided to head down to RiRa, an Irish pub on Church Street in Burlington for some celebration together. I can't wait!
Seeing all of the people out in the audience who were there to support us was a great feeling; other English professors go to support the department as a whole but also to support individual students who they have had in the past. Despite the fact that the professors are typically the ones asking the hard and scary questions, as soon as it's said and done they are the first ones to congratulate you! Every professor who I'd had in the past came up and personally congratulated me, which was great! My parents and my sister were also able to attend, which was really special--they got to meet my advisor and see me present my most important academic paper thus far.
I am really sad to see this process ending. My class has really come together through the process; we all supported one another throughout the entire process, especially during the presentations. I couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of all of them while they were presenting. Because we have been together for the entire semester, we have really seen each other's papers change and evolve. It was as if I had 13 siblings up there presenting the work that I know they worked so hard on. BIG shout out to my classmates, and a huge amounts of praise for a job well done!
I will officially be finished with my paper tomorrow when I hand it in at 2:30. After a few formalities, my class has decided to head down to RiRa, an Irish pub on Church Street in Burlington for some celebration together. I can't wait!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Cultural Pass
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may remember my post last year about the SMC Cultural Pass...basically, by paying $30, all SMC students can go to almost all of the shows put on at the Flynn Theater each year. The theater is down in Burlington, just a short drive or (free) bus ride from campus. I took advantage of the pass last year and saw three shows, and stepped it up this year by ordering tickes for 13 shows!! How incredible!
Last Tuesday I went to the Soweto Gospel Choir show at the Flynn. It was a really great show; wonderful music and dancing! Some of my upcoming shows include the Vermont Youth Orchestra in Video Games Live, Hubbard Street Dance, Cirque Eloise, National Acrobats of China, Pilobolus and the Russian National Ballet Theater. I am so happy that SMC values the performances at the Flynn and makes them accessible to students - what a great way to spend an evening!
Last Tuesday I went to the Soweto Gospel Choir show at the Flynn. It was a really great show; wonderful music and dancing! Some of my upcoming shows include the Vermont Youth Orchestra in Video Games Live, Hubbard Street Dance, Cirque Eloise, National Acrobats of China, Pilobolus and the Russian National Ballet Theater. I am so happy that SMC values the performances at the Flynn and makes them accessible to students - what a great way to spend an evening!
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