no, i'm not talking about the vampire movie, even though i did have that new moon midnight release experience this past weekend. i'm referring to a 15-minute reflection that is held every monday night through campus ministry. it is a brief, insightful, relaxing meeting of students with our campus minister to simply reflect on the past day and look forward to the next week. i find myself on most nights laying down on the floor and counting my breathing as i listen to the thoughtful words of the night. it is not a time of speaking to each other but rather listening to the campus minister guide us in meditation.

well last night's reflection was a PERFECT end to my day. you know that kind of day when you wake up and know its going to be a good day. well that was yesterday for me. i started out with breakfast (hardly ever happens) and moved on through the day successfully with classes, meetings, homework, being with friends, and more. there wasn't a single moment of negativity yesterday and it felt fantastic. as the night progressed after dinner i was watching the bucket list and felt that much better about my life, especially for the 46 days left i have of my college career. it left me in a great mood about life and it ended at 10:59. so at 11:00 i headed up to the 6th floor chapel for the most influential twilight experience i've had. the night's reflection focused on life lessons and learning to open our eyes and see whats in front of us.

what did you encounter today?

what will you encounter this week?

more importantly, what will you learn from it?

Two days ago I woke up on Wednesday morning and looked out my window.  It was gray and foggy, I thought, "Great! What a beautiful day to be sleeping outside in a cardboard box."  I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to shower and get ready (I was running late for my first class).  When I was finished with my shower and dressed I looked out the window again.  The fog had lifted, but it was as gray as ever... and now it was raining! I got in my car, stopped to get gas, and went to class.  After class it was still raining.  I drove from class to work and after 4 hours at work it was STILL raining.

I started to wonder if sleeping outside was the best thing for me to do.  I was feeling a little under the weather already and I had just gotten the flu vaccination which meant I would be more prone to catching something.  I texted Sam asking her if there was a rain plan for Shanty Town or if we were all just going to die of hypothermia... she said these was no plan B and that Shanty Town was still on.  I drove home to pack my stuff and thought about the cold rain all around me... it would be miserable to sleep outside in it.

When I got home, I did some thinking.  It was close to the end of the semester and it wouldn't be very good if I got more sick than I already was right before exams... that would be disastrous.  Not to mention the fact that Thanksgiving was coming up and right after that my birthday... it would be horrible to be sick on my favorite holiday and my birthday.  Sam let me know that she had just gotten the call not to put the boxes out yet and she told me to just wait and come for the Soup Kitchen at 9:30.  I told her I thought that was a good idea, but that I was having second thouhgts about staying the night.

Around 8:45 I drug myself out o fmy cozy room and into my cold car and drove to the Mount.  Camus Ministry and there Shanty members were in Seton lobby constructing their Shantys.  I mingled and floated around taking pictures for Dateline.  Then it came time for the Soup Kitchen and the game.  There was vegetable beef soup for everyone and slices of white bread... after everybody had eaten their fill it was time for the game to be explained.

The game was called Single Room Occupancy, and it was quite difficult to understand at first, therefore I will not even attempt to explain it here.  It was quite fun though.  I followed Samantha around trying to keep her from dying... and it worked.  When the game was over everyone went back to the Cornona Room and counted up their points.  Sam fell somewhere in the low end of the middle (but hey, at least she wasn't dead!) and Jeff Ward ended up winning.  The game was supposed to highlight certain aspects of real life and I think everyone who participated got some meaning out of it.

I stayed long enough to get a picture of Sam and Molly in their Shanty and a few of the bonfire and reflection, but then I said I needed to go.  Part of me wishes I had stayed to sleep over, but part of me is really glad that I didn't stay because I probably would've gotten even more sick.  I was presnt for enough of the event to realize just what I had to be thankful for... and just in time for Thanksgiving too!!

So its the second week of the 2009 spring semester and I am already exhausted. I'm carrying 18 credit hours plus an audit. I am on the committee for planning the Inauguration Mass for our new MSJ President, Dr. Tony Aretz. I am the secretary for the Habitat for Humanity club and we are working this year to expand the group and promote and fundraise for future events, like our Spring Break trip to Miami Florida. Also, I am working with Andrea Stiles from Campus Ministry to organize a new spin on our FISH groiups. I will be leading a FISH group based on the 4th Day Kairos experience. I'm still working as a tele-recruiter in the Admissions Office and I'm helping to recruit for Spring Phonathon for the semester. Also, I'm working on the applications for an Resident Assistant and Orientation Leader. And to add on to that I am auditioning for the Spring Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Plus, I have my portfolio review next month! Yea. My semester is a little crazy. To make it even better, two of my classes this semester are 'Statistics with SPSS' and 'Chemistry of Art'. I've never taken a math class harder than Algebra 2 (5 years ago) or a science class harder than Biology (6 years ago). I've got a lot of work to do this semester but its all far more than worth it! I am loving everything!!!

 AND I couldn't get through this blog without mentioning it. Over Christmas break, I began reading the Twilight series. I started the fourth in the series just last night and i cannot wait to finish it!!!!!

 Now back to my studies, thanks for reading and again - welcome back!!!

well its coming down to it! there is less than two weeks left of this semester and i'm ready for it to be finalized! i don't know how i managed it but i have not had one test all semester and I have no schedulded exam to take. I have one final project, 2 final papers, and 2 more concerts, and then i'm done! my last event for campus minisitry was last night. I also had my first concert for college chorale last night. our final concert is tonight in the mater dei chapel at 7:30. we had our concert for mount singers on the wednesday before thanksgiving break and our final show will be next friday after the semester is over when we perform at the festival of lights. my final project is for my flameworking class and oh my goodness i am ready to finish it! i'll have a picture of it on here SOON! My final papers are for Ethics and Religion and they are both on their way to be done! I've got these next two weeks to focus on preparing myself for next semester: i can set time away for work, homework, exercise, sleep if need be, and clubs/organizations. I'm ready to start the next semester. I'm ready to take on new challenges. I'm ready to learn new material. I'm ready to further my education. I'm ready!

This winter break is going to be awesome! when i was home for thanksgiving break i was able to go in to my work at Hallmark from the summer and tell my manager about my availability for the winter break and she told me my name is still in the system! i'm happy! I need that job!

 only two more weeks left - I'm making it work!!!!

I have been awake since 6am this morning going through e-mails, papers, binders, folders, books, web-sites, phone conversations, and everything else possible! Lets start off with the first two hours of my day. I spent two hours this morning putting together information for an interview that I would have for Kiss 107 about my involvement through the Mount on www.collegeweeklive.com. I then got ready for the day and went to my 9am class. Afterwards I spoke with Cliff about the semester so far and picked up my the Flip Video Camera to start taking more footage for the video that will ...eventually... be up on this blog page. He also had mentioned some ideas for the phonathon job just so many hours later. I then had just enough time to stop up in my room to check e-mails again before my tutoring for ethics. My tutor helped me pitch some ideas for my last ethics paper for the semester. I finished tutoring and made my way up to the room to yet again CHECK MY E-MAIL for more updates for the day and this week. ((I feel like I get 10 e-mails every hour - I'm too involved.)) I then rushed my lunch in order to once again check my e-mail so I can be ready for another interview for the day. I was able to speak with Shane Fero for an hour today about glass art. He is the president of the Glass Art Society and has created some amazingly beautiful pieces and has been able to present, lecture, demonstrate, and teach the techniques of flameworking. I had this interview with him today because of a research paper that is due on Thursday for my flameworking course. We have to research the technique and history of the glasswork as well as an artist who uses the technique and their thoughts and experience with it. I chose Shane Fero because of his magnificent work but never expected to be given the opportunity to speak with him directly about his fabulous work! The best thing I got from the interview was this direct quote from him. His words are inspirational:

“Coming from a traditional background, you learn by practice. Somebody that is coming from a background doesn’t have to have huge skills to make something beautiful. You don’t have to have incredible flameworking skills to make incredible art.”

I've been in a great mood ever since! But still tired because there has been more to add on to the day. After the interview I had voice lessons and then had to rush up to the theatre lobby for the campus ministry leadership team bingo event. I was unaboule to stay for the whole thing however because of choir. Of course after choir, I went up to my room again to CHECK E-MAIL AGAIN before dinner in which i rush in order to get to work on time. Working the phonathon was of course slow tonight because its the last week of calling and we were calling some of the more difficult customers. We made it through though and ended up making it over our goal for the semester. So it overall was a big success. Well after work I had another meeting with campus ministry to talk about the bingo event earlier in the day, as well as the trick or treat for canned goods event. They were BOTH BIG SUCCESSES! We are really excited about it. We also began talking in to more details about upcoming events for the semester. This includes shanty town in which any of the mount students/faculty/staff etc. can build a place to stay for the night of november 19th out of cardboard boxes and sleep outside. it is a big part of our homelessness awareness week! we talked about more details within the week about movie events, speakers, and more. i'm really excited about it! we have more events coming up as well, including a night hike on december 2nd that is welcome to all. after the meeting i was finally able to come back to my room FOR THE NIGHT and get ready for bed. and so now i'm here. writing this blog, tired as can be, and still having to work on more homework, including that ten-page paper that my interview was for. thankfully i have more than enough information to feed off of. its just a matter of whether my brain is too fried to work on it much tonight before i sleep.

well either way, thanks for reading my blog again!

Well this weekend is the Mount's homecoming football game! We are playing the Franklin Grizzlies at 1:30 on Saturday. In celebration of the game, the school has several activities going on around the campus. The dorm wars began last night with a presentation of the flags. This past Monday I helped to decorate our floor's flag. We were given a dark green for our color so we decided our team's name would be the Ninja Frogs. A lot of creativity was put in to the flag and because of how much fabric we were given we were able to make headbands and wrist bands for every girl on the floor. I wasn't able to go to the flag presentation, but according to the pictures I'm pretty sure we had the best ! There were a couple other different activities last night to begin the dorm wars. They had a checker/chess tournement, talent show, puzzle making, and more!

There was another big activity on campus today, the Push-Cart Parade. Some of the clubs/organizations at the Mount were given an opportunity to decorate a push-cart to make it look like a float from a parade to represent their club with the Homecoming theme in mind - Monster Mash. As being on the Campus Ministry Leadership Team, I was able to help out with decorating our cart. We were able to find the perfect passage to use for our cart, Revelations 13:1-2: 

"Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. "

How perfect is it that we the Mount Lions are playing the Franklin Grizzlies for our Monster Mash Homecoming? So our team ended up creating a seven headed lion with a MSJ jersey pouncing over a cowering grizzly bear. The parade today gave us the opportunity to see what kind of creatitivy the clubs have on campus. It was really exciting to see .

Tonight the games will include sand volleyball, knock-out, and cornhole. I unfortunatley won't be able to attend those activities due to my night class but I'm sure it will be a lot of fun! Everyone in the dorms seems to be really excited about the activities! I'm anxious for tomorrow's games because I will actually be able to participate. My roomie and I will be our floor's team for the 3-legged race so it will definitely be interesting! After the activities, we will be having our homecoming dance in which everyone is invited to dress up in Halloween costumes, and for anyone who doesn't already know me, I like pirates! And therefore I will be dressing up as a Pirate Wench !

Then the perfect way to end the week is with the game on Saturday. I'm more than anxious to see the Lions beat the Grizzlies in the best game yet! 

This past weekend was beyond words. I attended the Metanoia Retreat (Change of Heart) for the third time of my college career. My first year here at the school I had attended it because my friends said that it would be a fun weekend to get away for a while. This is when those friends became some of my best friends. My sophomore year at the school, I was on the team to lead the retreat, that was a great experience all in itself not only for the inner-faith aspect but for learning aspects of leadership. This year I chose to attend the retreat again due to the changes that have been made in it - each change was definitely for the better and was very impressive. I learned so much more about myself and about living life in general because each person had such an open heart. I had gone to Kairos in high school and loved it but didn't gain from it like the way I have in these retreats in college. Each person that I have had a chance to talk to through the retreats held by the Mount has become a new friend. This past Retreat Weekend, I have been able to make some new best friends. My heart has been opened up in to taking more chances and making my choices not only for my own sake of well-being but for every person around me. Every person in my life has had some kind of effect, whether it be for betther or worse, in the end. Every thing that happens is another life lesson, and therefore a good experience. My entire life I have been a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason. This retreat has made that belief even stronger. I have been able to open my heart to change and for believing every day is a new lesson in my life. This retreat has helped me to become a stronger, more relaxed, more faithful, and open to change kind of person. And last but certainly not least a much bigger fan of HUGS!!!

Thanks again for reading!!!

 THESE ARE SOME OF THE GREATEST PEOPLE YOU COULD EVER MEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before I got to the Mount, I was always use to going to church on Sunday Mornings. Back home, I always went to St. Clement church, and since I live at the Mount now, it is really a pain to get up early in the morning and race down to St. Bernard. However one of the good things about going to the Mount is that they have a Sunday Night Mass. Mass is held here on campus in the 6^th floor chapel at 9pm. It is a very nice and casual mass for the students. It is a really neat mass because a lot of people come and dress in casual clothes such as sweatpants and sweatshirts which most people don’t wear to their parish services. The music is really neat and upbeat and it is just a great time. I haven’t gone in a while because of being busy on Sunday nights and instead just go to my girlfriend's church for mass, but it is a really big advantage to going to the Mount. Instead of people coming out of state and looking around town for a place to go to church, they can just go to church here on campus.

            The Campus Ministry here on campus is a very popular and well known group on campus here at the Mount. They are very active in providing many fun activities such as night hikes, retreats, as well as many other activities throughout the semester. One of the more popular events that they do on campus is the Metanoia retreat which is actually coming up this weekend. Overall we have a lot of great clubs and organizations here on campus, but if you want to join one that is really active and does a ton for the campus, Campus Ministry would be a good choice.