Hello world. I hope everyone has been surviving in this snow globe of a place lately. The MSJ community was graced with another snow day on Monday, thanks to white death part deux. I kept hearing that it was coming, however I was unimpressed with the slight dusting that was on the ground around 5am that morning. It must've just been dumped on us like a five-year old with a bucket of Legos, because the next thing I know, it's 9am and there's snow up to my knees. Hey, I'm not complaining. 

Alright so this year has been quite different for me schedule-wise than my freshman year. Actually, it's almost opposite. Last year all my classes were during the day, usually beginning at 8:30am and ending around 2pm or 3pm. Typical day, much like a high school day or some work days (yawn). When I started to schedule for this year, things began to get trickier and more limited because there were less sections being offered for the classes I need to take for my major. When all was said and done, my schedule consists of classes that don't start before 1pm, and night class 3 days out of the week. To some, this would be a dream schedule! Sleep in...wake up in time to catch lunch...awesome! However it has its downsides to it as well such as today, when school was closed until noon because of the white death. That really didn't help me much, but everyone else seemed to be thrilled. I also hate knowing that at dinner time while everyone else is unwinding and filling their bellies up for a night full of studying and ping pong, I'm mentally preparing myself to sit in a classroom for three hours straight without completely losing it . Either way, I have found that my night classes are filled with more adult students which sometimes has the potential to make the discussions and learning atmosphere more serious and stimulating than a room full of freshman and jocks during the day (no offense). Night classes are not for everyone, however I have started to adjust and almost acquire a liking for them.

I think it's safe to say that you have too many books in your bookbag (which generally means too much HOMEWORK) when you're driving down the road and your car starts beeping at you... You look down at the dash and see the passenger seat belt light flashing on and off.  My book bag was sitting in my car this morning and my car did its job and told me that the "person" in the passenger seat wasn't strapped in... it wanted me to put a seat belt on them.  The seat is weight sensitive so that when anyone sits in it without a seat belt the car will beep until the seat belt is engaged and the "person" in the seat was actualyy my poor, unfortunate, overstuffed bookbag.

Now you may not think that there's anything particularly fascinating about this incident, but I found it immensely amusing at 7:00 this morning when I left my house to go to class.  I cannot for the life of me figure out why my classload feels so heavy this semester... I'm not taking as many credits as I did last semester and I'm more on top of things this semester too... No explanation for it I guess.

Talking to my friends I've come to realize that I'm not the only one that feels this way.  Is it because we're all taking a double service learning credits or because we have Mr. Santoro and Dr. Green back to back in the same semester... or is it something entirely different?

 I don't know, but I do know that this semester will be an INTERESTING one to say the least...

...in my next post I hope to share with you all a project from my Art Education class.

You know how you have homework and you've been putting it off for awhile, but you finally sit down to that homework.  Then, before you're finished with what you thought you had to do you realize that you have something else that you have to do that you had forgotten about, but before you can get all that done you have to you know, sleep, or eat, or shower, or someting else unimportant along those lines...  then you go to class and you get MORE homework, so now, even though you got a lot of things done on that to-do list of yours, you're still further in the hole than you were before.  It's like taking one step forward and two steps back, you'll get there eventually but man does it take forever!  I mean even if you knock out 90% of your list of assignments, we'll call that 4 steps forward, then when you go to class you get double the homework and suddenly you're taking 8 steps back... think about it... its a vicious cycle...

...annoying right!?

Interactive Multimedia Design & Computing (IMDC)

I have officially chosen my new major.  I chose Interactive Multimedia Design & Computing as my new major.  I have always had an interest in package design, as corny as it sounds. I could also use his major along with a minor in biology to go into medical imaging which has also been an interest of mine. I really hope I can stick to one major through my 4 to 5 years here at the Mount.  I am one of only 4 to 5 students in this major as a break now and it wouldn't be expecting too many more for the fall semester.

I registered for my classes ended up taking Sound and Vision (MUS 210) which covers my music requirement.  I'm also enrolled in 2-D Design (ART 103), Computer-Based Problem Solving (CSC 129), and Pre-Calc (MTH 185).  Those three classes are all required by my major and MUS 210 is the advised course to take to cover your music elective as an IMDC major.  Also I will be taking Professional Development (CED 220) which will allow me to co-op as soon as I complete the course.

It was not a tough decision as to what classes to take because it is pretty set out what you should take and in what order.  Also they don’t offer many of the courses that it recommends to take down the road (say my Jr. Year - ’10 - ’11). They are offering a summer course which is recommended to be taken by IMDC students.  That course is New Media and Society (COM 350 K) which I decided would also give me a glimpse as to whether or not I want to pursue something in media or not.

In all next year should be more interesting than this year as I won’t be taking general courses such as Written Word, Speech and Intro to Psychology.  They all were good courses to take no matter what your major is and they all basically are required for your Core Class Requirements.  I am excited for summer to come but I still do not have a job.  I will see how the job outlook goes for me and update you later this week on that.

Till then,

 Matthew T.

In the last few months I've learned a lot about ups and downs but have gained something from each and every situation. Within the last week alone, I discovered that I earned a 95% on my stats mid-term and was turned down just 2 days later for a Resident Assistant position for the coming school year. In addition, from the past month, I also had applied for an orientation leader position and received an alternate position, meaning I may be contacted at a later time to fill a position. Along the way, I have also been applying for other positions around the MSJ campus, including a lab-tech position in the CLC and a summer employment opportunity anywhere in the MSJ campus or across the street at Bayley Place, as well as a Peer Leader position. I also spoke with the director of the career center and learned of the opportunity this summer to take a co-op class! Now I need to consider my service learning options! It is within each interview process, both group and individual (for both RA and OL), and meetings that I am able to learn more about what employers look for in their applicants.

What is the best way to present myself within an interview without appearing as fake? How is the best way to incorporate all I have to offer within the interview without over-doing it? How can I be sure to answer all questions carefully and back up my answers with facts and references? Preparation! Think about every question that could be asked and consider all ways that it could be answered. Remember to answer questions with your personal answers and what you feel is right, not just what the employer wants because you need to be able to back up your answers with what you feel is right. Within a group interview - remember to listen intently to each individual and provide insight to each statement made. Within preperation - research the position and the company that holds the position. Become familiar with the mission statement and make reference to it within the interview so that the employer can see your eagerness to be a part of the team. Show your determination within the interview - make sure that the employer knows what your intentions are and provide details for your reasons. I, myself, am very organized and love to plan so in the lines of determination and I always be sure to make it clear that organization is essential to all aspects of my life.

Within each and every experience amongst applying for positions and any interviews along the way, there is something to learn. Whether it be obvious or, something that needs the meaning to be searched for, it is critical to learn from, otherwise it will take much longer and will be much harder to progress within the work field - and in life.

Everything is a learning experience - and everyone learns something slightly different from the other, you just have to teach the lesson to yourself.

Hey friends!

 It's the fourth week of the semester and things are working out great! My stats class isn't being quite the nightmare I expected thanks to my great tutor in Excel! I have been given the role as one of the wives in the Mount's production of Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat. We have two months to rehearse seeing as the the show dates are the first weekend of April. Plus spring break is in there - so really less than 2 months - yikes! And I have made it in to the group interview step of the decision making for the Resident Assitant staff of the next school term. My chemistry of art class isn't nearly as hard as i thought it would be. Since i hadn't taken a chemistry course before I was very worried but when I learned in the first week that we we would be doing symmetry and tesselations my nerves calmed way down! I had my first test for that course this morning and it was simple! I had my first FISH committee meeting to get things organized for my First FISH meeting on Wednesday night. I'm really excited to see how many Mount students feel encouraged to continue living their 4th day experience from Kairos in high school! it's going to be a great group

And to continue my procrastination - ((it will never escape me!!)) i have been spending my usual time on facebook and came across a link for something that i find very exciting::: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1896946 - the amazing college humor website is creating a tv show that is premiering February 8th!

 Well I have to get back to my procras(studying)tination but there will be an update soon!

 Thanks again for reading!

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!