Class elections were held this week. The rules state that campaigning starts one week before the polls open, and the campaigning must end at 11:59pm the night before. I swear, every election in Florida has an issue. It started with the 2000 Presidential election, but since, there have been problems here every time. In the fall, I ran for Class President. I lost, and it was whatever. It happens. I was sick with a migraine the days of campaigning, and I couldn’t get out there. We had the election, and it needed to be redone. Ugh. So we did it again, and the results gave us a new leader. So for two weeks we had one, then the rest of the year we had another. It came time for Spring Elections, and I ran again, and won. I found the results on Good Friday, and that’s when the problems started. The Executive Board has three offices that haven’t been decided yet, and we’re in the middle of a revote now. I’ll let you know how it goes. It’s crazy, but so much fun. I’ve never seen grassroots politics at its finest. Campaigning literally takes you from door to door, asking every member of your class for your support.





A word of advice for those of you who seek class office in the fall: WAIT UNTIL THE FALL. Don’t start campaigning now. It gets everyone riled up all summer (we had all of the 360 website divided between the three candidates) and it breaks most of the election rules. Make friends, not political enemies. Use the website to your advantage by telling people why you do what you do, and those friends that you make will more likely than not support you this fall. If anyone would like to know more about the rules, shoot me an email.

So this week was Greek Week, a week- long series of events to see who is the best Greek organization on campus. The first events included an obstacle course, where SAE’s fell into the pool at the end. True, they were blindfolded, and taking directions from those of us that weren’t blindfolded, but I’m still laughing about it. After the obstacle course was a scavenger hunt across campus, finding all Greek related items, like the Gamma tree. Tuesday’s event was a contest called Name That Lyric, with our pledges taking home the gold. Wednesday was Mock Rock, which I’m sorry to say that I missed, because our fraternity won hands down. The guys dressed up as geeks and jocks, and gave a performance that won’t soon be forgotten. Thursday’s event was sober bowling, where all Greek organizations went off campus and tore up the lanes. Friday culminated the week’s events with Spring Formal, which was formerly Greek Formal. I’ll admit, it’s the fault of the Fraternities on campus that it was no longer Greek Formal; we didn’t fundraise our half of the money the way the Pan-Hellenic organizations did, so we took a loan from CAB, and it was open to all students. It’s not a bad thing, and it could’ve been used as a great recruitment tool, but many Greeks chose not to attend because of it.





I love Greek life. I went home recently, and my non-Greek friends asked what the appeal was. It’s a lifestyle more than anything else. I’ve found that it can’t be put into any other terms. It’s a lifestyle that hundreds of thousands have chosen to live before us, and there seems to be no end in sight. I tell my friends that it’s all about what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for Animal House, they are around. But most aren’t that way anymore. So don’t think that it’s all about drinking and craziness, because it’s not. I swear it’s not.

It’s the middle of February, and I’m doing another Honors journal. I’m staying up all night getting these things done, and it’s not worth it. I wrote about this before, but I mean it – DON’T PULL AN ALL NIGHTER. Ever. Just don’t. You won’t get anything coherent done after 4am, and at that point, you’re rushing to get it done. Then you finish an hour and a half before your class, and you are so fed up with it, that you leave important thoughts out.

The way to do these journals is to read the assignment before class, write in your journal, then come to class prepared with what you want to say. It sounds simple. I’ve written five now, and I’m still not doing that. So take my advice, and follow the right procedure.

I want to touch on the subject of Honors courses again. Take them. If you’re not in the Honors Program, find out how to get in. They are the most beneficial classes offered here. If you choose to come here, you’ve chosen a private, Catholic college with class sizes you can’t get at most public schools. These are entirely discussion based, and this is what college is all about. The education you’ll get out of one or two of these courses is going to stay with you for years, and you’ll really be glad you took them.

This month I went to San Diego. I went on a conference with the school newspaper, The Lions’ Pride. I’m the Sports Editor, and I went to four days of workshops on how to create a better sports section. This is just one of the opportunities that Saint Leo offers its students. I’m going back to San Diego in June for a Fraternity Leadership Cruise in Mexico that the school has fully funded. They give so many opportunities to everyone, and anyone can take advantage of them. Don’t think that just because we’re small that we don’t do anything. On the contrary, we’re always doing something. Spring Fling is coming up, where the CAB has provided a concert for us with Everclear, Nina Sky, and Florez. Last year, it was a country band, and they’re trying to appeal to everyone while they’re here. It’s a busy campus, and there’s always something to get involved in.



Everclear performs on campus

I just got back to Saint Leo from winter break, and I’m looking forward to this semester. I had a full month off, and I couldn’t wait to get back. Most of my friends at home are swimmers, and many went on training trips to Florida (I live in Connecticut) to train. I was stuck at home without them, and I’m glad to be back here. The spring semester is shorter than the fall, and it’s going to go by so fast. I can’t believe I’m halfway done with my first year already!

I’m taking some great classes this spring. The Christian Vision is HON 151, an honors course. It’s going to be great. I’m not a religious fanatic, but the style of class is the same as my first honors course, and I can’t wait. I’m also taking FAS 101, an intro to the arts class. It’s not hands on, but it’s a great course, an overview of all of the different arts. There are great classes offered here. It almost reminds me of the movie Accepted, where they have classes that explore more than just a textbook. That’s what we do here, we take things to the next level. It’s definitely a great experience.

I’m also taking part in fighting for more scholarships for you and I. The FRAG initiative, or the Florida Residents Assistance Grant, is a scholarship that Saint Leo will match for non-residents. It has helped many students attend college, and we hope that it will continue to do so. I’m planning on taking a trip to Tallahassee with other students to fight for it.

This month, I’m also going to Indianapolis for an IFC Conference. As a freshman, I have experienced more here than I thought I would. This place is great. I get to go represent my Fraternity in a national setting for fraternities, and the school is sending me at no cost. The opportunities are endless here. Really consider coming if this is what you’re looking for.

Airport security is a great thing. It really is. Air travel has never been safer .But Tampa Airport’s security is one of the best I’ve seen. They get you in and out of the lines in less than ten minutes.

I say this because I flew home for Thanksgiving this weekend. I live in Connecticut, so it’s about at 3 hour flight. My flight was at 11:30. I took the Saint Leo shuttle from the school to the airport. They picked me and my luggage up at the dorm at 5:45am. The reason for taking the 6am shuttle was that I wouldn’t have enough time to clear the 2 hour window that’s recommended when flying if I took the 9am shuttle. There were about 6 of us that took that shuttle that were all flying out within ten minutes of each other. I recommend taking the shuttle closest to your flight time. At 6am, there’s not much to do in Tampa Airport, especially when you’re sitting around for hours and hours doing nothing. I love flying, and airports, but after awhile, it gets dull.

When I came to visit Leo in April, I flew out of Orlando (we stayed for a few days). We got stuck in Pittsburgh for 6 hours because of fog in New Jersey. Moral of the story: be prepared to wait in the airport. Bring a book or a movie to watch on your laptop, and make sure you’ve got gum for your ears when you take off and land.

That’s what happens when you’re the only flight left in the airport. Nothing happens.

In high school, I used the library maybe once a week. Here at Leo, I’m in there at least once a day. The Library has become an invaluable resource, whether it’s just to get away from a roommate, or if it’s to concentrate or do research. The sports teams have study hours in the library every week, so there’s always someone there to talk to if you need a social life while you pass the hours in the books. There are a few reference librarians that are there most of the day and into the evening, and they’re always willing to help with any issues, from printers not working to helping you find the right book for the project. The library here has three floors. The top floor is a floor of books and tables for studying that overlooks the lake and the Abbey orange groves. On the main floor is the center of the library life, with some computers, journals, a laptop area, and a coffee station set up for students to help them stay awake when pulling an all nighter (which I don’t recommend!). The lower level is full of computer labs in separate rooms, so when you work on a presentation with a group, there’s a place to talk and to work together.

Don’t pull an all nighter if you don’t absolutely have to. I’ve done it three times already this semester, and it’s not worth it. If you’re going to do it, here’s a few tips I’ve learned.

1. Never stay up all night before a test. Get at least three hours of sleep. If you don’t know it by 5am, you won’t know it when the test is in front of you and you’re too tired to focus.

2. Take energy drinks earlier rather than later. You’re more productive earlier in the evening, so take one early enough . It’s not going to wake you up enough to help when you’re falling asleep on your keyboard.

3. Learn how to manage your time when you’re up all night. Set goals for you to finish every half hour or so. Tell yourself, “I’m going to write these three journal entries by 11:15.� Then do it.

If you can help it, don’t stay up all night. We’ve all done it, and I say this, but I’m sure I’ll be doing it again. It’s not healthy, and it brings your immune system down.

There’s a ton of germs here at Saint Leo, but that’s no different than anywhere you’d go to school. If you took any 300 people and put them in one building to sleep and study, they’d pass around germs too. Keep hydrated and get enough sleep so that if you do get sick, you can help yourself get better!

Saint Leo's Cannon Memorial Library

Being in the Honors Program at Saint Leo is great – most of the time. Today was Community Service Day, and I went to the Florida National Cemetery and stained a bridge. It was fun, but not exactly my idea of spending Veterans’ Day. Back in high school, we had the day off, and I would normally spend the day doing absolutely nothing. I’m glad that Saint Leo has a policy that all freshmen in SLU100 are required to participate in community service. If it weren’t for this policy, I would’ve spent the day doing something that probably didn’t benefit my community, but thanks to this policy, I spent a day in a new place that I may never have been to otherwise.

The Honors Program is great though. I’m in HON150 with Professor Anderson, and it’s a great class. The main thing is keeping up with the reading, and writing about what you read. You can’t summarize, so it really makes you think about what you’re reading. The Peer Teaching grade is a huge part of the class; it’s based on how often you contribute to the discussion in class. If you keep up with the reading, the class can be really fun. Many days we spent the first half of the class discussing current events, like the elections this year. It’s definitely worth the extra effort you put in. If you’re wondering about becoming a part of the Honors Program, try it.

Florida National Cemetery

This semester I decided to make a lifelong commitment to Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a fraternity that prides itself on philanthropy and being true gentlemen. I was able to pledge this semester as a first semester freshman because I have 13 credits from dual enrollment classes in high school. You have to have at least 12 credits to rush a fraternity or a sorority on campus. This was a daunting task for the first semester in college. I was just starting to settle in, and I shook up my world. Saint Leo, as well as almost every Greek organization nationwide, has a very, very strict no hazing policy in place. Pledging isn’t Animal House at Saint Leo. It’s committing yourself to a cause that you believe in, and that you want to spend the rest of your life being a part of. Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosted an event at the lakefront called Jammin’ on Jovita, in memory of fallen brother Will Duclo. Brother Will passed away in 2006, and the SAE Brothers host an event in his memory every year. There was a great turnout, and a great time was had by all who attended.

Greek life isn’t all parties and fun. Granted, there’s plenty of that if you’re looking for it, but I’m not much of a party kind of guy. I found out that SAE, and I’m sure others are like this, focus on scholarship and scholastic achievement. Every week, we log our study hours in the Learning Resource Center to make sure that everyone is keeping up with their studies. I’ve matured a lot, along with my Pledge Class brothers, over the duration of the pledge process. The process is to weed out those that aren’t ready for the commitment. If you have an opportunity or interest in Greek Life on campus, go to an interest party in the fall or the spring. It could change your life!

Hello everyone! I’m Collin Good, and I’m a freshman here at Saint Leo University. I live in Connecticut, so SLU was definitely an exciting change for me. Saint Leo was one of 13 schools I applied to last fall, and they were the second to get back to me. Acceptance letters, if you’re interested, come quickly, but not too quickly. The Admissions staff works hard on reviewing every application, not just putting them in a pile and grouping them into possible students, like some of the bigger universities do. I applied to Saint Leo because my dad went here in the late 70’s. If it wasn’t for him, I may never have heard of this place. I received a free application in the mail, but I chose to apply online. I’ve found that when possible, online applications are much easier.

Here’s a tip – if you’ve applied to Saint Leo, or any other schools, make sure your guidance department has followed up on all of your applications and due dates. Remember, you have one of them, and they have many students applying to many different schools. Mistakes happen.

The reason that I applied to so many schools is because I was convinced for some reason that I wasn’t going to get accepted anywhere. It turns out, I did. I didn’t get into my top three schools (who took the longest to get back to me), so everywhere else came back on the table. It’s a good idea to apply to as many schools as interest you, but always have a “safety school�, even if it’s a community college. I have a few friends still in high school that are going through the process this fall. I guarantee you that letters will come, but you have to be patient!

Saint Leo Abbey