Class: 2011 Major: Economics and Finance Hometown: North Bergen, NJ High School: North Bergen High School Activities/Clubs: Pavo and WSPC Radio One random fact about me: My middle name is "Pebbles." Favorite SPC Memory: My favorite SPC memory has to be the excitement I felt when
Senator Barack Obama was to have a rally here at SPC. My best friend and I were able to come in with volunteers and
were actually right in front of the guard rail. It was amazing. Advice for incoming freshman: Be open about new experiences. College is not like
high school. Everyone is friendly and will sit next to you and strike up a conversation. Get involved to meet students
with the same interests as yourself. Have an open mind and you will get far.
June 1, 2011
Unwritten
The day has come: GRADUATION!
Officially an SPC Alumna! <3
Graduation took place at PNC Bank Arts Center at 11am. All the graduates were to begin lining up at 10:15am. I drove myself to graduation along with my boyfriend, Greg. It was a bit of a hike since I pass the venue on my way to the beach over the summer. Once I approached exit 116 on the parkway I wanted to miss it. This exit represented the end of a wonderful era of getting out of class by noon, sleeping in, going out on week nights, and being surrounded by friends 24/7. Who would want to leave this place?! On the other hand, the exit also represented a blank sheet of paper - a clean slate that I am able to create. Result: I took the exit!
I love how I got Prof. Mandelbaum in the background! <3 him!
The ceremony was not as long as I had expected. We heard inspirational speeches from our honored guest along with our wonderful valedictorian, Joanna. Before long, it was time for us to one by one shake hands with our president to seal the deal! Although it was encouraged for us all to sit in alphabetical order, we sat with our friends! We were to hand in a slip of paper to the person reading our names. What difference did it really make? You could feel the excitement in the air when our president directed all the graduates to move their tassels from the left to the right and to place our hoods on for we were officially SPC graduates and alum! We did it!!
We soon filed out of the venue where I found my family and took a ton of photos. They soon left and allowed me to spend some time taking pictures with my friends. It was a little hectic finding everyone. Huge balloons and flowers were part of the maze that I had to navigate through. I did find a good amount and took more pictures in the damp weather.
Me & Steph
Me & Kim
So a week later and I do not feel any different. I know that I have graduated but I feel like I'll be going back to SPC in August to see those familiar faces that have become close friends. I guess it'll sink in by the time August rolls around. I am excited for what the future holds. I have had such an amazing four years at SPC. I have been on billboards and bus stops, traveled to Europe with my best friends, spent countless afternoons and evenings in the city, consumed many cups of Jazzman coffee for breakfast and library study breaks, showcased our campus to prospective high school students and networked to obtain a wonderful position post-graduation. I cannot even begin to talk about the people! I can recall these people who I've come to love as just faces across the quad. Time really passes quickly! I would advise everyone to make the most of their time in college. You may want to bury your head in books and maybe be a commuter like me and travel immediately back home after classes finish. It wasn't until I became involved and stayed on campus after my classes ended that I was able to find the true essence of SPC. College is what you make of it. My advice: study hard but balance it out with lots of fun! I cannot wait to come back and visit my friends and Greg who will be seniors themselves in August. I leave these walls with great friends, a wonderful boyfriend, a supportive family and extended family known as SPC.
Good luck Class of 2011! Big things are written in the stars for us!
I cannot believe that Senior Week is drawing to a close. We have one event left: GRADUATION! The realization hits me at random moments. I've just been having so much fun with all my friends. This is what I've been up to lately. . . .
Me and Frosted Frakes! :P
The first event for Senior Week that I signed up for was a New York Harbor Cruise. This event is open to the seniors and if we wanted to bring guests. The cruise fell on an ugly day as it was rainy and humid. My straight hair quickly transformed into a wavy hot mess. I didn't care since I was surrounded by all my friends! We left SPC around 6:30pm and the cruise started at 7:30pm.
Me and Kyrsten
Me and Dan
The boat was a great size as we all fit comfortably and there was plenty of room to eat as well as to make room to dance. The DJ was incredible as music from the 90s to modern top 40 hits were loudly played as we all danced the night away. There was a lot of food on the boat. There was one point that we were all starving from dancing and stationed ourselves where the finger food was being sent from. It was clever and we got dibs on all the warm delicacies.
Apt. D30 + Roomie Number 5
Me & Melissa
Melissa & Mae & Me
After the cruise, we all went back to campus and changed to go to different friends' apartments to see what was going on. It was a blast to play games with one another and not fall asleep until the sunrise appeared. You're only in college once right?! The next day was our senior reception known as Delaney. This reception welcomes the graduating class officially into the alumni organization.
Delaney Reception SPC Style
Many awards were distributed as we ate and drank. The class of 1961 was honored along with some of our own seniors. It was a little sad when our dean congratulated us and welcomed us into a group of about 30,000 SPC alum. The immensity of the occasion started to sink in a little.
Girlies!
The Delaney Reception is a short event that lasts from 6-8pm. Since it takes place right on campus, it is common tradition for the seniors to go out to Hoboken and have fun one last time as a group. This is exactly what we did. Since I was in a pencil skirt and blouse, I simply changed into a pair of shorts and was ready to go. We made our way to a pub known as McSwiggans. I was excited since I had never been in this bar. Some SPC staff also met us there; it was nice getting to talk to them outside of SPC. We were no longer students to them which is really cool. We all had a great time!!
Last Hoboken Adventure
Friday was an eventful day for me and my friends. Our friend, Melissa, had turned twenty two during senior week. What better way to celebrate? The celebration wasn't over since we decided to celebrate her birthday weekend in Atlantic City. SPC was traveling there for the evening. We wanted to stay the night so we drove down (2.5hours) on our own! We didn't get to our hotel, Harrahs, until about 9:30pm. We had to check-in quickly, rush to throw our dresses on, and head to our dinner reservation that we had changed at Cuba Libre at the Tropicana.
AC lovin'
We ate so much food!! It is common for us to seek out Cuban food so this meal really hit the spot. A nice Sangria really tied the meal together just right. After dinner, we headed back to our hotel room to actually get ready for the rest of the night. Since we had rushed, our hair and make-up was not done. We didn't finish getting ready until about 1am. On our agenda: The Pool.
The Pool!
Before the Night Started
We had so much fun listening to good music and spending time with all our friends. Some of our friends also decided to stay the night in our hotel. It was a blast. It was definitely a memorable night! Check-out was the next day by noon. We woke up around 10:30am and packed up to check out and get breakfast. It was a gorgeousss day in AC compared to a gloomy and rainy day back home. We went to Johnny Rockets in the Showboat for lunch and then roamed the boardwalk for hours.
Joy to the Fishes in the Deep Blue Sea :]
First beach experience of this summer: Atlantic City with some fantastic people
It definitely felt like it was seventy five degrees: perfect! There was a little subtle breeze. It was the perfect day. One aspect of the boardwalk that I truly love is the mini action park they have. I have been going to this action area since I was a little kid. My grandmother would always take me on her monthly casino runs to south Jersey. I was happy that my friends were ready to go on some rides like I was. It was about thirty dollars for a bunch of tickets. We went on a few roller coasters and even the deadly dragon. It was soooo much fun! I felt like a little kid again. I think its something that I never really grew out of!
Fun in the Sun
Himalaya Coaster
The way back home was interesting since we escaped hours of traffic on the Parkway by taking an exit for Long Beach Island (LBI) and driving through towns for about an hour to avoid the bumper to bumper traffic. It was an adventurous road trip back home as we made a pit stop at WAWA! We love Wawa! Up north, we only have Quick Cheks. Wawa iced tea is wonderful!!
Today was our Baccalaureate Mass for the senior class. It felt extremely weird to have cap and gown on. I felt like we were all mini Harry Potters! LOL. But this is it! I cannot wait for tomorrow but it does make me sad knowing that some of my friends will be dispersed to different parts of the country. This evening was a lot of fun. Frakes and Brandon's parents threw a graduation party for them at Biergarten in Jersey City. It was extremely kind of them to invite all of us. Coming from a small college like SPC we all have the same group of friends. There was a bunch of finger foods and drinks! Considering that graduation is tomorrow, this is the last time we were all together.
My girls! Cannot believe I have to say good bye to Steph tomorrow :'[
A toast to our future endeavors with those we have experienced it all with
Its sad to say that this journey is almost over! Before I get all emotional on you, lets recap the highlights of the past month or so.....
I have done so much work since I've returned from London and Paris. I've written long papers for my Urban Anthropology class and short papers for Theology and Africana Studies and had a good handful of quizzes in most of my classes. I feel like I definitely belong at a circus for all the juggling I've been doing lately. One thing that has changed a bit is my outlook on all this work. Before the trip, I would obsess about getting everything done. Now, I feel that I am more laid back. I know that my work will all get done; its just a matter of time. There is no need to worry about those things. This positive outlook is one of the many benefits this trip has given to me. I have to say that I do miss seeing the Eiffel Tower everyday.
"Tu me manques" translated: I miss you! LOL
As a member of our Jesuit Honor Society Alpha Sigma Nu, ASN, we organized and celebrated Jesuit Heritage Week on campus. We had many great speakers and events on campus to spread the awareness of our Jesuit traditions. My group put together a scavenger hunt around campus with intramurals. There was a $100 gift card, which made the incentive easy to promote. There were questions like who was the first female Jesuit and scrambling to find the statue of the first pope (St. Peter). Since we knew the answers, we were not allowed to participate; it was still fun to watch peers run around to find the answers the fastest.
My personal favorite speaker of Jesuit Week was Father George Coyne. He is a Jesuit priest and astronomer. His credentials include being the former director of the Vatican Observatory. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut so that I could see the stars up close (dorky I know lol). This lecture made me regress to those days. The lecture was on how the universe was created and how chemistry, as we know it, is essential. It took three generations of stars giving off matter in the universe for mankind to be able to exist. The lecture involved the idea of God and how we are all part of the creation process. It was extremely enlightening and fun to listen to.
Dan and Mae
Me and Melissa @ the lecture
Another milestone was just completed: 50 days until graduation. I feel like it was just yesterday that we celebrated our 100th day mark. The days are simply flying!!! My friends and I went out to dinner that evening at Cheeseburger In Paradise. We were completely starved by the time we left campus to eat. The our burgers were to die for!! I totally recommend trying out one of their locations. After dinner we returned to campus. We had a wonderful sleep over that night after a fun night out. Pillow talk in the early hours is always a plus!
What an amazingggg Spring Break I just returned from!! So, I have spent the past 9 days in London and Paris!! I have never really traveled outside of the United States, considering that Puerto Rico is a territory of the U.S. I am a total dork and LOVE to pack. Some people have purse fetishes or fetishes with jewlery or pots & pans. Mine is packing. This was the perfect opportunity for me to dust off my luggage (that I bought for this trip back in November!) and start packing right as I finished my last mid-term. I packed all evening on Wednesday for my Friday flight.
Packing process
My room was an absolute mess..as you can tell. I had clothes everywhere as I tried to balance the right amont of exploring outfits and business outfits since this trip was actually a 'class' designated for business credit. I also did not want to overpack and lug around clothes that I didn't need. I had about 90lbs to play with (40lbs for a carry-on and 50lbs for cargo luggage). I was way under the weight limit when us thirty three students left Newark airport for Heathrow, London! The flight was about 7-8hrs in length, which I slept most of the way. We left Newark at 7pm and arrived in London around 7:30am. My only concern was having my luggage safely reach London with me. Happily, it did LOL.
Luggage safe @Heathrow Airport
I thankfully went on this trip with some of my best friends at SPC. It made the trip so much more fun to explore new cities with familiar faces. Our tour guide was amazing! Even though it was early in the morning, she shared with us many cool spots to check out on our own since we were granted a lot of free time to explore on our own. She enlightened us with some cool jargon that were completely foreign to us. For example, 'rubbish' means garbage, a 'bunny boiler' is someone who is a little strange or crazy, and Londoners like like to add '-ish' at the end of phrases like it is seven-ish lol. These were cool facts to know and say.
Tub in London
Our hotel in London. the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, was beautiful. This four star hotel was equipt with the normal hotel amenities. Mae Mae was my roommate throughout the trip. Our favorite part of our room was (1) our tub!, (2) our friends Melissa and Sandra were down the hall and (3) that we were less than a block away from the Tube. The Tube is London's transportation hub, our equivalent to the Path train here in Jersey City. It was so much easier to master. I would relate the Tube to the trains in Boston since there was a map detailing all the stops the train makes. We quickly unloaded our bags into our rooms and freshened up for fifteen minutes then went off to explore London since it was our free day!
Cheat sheet
In London, people drive on the opposite side of the street. This was hard to get used to since I've grown up in the United States my entire life! Thankfully, cheat sheets like the one above indicated which way to actually look before we crossed. This was so helpful! We had maps in hand and wanted to walk. Museums that are not owned by the queen have free admission. We really wanted to visit museums on the trip. Our first stop was the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Outside V&A
There were so many exhibitions to see while there. We gave ourselves about an hour and a half to see most of it. There were so many sculptures, paintings, artifacts, murals, etc. The best part was that the Museum was divided into different sections of Asian art, Italian art (that was under renovations), Japanese art, etc. We even came across students that were in the museum that reminded me of a class that we have back at SPC called 'Art in the City', where students get a first hand education through experiencing art in museums.
Modern art
There was one section by Egyptian art where they had imitations of the cloaks that used to be worn. One simple sign enticed me: 'Try me on'. How could I resist? My friends thought that I was hilarious for trying it on but later followed in my footsteps. The museum was very interactive which really kept me stimulated.
Try me....
Girlies
Italian art
As we walked toward the end of the museum, we came across a patio/garden area where a lot of people were just relaxing and soaking up the wonderful sunshine. It was extremely relaxing as there was a little pond area that was perfect for photo-ops LOL. As you can imagine, 'tourists' were probably on the minds of many of the visitors that Saturday morning. They were right :P
V&A Garden
We did a lot of walking in every city. London was a little different since we had a full day to ourselves to just explore. We did a LOT of shopping!
Exploring London by foot
We passed a bunch of retail that was already familiar to us like H&M and Louis Vuitton. Other retailers were not. We passed a large department store called Harrods. It is a very high end store that we did not even step foot in considering the high prices we were warned about. It was still something to see.
Harrods
Hyde Park was along the way to Oxford Street, which is a long strip of shopping. Not only was there shopping but one store that we had in mind: Primark! One of my great friends, Suni, told me and Mae to make sure that we went to Primark to do shopping. She compared it to an H&M. I cannot begin to tell you the difference between H&M and Primark. Everything in Primark was inexpensive and pretty. We stayed in Primark for a little over an hour. I ended up walking out with a large bag that had two pairs of shoes, a white scarf, two bracelets, and a hair clip. I was in LOVE!!!!
Hyde Park
Primark + Me = LOVE!
We were pooped out after the first day. We did get dolled out in some new purchases to go out to dinner with our SPC group and hear about everyone's day. We ate at this great restaurant called Med Kitchen. It was a short walk from our hotel. We had the choice of a fish, meat, or pasta main dish as three actual course meals were served. It is not like dining in America. We are in such a hurry that we rarely actualyl enjoy a meal. It was hard to get used to setting aside two and a half hours for dinner!!!
First din din in London
Buckingham Palace was definitely on my 'to-do' list of places to visit. I was happy it was on our group tour of London, which we did the second day. It is amazing to think that the Royal Wedding will take place next month as we stood by the beautiful gold gates. The queen was not in the palace though. This was predicted due to the lack of a second guard at every entrance along with the position of the flag.
Buckingham Palace
Golden gates
The weather was a little damp which really did not make a difference to our group. We were traveling by bus anyway. We were able to take pictures of Tower Bridge and see the fortress that keeps the Crown Jewels safe. Fun fact: the Crown Jewels do not belong to the Royal family. They actually belong to the people of London. I did not know this LOL.
London's Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge with Mae Mae
St. Paul's Cathedral was another destination on our tour. Like London Bridge and Buckingham Palace, we were able to explore the grounds for about half an hour. It is such a beauty. This is the location of Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding! Along the way, we also passed Westminster Abbey where Princess Diana's son will be wed in April. I can actually say I've been there.
St. Paul's Cathedral
Mastering the rails :P
Although we saw the London Eye and Big Ben on our bus tour of London, we really wanted to see the landmarks up close in person. Having time free, we hopped on the Tube and got off at Westminster. We walked from Big Ben to the London Eye, which basically means walking a short bridge over the river Thames.
Big Ben
The London Eye was my favorite!!! Before I left for the trip, my uncle wouldn't believe that I would go on it. I proved him wrong! The best way to describe the eye is to think of the Observation Deck in NYC. I've been there this past summer and it was cool to see the entire skyline from within it. It was a whole new perspective but somewhat of a let down since I grew up around here. The giant wheel observation deck is soooo much cooler!!!
Blast off
On the "ferris wheel"
Having to mix some business with pleasure, our professors organized a company visit to Think London. They are focused on marketing the city to London to different companies. The goal is to bring foreign direct investment into London. It is definitely a bonus for the wonderful city since they are hosting the 2012 games. We heard about the way they market to different focus groups.
Think London: thank you!
Group @Think London
Free time was again granted after our business trip. Mae, being a Beatles fan, really wanted to go see Abbey Road. I am personally not a huge Beatles fan but everyone knows of the band. We decided as a group to make our way to St. John's Wood and walk to the famous cross walk. Being dorks, the girls positioned themselves as the Beatles did for a photo-op. I thought that we would look like total tourists and people would just stare. I was mistaken. So many people were doing the same thing and the cars that traveled along that road were used to it. It was a little dangerous since there wasn't a light or stop sign for pictures to be easy. It still worked out though.
Beatles flashback :P
Signature by Abbey Rd.
JBFT <3
Our last dinner in London was pretty sad. We had only spent two full days in London at this point but really fell in love with the city. It was bitter sweet especially since I really still wanted to see Wimbledon since I played tennis in high school. I figure that I'll make another trip to London in the future to see everything I didn't have the chance to see.
Last dinner outing in London
Mel!
Before our last night drew to an end, we took the Tube one more time to go to Piccadilly Circus. It is almost like our version of Times Square in New York. Seeing many lights and billboards made the night a success.
Piccadilly Circus Evening
We couldn't leave London without getting a picture in a traditional red telephone booth. The first words that come to mind when I think of London are double decker buses and red telephone booths. Score!
Famous Red Telephone Booths
The next day was traveling day...once again. This time, thirty three of us were traveling via train to Paris, France. The ride took about three hours. It was great to play Uno with friends and read magazines the entire way there. We didn't arrive there until the evening and were exhausted. We just went to our hotel rooms at the Concorde Montparnasse. Since we were at the end of the block, we had a perfect view of the Effiel Tower. Welcome to Paris!
The first day in Paris was exhausting since we had a full day tour of the city. The first stop was a beauty: Notre Dame. Everyone has heard of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. This huge and historical cathedral was completely breath-taking! I remember walking the aisles with such awe as I soaked in the stained glass windows and light gleaming from candles. It was magically. I ended up buying a few rosary sets for myself and family. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Garden of Notre Dame
Kisses
The Louvre is another museum that is definitely known. When I think of the Louvre I think of the Di Vinci Code. There is just such a fascination with the Tom Hanks film. The inverted pyramid structure just symbolizes creative architecture to me. We traveled back to the Lourve without our group many times throughout our stay in Paris to shop, visit, and have lunch. My friend, Sandra, called her mom one day and just said nonchalantly "We're just having lunch in front of the Louvre today". So funny and cool!!! The Louvre was a little overwhelming since there was just sooo much to see!!
Garden of the Louvre
Walking to the Louvre
Lunch @the Louvre
Large Painting at the Louvre
The pyramid is pretty impressive. In the Di Vinci Code, the film ends with the understanding of Mary Magdalene being buried in the submerged stone pyramid beneath the inverted pyramid. The pyramid itself was portrayed as a chalice symbol. We all know that these details are fiction but it still makes for a great story. The Louvre houses all the famous pieces of art. The Mona Lisa is housed at the Louvre, which we had the honor of seeing.
Pushing the glass pyramid with Melissa
Landmark found from Di Vinci Code
Aphrodite statue
The actual MONA LISA! "Don't cry for me Mona Lisa, the truth is I'll never leave you" LOL
We also made our way to the Museum d'Orsay. It houses all the wonderful masterpiece paintings of Degas, Monet, and Van Gogh. It was also breath-taking and 10Euro admission which was cheap!
Luxembourg Gardens of Paris
The Luxembourg Gardens was absolutely beautiful. There was a huge lake and palace in the background. It was interesting to see French children having gym class in the park. Although this was common for them, it was so different for us to see from the perspective of a different culture.
In transit
Free time was a bit of a relative term. Covet Garden was also on our radar. It was more of an open market type of place with entertainment and shops. We also walked into a Chinatown type of area. It reminded us a lot about home. Although it was a completely different culture and language from the U.S. and London, many characteristics were similar.
M&Ms
Chinatown
Our entire group was fortunate to have a boat ride organized for us down the Seine River. If you turned to the right, you saw the Eiffel Tower up close in personal. We were able to enjoy the weather as flowers and trees were starting to bloom. The Louvre, d'Orsay, and other monuments were again pointed out to us. We felt so cultured for already knowing these things. It wsa quite relaxing as we soaked up the moment.
Seine River boat ride
France is known for their cheese and their wines. We went to a company visit outside of Paris, to the country to a company called Mumms. We weer able to learn about the different locations in which grapes were gathered and how the different grapes were kept fresh. It was interesting to see where the popular wines and real champagne came from.
Mumms
The girls were able to enjoy a fun night out with many of the people on the trip with us. It was fun to get dolled up and have some down time without worrying about train schedules or where to transfer trains. It was actually relaxing!
Singing with Sandra
Night out in Paris
Yummy
Napolean ring a bell?!
Versailles was such an unexpected part of the trip. Versailles is so historical in terms of Marie Antoinette ("Lets eat cake") and the many King Louis that resided in the compound. Versailles is also historical for the peace conference that took place following WWI. We were granted the privilege to actually see the magnificent frescos, actual room of the Queen and the many thrones throughout the ages.
Versailles cannot keep us away!
Versailles
We were all severely pooped towards the end of our nine day trip. The lack of sleep was definitely catching up on us. Before long we would be saying good-bye to another city in two different nations.
Sleepy time on bus
Before we slept for the last time in our hotel rooms in Paris we all gathered outside where we could see the Eiffel Tower one last time. We saw it almost everyday throughout our stay in France. It was going to be different not having the luxury of it being in the distance. We needed to say good-bye properly to the landmark we had come to love. For one last time we saw the 1889 tower sparkle and shine. Saying good-bye to Paris was definitely bitter sweet.
A little sideways but you get the point LOL
Huge smiles
This morning, we all headed to the airport around 8:30am for our 11:15am flight. It was time to leave behind our fantasy life in Europe and get reacquainted with reality back in America. Overall it was a glorious trip with amazing friends that I would not trade for the world. I cannot believe that we all lasted with one another without getting fed up LOL.
Before saying good-bye to Paris for America
Now, time to sleep and write a few papers for tomorrow. Au Revoir for now! <3
I love the month of March. There is so much that takes place in this month every year. Spring break is the most notable vacation that students mention off the top of their heads. Yes, this fun break is approaching but school work needs to be focused on first. There are also many birthdays in the month of March like my best friend from back home, Nataly, and my friends from school like JoJo, Melissa, Brandon, and Walter. Saint Patty's Day is celebrated this month as well. There are parades almost every weekend in the month, not counting the famous parade on the actual day in New York City. This year will be a little different since I will be celebrating this holiday overseas. My friends and I decided to celebrate with our friends on campus before everyone went away for break.
Hoboken is a fun city for young adults. Besides having wonderful eateries and things to do for fun, their St. Patty's Day Parade is a blast! This year I went with my great friends Mae, Stephanie, Billy, Janice, and Si. This parade showcases all the local business that are dear to the community along with dancers and singers and bands from different schools, police stations, and fire departments. The parade started with our TLC star, Buddy Valastro, from Carlo's Bakery. The tv show is known to us as Cake Boss. He creates masterpieces in the form of cakes. If you were to visit the bakery any day throughout the year, you will find longggg lines and see flashes everywhere. Everyone wants a pastry from Carlo's Bakery.
Cake Boss Star
Having fun with friends
The music was spectacular. We had a local police department playing traditional instruments to the Irish culture. Although I am not Irish, everyone has a little seed of Irishness in them on St. Patty's Day!
We also saw some creative talents displayed throughout the parade. For example, there were a group of girls that were playing small instruments, like flutes, on unicycles and bicycles. There was a float with crates of barrels with cider in them. There was also a flat completely devoted to Snapple. I don't know the degree of involvement they had in organizing the parade but it was hysterical. There was a little leprechaun all dressed up and a huge pot of gold on the float. There was also a huge snapple balloon blown up like the ones you see in NYC parades. It was spectacular.
Unicycle riding and playing = multi-tasking!
Leprechaun
Our Men's Basketball team had a wonderful season. Our division I team now holds the title of MAAC champions!! Our men worked really hard in Connecticut and displayed wonderful teamwork skills. They grasped the title this evening against Iona College. We are now on our way to the NCAA tournament as MAAC champions. I cannot wait to learn who we will be playing against.
Our happy Peacock champs!
SPC goes crazy!
I have been going a little nutty lately which I totally blame on mid-terms. Not only do I have paper to write, but I also have written in-class exams. My trip abroad is encouraging me to procrastinate as my luggage lying in my room is a distraction. I have promised myself that I would not put one article of clothing into my suitcase until I have completed every mid-term. I hope I can keep my promise to myself :/
Stay tuned to find out about my trip to London and Paris. Au revoir for now! <3
This week is really the calm before the storm. Next week is mid-terms and professors are packing on the extra information. I feel like I've read so much in the past couple of days. My goal is to stay on top of the readings so that studying won't be so painful over the weekend. I only have classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Because of this, most of my mid-terms are going to coincide and be on the same day. I am already aware that my Africana class mid-term is the same day as my Spanish mid-term. The harsh reality of next Wednesday is also that I have them one after another: one at 8am and the other at 9am. I'm trying to look at it optimistically: by 10am I will be done for the day with testing and my brain will have a break! I am almost grateful for all the snow that we accumulated this winter because much of the material from the beginning of the semester was shortened a bit, which means not as much to study.
Burritos with Steph and Mae
The past week has also been celebrating milestones. Our Men's Basketball team played their last home game late last week. It was broadcasted on ESPNU, which has happened a few times this semester. Since this is my last year, it was nice to support our team one last time before they compete during MAACs. Our men started off with a lot of energy and were really moving the ball around the court. It was a wonderful illustration of teamwork and they were up by a few points. Somewhere in the first half, our men lost their esteem and started to fall behind. This lag was never recovered and our men ended up losing. The point of the game, to me, was not whether they won or lost but rather simply being there. It was energetic as we wore SPC gear, painted faces, and cheered for our guys. Hanging out with friends on a Friday night in the rec center was super fun.
Before the game started
Worthy highlight dunk!
The celebration followed with a surprise cake for one of my friends, JoAnn aka JoJo. Mae did most of the planning and wheeled in other friends to distract her for the day. JoJo not only got into graduate school for physical therapy but will be attending Columbia University in the fall! This is such a hugeeee deal! She left earlier in the day to see the campus again and to officially hand in her deposit for enrollment. We are super proud of our Ivy League girl with a SPC foundation! We told her that we all wanted to have a night out to celebrate her accomplishment. She ended up taking a good amount of time getting ready, which we did not factor in. Eventually, she made her way to one of our friend's apartments in which we had the cake on the table and a bottle of champagne as a gift. We were all really happy that she did not figure out the surprise before she got there. The look on her face was priceless!
Super happy with her cake!
Two days ago, SPC hosted our annual Accepted Students Evening. I hope I was able to meet a lot of you. We catered wonderfully delicious food and had amazing speakers. A lot of our student ambassadors comprised the panel as questions about their college experience were answered. SPC really tries to get our students involved because at the end of the day, it is nice to hear about real life experiences of someone who went through the same experience as a prospective student. I absolutely suggest coming for a tour of campus or even arranging to attend a class to see what college education is really like!
It is currently 9:51am. I just got out of class and now in a computer lab trying to study for my theology quiz that I have at 11am. I thought that I'd fill in some blanks throughout these few weeks. I celebrated with my friends, sad to admit, our 100th day until graduation. Whenever my friends, who are a year or two younger, ask me if I'm excited I don't know how to respond. I think I'm in a bit of denial. I keep saying that I have months left! In reality, we are two weeks from Spring Break. Mid-terms are right before and after the break and before you know it April will be upon us. April, in itself, is short for the fact that Easter break is another interruption. I just got an e-mail yesterday about graduation salute and the search for volunteers. Graduation salute is a forum that provides graduating seniors with information about graduation, senior week, formal, and all the miscellaneous information that is important to us.
Path ride to Hoboken
I went out with a large group of friends. We went to Hoboken to grab some dinner and dessert. We then went dancing. It was great to spend a night 'drama free' with some of the people that I've become really close to. Instead of thinking about the meaning of the 100 day mark, we celebrated having met one another and the great bonds we share. <3
Right after we celebrated our amazing feat Valentine's Day sneaked up on a Monday. That weekend I took a long drive down the shore. I am a summer baby and LOVE the sand. Honestly, I am not a big fan of the actual ocean itself. We all went down the shore for Labor Day Weekend and I didn't get in the water either, even though it was superrrr hott!!! Give me some chlorine and filters and I am happy was a pig in mud LOL. I do, however, love the ocean and how the sand feels between your toes.
Trip to the beach
On the sand
Going down the shore during the winter is fun to just walk along the sand and spend some nice quality time without the large crowds. On the actual Valentine's Day I enjoyed a yummy homecooked meal, massive chocolate, a single pink rose (my fav!) and stuffed animals. I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's Day!
My Valentine! <3
I love attending mass on campus when I am here on Sunday nights! My church back home is really family oriented and it is difficult to relate since the reflection of the Gospel is normally geared towards an older crowd. On campus, we are all college students in attendence. It is nice to hear how the Gospel relates to our lives and what we can start trying today to improve ourselves. This particular Sunday was a little different. Campus Ministry provided us with a small reception afterwards with cake and refreshments. This cake was delicious! It was extremely sweet of them to buy such a large cake for us. It was very SPC of them, meaning they are always looking out for us and taking it a step further. We all feel the love! It was a perfect Valentine's Day from SPC!
Valentine's Day - SPC Style
I have also been running around to many meetings these few weeks. For Alpha Sigma Nu, we are in the process of putting together Jesuit Week. Its basically a week dedicated to Jesuit awareness and many cool programs/speakers are on board from near and far to make this week super memorable. My group has a fun project. I cannot wait to share the plans once everything has been finalized! The Pavo Society just had its first official monthly meeting in which everyone officially met one another. Attendence was amazing and we discussed important dates with everyone. One of these dates: OPEN HOUSE APRIL 16TH! Please come and join us for the day this Spring! You can easily register online with this link! I have a meeting this week for my Economics Honor Society. Involvement is really important for I get to see friends who I sometimes wouldn't otherwise get to see.
SPC also hosted its annual Evening of International Song and Dance. We are an extremely diverse student body. Everyone has something different to offer and share. Talents really range like you read about in the SPC talent show night. This event is similar since talent is showcased but still a little different. It is very cultural based. We had students performing an array of dances and songs from places all around the globe. It is really hard to describe the essence of this program every year. Most of my friends were in it so I was extra intrigued and eager to catch the show. I have attached pictures and video clips of the performances. I wish my camera's battery had not died half way through the program. I wanted to catch so many more video clips!
Voices of Praise: It was refreshing to see so many excited faces singing. They were energetic and got the crowd clapping along and feeling the spirit.
African Dance: Especially interesting to me since I am taking an Africana studies class this semester. I saw some familiar faces of students who've been in my classes previous semesters. They really did their thing!
Nepali Dance: I am a bit bias to this dance since some of these girls are my close friends. My girls Samana, Suni, and Alisha did an amazing job of making the dance look so simple and natural to them. I know if I was to attempt those moves I would look super silly! The coolest part was when they threw glitter in the air that shimmered different colors. The crowd really liked that. We didn't expect that at all.
Bulgarian Girlies! I also love these girls. 5 out of the 6 girls I have either had class with or are my friends. I was especially excited to see Adi (4th girl from left to right) and Mariya (far right).
My Mae Mae and Sandra are wonderful singers in our chorale. I love this clip because the girl singing has an amazing voice and its nice to hear the range of her voice (talent!) about a minute into the clip. She is great!
Chorale
Some of our sport's teams are ending their seasons. Some of our teams go far to compete in the MAAC tournament. Our swimmers went to Buffalo, NY, to compete. It was too long a drive to make. Our indoor track team, however, was competing at the Armory in the city. This was feasible. Some of us took the Path train and subway to make it there. We made it about half an hour into the competition. I missed some of my friend's events who are underclassmen. I was happy, however, to see my Cindy Bear. I promised her and our friend, Suni, that I would see their events and I was able to. We were there a while. I am proud to say that SPC had the most fans at MAACs. We were cheering sooo loud for all our runners when they passed our seated section. Chants of S-P-C were insane!
Once the event ended, we stuck around for a little bit. We really wanted to know who had won MAACs. It was not before long when I heard our girls and guys screaming SPC and throwing one finger in the air. It was true: SPC girl's indoor track team had placed FIRST! It was super exciting to see! They have worked so hard and through many injuries. All their hard work had paid off. It was nice to see the outgoing seniors celebrating a wonderful going away present!
Today was a pretty exciting day of classes for the simple fact that there was a meeting for my spring break trip abroad. We discussed our paper that is due later this month about one of the cities. We also arranged a time and date for an off-campus 'field trip' to a factory in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This factory is the prime location where motorcycle jackets are assembled and manufactured. The reasoning for this trip is that, while abroad, we will be visiting the store that actually sells these very jackets in Europe! 32 days and counting. . . . .
Classes, in general, are starting to kick into gear. The world 'mid-term' has been uttered in a few of my classes which is a little intimidating. I feel like classes just started; in reality, they have been "in session" for almost three WEEKS! I have been taking advantage of our delayed openings (due to the wonderful winter we're having) by catching up on some of the readings for my classes. I am happy to say that I am all caught up. It did, however, take me a longggg time to write a 2-3 page reaction paper for a single chapter for my Africana Studies class. Senioritis is contributing to my massive procrastination. I need to reacquaint myself with 'school mode'! Luckily work hasn't reached the level of urgency......yet. This still gives me plenty of time to seek out leisurely activities.
SPC also hosted a talent show that was sponsored by the classes of 2013 and 2014. I was really excited to see what kind of talent our students would showcase. We even had three judges: an alum of the college, a Dean of students, and a professor. It was very 'American Idol'. Before the show, I only thought of 'singing' as a talent. Boy was I wrong!
Comedian Ace Brown
Our host was Ace Brown. He was the perfect host for the event. He kept everyone laughing and in a great light mood. The audience was really interactive which enhanced the vibe of Roy Irving Theater. We had a variety of talents. Singing of all genres was incorporated; dancing ranged from cultural dances to hip hop/contemporary routines really got the crowd cheering. We had performers of all classes which was nice to see. I do have to say that my favorite routine was done by a junior named Calvin. His talent was...get this...spinning. Not spinning as in exercising.....spinning as in taking objects and spinning them on ONE FINGER! At first I was curious to see how this developed into a talent. He started with spinning textbooks and pots and pans. This in itself was pretty interesting and extremely different! The crowd turned from joyful to worried when he pulled out a lap top from his book bag. He actually spinned it!!!! We were all clapping and cheering super loudly. He wasn't done. He evolved to spinning an Xbox 360!!! He was insane!!!! The judges were laughing histerically. They wondered how he had learned this 'talent' and joked about him learning it in detention in high school! :]
Hindi dance brings a lot of energy to the atmosphere
Twins really getting down! Rocking out from Michael Jackson to Justin Bieber
Random pictures below. . .
We don't believe in dishes!
On the Path
Whats coming up this month? There is a lot going on this month. We will soon be celebrating our 100th day before graduation. I am super happy to be at a tight knit college where most of the senior class are friends! Cannot wait to celebrate with GREAT company. Valentine's Day is also approaching. Classes should be getting a little nutty soon, right on time! LOL.
It is official: I am a second semester SENIOR! Insanity.....what exactly does this mean? There are only a mere 15 credits that stand between me and graduation. What comprise these 15 credits? I am currently taking five classes:Intermediate Spanish II, Intro. to Africana Studies, Theology II, Urban Anthropology, and Doing Business in Europe (International Trip!). My favorite class has to be the Europe trip. The course requires a few papers to be written but the meat of the course is experienced during our Spring Break in March. My friends and I will be spending the ten day break in two countries, England and France! I cannot even start to express my excitement! It was wonderful planning on our behalf to take a fun class our last semester of college. My passport is in, luggage collecting dust in my closet, and locks in place. All that is left is literally packing and driving out to the airport. :D Besides this fun course, I feel that I am going to share my perspective in most of my classes since they are small in size and revolve around deep issues that range from religion to society to racism and all types of different facets.
Classes are off to a rocky start this semester. Snow has been the culprit. We have already lost a day and a half of classes due to the snow. It doesn't seem like the weather is ready to cooperate just yet since we are expecting more snow from Tuesday night into Wednesday of this upcoming week. Being a commuter during these times has its perks LOL.
Mae and Marisa
Even though classes have just started, events have already kicked off the second half of this academic year. Our Pavo Society just welcomed about eleven new additions to our organization. They started training a few days before classes started and graduated on the eve of the first day of classes. Training consisted of learning how to communicate with one another, knowledge of campus, and mainly getting to know one another and being comfortable as a group. They were able to meet all the members of our organization as our group just grew tremendously. Its comforting to know that our organization will be in wonderful hands as our seniors will soon become alum.
JoJo, Allyson, and Cassandra
Tracy and Edlyn
Table shot :P
One by one, each member received their essential 'Pavo gear' as we like to call it along with a pretty SPC pin and scarf. I went a little nuts this night taking TONS of pictures! I think its good to have memories to look back upon. Our newest members are really sweet, caring, and just great people. I am super excited to get to know them a little more with the time that is left.
Our Class of 2011 <3
As a part of tradition, graduation night is a catered event for our old members to meet and greet their fellow Pavos. Our newest additions thought that just because they received their gear that they were considered 'Pavos'. As our vet Pavos will tell you.....not so fast! LOL....we have a little SPC move that was passed down throughout the organization by amazing individuals who are alums of the college. We call it the 'Peacock Shuffle'. All new members, along with our seasoned vets, do the dance together as a group. It consists of putting your hands to your sides with open fingers and moving them back and forth like a Peacock. We normally have a song playing in the background and 'do the shuffle' in a circle. It was a blast to see their faces as we showed them their first task as Pavos! :P
I had many plans for winter break. For the most part, they included a lot of driving. Weekly sleep overs, catching movies, half priced appetizers after 10pm were all in our plans. These plans were quickly derailed as snow didn't even make our equation. Mother nature has invited herself. Instead, I've been enjoying one of my final breaks with those I love in good fashion. One of my friends, JoJo, got an interview with Columbia University for Graduate School. She is a biology major who wants to be involved with pediatrics. She flew back to Jersey from her hometown in Ohio. Those of us who live locally to SPC wanted to celebrate her accomplishment! Destination: SPC!
This was a fun outing and celebration to start 2011 since it was literally days into the new year. I would love to say that I am ready to graduate and move on to the next chapter without looking back. In reality, these girls along with all my friends are reasons for me to want to stay! We decided to head to the city since it is a quick Path ride away. I hadn't eaten since lunch time so a few of my friends decided to eat real food before our night of shenanigans really started. I am soooo grateful for 20 piece boxes of chicken nuggets from McDonalds. It tasted amazingggg!!! A little later, we meet up with everyone.
Love these girls!
We had such an amazing night dancing and enjoying the wonderful company while celebrating JoJo. The night didn't rap until early the next morning. It was completely worth it!
One birthday celebration I have been looking forward to for about a month or so was Tiziana's 21st birthday! My friend, Melissa, completely organized and planned the entire shindig from before the semester even ended. Destination: Atlantic City. The weekend that was chosen was somewhat of an issue since it was...again...supposed to snow on the day that we were to leave...which it did. This form of rain didn't ruin our parade! LOL. Sandra was our wonderful designated driver through the snow to get us safely to Harrah's Resort. Sandra made delicious sandwiches for the ride down and brought snacks for the room. We definitely forgot music but the radio definitely sufficed. Eventually we heard the same songs about six times. Our favorite song that we listened to and jammed out to was "Forget You".
T's amazing cake that Melissa baked and decorated herself!
Making our way to the hotel was a chore since many cars along the way had made their way to the shoulder and were having difficultly in the snow. Once we arrived and checked-in, we all settled in and showered and kind of got ready for the night. Us girls, of course, took the most time as we had to do our hair, make up, getting dressed, etc. We had dinner reservations for 7pm at a restaurant Ono in the Hilton. Time was ticking. . . .
T (Birthday Girl, Sandra, Mel, and Me <3
Me and Sandra
Dinner was amazing. I really like Asian food. There were a total of seven of us: us four girls and three guys. All us friends had fun making jokes and sharing stories. Instead of ordering dessert to finish our meal, Melissa's delicious cake was devoured! The cake was super huge that there was a lot left over. We eventually made our way back to our hotel to hang out together before we celebrated the rest of T's birthday.
Girlies
Sandra went into her overnight bag and pulled out a cheetah print snuggie. I am personally against the snuggie. I feel like its a backwards bath robe. I remember people talking about the article of clothing as presents and thinking to myself how I would never spend a penny on the snuggie. These feelings changed this weekend. Its material is soft and cozy. I am really considering buying one for a long trip. I hate to say it but I have to eat my words LOL.
This break is still young. Lets see what other fun nights come along.
I love how I got Prof. Mandelbaum in the background! <3 him! 
