December was a busy month for me at SPC. We had about three weeks of school left, including a week of finals. It was hard balancing my extracurricular activities with my studies, but somehow I pulled through.
When we got back from Thanksgiving, the McMullen Chorale was preoccupied preparing for our first Christmas Concert on December 4. We always sang before the Christmas Tree lighting on campus the years before, but this year we actually got to sing in Roy Irving Theater and the Lighting Ceremony followed outside in the quad with refreshments in McIntyre afterwards. We sang traditional Christmas songs, two beautiful Hebrew songs, and a few soloists sang their hearts out. Many people came to see us even though the weather wasn't really cooperating. Fr. O'Brien blessed the tree and Dr. Cornacchia and Joe Ferraro, Student Senate president both spoke as well. Our first Christmas Concert was a success and I can only imagine next year's performance.
My camera died right before the concert-this was the only picture I took before :(
The first weekend of December I helped lead yet another retreat, Koinonia VII. The five student leaders and I have been busy all semester planning for this weekend. It was a busy weekend. We all got to know a great deal about each other and shared each other's personal stories of overcoming obstacles. I only wish that more people went on this retreat, but it was definitely a success.
On the last day of the retreat
Student Leaders
As soon as we got back from the retreat, I had to focus on writing papers and preparing for finals during the week. Not to mention all of the Secret Santa and Christmas Dinners....
AASU had the last meeting on Monday, December 8 with our annual Christmas party and Secret Santa. We played musical chairs (no joke when playing with college students), a potluck dinner, and had fun spending a few hours with each other before the semester ended.
The 2007-2008 AASU E-Board reunite!
My Secret Santa gave me the perfect gift-a travel guide to Malta complete with a map!
The following day, the Pavo Society had its end of the year dinner with a White Elephant gift exchange afterwards. It was my first time doing this-basically people can steal each other's gifts or open new gifts that haven't been picked yet. I was lucky enough to pick Cheryl's gift and she surprised me with a $50 Visa Giftcard! We ate dinner in downton Jersey City at an Asian restaurant called Grand Banks-the sushi and meals were all very tasty.
The Pavos with our final gifts!
The next day was the last day of classes and the first Winter Formal held in McIntyre Lounge and sponsored by all of the Classes. The tickets were all sold out and McIntyre was decorated into a Winter Wonderland. I had a lot of fun dancing one last time for the semester.
Our Table
With my lovely friends
In front of the sign
The next day was reading day-nobody had classes, instead this day is dedicated to hard work and studying (or sleeping in....)
The McMullen Chorale did their community service early in the morning at the A. Harry Moore School for special needs children. We sing for the children every year and it's so great to bring Christmas joy to the teachers and students.
With the children
The last weekend of the semester was another busy weekend. On Saturday, Dec. 13, SPC Basketball had its double-header against Seton Hall. Unfortunately we lost, but we did put up a good fight and it was great fun cheering along with other SPC students and getting free t-shirts and towels!
The Men
Peacock fans!
Later on that evening I had the privilege to see my history professor, Dr. Rabin, sing at Carnegie Hall with the St. Cecilia Chorus. A few other SPC professors are members of this chorus as well. Every semester the Chorus raises funds to have special student tickets for college students to attend their events. I've been attending these concerts since freshman year and I love it every time. This time the Chorus performed Handel's Messiah , a piece famous for its rendition of "Alleluia." Many SPC students attended to support our professors and to enjoy the classic music.
In front of Carnegie Hall
The city is beautiful during the holiday season. After the concert we saw the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.
With Veronica in front of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree
The following week, it was down to business. The end of the Fall semester is always a lot of fun because of all of the Christmas ceremonies, dinners, and gift exchanges. But it's SO hard to concentrate on writing final term papers and concentrating on actually studying. I spent my share in the library the last week. I'm actually very satisfied with the grades I received. Hard work always pays off in the end.
It was a little sad leaving campus-I had to pack up all of my stuff in my apartment because I won't be coming back next semester. I've been busy organizing all of my college stuff at home, figuring out which essentials to bring with me when I study abroad next semester.
I've been trying to spend as much time as I can with my friends and family. I can't imagine not seeing my family, especially my cousins, for the next six months. I hate saying Good-Bye. I always catch myself saying "I'll see you later" because saying good-bye just makes my departure more real. During the last mass of the semester, Campus Ministry was very kind giving me a last blessing before leaving to study abroad. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and well-wishes. I'm sure I'll have a blast in Malta.
With my Secret Santa, my best friend Casey from high school-she also gave me awesome travel guides to Malta including a webcam
Spending Christmas with my family (and the dogs too)
My family
Last Monday my cousins and I went snowboarding for the first time. I've been recuperating from my bruises and aches since then-everything hurts! It was fun though. It didn't help that we didn't have any lessons, so we started snowboarding cold feet. The last hour and a half on the bunny hill we actually learned how to brake and stop. It wasn't so hard after that. Next time I'm definitely bringing knee pads and more water....
Many blessings for the upcoming year. Next time I update I'll most likely be in Malta....I can't wait!
Looking back on past blog entries, 2008 was another busy year full of firsts and excitement, and of course hope for the upcoming year.
I can't believe it's Holiday Season already! I was so excited to go home this weekend. I haven't been home since September and it was nice to see my family and eat home-cooked food again. Thanksgiving was celebrated at my cousin's in North Jersey. My family was ecstatic when I told them that I'm studying abroad next semester. I'm just sad that I won't be seeing anyone I know for the next six months.
Thanksgiving with my cousins
These past two weeks I've been busy writing term papers and keeping up with classes. There's only about a week and a half of actual classes left and finals start soon! The end of the semester is almost here, but I'm sure a lot will still be happening on campus.
Open House was November 15! About 600 people came and it was a great success! I helped with the Pavos giving tours to prospective students and their families. It was a rainy day but we kept our spirits up with big umbrellas and renditions of peacock dances. Students still have the chance to visit our campus if they missed Open House. They can also set up personal visits and actually sit in a class with one of our Pavos if they like. Just contact Admissions!
Group Pavo picture
Old Pavo E-Board + New E-Board with Cheryl our awesome advisor
Later on that same day the first basketball games of the season started for SPC. President Cornacchia and other professors came to support the Peacocks and then later on for the Peahens. I'm excited that basketball season has started because SPC students come together to see the games and it's exciting to watch. I hope we have a good season this year.
At the Basketball Game
Last weekend my friend Jonathan took me to the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. I'm sure many of you have seen the museum from the movie Night at the Museum starring Ben Stiller. The last time I was at the Museum of Natural History was holiday season with my family last year. The museum is so big that after two visits, there's still so much to see. I'm not sure what my favorite part of the exhibition was-probably seeing all of the artifacts like hominids and neanderthals that I'm learning in my evolution class. It was like watching my Evolution class come alive. I actually knew some of the facts about them too. It was also really nice to see the city getting ready for Christmas. I just hate that the weather is getting so cold. I hope it's a little warmer in Malta.
Jonathan and I in front of the Museum-Teddy Roosevelt's head got a little cut off
In front of an Easter Island statue replica-the kids were crazy about this one!
So this past weekend I had a very relaxing time with my family and friends. I had the chance to attend my Tito Gardie and Tita Joseline's (Uncle and Aunt's) 25th Anniversary Wedding. They renewed their vows after 25 years and I was so happy for them. During the wedding my Dad was one of the sponsors and put the cord around the couple-the cord symbolizes their everlasting love and unity through marriage and the Church.
Later on the reception was at the Hilton hotel. I got to see a lot of the second cousins I never get the chance to see anymore. They all got a lot bigger than when I last saw them. As with all Filipino weddings there was a great deal of line dancing and fun. I learned how to do the Chili Cha Cha and the Todo Todo. Needless to say, I love weddings and witnessing 25 years of marriage is a joy for me.
My family with the happy bride and groom
At the reception in front of the Christmas decorations
Dancing with my Dad at the reception
Last night my friends and I got together to have a second Thanksgiving with each other. We all brought left overs from home and finished them together. It was nice to actually see everyone-I haven't seen some of them since last May right before I left for Washington, D.C.
At the Dinner Table-I made half of these pilgrim hats!
Now it's back to school-I'll be going on a retreat this weekend called Koinonia. I'm really nervous/excited. It'll be the first time I'm leading on this retreat. I hope it goes well. The next time I blog will probably during finals....I better start studying....
My roommate, Jolie, Jacob, and I carved our own pumpkins!
So the last time I updated was right before mid-terms. Right now there are 6 weeks left in the semester and I'm busy with post-mid term papers. But besides that, I did really well on my mid-terms. All of my work and stress paid off, so now I'm just focused on keeping those grades up.
Politically, I'd like to congratulate President-elect Barack Obama. I was so excited to have voted in my first presidential election! This is truly a historical moment in our counry's history and I'm glad that our generation got to be a part of it.
So....GOOD NEWS
I got accepted into the ISEP Study Abroad Program. I will be studying next semester at the UNIVERSITY OF MALTA!
I'm so excited. I've been waiting nervously this whole semester to see whether or not I got accepted. But I'm happy to report that everything is official and I will be leaving in January.
For those of you who are not familiar with Malta-it's an island 60 miles south of Sicily, right smack in the middle of the Mediterranean. I chose that place because it's close to Italy and they had a great History program taught in English. I really can't describe how excited I am right now, but stay tuned because I will be blogging from Malta next semester and I hope to share some pictures as well.
Here's a map of Malta:
I really can't thank my professors and advisors for helping me throughout the study abroad process. They have been supportive of me and my wish to study abroad and they've been all very great.
OPEN HOUSE is this Saturday, November 15! I will be there along with some of my fellow bloggers, giving tours and I hope to see some new faces on the SPC campus!
Besides all the good news, I have been very busy.
Mid-October the Honors Program hosted a walking tour of Jersey City. It was directed by none other than Dr. Chew's husband. He's a teacher at Fordham University but knows a great deal about Jersey City and its rich history. Unfortunately the weather wasn't cooperating, but we still had time to walk around. The first place we visited was the cemetery right by the SPC campus. It was an interesting place to walk around. I had never been there before and I didn't feel like I was in an urban environment while we were there. It was interesting observing the place and Dr. Fischer knew so much!
Some of the girls inside the cemetery
The Asian American Student Union has been attending/hosting many events.
On Oct. 19 we went to Central Park in NYC to do the Breast Cancer Walk. The club itself raised around $400. We walked the entire 5 miles-I was sooo tired after but I felt very accomplished. I know some women who have been affected by Breast Cancer and this was a day to walk in solidarity for their cause.
Here are some pictures from the Breast Cancer Walk:
2 more miles to go....
Resting after the walk
On November 1, AASU went to NYU to support our candidate for Mr. Philippines. Sixteen colleges around the metropolitan area with Filipino clubs participated for the "mangeant." The contest included a talent portion, costume portion, and the top 3 finalists had a round of Question & Answer. Our own Mark Velasquez, Class of 2011 represented Saint Peter's College. I was part of his talent as the "love interest" in his spoken word. I was so nervous for him! Mark didn't make the top 3 but we were proud of him anyway. Mr. PI was so much fun, it's just a great time to meet other Filipinos from other colleges and root for SPC.
Mark with the SPC sign
So I'm excited to announce the new Pavo E-Board for the upcoming year (2009). Nicole Onello, a sophomore, will be taking my place as Communications Chair of the Pavos. I'm happy for her and sure that she will do amazingly. To celebrate, we had a transition dinner with the old and new E-Board members. Good luck to them!
All of us!
You'll definitely be seeing our faces this Saturday at Open House!
On Oct. 25 the History Club went out and visited the city together for the first time. We were able to see the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It's absolutely fascinating! I didn't know what to expect but I wish we had more time to see more of it. We took a tour around a house constructed in the late 19th century and we witnessed the conditions that people, mainly immigrants, lived in and how they worked. I'm sure that the History Club wil host another event similar to this trip.
The History Club in front of the Tenement Museum
On October 29 I went to my first major hockey game ever! I got free tickets to see the New Jersey Devils play the Toronto Maple Leafs, compliments of Admissions. It was SO much fun. I appreciate hockey all the more now. The Prudential Center, where the Devils play, is in Newark and very easy to get to from SPC. I can't imagine being able to do this at any other college. The Devils lost, but it was such a good game! The Maple Leafs scored during overtime and the Devils put up a good fight. It was also a lot of fun because the game happened two days before Halloween and many spectators came in costume. It was interesting to see everyone dress up, I really wish I did.
I can say that I've definitely become a Devils hockey fan and I hope that I get the chance to see more hockey games.
YEAH DEVILS! Our seats were amazing!
Scoreboard
DEVILS FANS!
Halloween is always a fun time around the New York Metropolitan area. A couple of my friends and I went to the Village in Manhattan to see the biggest Halloween parade of the country. I've been going for the past two years and the Village is always packed! The most creative and crazy costumes can be seen. This year I dressed up as Princess Peach from the video game Mario & Bros. Thank goodness the weather was beautiful that night. We all had an intersting night!
My friend Mariya and I
Why so serious? The best Joker costume of the night!
Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett
That same weekend the Chorale had two performances on Nov. 2. We sang for the Alumni Memorial Mass as well as the Sons of Italy Induction in McIntyre Lounge. We sang two of our Italian songs in honor of new organization on campus.
Some members of the chorale with Kevin
This past weekend was the First Annual Presidential Ball. Dr. Cornacchia, the president of our college, was inducted last year. We held Presidential Ball for him last year and the Student Senate decided to make it a yearly event. It was held at Puccini's Restaurant right down the street and it was definitely a good time for both students, faculty, and administrators. The President himself was seen on the dance floor. I'm sure all of the students had a lot of fun eating and dancing.
Juniors: Maria, Alisha, Rezma, and I before we left
At Puccini's with my girlfriends!
Me and Dr. Cornacchia
Me and my date, Jonathan
So right now I'm getting ready for Open House this Saturday. I'm still busy retreat-planning, writing papers, studying-all of that academic college stuff. Thanksgiving is in two weeks and I'm excited to go back home to see my family. They're all really excited that I'll be studying abroad next semester in Malta. I know I'll miss them too and everyone on campus but I'm so ready to visit Europe and have the time of my life!
I hope to update again soon! I really can't believe the semester will be over in 6 weeks!
I'm glad we had a three-day weekend because I'm so busy with schoolwork and activities (as always). I really needed to relax and spend some time with my friends. Meanwhile I'm also preparing to take mid-terms. I have five mid-terms this week, yikes! Wish me luck. Mid-terms also indicates that the semester is halfway over. I can't believe it. I guess I've been caught up with all of my activities I didn't realize the semester slipping by....
Campus Ministry and the retreat leaders have been working very hard since the semester started planning our annual Catholic retreat. This year it's called: Catholic...Express Yourself and took place October 3-5 in beautiful Stirling, NJ. This year we explored different ways of worshipping God through every day activities or traditional and contemporary rituals. I gave a talk on prayer and how to pray the rosary. Other talks included the Sacraments, Adoration, Service Learning, Music, Meditation, and Faith Heroes. We even had an Arts & Crafts portion when we learned how to make rosaries out of twine. I ended up making 5 rosaries. The Jesuits also made their appearance: Fr. Braden, Fr. O'Brien, and Fr. Papaj came to give us guidance and lead us in mass.
It was such a fun weekend! I love retreats because it's a time to get away from campus and reflect as well as make new friends. There were 18 people who came in all and Mary Sue cooked delicious food for us all. As always we had our talent show with apple pie and ice cream. I'm so glad that everyone had a great time and I can't wait for next year already.
We received a warm welcome from the retreat house staff
The whole group! We were wearing stereotype headbands as one of the icebreakers
Giving my Prayer talk in the Chapel
Greg and Christina show off their finished rosaries!
Chilling on the couch
Waiting eagerly in line for apple pie!
Meanwhile I've been busy rehearsing for the Senior-Directed One Acts. The seniors of Argus Eyes were offered the opportunity to direct a One Act play. I auditioned and was cast in Liz Lodato's play, "Check, Please." It's a short play about blind (crazy) dates and the difficulty of finding someone compatible. I played two roles: Melanie-a football fanatic; and Linda-someone with a major personality disorder. I had so much fun rehearsing and starring in a show. The play was this weekend: Oct. 9-11.
The other plays were:
"The Incompatibles" directed by Tom Condon and
"Last Rights" by Amanda Staub-a play written by SPC's Professor White of the English Department
This is the first time I've ever acted in an Argus Eyes production. I was so nervous all three nights of the show! Thankfully I didn't mess up my lines and played my role beautifully. I wish I could do it all again.
Playing Melanie
Playing Linda
Taking a bow
My family came to see me! My brother and cousins are pictured with me here
I've been busy these past two weeks and how it's crunch-time. I need to start studying for mid-terms!
So we're about one month into the 2008-2009 school year here at SPC. I've been busy since I moved in last August with work, activities, and having fun. I really cannot believe that this will be my third year of college and I'll be a senior next year. I'm sure this year will be filled with more fun and learning than last year.
I'm taking five classes this semester:
Western Science & the Occult with Dr. Rabin-this course is about withcraft in the Middle Ages, it's very interesting
Renaissance Drama with Dr. Conlon
Political Science with Professor Sanders
Cultural Anthropology with Dr. Surrey
and Evolution, Science, and Adaptation with Dr. Surrey and Dr. Sciorra-I know this course will be challenging
I'm continuing my studies as a History major with two minors in English and Anthropology. This summer I received academic credit for my internship at The Washington Center.
This year my roommate is Jolie Hoppe, one of my fellow SPC bloggers and senior this year. I'm really excited to be living with her this year.
Even before school started I was asked by Mary Sue from Campus Ministry to speak in front of the Freshman on Freshman Day. Of course I never say no, so I agreed to give a speech on why I am proud of being educated by the Jesuits. My speech was about five minutes long and I hope the freshman got learned a little from my speech:
"First of all, I would like to welcome the Class of 2012 to Saint Peter's College. My name is Peaches Dela Paz and I will be a junior this year. It’s scary to think that I only have two more years until I graduate.
All of you come from diverse backgrounds-different schools, states, even countries, and you each have a different reason for being here, thus, the only thing you all have in common is the fact that you are here at Saint Peter’s College and will be graduating in four years. Some of you might not have even known the significance of attending a “Jesuit college” before coming here. At many other schools that you applied to, your chosen major prepares you for a job, so you can sell yourself to the million-dollar corporations in the “real world.” But the Jesuits have a far different idea of what a college education should be---its not vocational training, and it’s not just about preparing you for the first job interview you go to after graduating. A Jesuit education enriches your life.
And from this simple idea comes the idea of a core curriculum, which each of you will experience throughout your education here. It is based on the Jesuit idea of Cura personalis, of educating oneself in, not just one area, but in everything. You might hear students complain about the core curriculum, saying something along the lines of: "Well, I'm going to be an accountant, why do I need philosophy?" or, "I'm going to be a lawyer, why do I need to take Physics?"
Why? It's very simple. Being able to socialize and have a broad base of general knowledge is vital to a successful career in whatever area you are majoring in and also having a successful life. I have taken, uh…philosophy, so that when my coworker calls the head boss Hobbesian, I know what she means. I take theology to understand why some of my friends fast during the month of Ramadan. I take political science so that Machiavellian isn't just a funny Italian word in my mind. I have taken French…. Italian… and Spanish with Father DeStephano so that when some stud is trying to impress me with his expertise and calls his white wine Peanot Grigee-eoh, I can kindly correct him (Pinot Grigio) and tell him to beat it. I take biology so that I know that Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA and that malaria is an ongoing epidemic in many countries around the world---it seems trivial, but when you're socializing at say…an office party at your internship, it could be the difference between being perceived as a drone who won't be with the company long or as somebody who deserves a permanent position, maybe even a promotion."
Besides receiving a Jesuit education, there are the Jesuits themselves. They are remarkable leaders who have so much knowledge and are ready to pass that knowledge on to our young minds. I am proud and very grateful to have been able to meet these unique individuals not only in the classroom, but outside as well. They have not only broadened my mind but have helped me to grow spiritually.
Education is a tool for having a thoughtful and enriched life. It’s obviously very important. People will tell you to “get into college, graduate, get a good job with a good company and you'll be fine.” Uh-uh. This is a symptom of being close-minded that will not get you very far in the 21st century. My advice to you is to make the most out of this opportunity in receiving a Jesuit education-an education that will help you for the rest of your life through knowledge, leadership, and love. Thank you and good luck!"
Rozen and I-we both gave speeches
I'm really glad I got the opportunity to share my love of the Jesuits with the freshmen.
Since school started I have been swamped with Pavo training for our student ambassadors, retreat meetings (I will be leading two this year), and other clubs. Maybe I should start teaching courses in Time Management?
With the Pavo E-Board at training-isn't my peacock cute?
Student Senate has already had two meetings and each of them have been very interesting. Student Leadership Day was on September 13 and it was a conference for all students holding E-Board positions. This year I am the Treasurer for the History Club.
The beginning of the year is always exciting because there are so many events for the faculty, students, and administration. The Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first mass of the school year, was on September 10. Fr. Braden, the new Vice President for Mission and Ministry resided. The Michaelmas Convocation was last week where all of the undergraduates are given awards for their outstanding academic achievement. I got the Dean's List! Congratulations to everyone who won awards-it really shows how much hard work all of us have to do as students.
I was also lucky enough to attend the Presidential Reception last week with the McMullen Chorale. The Presidential Reception is a banquet to thank all of the donors who make student scholarships possible. I myself am a Presidential Scholar and am indebted to these generous people. The McMullen Chorale was invited to sing for everyone and we sang some of my favorite songs including Io Pavo, the school's fighting song, Ereve Shel Shoshanim, a traditional Hebrew song, and the Lord Bless and Keep You. It was great to mingle with the students but also the donors and faculty. This year the reception was held at the Liberty House in Liberty State Park, right across the NYC skyline. The view was absolutely beautiful and reminded me how close we are to NYC.
Some of the Chorale members on the terrace
Frank DeMichele, a Presidential Scholar, speaking
With Christina Clarke in front of the beautiful skyline
With Fr. DeStephano-a lot of the Jesuits were present too!
I took this at sunset
And the Chorale fun did not stop there. We had a retreat the following weekend in Wildwood, NJ. It took us four hours (including the traffic we got stuck in) to get there from Jersey City-but it was worth it! Some of our out-of-state students have never seen the other different parts of New Jersey. This was their first time of seeing another side of New Jersey and getting a chance to see the Jersey shore. Other than having fun at the beach and the boardwalk, we learned new music pieces and bonded as a group. As you can see from the pictures, we had a lot of fun:
Chorale Bus-you can see there were a lot of us....
We were crazy enough to take a dip into the Atlantic
Chorale girls on the Boardwalk
My roommates for the weekend. Here we were in line for a ride at the amusement park
We went on a Zombie ride....
In front of the Ferris Wheel-the view was beautiful!
The day after the Chorale retreat, a few of us also had to attend another retreat. (Yes, we did have two retreats in one weekend). It was at Genesis Farm and mandatory for all retreat leaders this year. The ride took us four hours (again) from Wildwood to North Jersey-we were practically on the Pennsylvania borderline. While we were there we took a tour of the Farm which was started by a group of nuns. The Farm is completely organic and environment-friendly. We listened to talks and gave our own reflections during the retreat. It was very relaxing and peaceful compared to busy Jersey City.
Our tour guide, Pat
During the week I had another chance to talk about my spring break last semester in Kentucky where I built houses. The presentation was sponsored by Campus Ministry, the Sociology and Political Science department. Anyone who went on the Appalachia trip were invited to speak in Pope Lecture Hall on their experience and try to convince others to go. This year there will be two teams for Spring Break: one wil be going to West Virginia, the other to Kentucky. It's an absolutely amazing experience to have and I encourage people to sign up!
The Appalachia group who spoke-these are all amazing people
I am proud to say that I will be making my debut as an actress on the SPC stage in one of the Senior-directed One Act plays. We've been busy rehearsing and I'm already a little nervous. The play is called "Check, Please" and it's really cute and funny. I will be playing two characters in it. Now I just have to start memorizing my lines....
You're also looking at a Staff Writer for the Pauw Wow! The Pauw Wow is the student newspaper on campus. I've never written for the school newspaper before, ever and I'm also really excited. My first article was about my experience at The Washington Center this summer. The next few articles I'll be writing, along with my friend Jacob, are the Jesuit Spotlight. We will be interviewing a Jesuit for every issue so students can learn more about them and the Jesuit life. You can view the Pauw Wow online at: http://www.spc.edu/pauwwow
Recently I have become obsessed with reading the Twilight Series. My roommate last year and friend Veronica got me hooked on the books. Even though I've been busy with classes and activities, I'm amazed that I still have time to read for pleasure. I've read all four books and can't wait for the Twilight movie to come out this November!
This weekend I've been busy studying for three major tests this week. It seems like my professors are operating on the same schedule and there's so much work for me to do!
I feel it in the air that summer's out of reach....
I couldn't go back to SPC without blogging about all of the exciting things I did this summer!
Today was my last day of my internship at the National Library of Medicine. It's been such a great experience. I've been able to learn public speaking skills in giving tours of our exhibition as well as gain important research skills in creating a future traveling exhibition. I've had a lot of fun doing it as well. My internship in Washington, D.C. has been a great balance between research as well as interaction with people from around the country, even around the world.
The Washington Center itself took a great deal of work. We had to write reflections on the presidential speakers we listened to and when we performed service in the D.C. area. At the end of the whole program, we turned in a compilation of all of the papers we had to write throughout the summer. My portfolio ended up being about eighty pages and I'm really proud of myself. Hopefully my professors will be able to give me a reasonable grade once they see all of the work I have done.
Not only have I been able to work in Washington, D.C. in the field of my major (history) but I have also been able to go experience the city itself! I have visited almost all of the Smithsonian museums in the area. The best thing about Washington, D.C. are all of the free things to do every weekend. My roommates and I have been able to see outdoor movie events in Crystal City, VA and on the Mall in front of Capitol Hill on Monday nights. Hundreds of people go to Screen on the Green and watch a free outdoor movie on a cool summer night.
I'm glad to be going home for a while, but then after a few days it's back to SPC! Classes will be starting on August 26th and I'm helping the freshman move in two days before. So hopefully I get the chance to meet some freshman! I'm excited for junior year but I wish I had a real break before starting classes. I plan on relaxing a lot once I go home.
Here are a few pictures from my exciting summer:
Some of my TWC friends and I at a Washington Nationals Game-they lost unfortunately....
After the Fourth of July weekend, my roommate and friend Veronica Graveline, another junior at SPC, visited me! I was so excited since she had never been to Washington, D.C. before because she never had a chance to when she lived in California. I'm glad I got to show her around our nation's capital and show her all of the amazing monuments and museums to see!
I would recommend anyone who visits Washington, D.C. to see all of the monuments at night, especially during the summer, when the monuments are lit and the sun isn't out. They are absolutely beautiful at night! Veronica and I are standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. It is a very famous monument and it is awe-inspiring to see the statue up close.
Veronica and I infront of the National Native American Museum-they have a great cafeteria there where we ate lunch and had authentic Native American food
Veronica and I walking around Capitol Hill-we found this fountain near there
Some TWC Scholarship Recipients with me. One of the things that made this summer possible was receiving the Diversity Leadership Scholars award which paid for my summer housing
Looks official, doesn't it?
The Exhibition Program and me during our visit to the Newseum. The Newseum is one of my favorite museums there and I talked about it in my previous blog. This time during the visit I had the chance to speak to the directors and the curators of the exhibition and learned about how the entire museum was made. It was great learning about the Newseum from behind-the-scenes.
I got to see the studio where they broadcast news every morning in HD!
My other friend from Jersey City-Annerei and and I at the Air & Space Museum-the most visited museum in the world!
My roommate Ashley and my good friend Jacob from SPC (also a junior this fall) at Crystal City, VA where we watched the James Bond outdoor movie held every Monday
My roommates and I eating Ethiopian food at a renowned restaurant called Dukem on U Street in Washington, D.C.Ethiopian food is a must when visiting D.C. because it's authentic and the best ethnic food to be had in the area.
One of the best experiences I had this summer was traveling to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with my TWC class. Our final was not a written final, instead we had to give a presentation in front of our class on the Battlefield about our assigned general. Our class, Effective Leadership: Lessons from the Battlefield, is about learning leadership skills from the Battle of Gettysburg which occurred July 1-3, 1863 and applying it to leadership today. The class was a great deal of fun and I loved learning about the Civil War. It was the most educaitonal field trip I had ever been to. I spoke about General George Meade, Commander of the Army of the Potomac and his leadership skills. I feel that I can even give a tour of Gettysburg because I know so much about it now!
My roommate, Sarah and me, had the same class. We were assigned opposite generals-I was General Meade from the Union and she was General Lee from the Confederate side. This picture was taken atop the Castle on Little Round Top-one of my favorite places on the Battlefield
My friend Elise and I having fun at the gift shop
My roommate, Sarah and I, watching Screen on the Green on the Mall in front of Capitol Hill. The movie we wathced that night was The Apartment, a really interesting movie made in 1960 and won five Academy Awards. I definitely recommend it, especially when it's outdoors! There were so many people who came. I saved our spot at 5 PM and the movie started around 8:45 at night, but it was worth it! We were so close to the screen.
My best friend from high school, Gail, and I at Chinatown in Washington, D.C. We ate at this awesome restaurant called Matchbox famous for its gourmet pizzas.
Graduation time! A roommate picture after our Commencement Ceremony at TWC. I'm so proud of all of the work we put in this summer for this program.
Another cute roommate picture
TWC!
My roommate and I walking around Old City, VA during our last week in Washington, D.C. We walked around the beautiful area and found a tasty sushi restaurant! Old City is accessible by the Metro-right outside the Kings Street stop and there's a free trolley that takes people down to the waterfront of the Potomac.
Right now I'm watching the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. As much as I have traveled around the world and lived in very diverse cities and areas on the Northeast Coast, I still feel that I am not cultured enough. I would love to travel in the future even more and experience the culture of different countries.
Other than that, go Team USA! I will have no life until the Olympics are over....
So I've been busy since the Spring semester ended with graduation, conferences, and my new internship!
For the past month I have been living in Maryland and working for the National Library of Medicine. I give tours of the exhibition Against the Odds: Making a Difference in Global Health.
The National Library of Medicine is the largest medical library in the world housing 11 million articles of books, photographs, journals, and other types of resources. It's been really interesting working here so far.
When I first started I had to memorize a lot of the information about the exhibition and the Library and now I'm a fully trained docent. Our exhibition mainly talks about global health and it looks at health, or access to health care as a right for all. We have stories from individuals and organizations who created sustainable solutions to health problems, and some of them can be used globally, others only in a few cases. We try to get all of our visitors to see how global health needs to be addressed and that there are so many countries around the world that don't have the same resources that we do. We aim to get our visitors informed and maybe even get involved in this global health community.
Besides giving tours every week about the exhibition to as many people as 200 high school students, I research on a project that the curator of the Exhibition Program gives me. I've been researching a great deal at the Library of Congress which is absolutely fantastic! I get to use the same resources our Congress uses.
Washington, D.C. has been great and it's a lot different than Jersey City and New York City. For one thing the Metro here is actually clean and easy to understand and get around, although it's a bit more pricey. I've been visiting the sites around here. I went to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and got to see the three giant pandas! I've also been to the Newseum, the most interactive museum I've been to so far, as well as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center.
I got my internship under a program called the Washington Center which I applied to back in February. They place me in an internship that relates to my major, History. We also have to attend seminars where speakers from around the area are invited to speak to us about political issues. Last Monday we had the Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Guttierez, speak to us and he was very interesting to listen to.
I've been assigned three other roommates and our apartment in Maryland is absolutely amazing. We have a great view from our apartment window, our kitchen and living room is complete with furniture and cookware. We also have our own washer and dryer. I feel like I'm living in a five-star hotel, it's so beautiful. We even have an indoor and outdoor pool with a fitness center as well.
In the Washington Center we also have to take a nightly class once a week and I really enjoy it. My class is called Effective Leadership: Lessons from the Battlefield. We analyze the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War and relate it to how people can lead today in the contemporary world. One of the books we're reading for the course is very interesting. It's called Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney. He analyzes a 450 year old institution and relates it to how companies can learn from them today. Can you guess the institution he writes about? The Jesuits. He describes the basic teachings of Jesuits and applies them to the corporate world. It's basically learning the history of the Jesuits in a fun way. The book was also praised by our past president, Fr. Loughran, SJ and I highly recommend it to anybody who wants to learn more about the Jesuits. It's also simply an interesting read.
So I've been busy the past few weeks with this program, writing papers and journal entries and going out with my roommates (who I'm getting along with very well).
Last June I helped to lead a leadership team from Saint Peter's College in a national conference called Campus Ministry Leadership Institute, or CMLI. It was held at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, another Jesuit college. We worked with other leadership teams from SJU and Cleveland Diocese. The SPC group spent this past semester working on our presentation based on a document written by the Bishops of America to address the mission of Campus Ministries around the country. You can read the document here, called Empowered by the Spirit: http://www.usccb.org/education/highered/empowered.shtml.
We focused on the topics of Forming the Individual and the Faith Community. The whole week was stressful at times and very tiring because we were basically running the whole conference, making sure everybody was enjoying it and preparing for our group presentations. We had about 27 teams from 26 colleges and about 200 students and campus ministers from all over the country. The purpose of CMLI is to help Campus Ministries create and plan a successful program back at their college and implement it. They present their new project at the end of the week and get critiqued by other schools.
CMLI was empowering to me because it showed me how many young Catholics, who are my age, are still passionate about their faith and not afraid to show it on their campuses. Many of the colleges who attended were secular and public. Some of the colleges who attended included Virginia Tech, Case Western University, and San Francisco State. We had a pretty diverse amount of people and I met so many from around the country.
As a leader, we each had small groups which we facilitated in asking basic icebreaker questions as well as facilitating faithsharing. My group was #1 (literally) and they were all really great people. We also had a lot of free time inbetween to explore the beautiful campus and Philadelphia. As a group, CMLI went to a Phillies game, my first professional baseball game ever! And we had a blast-we started the wave and got to be on the TV screen twice! I loved it and it was an awesome experience.
This past weekend was Independence Day Weekend! I was happy because my family drove down to see me. I gave them a tour at the National Library of Medicine. We also braved the crowds on the 4th of July and saw the fireworks at the Mall. I figured, when am I going to have the chance to see fireworks in our Nation's Capital? After an hour and a half of waiting at security checkpoints, we were sitting in front of the Capitol building, listening to the Concert, and watching the fireworks behind the Washintgon Monument.
Now it's back to work and I'm busy researching on my new project. I am really enjoying my job, new friends, and Washington, DC so far. I only hope that I can experience as much as I can before the summer is over.
Saint Peter's Group picture taken for our presentation
The Girls from the SPC Team for CMLI
The whole SPC group with the Bishop of Philadelphia-he said mass for us and I lectored!
The entire CMLI leadership team
At the Phillies Game!
Jumping in the back of Independence Hall
All of us!
My rommates and I (minus the 4th one) at the Washington Center going out
With my future roommate, Jolie and I at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Jolie is doing research in Washington, D.C. this summer too)
My friend Vlad and I at the ZOO!
The cute Giant Panda papa bear, isn't he cute?
Me on the Newseum Pennsylvania Ave. terrace in front of the Capitol Building and Canadian Embassy
My roommate and I in front of the (gated) White House
My family in front of the National Library of Medicine where I work
My family and I in front of the Capitol Building-we were so close!
Fireworks-you can sort of see the Washington Monument sillhouette
The year is over and I still have so much to blog about! I really cannot believe that Sophomore year is over and now I'm a Junior! It's surreal. These past few weeks have been a blur of fun events as well as working hard and finishing up classes. Summer has just begun and I already miss my SPC Family....
So I last left off in April. On April 11-13 I went to Philadelphia for a Campus Ministry Leadership Institution meeting. Saint Peter's College was invited to lead this time along with Saint Joe's and Cincinnati Diocese. The SPC Team now includes: Me, Conrad, Deirdre, Kelly Rose, and Milton Bravo (an SPC alumnus who graduated last year). The weekend was fun and I got to explore another Jesuit college. Philadelphia is a different city and it was really nice to be there especially when the weather was really nice. We presented our presentation about forming the Faith Community and how campus ministry forms the individual spiritually. We received feedback from the rest of the leadership team and we have been working hard to make our presentation even better. I'll be leaving for CMLI next week on May 29. Wish us luck as we lead the rest of the colleges during this important conference.
The SPC Team at St. Joe's
With some of our fellow student leaders
The same weekend we went down to Philadelphia was opening night of Argus Eye's performance of Cabaret. I was able to see the musical twice. It was an awesome performance. My roommate, Veronica Graveline was in it along with many of my friends and they did a fantastic job. The set was beautiful with the orchestra located on the upper part of the set. I had never seen Cabaret and it really is a great show. The show is about an American writer and his trip to Berlin. It deals with a lot of serious issues in history such as anti-semitism, homosexuality, and even abortion. Congratulations to the cast of Cabaret!
My roommate Veronica Graveline with Matt Vieira as Fraulein Schenider and Herr Shultz
Dom Furina as the MC along with the Kit Kat Girls
Sarah Anfora as Sally Bowles and Brandon Hightower as Clifford Bradshaw
On April 13 I got to drink tea with Mrs. Cornacchia. It was a tasteful event organized by Priscilla Marion. We had the chance to speak with the President's wife and get to know her better. Mrs. Cornacchia was the perfect host and the tea and sandwiches were absolutely delicious. The Guarini House is beautiful inside and I'm glad that students have the chance to get to know Dr. Cornacchia and his wife. This past semester I have eaten in the President's house twice with student organizations and they have been a great opportunity to talk with the President.
With Mrs. Cornacchia
The next weekend on April 19 was Open House. We had a great deal of people come and visit the school and our Pavo Members gave awesome tours of Saint Peter's College. Megan Craven and Juan Cardenas had the chance to speak about their SPC Experience to our visitors. Students also had the chance to experience a class taught by some of our Professors. The day was absolutely beautiful and we even had ice cream! I hope that some of the prospective students that I met will be here in the Fall Semester.
The Pavos! There sure are a lot of us....
The Pavo E-Board with our lovely advisor, Cheryl
The next day the Asian American Student Union hosted our annual Sportsfest. It's a tournament that Asian-American clubs from colleges around the area participate in. These clubs look forward to competing in our tournament and win the trophy. This year we held a volleyball tournament as well as basketball. It's the largest event that AASU holds in the Spring Semester. Some colleges who competed were St. John's, UCC, Rutgers Newark and New Brunswick. Our secretary, Kenneth Leomo under the guidance of Leah Orejudos, our senior advisor, organized the events. It took a lot of work from the whole club but it was worth it.
The Volleyball winners
Basketball winners
This year Rutgers Newark won both tournaments! Congratulations!
The next weekend on April 26 was the Magis Conference. It's a conference held every spring semester for the future leaders of the college in the next year. I attended because I will be a Student Senator again next year representing the Class of 2010. I will also be the treasurer for the History Club and student advisor to the Asian American Student Union. The first half of the conference we were broken up into random groups and given different tasks to accomplish. It helped us learn about teamwork and working under a time limit. The second half of the conference was listening to separate seminars held by some of the faculty of the college. Magis means the "More" and is one of the Jesuit traditions to always reach for excellence and generosity. (qtd. in Do You Speak Ignatian?)
On April 27 we had our Pavo dinner held at the end of every semester. We ate at Bertucci's Restaurant by Exchange Place in Jersey City. The food was great and it was an awesome time with the Pavos.
I'm so proud of our Pavos this year. They have worked hard giving tours every week to our prospective students and give up their Saturday mornings to help us with Sneak Peeks and Open House. Most of all I am grateful to Cheryl Schenk, our Pavo Advisor who was new this year to our family and fit in so well with us. She has been so great listening to our feedback and implementing new ideas. There are also a lot of Senior Pavos who are leaving us this year and it's sad to see them go. They have helped our organization so much and we're growing every year.
At Dinner...we're so loud and crazy!
The next Thursday on May 1 the McMullen Chorale held our Spring Concert in Roy Irving Theater. This semester our theme was Pop Music throughout history. We had an interesting collection of music including La Traviata, Fa Una Canzona, Maroon5 in Concert, Proud Mary, Dust in the Wind, and Come Sail Away. Kevin, our director, worked hard and taught us a lot of music this semester. We did so great! I'm really proud of us.
On May 2 I had the chance to see the St. Cecilia Chorus perform once again at Carnegie Hall. Dr. Rabin, my history teacher, gave me free tickets and there were a lot of SPC students who went as well. This semester the performance was Requiem composed by Verdi. As always the performance was stunning and we had great seats. Carnegit Hall is absolutely beautiful and I'm always amazed everytime I see a performance. I'm also grateful to my SPC professors for inviting us to these events.
Some of us students with Dr. Rabin after the concert.
On May 3 Peacock Palooza rocked East Campus. Peacock Palooza is held every year the weekend before finals start. It's like the last big hurrah before all the students leave for summer. Bands are invited to perform and two of our own bands from SPC performed at the beginning and the end. There was free food, t-shirts, and mini give aways. The weather could have been better but the music and the company was good. It was a great time to relax and have fun before finals start.
The Power Rangers
With my lovely Freshmen!
On that same day the Gospel Choir performed in Pope Lecture Hall. They also gave an awesome performance with dancing as well as singing. Their voices sounded strong and beautiful and I'm glad I had the chance to see them perform this year.
Gospel Choir
The next Sunday our Romance Synthesis Class had dinner with our amazing professor, Father DeStephano. We ordered food from a Spanish restaurant and ate in the backyard of the Social Justice House. This year we have bonded learning French, Italian, and Spanish. Fr. DeStephano is an inspiration for us in learning more modern languages. Romance Synthesis has been the most challenging but rewarding course I have taken so far at SPC. Because of this class I now know how to speak basic French, Italian, and Spanish; sing the French national anthem; and conjugate countless verbs. We wanted to thank Fr. DeStephano for his hard work in pushing us to learn and study more. I will definitely miss this class.
Having fun making funny faces with Father....
May 6 was the last day of classes before finals started on May 8. I'm relieved that classes are over. Now we have to concentrate on surviving the next week of finals. I'm glad to say that I did very well in my classes this semester. It's been a lot of hard work and late nights but definitely worth it. Every weekend until the last day of classes I had to write a research paper for my English, History, and Philosophy class. I really should have started them sooner but as a good college student I procrastinated a bit. Now I'm glad that it's all done and over with.
This year I have learned about classical and modern Philosophy. I have also read several interesting historical novels and learn more about the American Revolution. Scientific Literacy with Dr. Petriello was another interesting class. He taught us about the ethical debates going on in the scientific world now as well as environmental issues about the world.
I've also grown especially close to my professors this year. The entire history department now knows me along with other professors. It just shows how small and tight-knit our community is. They have each helped me whenever I have had trouble and sometimes we just talk about different things outside of class. It's great that I can rely on my professors' support.
May 6 was also the day of Junior/Senior Formal which took place in Verona, NJ at Ridgefield Regency. I was lucky enough to be asked by one of my friends, Jonathan. I had an amazing time with the juniors and seniors. A bus drove us to the gorgeous place where we got to dance and eat. I can't believe the year is almost over and the Seniors are graduating in a week!
The lovely girls
With my date, Jonathan
With Dr. Poiani, her mother, and Michaela!
Finals ended on May 13. My last final was an Oral exam with Fr. DeStephano. I was so nervous before! But I survived 20 min. of questions from Father and after that I was free! I had two finals the day before in History and Philosophy. They weren't that bad, just a lot of essay writing. My hands always cramp up during finals time with all of the essays I have to write.
After finals I finally got to relax. On Thursday night I had an icing party in my apartment with some students who were still on campus. We decided to bake cupcakes and layered cakes. We also ended up eating delicious glazed pineapple. I'm going to miss my apartment and definitely my friends over the summer.
Let the icing begin!
One of the cakes we baked-this one was for the McMullen Chorale seniors
On May 17 the McMullen Chorale did our community service. We performed for the A. Harry Moore School-a school for disabled children. We sang on each of the 5 floors for the students. It was another great experience in serving others and living the Jesuit ideal of service. After that we had a farewell lunch with the Seniors and discussed new ideas for the upcoming year.
At the school with some of the children
Finally, Commencement was held on May 18 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. I got to participate in singing with the McMullen Chorale at the beginning and end of the ceremony. It's always exciting to see all of the professors in their special robes and see all of the graduating seniors. I didn't realize how many seniors are leaving this year and I'm going to miss all of them. Congratulations to the Class of 2008! You've done so much for SPC and have worked so hard.
Sitting at Commencement makes me wonder of my own graduation, now only two years away. I really cannot believe I am a Junior already. It makes me want to experience everything SPC has to offer before graduating. This year I decided on a a major, SPC inaugurated a new president, and there is so much change going on at SPC. I hope that two years from now I can say that I've done everything I wanted to do and more. But right now I don't really want to think about graduation just yet. That will come soon enough. For now I will enjoy being an undergraduate.
The McMullen Chorale
Next week, like I mentioned before, I will be leaving for CMLI in Philly. After that I will be leaving for Washington, DC. This summer I will be interning at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. I'm a little bit more nervous than excited about the Washington Center. I'm also taking a class about Leadership: Lessons learned from the battlefield starting from the Battle of Gettysburg. I will definitely be sharing my summer experience here on my blog.
Once again, Congratulations to the Class of 2008! For all of the incoming freshman, have fun this summer and get ready for the Fall-and don't be nervous! College is going to be fun and Saint Peter's is great.
Spring is finally here in Jersey City and I'm really excited!
SPC just had our spring break two weeks ago. But the week before that, I had so assignments due before break even started. I had my Romance Synthesis mid-term, an English paper due, and a Scientific Literacy test. I was so busy with everything else and I definitely needed a break.
On March 13 St. Peter's had Battle of the Bands in Jazzman's Cafe (the Pavonia Room). SPC bands were invited to come and compete with other bands for the chance to play for Peacock Palooza on May 3. Peacock Palooza is one of the last events of the year open to all students with free t-shirts and food. I'm on the committee planning it this year and we've been very busy preparing.
Frank setting up Battle of the Bands
The next day, March 14 was Campus Experience! It's planned by the Admissions Office and it's a chance for accepted students for the Class of 2012 to come and visit St. Peter's. They got to sleep over in one of the dormitories with a current freshman attending SPC.
It was a really good time. The students arrived around 4 in the afternoon and we left for SPC around 7. We got to go on a cruise on the Hudson River. We got to pass the Statue of Liberty, go under the Brooklyn Bridge, and see some sights on the New Jersey and New York skyline. I had a blast. The food was great and it was awesome meeting the new freshmen! I love dancing and the dance floor was so much fun. A cruise around New York City is one of the unique things that New York and St. Peter's has to offer. The sights are absolutely breathtaking and it was great to spend it with great people. We got back to SPC around 11 and the students had a chance to go around the freshman dormitories. I hope that everybody had as great a time as I did. Thank you to everyone who came, hosted, and planned this whole event!
The Pavo rendition of the Peacock!
With the Bus 2 Captains!
You can also see more pictures from Campus Experience here:
The day after Campus Experience was the Scholarship Brunch. It was a chance for any of our accepted students with awards to come and visit the school. We had to wake up bright and early and ready to welcome the prospective students on campus. I had the privilege to talk on the panel during the actual Brunch and answer questions regarding student life and academics. Here were my questions:
What are any extracurricular activities offered at SPC?
There are a lot of things to do here at SPC. There are about 40 clubs and organizations on campus with an Office of Student Activities that plan events throughout the year. I'm currently a member of the Pavo Society, Asian American Student Union, the McMullen Chorale, the History Club as well as the Student Senate. I am also very active in Campus Ministry. They offer several retreats throughout the year and other events. There's always something to do whether it's on campus or in nearby New York City. I like to go into the city at least once a week and get to see everything the city has to offer. The one thing I love about the city is Broadway. I'm a big musical fan and I've seen so musicals these past two years including Les Miserables, Chicago, Rent, and Mamma Mia! There's a lot a student can do here and our location is great!
What are your experiences with the study abroad program?
There are many opportunities for students to study abroad. Many can choose to go abroad for an entire semester through several different programs. I'm currently in the process of applying to go to Malta through the ISEP program in the Spring semester of my Junior year. There are also some week-long study abroad programs where students can travel to Europe, Rome, even China with professors and get academic credit for it as a course. There is also another program called the Washington Center which I got accepted into this summer. It's an opportunity for students to intern in Washington, D.C. as well as take a night course. This summer I'm planning on either doing research for the U.S. Capitol Historical Society or for the US National Library of Medicine. I'm really excited for this summer and my plans to travel in the future. What's great about these programs is that you get to experience a different culture, academic experience and work experience. All students of any major are welcome to study abroad.
So that's a little taste of what some of the students said about SPC during the Scholarship Brunch.
The next week our spring vacation started on Holy Thursday, March 20. It was relaxing to be back home. I hadn't been able to go home for a while. Easter was spent at my cousins in New Milford. I love being around all of my family.
Easter Sunday at 1 AM in the morning Doug Demeo, seven other students, and I drove to Kentucky for the Christian Appalachian Project. Saint Peter's College participated in this program last year. CAP helps those in poverty in Kentucky and helps to build/fix their houses and also provides other programs for the unemployed, children, and other needs. CAP Workfest is about 4 weeks long and every week new colleges come to help build and fix houses. I was so excited for this experience! Some of my friends went last year and had life-changing experiences. I decided to go this year and this has probably been one of the best spring breaks I'll probably ever have.
The drive down to Kentucky was about 14 hours. We took the college van and we had a few stops along the way but the trip was soo long! We finally arrived at Camp Andrew Jackson around 3 in the afternoon the next day. The other colleges that attended besides us were: Marshall University, Canicius College, University of Illinois-Chicago, Caldwell College, and the University of Cincinnati. There were about 80 student volunteers in all. CAP Workfest broke us up into 8 teams and none of us were with other SPC students. Instead we got to meet other students from around the country. I was part of the Purple team!
When we got there the long-term volunteers introduced themselves and what we were going to be doing that week. They were all so great and caring. The cooks also fed us very well throughout the week.
On our first day at camp a few of us went hiking around the camp. It was amazing! I hadn't been out in the wilderness in forever. There were little hiking trails that we followed and some of them took us to a lot of beautiful spots. We also started playing volleyball with some girls from the University of Illinois-Chicago. During the week we also got the chance to go canoeing and kayaking! At the end of the week there was a big bonfire and s'mores, of course. Camp Andrew Jackson is definitely a fun camp.
Some people canoe-ing!
Our work began on Tuesday, March 25. Breakfast was at 6:30 every morning and Devotion was always at 7:30. We had to pack our lunches before we left (there were a lot of sandwiches that we could take with snacks). Then we would drive to the worksite. Our worksite was the nearest, only a half hour away. We built this trailer for Donna, a woman in her 30s who already had two strokes and had two children who were 7 and 10. She was the sweetest woman who was softspoken but so nice. Our crew leaders: Jay, Monica, Bill (Wild Willy) were so great. They were patient with us and trusted us. I had little experience with construction before and now I know how to build so many things. Throughout the week we learned how to lay tin on a roof, the difference between a screw and a nail, how to use a straight edge saw and a jigsaw. I got to learn so much on how to build and create a sturdy and strong home. Every detail had to be planned and our leaders were so meticulous with everything. I built stairs, helped put a skirt under the roof, dug holes for posts, cut wood, screwed on spindles, finished putting up the siding and so much more. By the end of the week I was so sore! My body ached all over but it was a little price to pay for what we accomplished at the end of the week.
It was funny because the Purple crew definitely bonded with each other. I was referred to as the "Jersey Girl," and everybody else had nicknames like "Buffalo," "Albuquerque," and "New York." Donna also had the cutest dog named Shorty who greeted us every morning and he kept us laughing when our work seemed so hard sometimes.
The Purple Crew-we signed a piece of the house siding
In the end we helped to build this trailer and make Donna's life a little bit better, but she also helped us in the long run. I felt this experience changed my perspective and in helping Donna she helped me as well to grow as a person of service for others. It was Donna's birthday on April 7 and for her birthday the crew leaders bought her a porch swing which she told Jay she had always wanted. We also built two beds for her children who had their own room but no real bed to sleep in. This program helped me to see the kindness and love that humans can feel for those who are less fortunate.
With Donna on her porch swing
I helped build this porch and set of stairs!
We helped build this roof too
Me with Shorty-isn't he cute?
Me with my construction buddy, Kelly from the University of Chicago-Illinois
There were other events that occurred throughout the week. We got the chance to listen to a Blue Grass band and listen to live country music. The band was so great! Every night we had a time to reflect on the day with our college group. I got a chance to become closer to other students from St. Peter's. Our group was so much fun and really great. Some of our discussions we had were so insightful and I really wish we could share this experience with the rest of the St. Peter's Community.
Kentucky is drastically different from the Northeast. The roads there were so windy and went up and down so fast that even I got a little bit car sick. You could definitely tell we were in one of the most rural parts of the state. The weather there was so nice and I was so thankful for the sun and beautiful weather while we were building the houses.
This experience was truly an amazing and life-changing one. My parents always tell me to be thankful to God for giving me such a wonderful life. I was grateful before this trip but I'm even more grateful now that I've seen poverty in Kentucky and seen what these people experience. Sometimes it's overwhelming for me because I'm only one person and some of the service jobs that I have done in the past seem meaningless to what these workers to for these families in Kentucky. But I have to keep on trying to make a difference whether it's a small job or a big one like this experience. The people down there who lack so much in material make up in their faith and love in God. Donna seemed so happy and optimistic and I hope she will always have that spirit with her. I have met so many great college students who came down to Kentucky to do one thing: to do service for these people. I have created great relationships with a lot of people and I hope to see them in the future as well. I definitely recommend everybody to try to come down and participate in the Chrisitan Appalachian Project. I think I would definitely consider volunteering as a long-term participant in one of these programs. Service is giving to others but you as an individual benefits as well from the experience.
So we left Kentucky on Saturday morning and we got back around 12:15 AM. I was so tired from building and the trip. I'm glad I had at least Sunday to rest and do the massive amount of homework I managed to ignore this week.
Classes started on Monday. I've been busy with so much stuff it seems like I never had a spring break! I had a History research paper due. I wrote about Benedict Arnold and how although he is considered one of the greatest traitors of America, he was still a very good general for the American side.
The first day of Room Selection was on Tuesday, April 1. I'll be living with one of my fellow bloggers, Jolie Hoppe, who will be a senior next year. I'm really excited and we got a really good apartment for next year.
I signed up for classes on April 2. I set up my schedule with my adviser, Fr. Wrynn and I'll be taking two anthropology courses, 1 history course, a political science course and an english elective.
Last Saturday I celebrated my birthday with some of my friends in NYC. I wanted to go see the Bodies museum at South Street Seaport. We ate at a Thai restaurant around the area before going. The Bodies museum is absolutely fascinating! It's a museum that shows real human bodies preserved in such a way that we can see their body parts like muscles, skeletons, the nervous and circulatory system, and so many other parts of the body! It was so interesting, I definitely recommend others to go see the exhbition. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for the human body and a different perspective on life and how fragile it is. After we went to the museum we walked to Battery Park. The weather was absolutely beautiful and I loved sharing the day with my friends in the city.
In front of the Bodies museum with my friends Albert, Rezma, and Casey
This past Sunday the Saint Peter's College Community got to witness the baptism of one of our senior students, Jenny Pavlova into the Catholic Church. It was my first time to witness this type of ceremony and it was so great! It really shows how strong our faith community is here at St. Peter's.
Last Tuesday was my 20th birthday! The Asian American Club called me at 12 AM and told me to come out of my apartment. They bought me a cake and completely surprised me with it. The cake was really good. Thanks to everybody who gave me birthday wishes, it was a great day!
My birthday cake
This week I've been busy with countless Philosophy papers and student elections coming up. I'll be running again to be a Senator for the Class of 2010. This weekend I'll be in Philadelphia at St. Joseph's University at a conference. The conference is for Campus Ministry called CMLI (Catholic Ministry Leadership Institue). A select team of SPC members including Mary Sue, Deirdre, Conrad, and I are going to be showing our presentation on campus ministry in front of college students. The actual conference will be at the end of the year and this weekend will be our first time presenting in front of the people who run this conference. I'm a little nervous about it but I'm sure we'll be fine.
I've been super busy this past semester. It's hard to believe that the semester is almost over.
Next Saturday, April 19 is our Open House! Please sign up and come visit our campus!
It's been a while since I've updated and there's so much to talk about. I've been busy with classes, clubs, events, and unfortunately I was a little sick for a bit. But I feel a lot better now and ready to take on the month of March.
So looking back on February, there were a lot of exciting things that happened.
The International Evening of Song & Dance is held every year. It was a performance created to celebrate the inauguration of our previous president, Fr. Loughran, and it's been a yearly event ever since. It's one of my favorite events of the whole year because it shows how diverse our school is. All of the different cultural groups come together and perform a piece from their traditions. This year it was on February 7 and it was amazing! I performed with the Asian American Student Union and the McMullen Chorale.
The AASU Girls
We had been practicing ever since the semester started. There were so many dance practices that we held and it was difficult getting everything together. AASU decided we were going to perform two traditional dances as well as two moderns. Our traditional dances consisted of the Carinosa, which is the national dance of the Philippines. It's a courtly dance with couples and they court each other with props like fans and handkerchiefs. The other traditional dance was a Men's dance-the Magalalatik. It's a dance consisting of coconuts. It was actually performed to show the conflict over coconut meat between the Catholics and the Muslims in Filipino history. The men keep the beat by beating coconuts tied on their body. We danced two moderns to the songs Rain by Razah and Go 'Head by Ali & Gipp.
The whole performance was about five minutes. Some of our club members, including me, choreographed the dance. When we performed I was so nervous! It's weird being on stage. I remember performing in front of a big audience but I don't remember dancing individual moves. It's like it was a whole blur. But everybody loved the performance and I'm so proud of my AASU dancers!
The last performance was the McMullen Chorale and we sang a few international songs including a Hungarian song and Elijah Rock. Overall it was a great night and I'm so glad that a lot of people came to watch the amazing performances. Here's some video highlights:
Me with Fr. Kuntz and his Nigerian garb
Me with Kevin Cummines, the director of McMullen Chorale in his kilt
My friends in their Indian garb! They look so beautiful.
AASU at the end of our performance
The next day, on February 8, there was a big athletic event here at SPC. It was called Pack the House and the school came together to show our solidarity and support for the fight for breast cancer. Everyone came to watch the Women's Basketball Game, SPC vs. Rider University, and wore pink t-shirts. I sang "God Bless America" along with the McMullen Chorale before the game started. Basketball games here at SPC are fun to go to and really intense. I'm proud to say that SPC won the game and we also got the chance to show our support and service for important causes.
The McMullen Chorale singing
GO SPC BASKETBALL!
Two adorable kids rooting for the team
Watching the game...
That weekend (February 9 and 10) the McMullen Chorale had its first retreat in Cornwall, NY. We left right after the basketball game. The whole weekend was full of song, laughter, and bonding. We're a great group and it was a lot of fun. We learned about five songs. We even had the chance to take a walk around the beautiful area with Fr. Schroth, one of the Jesuits at St. Peter's. For a retreat I really didn't get too much rest that weekend it seemed like-but it was a good time.
Learning some music
Me with my roommate/fellow Soprano, Veronica outside in the beautiful snow
The next week, on February 13, I went with the History Club on our semester service trip. We helped kids make Valentine's Day cards at a school down the road. It was a lot of fun. I always love going on service trips, especially if there are kids involved. They were all very nice and easy to get along with.
