READY for break!

Just about 2 more days until Christmas break is FINALLY upon us and you can tell the entire campus is itching for it to begin!

The last few days have been especially rough for me because I caught a terrible cold that made me downright miserable!  But, being sick at Mercyhurst actually isn't too terrible.  I know when I was still at home, I was used to my mom knowing exactly what to do and say to make me feel better.  At Mercyhurst, we have the Cohen Health Center, where the nurses are just like your on-campus moms!  I went in not feeling well and they knew exactly what to tell me and give me to make me better.  I left the health center yesterday feeling so much better, even though before I went I really just wanted to be at home!  The health center even has doctors on staff, so if you need to see a doctor or get a prescriptions, they are right there for every student!  It's super convenient and nice!

I cheered my second basketball game tonight and the men and women teams both won!  They were great games and so fun to be at (even though I am not fully recovered from my cold!).

Well, for the rest of the week I plan on cleaning, packing and looking forward to an amazing break with my friends and family!  If I don't blog again before the holidays, MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

It's beginning to look a lot like (Antarctica?)

Well, as many of you may know, Erie has officially kicked off the lovely (or not so lovely) snow!  It really quite beautiful, unless of course you have to walk or drive through it!  But, of course, as all Mercyhurst students know, we must get used to it because there is only more to come!

On Monday was the first home men's and women's basketball games and they were pretty awesome.  I only cheered for the men's game, but the women won and the men put on an nail-biter by keeping it tied throughout most of the game!  We unfortunately lost at the very end by only 3 points.  For the first game it was a pretty good turnout, and I didn't mess up too badly at my first college cheerleading experience!

Yesterday, there was a speaker for the leadership society I belong to on campus and it really was quite interesting.  Tom Krieglstein talked to us over a broadcast about creating a digital social identity.  Of course, just about everyone I know has a Facebook, but I realized how useful and cool having this blog really is!  It gives me a chance to not only help prospective students get a chance to learn what being a student here is really all about, but it also helps me create a good reputation for future employers that may search my name n the internet!  That being said, I must now apologize to all you readers out there...because I now have a hidden agenda for writing this blog: getting a JOB! :P

Today has been a really good day, too (regardless of my 4 straight hours of class!).  My friends and I ate lunch in Egan cafeteria, which we rarely do, and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious food!  It was an Italian theme and they has lasagna, pepperoni bread, pasta, and wonderful cannol's and tiramisu!  A meal like that makes me want to eat lunch on campus much more often!  Luckily I will be just as lucky for dinner tonight!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?

So here I am, up to my eyebrows with Christmas cheer!  This has been a very busy and very successful first week of winter term 2010!

This term I have my first science class at Mercyhurst, Physical Geology, and so on top for lecture I also have to go to a lab.  Even though I only have three classes, it's almost like I have four because of it!  So far though, the work load does not seem like it will be too bad so this term should definitely be a really good one!  Besides classes, my roomies and I also worked hard to decorate our house for the holiday!  We have three mini Christmas trees, lots of garland, and a wreath on our door!

This week we also got a new roommate, making our townhouse full with six girls!  She is really great and we are getting along really well so far!  She just transferred here and she is working at getting used to campus and how things work here.  I think she is liking it!

Lindsay and I with a tree we decorated

On Saturday this week was the football playoff game.  Our boys were number 1 in our conference this year and they were playing AWESOME!  We had never been that far in footbal before, so everyone on campus was really excited.  Even though it was bitter cold out, my new roommate and I went to the game.  I had to leave before the end because I was SO COLD!   The team played really well, but the other school was better and we unfortunately didn't win...but they FOR SURE had a GREAT season!



Ambassadors, Class of 2012



Today, I finished decorating the student union to make it into a winter wonderland for an event called Christmas on Campus, which is next Saturday.  We had a very productive day and the union looks awesome and very festive!  Then, we had the annual ambassador Christmas party, which we call "Chrisgiving" because we eat a Thanksgiving meal and have an ugly Christmas sweater contest.  It is REALLY fun to get all dressed up in Christmas-y clothes and check out everyone else's horrible sweaters!  As you can see by the pictures, we all certainly got into the Christmas spirit.

A few of us being goofy

Tomorrow is the first basketball game I am cheering at this season!  I'm REALLY excited and even MORE nervous about messing up in front of LOTS of people!  Fingers crossed that it goes well! 

Well, I am going to go pop in the movie "Elf" and try to stay warm with some hot cocoa!  Hope you can all stay warm from the snow!!!!

Ready, Set, Go!

HELLOOOOO everyone! 
It has been quite a while since my last blog and MAN haave a lot of things happened! 

Last time I wrote it was finals time, and I am pleased to announce that I survived them!  It was tough to focus in the end because I just wanted to go home and enjoy my break, but I pushed through!  Mercyhurst is really great at finals time because the library is open for extended hours and the Student Government holds fun little study breaks (AKA FREE FOOD) for you to go and relax and take a breather just when you feel like your head might explode.  There is also a little section in the library where you can color pictures to help de-stress and re-focus.  It's cute and fun!

After finals were over, I went home for about 10 days to relax.  I had an AMAZING break full of fun, family, friends, and food (alliteration! haha).  I really really enjoyed my time away from having to worry about papers, due dates, meetings, and responsibilities.  I love Mercyhurst, but there is definitely nothing like being home!  But, of course not everything lasts and I find myself hitting the ground running now that I am back!

Although I had a very enjoyable break, the Mercyhurst community has suffered quite a tragedy.  On Friday, November 19th, a fellow student of mine, Jenni-Lyn Watson, went missing from her home and her body was found a week later.  It is a horrible and indescribable event and I cannot realy wrap my mind around it.  Even though I never knew her personally, it struck close because shewas the same age as me, and she will never get the chance to live out her dreams.  Even though it was a horrible thing, Mercyhurst has really responded in a great way.  They kept the student body informed on the situation regularly through email, and has held prayer services for her.  Last night, they also held a beautiful memorial mass in Christ the King Chapel.  I did not attend but my roommate that did told me it was a wonderful tribute to her too-short life.

Even though I never knew Jenni-Lyn, it is nice to know that the school cares so much about their students.  It is a definite advantage to going to a small school.  They really care about each and every individual that sets foot here and when tragedies occur, it truly brings the campus together as a family.

Although life has been very unfair lately, we must continue to move forward with winter term.  Everyone just had to jump right back into life here.  I had my first class today and so far it seems like it will be an excellent term.  Hopefully this term will improve from here and turn out better than every other term!  Plus,  I LOVEEEEE Christmas time!

FINALS, finally!

Helloooo future Lakers!

So Fall Term 2010 is FINALLY coming to an end!  This has been probably one of the busiest and most stressful terms of my college career and I couldn't be more happy to put it behind me!  Today was the last day of regular classes and it was an amazing feeling leaving classes knowing I am just a few exams away from a lovely Thanksgiving break at home with my family.

Finals are never fun, but this year we get a three day weekend for maximum study time.  I usually don't use all that time for studying (I HATE studying...don't you??) but it is definitely nice to know that I have so much time to go over all my notes and readings to prepare for the exams that will take place on the following Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  I just can't wait for them to be over, though!

This weekend is mostly going to be about studying, but tomorrow I do have a very fun activity.  I am in charge of the decorations committee for an event we host in December called Christmas on Campus, and tomorrow is the first day we will begin decorating the student union with Christmas decorations!  Holiday time is my favorite time of the year and it makes me SO EXCITED to know that we are just around the corner from lights, carols, busy shopping, presents, and cookies! 

Just a few finals and I can officially being the holiday season, but a little secret is that my roommates and I have already started watching Christmas movies! :)  It may be a little early but its a really nice mental break from all the hustle and bustle, paper writing, and studying that typically comes with the end of the term.  I know I haven't done much fun stuff since my last post, but I am SURE that after finals, my life is going to be very exciting!

Happy studying, and Merry Thanksgiving!

A wonderful, wonderful Halloween weekend!

Yummy desserts!

This past weekend was definitely one of my favorite so far this year!  It all started on Thursday evening when Egan Cafeteria had its special Halloween dinner.  Everything was super decorated and spooky looking, and the food was spooky, too!  They served things like mummies on a stick (hot dogs wrapped in croissants), bat wings (chicken wings), and other creepy sounding food that was actually a delicious treat!  There was also a fullll array of really yummy themed desserts!  (see picture!)

My Roomies!

Friday night, my roommate turned 21 at midnight, so we had a fun get-together/game night at our townhouse.  All of our close friends came to celebrate with us and we played Apples to Apples and Jungle Speed (if you haven't played or heard of these games, PLAY THEM because they are VERY VERY funn!)  We decorated our living room with birthday signs and one of the signs we bought was spelled wrong!  It said "HAPPY IBRTHDAY"!  At exactly midnight, we all sang my roommate happy birthday and her parents came over to bring her 21 balloons!  That's a lot of balloons at once!  Then, she had her first drink ever and we all had a really fun night with our good friends.

Saturday was when most of Mercyhurst celebrated the wonderful holiday of Halloween.  This year I didn't really do much for the holiday because my roommates and I all had a lot of homework and we really tired.  But, I did dress up (I was a cheetah, RAWR!) and we just hung out at my house and watched some movies.



A bunch of my friends...and 21 balloons



After my busy and fun-filled weekend, I spent alllllllll of Sunday writing my last huge paper of the term and Monday night I had my first cheerleading practice.  I am going to be sore for a veryyyyy longggggg timeeee!  Not to mention bruised!

But now that the term is winding down to it's last week  and a half (thank goodness!) everyone is busy preparing for final papers, projects, and exams.  The weather is also getting a little colder so bundling up is a necessity!  Hopefully it doesn't start snowing soon!  I will keep you posted :).

A fun but relaxing weekend

This weekend was a good time to spend some time with some friends, catch up on some sleep, and work through my stack of homework!

Friday night, one of my roommates and I went to the brandddd spankin' new Chipotle that finally opened in Erie!  For all of you who come from areas that have Chipotle, you can only imagine how much of a struggle it was to survive two whole years of college without one in Erie!  Luckily, though, someone finally figured it out and opened one here!  It was very delicious and definitely worth waiting in the line that wrapped around the entire restaurant!

My new friend!

After that, we went to Millcreek Mall just down the street and played with the puppies at the pet store!  This is an activity that almost all Mercyhurst students will probably do at some point while they go to school here.  They are SOOOOOO adorable and fun and gives you a little slice of puppy love when you miss your family pet at home.  The only bad part is that it is SOOOO HARDDDD to send them back in the cage when you leave!  I hate that fact that I can't take them all home with me!



sorry, this is blurry!



Saturday was an Open House on campus so I gave a tour for Ambassadors.  Lots of prospective students came to check out the campus and see all the awesome things that Mercyhurst has to offer.  And after the Open House, I spent the rest of the day being a lazy bum and catching a little R and R.  Sometimes you just need one of those days!  That night was a Mercyhurst tradition called "Haunted Hurst".  I didn't go this year but it is a reallyyyy cool event!  You may not know this, but our campus is known for being haunted, so ambassadors take groups of students on a haunted tour throughout campus and you get to experience haunted house-style fright right here on our own campus!  I  usually get really scared, even though I know the ghosts are my fellow students!  I heard it went really really well this year, even though I didn't go!



The WHOLE gang!



On Sunday, we had a social event for Ambassadors!  We went bowling at a local bowling alley and it was SOOOO fun!  As you can see by the pictures, lots of people participated.  We even had a contest for what team got the best score.  I, being the super sporty and coordinated person that I am (not), got the worst score on my team :(.  But it was ok because we still ended up with third place overall and I had fun anyway!



This week is a veryyyyy busy week full of meetings, paper-writing, and preparations for Halloween!  I can't wait for all the things that are coming up!

I'm SO EXCITEDDDD!

I just had one of the most exciting things happen to me in a really long time!  Earlier tonight, I tried out for Laker cheerleading (after not cheering for about THREEE YEARS!)  And guess what...I MADE IT!  I am now officially a cheerleader for 2010-11 Mercyhurst Basketball season!!!!  I am sooooo excited!

Sports at Mercyhurst are HUGE.  We have 24 sports teams (that is A LOT for a school our size!), so basically where ever you go on campus, you will probably find someone that plays some kind of sport.  We have just about every sport you can think of, everything from basketball and football to field hockey, lacrosse, and water polo.  And we are a Division II school (except for hockey, that's Division I) so the games are really fun to go to!  Plus, they are free for students to get in!

I have been to a few different sports games, like football, basketball, and hockey.  Our teams are usually fairly good, so who doesn't enjoy seeing a winning game??  And now I get to cheer for them! 

We also have a Laker Spirit Club, which is really cool because they give out free stuff all the time.  You can get tshirts, clappers, cowbells, you name it!  Anyone can be involved and they just get together and support the awesome Lakers at games every week!

I'm gonna go bask in my excited-ness about being a cheerleader again, so until next time!

Fall break!

Hello again! 
It's been a a little while since I have posted because I have been SO very busy!  Last week I studied reallyyyyyyyy hard for midterms and then it was fall break!  And right now I technically don't have time to be doing this, but I needed a little mental break from my paper writing...lol.

But, I had a really amazing, entirely too short fall break!  It's a really nice break because it really splits up the term and gives my brain a chance to recooperate after midterms.  This break was especially good because I spent it visiting my boyfriend at his school.  We had a lot of fun and I got to spend the silly Hallmark holiday of Sweetest Day with him!  He took me out to dinner :).

There are a lot of really really fun ways you can spend your fall break.  Some students just go home, but others choose to use this long weekend as a time to take a roadtrip somewhere fun with friends.  My freshman year a few friends and I stayed at my house is Bay Village and spent a day at Cedar Point for Halloweekends.  And last year, my friend from Oklahoma (couldn't go home because it was so far for just a weekend) came to my house and we spent some quality time at home.  I was a little sad to see break end this year but luckily the end of break means there are only 4 more weeks left in this term!  And then it's holiday time!

Here on campus everyone is starting to get ready for Halloween!  I LOVE THIS HOLIDAY!  Costumes, candy, sillyness, it just couldn't be more fun!  My roomies and I have been planning costumes and weekend plans today and it has just gotten me so excited for what's to come!  Hopefully it's a good one this year!

Well...I'm going back to paper-writing, so until we meet again!

Study, Study, Study: Midterms have arrived!

Sooo, as we go through a long period of endless raining, we are also going through the wonderful time that is midterms.  Everyone on campus is studying to take what are usually the first tests of the year and it is certainly a very tense time.  However, even though I seem to be doing more school work lately than fun, midterms also means that this term is already halfway over! 

This wonderfullllllll thought is due to the awesome Mercyhurst trimester system.  A lot of people outside of Mercyworld hear the word "trimester" and think, "What on Earth is that??"  It is very rare nowadays, especially with most schools moving into a semester system.  But, let me tell you, trimesters are the way to go!  They are a lot like quarters in that we have three 10-week terms every year.  Each term we take 3-4 classes. 

This is really nice because it means at any certain time you only have 3-4 classes worth of homework.  At semester schools, you could have to do 8 classes worth of homework at once!  That's a lottttt of reading and papers!  It's also really convenient because if there happens to be a class that you hate (there is no doubt you will have a few of those), that class will be over really soon.  I love the fast pace and the fact that we constantly change scenery throughout the year.  You get to meet three sets of friends in class every year, plus we get really looooong breaks between terms that other schools don't get!

So basically, even though midterms are stressinggggg me out right now, the trimester system is totally worth the stress at the end of the day!  Just another one of the many reasons that Mercyhurst is such an awesome school to choose!

Love off the Hill, not always the easiest

Hi Guys!

Many of you blog readers out there are likely still in high school.  And high school is an amazing time for dating.  The hard part is what to do once you reach the end of your senior year.  Some boyfriends and girlfriends go to the same schools, but most end up in different schools.  Sometimes those schools are hours apart, in different states, or even across the country from each other.  Long distance relationships are really tough and unfortunately do not always last.



My boyfriend and I!



However, I can personally give some insight on what it is like to have my boyfriend not be a Laker along with me and how making it work definitely is possible.  My boyfriend and I did not start dating in high school, but we are from the same home town.  He pretty amazing but it certainly can make my time at the ' Hurst much less enjoyable.  Even though I LOVE it here, there are times where I would rather be anywhere but not with him.  If you are one of those people who's heart is elsewhere (mine is in Ohio...), then let me tell you what I do to cope!

I think the thing that helps me the most is talking to that person everyday.  Whether it is texting, a phone call, or facebook chat (thank you technology!), we are almost constantly in connection with each other.  Another really good way of keeping in connection is through skyping.  Then its like he (or she, for those boys out there) is right there with you.  And my personal favorite way of coping is frequent visits, whether its both going home for the weekend or going to each other's schools. 

While the times in between seeing my significant other suck and i often miss him, I do have a lot of fun at Mercyhurst with all the fun stuff going on and everything I am involved with on campus.  I keep myself busy so that I don't have too much of a chance to miss him.  And another advantage?  I probably get a lot more homework done than couples that both go to Mercyhurst!  The times when I would probably be spending with my other half I fill with school work.  I also work ahead and extra hard before the weekends I leave campus to see him so I can enjoy my time away work-free. 

The point is, while having the person you love far away can make college really really hard (I can't lie and say it will be easy),  it really is possible and there are even some positives!  If you do go to school away from your boyfriend/girlfriend, just promise me you won't let it hold you back from creating your own life at school and enjoying every second you have there!  You only go to college once (...well hopefully) and you have to take full advantage of the time you have!

Dreary Erie? Not for me!

Heyyy again!

My roomie and I last fall

Sooooo we have now been back at school for almost five weeks, and you can tell everyone is starting to get lost in translation of school work, studying for midterms, and loss of sleep.  And to make getting up in the morning even harder, it has been much less sunny and it has rained almost everyday.  Walking to class in the morning is just not fun when you have to do it through the rain!  And the worst part?  Now is the time of year when everyone gets colds!

But, being a veteran of the whole changing of weather thing, I am getting through just fine!  While it's no secret that Erie weather is not ideal, this city is my second home.  It will get worse in the winter monthes, but for now I find myself enjoying the cool fall breeze.  Today, I walked with my roommate around campus running errands and it was the perfect day for a relaxing stroll in a cozy sweatshirt!  SOO fall-y!  And once the leaves start really changing, Erie is probably one of the most beautiful places to be! 

The next two weeks or so are going to be VERY busy for me.  I have to study really hard for midterms, especially because this is my term with four classes and I don't want to let the tempting laziness take over!  But, I am allowing myself for a little bit of a break to go home this weekend and spend some time with my family, friends, and boyfriend back home!  So, until we meet again, enjoy the lovely fall weather!

Homecoming Festivities!

My friends and I will Louie the Laker!

Hello again!

So this weekend has been REALLY REALLY fun!  After a very stressful week of homework and quizzes, it was rewarded by an awesome time at Mercyhurst Homecoming and Hurst Fest!  On Friday night, everyone's parents showed up on campus and it was really fun to see students reunited!  My parents didn't come this year because they came my first two years and I told them it was ok with they didn't want to drive out here again.  But, I still had a lot of fun! 

Friday night I worked an event as an ambassador.  I directed people for the Unveiling of the newly renovated and beautified front entrance.  Alumni and faculty of Mercyhurst donated money to go toward trees, lampposts, and benches.  The people who donated then came to the ceremony.  It was a fun event to work because we got to eat some of the really yummy food they had at it!  My roommate and I both joked that once we're alumni and donate stuff back to the school, we are definitely going to get delicious food in return!



Baby cow at the petting zoo!



After my event I went to family bingo with Lindsay's family.  She's my roommate and also a blogger!  Bingo was AWESOME because they had unbelievable prizes.  Everything from gift cards to DVD players!  And it was PACKED this year!  So many families came that they had to set up more tables so everyone could fit!  I didn't win anything (although I came REALLY close a few times!)...but Lindsay's dad won a Coldstone gift card he let Lindsay keep.



At the football game!



Saturday was a very long but very fantastic day!  It was Hurst Fest day!  I woke up briiiiight and early to give tours of campus for ambassadors (8am!  that's earlier than I get up for classes!).  After tours, which were not very fun because it was a chilly morning, I came home and bundled up then went to the Homecoming BBQ!  It was delicious!  They even had my favorite, corn on the cob!  After the BBQ, we met a bunch of friends at the football game.  It was PACKEDDD!  We got there late and there were NO seats and we had to sit in the grass on the side of the field!  At halftime they announced Homecoming King and Queen.  I knew both of them!

My favorite part of the day, though, was Hurst Fest!  We left the game early (so I'm not sure who won!) and went straight to the petting zoo!  There were baby animals galore!  Goats, a pig, a calf, bunnies, llamas, you name it!  I got pictures with just about every animals...I definitely have a soft spot!  Then we raced on the inflatables, got free popcorn and caramel apples, and even participated in fun contests with awesome prizes!  Everything we did that day we got on video, which are up on Lindsay's blog!

All in all, it was my favorite Homecoming so far!  It was the first year I did everything at the Hurst Fest and it was SOOO worth it!  Hopefully next year's will be just as fun!

Friends, Fun, and Stress

This is me!

Hellllooooo! 

Me in my Ambassador Jacket!

As you can see, my name is Meghan and this is my first post as a blogger for Mercyhurst College.  I am from the small city of Bay Village, Ohio, which is near Cleveland.  My favorite color is pink, some may call me obsessed.  I tend to snort when I laugh.  I have two dogs at home named Kenzie and Ben (which coincidentally is the name of my boyfriend, too...). I also loveeee vegetables.  But, that's all just silly stuff and it doesn't really tell you anything about life at Mercyhurst, does it?

ANYWAY, now that you know a little about me, I first came to Mercyhurst two years ago (it's unreal that it has been that long!) because I couldn't believe how comfortable and right Mercyhurst felt for me.  It is beautiful, safe, friendly, small,...I could go on and on.  It pretty much had every quality I was looking for in a small college, including an awesome History department, which is pretty important since I am majoring in Social Studies Education.  Even though these things made me COME to Mercyhurst, the list of reasons I have stayed is sooooooo much longer, and my blog is where you will learn all those awesome things!

Three of my current roommates, Halloween 09

First off, it might be important to start with my freshman year experience at Mercyhurst.  I came here with my best friend from high school and we were planning on being roommates here.  I was so excited because we did everything together and I thought it was going to be so easy for us to live together because we knew each other sooooo well.  And of course, everyoneeee we knew warned us that we shouldn't room together because our friendship would never last.  But, I am an extremely stubborn person and I vowed to prove them wrong and show that our friendship was stronger than that!  But, if I can give any advice to incoming freshmen at all, DO NOT ROOM WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND! 

Here's why: By the time Christmastime rolled around, I was miserable and we were absolutely not speaking.  It was like walking through a cold curtain everytime you crossed our dorm room door!  I was so unhappy that I actually was going to transfer from Mercyhurst simply because I was having problems socially.  I had even applied to other schools and was about to let Mercyhurst know that I would not be returning, when I sat back and really realized everything I would be leaving behind.  I was able to move out of that room, make new friends, and really find a new niche here on campus.  From then on, I have absolutely LOVED my life at Mercyhurst and I cannot wait to tell you all about it!

Laker Leader-ing!

Of course, now that I'm a junior, things are getting a little more serious.  Among all the fun I have with my friends and at Mercyhurst events, there is also a great deal of stress with schoolwork and with the personal life of a college student.  But, everyone has to take the good with the bad, right?  Just stay tuned to my blog to find out all the reasons I love Mercyhurst College and what it's like to really call yourself a Laker!!