It's Goodbye For Now....

This blog is my official farewell to all of my faithful readers!  Because I am entering my final term at Mercyhurst University and will be spending most of my time finishing college, beginning grad school, and planning a wedding, I have decided to officially retire my Mercyhurst blog!

To all you readers out there, thanks so much and I hope that reading about my life as a Laker has helped you to see that this school is THE place to be!

I leave you all with a picture timeline of all the crazy and fun times I have had since I first came to Mercyhurst in August of 2008!  Some friends have come, some friends have gone...there have been rough days and great days...but overall I know that when I am old and gray, I can look back at my times at this school and smile!  Carpe Diem, Lakers!


FRESHMAN YEAR!

SOPHOMORE YEAR!

JUNIOR YEAR!

SENIOR YEAR!!!

Senior Week - 100 Days until Graduation!

Hey readers!

SO sorry for the two week hiatus...I have been working like a buzzing little bee on papers and projects.  I also dedicated a lot of last week to Senior Week.  Senior Week is the countdown to the 100 Days until Graduation Party and my fellow senior gift committee members dedicated lots of time to organize and run all of the fun events for seniors to enjoy!

Senior Gift logo that was on our shirts!

Last Monday was the Kickoff party.  We had mocktails and a chance for seniors to come and make a pledge to the class gift and pick up their tshirts for Friday's 100 Days Party.
Tuesday was bowling night, and because of homework I had to skip that event. =[
Wednesday was Pizza Tasting night.  Our committee got 9 different pizzas from restaurants around Erie for seniors to come and sample and vote for their favorite.  Hungry Howie's and our very own Parkhurst Dining Services were the winners!
Thursday evening was one of the biggest events.  We organized the "Snag-a-Senior" Date Auction, where Mercyhurst students from every year could come and bid on a date that came with an awesome package such as a limo ride, gift certificates, and tickets to the Erie Bayhawks.  We had an AMAZING turnout and raised a ton of money, plus it was super fun!
Finally, Friday evening was the 100 Days Until Graduation Party.  The night kicked off with a free dinner for seniors at Egan Dining Hall (complete with cake!), and later that night was the party at the Cornerstone Bar right near campus.  The senior class took over the bar and everywhere you looked there were students in matching tshirts celebrating our last stretch of undergrad!  It was an amazingly fun night and everything went very smoothly! 

Some Roomies and I Before the 100
Days Party!

The BEST news is that the senior gift committee has actually reached our fundraising goal!  We are soooooo excited that all our hard work paid off! 

After a busy and quick week, I celebrated my 22nd birthday this past Sunday.  It was pretty low key, but my fiance's mom came to Erie to spend the evening with me on Saturday.  We went to see a movie and had a nice dinner, and spent a relaxing night in a hotel.  Next weekend I will be more officially celebrating my birthday with my lovely fiance =].

I do have one more little bit of goods news...I am officially going to John Carroll University for graduate school next year!  After a long application and interview process, I made it into the program!  It is a one year accelerated program that is going to be an amazing experience and opportunity for me!  I am so excited for what my future has ahead for me!

So, here's to new experiences and lots of fun!  Time to prepare for finals and the end of term!  Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Writing College Papers, AKA the thing I do the most at MU

Hello future and current Mercyhurst University Lakers!

On this surprisingly sunny winter day, I thought maybe I would take a second to tell you all what I REALLY spend most of my time in college doing...WRITING PAPERS!  So, fair warning, this is one of thsoe boring, pictureless, complain-y blogs about the downside to be a college student, not matter what school you attend!

As a history major, papers and research is the majority of my schoolwork.  Almost every history class assigns at least one 10-12 page research paper.  Some classes assign other papers throughout the term along with the bigger research paper.  For example, for my two current classes, I have two major papers and I had three other "smaller" papers to write and turn in.  Unfortuantely, I means that I spend a ridiculous amount of time in front of the computer typing out the papers!  I sometimes think about totaling all the pages I have written in my college career...but then I would probably just lose my mind thinking about all the hours spent pounding them out!

One good thing about being in a major that relies heavily on writing lengthy papers is that I have a very effective method for writing and it usually turns out good grades.  If you are looking at a major you think will have a lot of writing, I DEFINITELY suggest figuring out a routine and method that works well for you!  Also, DON'T PROCRASTINATE!  In the next 2.5 weeks, I have 2 major final papers due and I have hardly started!  Makes me regret spending my free time being lazy...

Anyway, the important thing is that my writing ability has greatly improved and writing research papers helps me to actively learn about subjects I am interested in more in depth.  Hopefully you all can find a way to manage your time and your stress in order to get your papers written efficiently!  Meanwhile, it's back to the books to research for my upcoming papers!

Happy Monday...

It's OFFICIAL! Mercyhurst University!

So my original plan for my blog this week was to talk about my stressful quest to find, apply to, and wait to be accepted to graduate programs.  It is a feeling many seniors in college probably can empathize with...but on a bit of a different level since the grad school I ultimately attend will define a whole lot about my future!

Dr. Gamble annoucing
university status!

BUT, instead of boring you with my complaining about the application process, one of the most exciting and newsworthy events has occurred at this school today: Mercyhurst College has OFFICALLY become Mercyhurst University!!!!

This morning, the entire student body got in email that our president, Dr. Gamble, was going to make an announcement and the entire student body was encouraged to attend.  Naturally, there were people guessing about what on earth this might be; I heard one boy convinced that the school was shutting down because the world might end in December 2012...sorry bud, but you were WAY OFF!

Around 1:30, the Student Union began swelling with students, faculty, and news cameras in anticipation of the announcement. I luckily got there early and sat on the floor right in front, so I had a great view of the president as he made the exciting announcement that our school has now become Mercyhurst University!  Check this link out to read the official announcement on the Mercyhurst website!  Or click here to view the Merciad article!

Mercyhurst University logo!

As he told the huge crowd of proud Lakers the excited news, everyone erupted in applause.  This is something so exciting for Mercyhurst and likely one of the biggest events to occur in the history of the school, since it's founding by the Sisters of Mercy in 1926!  At the end of the short speech by the president and board of trustee chair, the new logo to represent this school was unveiled.  You can see it in the picture just to the right!

You may be wondering what this means for current and future students of the school.  For the most part, it means new signs, apparrel, and a different logo on top of your diploma.  But, it also means higher national and international recognition, greater opportunity for our grad programs to grow, and boasting rights to say you attended Mercyhurst University, of course. 

As I leave you to soak in this momentous news and gigantic step for this awesome institution, I want to give you a quote from Dr. Gamble himself as he announced our new status:

"While we’ve long known and celebrated who we are, Mercyhurst can now officially tell its students: You are getting the best of both worlds – a university-quality education with the personal attention and flavor of a liberal arts college."

Such an amazing moment to be a current or future Mercyhurst Laker!