So Sorry!

I know, I know, I know - it has been MONTHS since I have last written here. But honestly, life is so busy at EC that it is very hard to find the time to get on here.
October was filled with midterm break and busy weekends and of course Halloween! Elmira was once again host to Columbia's trick-or-treating event which was a huge success.
November went by so fast! The first weekend I had the opportunities to go on the Washington D.C. trip. We left late morning on Saturday and got back at around midnight on Sunday. It was eventful and so much fun! I love the opportunities that EC gives me like this. It was the first time I was able to visit the capital, and it was nice to do all the touristy things. After that trip, it was time for Thanksgiving break - a week home that I spent doing work and preparing myself for finals.
December went by in a blur. After Thanksgiving break I had two weeks of classes and then finals. In the middle of that stress, I had a lot of fun. The first weekend in December is our Holiday Weekend. Friday is our Holiday Banquet. We get all dressed up in fancy dresses and ties and sit at tables of about 8, two of which are professors/faculty that carve our own personal turkey. Saturday night is the dance, another excuse to buy a new dress! You can dance the night away with all your friends. This December, my birthday fell on midnight breakfast - the Sunday before finals faculty and professors serve students at midnight so that they are all fed and ready to study the night away. Finals went by smoothly, stress-fully, but smoothly.
Now I get to enjoy three weeks at home enjoying friends, family, and Christmas cookies. :)

It was Only the 3rd Week of Classes

Hi! Okay, honestly there is so much to tell you guys about! First off, two weekends ago, so September 17th was Octagon Fair. For those of you who don't know, Octagon Fair is our school's version of homecoming. What happens is all the clubs on campus, along with outside vendors set up booths and sell anything and everything. This year's theme was nautical. The clubs are automatically entered into a competition. This is based on theme participation, how many volunteers there were, educational component, etc. This year the winner was the Equestrian Club with the world's largest sea horse. Second place went to the Marketing and Management club who can keep there head's high for proving to be such stiff competition. The winners receive a cash prize toward there club activities. Other booths that were popular were feather hair extensions and the Chemistry Club's whack-a-pirate. Of course I can't forget the bookstore, who had a line starting at around 9:30 for all there sales. I bought sweatpants and a sweatshirt for $10 each, along with Christmas gifts for my family. It was a nice day, my mom actually was able to drive down and spend a couple hours with me. At 3:00 Elmira College Men's Soccer hosted a game against Alfred. Elmira came out with the win, which just added to the good moods that day.
The next day it was announced that Mountain Day singing would be starting Sunday September 18th. Mountain Day is a day off of classes that Dr. Meier grants the students. In order to earn a Mountain Day students must congregate in front of the President's home and sing/chant/scream there hearts out. This year, Elmira College made history. With over 600 students coming out Sunday night Dr. Meier granted the Elmira College community its first EVER Monday Mountain Day. It's essentially a snowless snow day.
As for Mountain Day itself, it is full of activities. I actually woke up and participated in the 3 mile run to Quarry Farms, the summer home of Mark Twain. There is also a Lumberjack Pancake Breakfast, a picnic lunch, games, activities, iris planting, and so much free time! I enjoyed the ability to take a two hour nap that day. Even though I still had to go to night class, I did not even mind.
So, that was last week in a nutshell. So crazy I know, but that's like at EC for ya.

Thank You EC for Last Summer

Hello again,
So as I am sure you guys are aware Elmira College is big on traveling. Term Three is a time to travel abroad and study with a class and professors. But did you know that EC also helps send students abroad to intern?! Yup, they do. How do I know? - Because just this last summer I did just that.
I interned at Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas for six weeks. In fact, I got to stay right in the hotel, free of charge. Atlantis paid for my plane ride to and from Nassau and two meals a day. Oh, and I got a weekly paycheck. I know, unbelievable right? Well believe it! I am so thankful for this wonderful experience, you guys have no idea. So what exactly did I do for six weeks? Everything. I worked Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Every week I switched departments. I worked the front desk at all five towers of the hotel, I worked in guest activities, and the sales and marketing departments. The highlights were plentiful. I really liked my week of guest activities because I got to do things like work the Fourth of July fair and work at the teen night club CRUSH. However, the absolute best week was when I worked with the Sales and Marketing team. I was given a project and I gave my opinions and they even used some of them. I found myself wanting to go to work early and stay later, when I was in my room I would think about the different projects going on. It was so nice to know that the field I am studying is enjoyable. This experience truly did confirm that I am in the right field.
So what did I do for fun? A whole lot. On the weekends I spent most of my time in the water park, riding the slides and other water rides or on the beach getting my tan on. But the high point of my free time was swimming with dolphins! It was amazing. I got the deep water experience where I had a hand water scooter and swam next to a baby dolphin. I also got to feed them and had my picture taken with a dolphin named Isis. I even got the signature foot push. In a word, the experience was amazing. This is something I will never forget and tell everyone and anyone to do it.
So yup, that's how I spent my summer 2011. And I have to thank the combined efforts of Atlantis and Elmira College.

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone! My name is Katelyn Musall '13 and for those of you who don't already know I am now a Junior at Elmira College. This is my second year blogging for the school and I hope to improve it from last. There is so much I want to share with you guys, but first the basics; I am a Business Administration major with a double concentration in International Business and Marketing with a minor in Spanish. Yes, I know that's super long to say but it's the official, Elmira College way of stating what I am studying here. So what do I want to talk about today? Fall Orientation of course! The start of the school year here marks the end of Freshman Fall Orientation; a four day program that is tailored to help the incoming Glorious 15s be accustomed to college life. As an Orientation Leader (without of group) I helped out everywhere! I helped with program preparations, aka putting together stacks upon stacks of folders, blowing up 20,015 balloons that I then proceeded to put all around campus the following morning when the freshmen finally moved in. Now, I know as an orientation leader I am suppose to be upbeat and happy all the time but that was a looooong day. I was up by 5, moved an entire dorm full of students into their rooms, and sang my heart out. Not to say it isn't fun, just tiring at times. So you can probably get all the logistics of Fall O on elmira.edu but I want to tell you guys my favorite parts about the whole experience. I had two points in the program where I really took a step back and thought "this is why I move in a week early." The first is the senior class song. Every year after the OL Talent Show the seniors get up on stage and sing a song that they feel reflects their time here at EC. Watching them really made me realize that I only have a short two years left on the purple and gold campus, which is actually really hard to believe. My second favorite part is the Candle Light Ceremony on Saturday night. I walked with my two friends Julia and Amanda. Seeing all the freshman and seniors across from each other on either side of the Puddle is just an experience in and of itself. When we sang the Alma Mater, linked, in darkness with only the candles as light, it truly put a smile on my face and made me realize just how much the school's traditions mean to me.
Now, onto class. I have a pretty full schedule this year so I apologize in advance if my posts don't come as regularly as I would like them.
This year is going to be great, I can tell already!

Bye!

And Visions of Term Three Are Dancing in My Head

Hey! So last night Kristin Neilsen '11 with the help of a few key administrators put on a benefit concert Sing to Save. All they asked were for the people in the audience to spare the change in their pockets. All proceeds are being sent to the relieft efforts in Japan after the horrific earthquake. The even raised over $400 in funds. I had the pleasure of helping out at this wonderful event. We have a lot of singing groups that performed; A1 and the Sauce, EC Naturals, and Chicletts to name a few. There were also solo artists and duos, bands and Danceline that showed up to perform. It was a wonderful night that raised money and awareness for a great cause.
Alright, so there is one more week left in the term and third term is so close I'm pretty sure I can taste it. Now, I will not be on campus for our last six week term as I have previously mentioned because I will be in Ireland! Elmira really does offer ever opportunity to its students. I am so thankful for this possibilty, four weeks in Ireland!? Howe could I not be, really? We are leaving the Monday after Easter and it cannot come soon enough. Which means that I'll be here for the last two weeks of school; one of which I have class everyday, then I get to do whatever I want. I'll probably move out of my room, but don't you worry I'll be back for graduation. A lot of my friends are graduating and even though I'm partly in denial about this situation, I'll be there supporting them. Alright, that's all I have for now!

Oh wow, it certainly has been a while since I last posted, sorry! I have just been so busy with everything that this seemed to have slipped my mind. Anyway, why have I been so busy? . . . Relay of course! Last Saturday Colleges against Cancer presented Relay for Life. It was a twelve hours event that we packed with entertainment, ceremonies, and games. It was insane, but all worth it. We raised over $15,000 towards cancer research. I personally was up for over 24 hours! So the entirety of my Sunday was dedicated to sleep, literally. I slept till 7:30 Sunday night then fell back asleep at 11:00. But, now I'm well rested and ready to take on the rest of the term.
What I cannot believe is that we only have three more weeks of classes. However, what I find even more unbelievable is that I register for Term III and Term I of next fall today. At one o'clock I'll be make decisions as a college junior, which I find extremely weird. But, Term III cannot come soon enough because the Monday we get back from Spring Break I am boarding a bus, driving to NYC and boarding a plane (for the first time in my life!) and flying to Ireland. I cannot wait.
As for today, the campus awoke covered in about 5 inches of snow. Now, don't tell, but I personally love snow so I'm perfectly fine with the return of our winter wonderland. My friends and classmates are not as thrilled. Alright, time for class. I promise I'll try and stay ontop of this more!

Relaxed - Finally!

Hello everyone! So, I'm not going to lie to you guys but last week was probably THE most stressful weeks on campus for me, ever. I know, I know . . . I tend to say that my life is stressful. But hey, I always say it's worth it right? Right. And this week, it is definately paying off. While all of my friends are busy studing for midterms and finishing up their research papers, I on the other hand, did all that last week. Now, I'm not saying that this week is a walk in the park. Because, with all my time freed up from my school work I have ample amount of time to dedicate to Relay for Life. We finally got a date and this year's Relay for Life will be on March 19th. And when you factor in our midterm break next week, is not that much time to plan. So this week I have meetings, meetings, meetings. Speaking of Relay, yesterday we had another fundraiser. Now, usually clubs set up a pasta dinner where you can donate money from your meal card. However, we decided that since pasta is an everyday kinda thing here, we'd mix it up and have a Mac-n-Cheese dinner. It was really successful! Last I knew, students gave $1855 dollars off of their cards. No, that's not joke, that number just seems to be everywhere on this campus. But hey, that's really good! We're on our way to our goal of $30,000.
Okay, okay so enough about Relay . . . for now. Last night I also had a meeting for my Term III trip abroad to Ireland. We watched a movie about the Irish war for independence and Civil War. It was really interesting and all, but all the meeting did was want me to skip over this term and leave for Ireland already! (68 days, but hey - who's counting?!) It seems far away, but looking where we started our countdown it's coming faster than we think. Especailly since time seems to fly by on this campus. I swear, sometimes it feels like time is on double time when I'm here. Which, can be a good or bad thing the way you look at it.
So, that's about it. I'll end by saying what I usually say - I can't wait for break!

February will be Fabulous

I don't really think that a month could start off as good as it did today. I woke up this morning looked out the window, and saw the most amazing sight . . . snow! Now, I know not everyone agrees with me on this one, but I love snow and everything about it. And it's only February first so people need to stop complaining about it, you've got months to go people till this weather changes. So, that just put a smile right on my face. Then, I remembered my dad calling last night saying he was coming to visit. He had to drive to Dansville today, which is about an hour away, so he decided he would come have breakfast with me. Even though my class schedule only permitted us to each at the Campus Center, it was the perfect pick-me-up. Because I have my own car here, my dad has yet to see my dorm room this year - so that was exciting. Besides the whole going to class thing, the rest of my day was nice and relaxing. So I say, bring it on February! If today was an indication about how the rest of the month goes, I can't wait.
Now, the thing with going to Elmira College is that it is nearly impossible to get a snow day so I wasn't really surprised when I still had to go to class today. Last night there was a winter weather watch for our county so I went online to see what the forecast was . . . 3-7 inches. That constitutes a weather watch? That's just a winter day where I'm from. Back home they're getting FEET of snow. So, as I do join in complaining about walking to classes today I didn't really think a closing was necessary. The fact of the matter is, Elmira College doesn't have snow days because it never snows enough here. Which I guess could be a good or bad thing depending on your view of snow. But, just to be safe I'll probably sleep with my PJs inside out tonight with a spoon under my pillow. Ya know, a girl can dream can't she?
So I decided that I would play intramural volleyball. And by decided I mean I got a text from a friend saying "hope you wanted to play because you're on our roster." I didn't play last year so I didn't really think about it, but I am so glad that I was put on a team. It's an all girls team made mostly of JV players and the rest are athletic. Our first game was last week and we beat boys from the Men's LAX team! It was pretty amusing to see them get frustrated I must admit. Our record is 2-0 but we have a game tonight with some stiff competition. Alright, so I could end by saying I have to go study, but lets be honesty - that 70s Show is on. Okay, bye!

It's January 24?!

Alright guys, so I realize it has been quite some time since I last blog, but hey cut me some slack these past two months have been busy! Between finals, being home, and starting a new term my life has been anything but boring. So, what to write about, what to write about. Term II has started off decent, decent enough for a winter term where I have an 8 AM class (I do have to admit that I have already over slept, oops!). But, coming back to campus after break is like a breath of fresh air. Even though I may stress out just a tad too much and think that I'll never be able to get everything done (like keep up with this blog...) I just remember that everyone here is in the same situation, which helps me a lot.
Hmmm, oh! Last Wednesday night was a night to remember at Elmira College; we hosted our first ever Men's Volleyball Match. The game started at 7, however I have to admit that I went at 6 because the first one hundred fans to get in got a free tee shirt. If there is one thing you need to know about me - I love my free tee shirts. So, anyway, the match was against Nazareth College. We fought hard but did end up losing. But, you gotta cut the guys some kind of slack - Naz is ranked like 3rd in the nation I heard, and it's our first year. Taking that into consideration I think we did pretty good. So many fans showed up it was insane! I did have to leave early to go to Encore though - oh the pains of being a sophomore.
Alright, so this term I'm taking more of my business courses which I know I have to get through. But, I also get to take International Relations because of my International Business focus. It's actually a political science class and really interesting. It tends to be a lot of work, but for some reason I don't mind doing it. As part of the class I have to read the New York Times daily, which can be time consuming but I also realize the benefits of it. And I can find at least one article a day that I'm glad I read because it's so interesting. Then, on Monday nights we meet again for an hour and a half and have simulations. For the first two weeks we played the game Risk (our class is already broken up into teams). Not to brag or anything but my team came in first and won, just sayin'. Tonight we have a debate, which should be interesting. In fact, I have to go to that class right now! I'll write soon more, I promise.