Christina B

Nostalgia

As my the fall semester of my senior year is coming to a close I find myself in both fear ridden and happy thoughts.  The idea of leaving SHU forever is a daunting thought, but I smile when I think of each memory that I have made.   

All of this reflection makes me realize how much I have enjoyed my college experience; and how I have made lifelong friends.  From the big things, like all of the SHU events I have went to,to the nights spent in the library and mohog, to  the small things like midnight breakfast every semester and hanging out on the hill by the Pitt; these are memories that I will never forget. 

Sacred Heart is a great place to spend your college years!  I hope that all of you seniors start to recieve positive acceptance news in the months to come!! :o)  I found out about my acceptance to SHU at my interview with one of the admissions counselours right before Christmas.  I can remember how excited I was.  I can barely believe that was four years ago!   

Learning outside of the classroom

Last Wednesday my class and I were lucky enough to go on a "college field trip".  

Professor McGovern takes his international marketing class to the United Nations every year; and it is a trip that most all marketing majors look forward to.  To support the coursework that we learn all semester, Professor McGovern takes us to what he claims is the "most important building in the world".  The United Nations is the one building in the world where leaders from all countries come and commence.  

During our trip we took a tour of the United Nations; learning their history, foundation and goals.  Some of the things included in this umbrella are peace and security, development and human rights.  The statistics that were presented throughout the tour touching these topics were eye opening.  Living in such a privileged country, it was easy for me to forget how much of the world is underprivileged, disease ridden and have barely any human necessities.  

After the tour of the United Nations, the class was lucky enough to sit in on a briefing by the man who is responsible for overseeing the UN's interactions in Afghanistan and Iran.  Being able to listen to someone who is so intelligent and who plays such an important role in the future of our world was truly an experience.  When I think of Afghanistan and all of the issues that are going on in their country, I never think of those who try to solve those issues and prevent new ones.  He takes on the challenge of the development of this country, bettering them and trying to keep peace.  Those are all hard tasks in any country, but being involved in a country who doesn't have a stable government, has raging civil wars and unsafe terrains is an even bigger task.  

After being so privileged to here a briefing from the man who oversees the UN in Afghanistan and Iran, the class ventured to McFaddens for dinner.  This was a fun opportunity to get to know classmates and our professor better outside of the classroom!!     

Post Parents Weekend

As promised, I will upload photos from family weekend.  First is a shot of the SHU football team and the cheerleaders on the field and the second is my family and I!

The Football team played a great game against Monmouth, but unfortunately lost 31-17.  The team's record this semester so far is 5-3.  Not too terrible!

This is my Mom and Dad.  I wish my little sister could have been at family weekend but she is too far away at UDel.  When my parents arrived, we went to to the Pitt center and were welcomed into anadorably "wicked" area.  There was haystacks, a dj, a buffet and tables everywhere.  We were given agoody bag (which I helped to make 500+ of) and had the option to go into a haunted maze.  After lunch with my parents and my roommates parents, we all went to the game!  It was packed on both the home and visitor sides and was a really exciting game!  After the game we went to BINGO, where weunfortunately didn't win anything.  To end the night we went out to dinner with all of my roommates and their parents at Bear & Grill which is only about 10 minutes from SHU on black rock turnpike.  Blackrock turnpike has everything.  There's shopping, tanning, restaurants, banks, supermarkets and much more!  

I'm glad that I got to see my parents because I will not be going home until Thanksgiving.  I hope you allconsider having your parents come up for family weekend next year!  Happy Halloween!!

 

Advertising World

After interning at an Advertising Agency this summer, my breadth of knowledge about the industry has expanded drastically.  Today I came across an article on AdAge that really impressed me. Agency 360i won Coca-Cola's social monitoring campaign.  360i is one of the smaller agencies in NYC and they went up against some of the largest and best agencies; such as MSL group and MediaVest.  Winning an account like Coca-Cola is so significant in the agency world.  Not only are they an amazing client to add to the company portfolio, but their global brands present an amazing work experience and opportunity.  Congratulations to 360i on winning this honor!

 

http://adage.com/article/news/coke-taps-360i-handle-social-media-monitoring/230487/ 

Fall is here!

Is it just me or do you all love the fall too!?  I love the crisp air, changing leaves, and the cool weather.  Aside from the environment, I also love fall clothing.  I love sweaters, layers and boots! I'm no self profound fashionista, but I certainly love to shop!  

Along with all of the other things that I love about fall; fall brings the sports games too!  Today I went to the Men's Rugby game vs. Fairfield U!  Watching Rugby makes me cringe a little bit.  They wear virtually no padding and no helmet.  They get tackled, squashed and thrown.  I have a lot of respect for the guys out there playing it!   

Also, next weekend is Family Weekend!  SHU has set up an awesome series of events starting Friday night 10/21!  There is a dance party, tailgate, BINGO, breakfast with the President, Dr. Petillo, and so much more!  My parents, and my roomates parents, are only coming up for the Tailgate and football game.  I am so excited to see my family and spend the day with them!!

I'll make sure to upload a picture from family weekend!

Christina

Marketing Dweeb

You know you're a marketing major when you see an Ad and get excited about it!  

Last night I sat at my kitchen table gawking over Honda's new Ad campaign.  They have an interactive microsite, as well as an interactive banner Ad on YouTube.  The interactive YouTube Ad is what drew me in.  I wish now that I took a screen shot of it for you all to see, but I was too busy telling my roommates all the reasons why this was a genius advertisement.  All i received in return from my roommates, who are mostly psych majors, was blank stares.  "Okay, its an Ad?  What's the big deal?"

The big deal is that this is a great Ad, and it is definitely going to win an award.  Perhaps an Effie, a Cannes Lions or something of the sort!

Now that you all know how much I nerdishly love this Ad...i'll actually tell you what it is all about.  On the YouTube main landing page, a man pulls you in by talking to you.  Telling you to "click me", "hey, come on!".  When users click the Ad its because they want to be watching it, genius #1.  Once you click it, it becomes a spoof on Kara Hartman's I love cat's viral video, genius #2.  I was amazed by the creativity of Honda's marketing team.  They took a video that had over 16 million views and leveraged it to their advantage.  "I love Honda's, I love all kinds of Honda's".  Brilliant (or should I say, genius #3)

At any time during the interactive YouTube Ad, you can be redirected to their microsites, which was also creatively done.  I am eager to know if Honda has a house marketing team or if an agency is responsible for this masterpiece!  I have to admit that I looked at Honda's career opportunities after this!  Unfortunately, there are no listed marketing positions.

 

If all of this marketing excitement didn't get me geared towards the future, I don't know what would.  On my browser, I bookmarked the most important things to me: portfolio school, a WPP fellowship and various other employment opportunities.  These are things that cross my mind literally everyday, but I can't fathom the "S" word.  That's right...senior.  

Beginning to apply for things that are not college related means, in fact, that come May 2012 I am graduating.  This is real.  But don't allow me to begin my sulking via blog in October; you all would get pretty sick of me!  And besides, there is a bright future ahead.  I have so many dreams and aspirations and my main goal right now is to obtain a WPP fellowship.  Approximately 2,000 people apply and 8 or so get chosen.  It's a long shot; I know.  Despite the fact that all odds are against me and there are probably other students applying who have full portfolios and amazing credentials, I am still going to give it my all.  I am very creative and enthusiastic and as you all can vouch, I have a lot of personality.  I have a lot to offer them!  It's going to be a tough task to make myself shine through an application, but that's what the world of marketing is?  You have to take a brand personality and get it across to millions of people.  The way people depict the brand you represent is through the way in which you chose to display it.  You may have many more vehicles than I do for my application, but its the same idea.  Right?

 

 

Back into the swing of things

With nearly a month of school behind us, everyone is finally getting into the swing of things.  Assignments are piling up and for some students stress has already kicked in.  

With what feels like 1,000's of assignments, I have already made my way to Ryan Matura.  The library that is.  It seems like i'm going to be having a lot of dates with him this semester.  When I arrived at the Library I saw all of the amazing renovations that everyone has been buzzing about.  It looks beautiful!  There is a new layout, new furniture, new apple computers, a new starbucks, and an overall new environment.  It is such an upgrade!  Way to go Sacred Heart!

Along with the library renovation, I'm excited to see the Student Center when its completed!  It has been coming along a lot since we arrived!  I hear that there's going to be a full pub in the basement, that will definitely upgrade our senior pub nights!  

Has anyone been attending sporting events on campus?  The new group Heart Attack has been working really hard to promote sporting events and increase the overall school spirit at SHU!  I think its exactly what SHU needs because we are a D1 school after all!  

Hope you're all having an amazing time at SHU so far this semester! 

Welcome Back!

Welcome Freshman 15'!  Beginning my senior year tomorrow, I can only wish that I was in all of your SHUoes beginning freshman year!  Such an amazing time!  I hope all of you had fun this weekend and got a chance to meet Big Red at the football game!(--better luck next time boys!)  

 

if you want to connect with Big Red on FB you can find him here:

http://www.facebook.com/bigredshu --his planking pictures are pretty funny!

 

also if youre on twitter you can connect with sacred heart there also.  They tweet through: SacredHeartUniv

http://twitter.com/#!/sacredheartuniv

Now that you're on campus make sure to take advantage of all of the opportunities around you.  Whether its events rovided by SET, Greek Life, Work Study or sporting events there is so much to do.  My biggest piece of advice is to GET INVOLVED.  

Goodluck with all of your classes tomorrow!

Crunch Time

okay. crunch time for all of you high school seniors.  you have less than two weeks until May 1st, when most, if not all college deposits (and decisions) are due.  Getting nervous?  Trying to differentiate schools?

 

I can relate since my sister is currently a senior going through the same thing.  So let me help you and give you some fun facts that you may be wishing you wrote down when you came to visit the oh so marvelous Sacred Heart!

 

1. Laundry on your swipe card.  68 washes and drys per semester...and really thats MORE then enough!

 

2. the Mohog=life.  In case you forgot the mohog is a lounge/study/hangout/eating/all purpose space that is open 24/7 for you!  You can hang out with friends, eat, study, meet with professors or clubs or just do work, but you will always see everyone in the mohog!

 

3. the UC lounge is a beautiful new place to hang out.  They have an outside scenery with a beatiful landscape.  I was actually hanging out there before one of my classes just last week!

 

4. Freshman dorms are Seton, Merton and Roncalli.  Roncalli is on the top of the hill and many honors students and some athletes (generally lacrosse players) live there.  Roncalli is the newer of the three.  Seton and Merton are next to each other on the main campus.  They have both been newly renovated in the last three years!

 

5. Housing is guaranteed for all four years AND the rooms all have heat, A/C and wireless internet.  You will never be put into a forced triple meaning that if there are three students there will be three desks, three dressers, three armoires, three beds, three chairs, etc.  

 

6. the whole campus is wireless!

 

7. we have 4 food places: Chartwells (the main dining area) Coyote Jacks (in roncalli) Holy Grounds (In Christian Witness residence halls) and Outtakes.  

 

8.  Our sports are Division I, GO PIONEERS!

 

9.  Big Red can be found at all of our sporting events!

 

10.  We have a great shuttle system!  The shuttle will take you to stop and shop plaza which has nails, chinese, staples, marshalls, subway, red lobster, etc, the mall, oakview, cambridge, the train and ferry station and also all housing locations down park avenue!  

 

10. there is ALWAYS something to do at SHU, whether its off campus or on campus!  We are less than 5 minutes from a mall and a main street with tons of shopping, 15 minutes to a beach, and all around us is tons and tons of great locations!  On campus there is SO much to do.  Whether it is a club run event, greek life, bingo, a magician, a comedian, free trucker hats, free games, etc there is so much to do!

 

I hope these 10 facts reminded you of all the reasons to love SHU while also giving you some information too!!

 

Feel free to email me at any time with questions (bolognac@sacredheart.edu), I know what a stressful time this can be!

 

Go Pioneers! 

Grad School (?)

In this day and age grad school seems to be an essential part of education.  In many fields, a degree higher then a bachelors degree is common.  Growing up in a home where education is highly valued, I naturally want to pursue a MBA in years to come.  As a rising senior, I have been putting more and more thought into grad school.  Though applications aren't due until late next year and GMATS aren't exactly around the corner, anyone who knows me, knows I like to be prepared and be one step ahead in the game.  It doesn't hurt to think about that kind of stuff, right?  

As a business student at Sacred Heart, I have the option of completing a 4+1 program to achieve my MBA.  This program (done full time) is only one additional year on top of the completion of your undergrad degree.  Sacred Heart offers a MBA with concentrations in management, marketing, accounting, and finance.  The WCOB (for those of you who haven't been following--Welch College of Business) is AACSB accredited, which is a highly prestigious accreditation.  Straight off of the AACSB website: "AACSB accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education and has been earned by less than five percent of the world's business schools."  

If you're interested in business, like I was as an incoming freshman, look and see what type of programs your potential schools offer.  Do they have the particular field of study in business you want, do they offer a graduate advantage program such as the 4+1, and do they hold a prestigious accreditation such as the AACSB?  These are all things to consider!!!  (I know, exactly what you wanted to hear, more things to consider in the college process!)

If your curious what business majors that Sacred Heart offers or curious about any other majors/minors that the University offers you should check out our registrar's page.  Not only can you see the majors/minors offered, you can look at a course catalog with course descriptions but you can also download an excel document that shows you exactly what classes you would be taking if you majored in different fields (these are known to us SHU students as "major checksheets").

I'll post some of the links below for easy access:

 

Major Factsheets:

 http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/705_major_checksheets.cfm

 

WCOB Majors/Major Checksheets

http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/35101_john_f_welch_college_of_business.cfm

Academic Catalog

http://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/28741_catalogs.cfm 

 

Enjoy!  I hope you find some of this useful in your final decisions...May 1st is coming pretty soon!

 

Christina