Courtney P

"All things are difficult before they are easy."-Thomas Fuller

    So I guess now is a good a time as any to update!  I know I've been slacking just a bit, but, as always, you would never believe just how busy I have been!  The months leading up to graduation are getting more and more stressful, but I can't help repeating in my mind that there is an end in sight... and it almost makes me sad!

    Today, I'm stuck on the couch... much like I probably will be for the next week or so.  Yesterday I got surgery (outpatient) on my right knee.  It's something that's been a problem for me for the past two years, and I decided I wanted to get it done before I graduated and had to find a job.  It will be a long recovery (I'll probably be on crutches or in a brace for the next two months, and have a year's worth of recovery ahead of me) but it will be worth it in the end--- and I keep repeating to myself that "all things are difficult before they are easy!"

    And I keep repeating that to myself as I'm figuring out what I'm doing after graduation.  I've been to the Career Fair, gave out my resume, and I've been working hard to make sure that my resume looks good, and I've been thinking about where I might best be suited.  It's a tough decision, but everybody has to make it at one point or another. 

    One thing that's helped me a ton through the process is the guidance of people I never expected-- professors and faculty.  Even those who aren't my academic advisors-- those faculty members who I see on a daily basis, have offered me help and advice that have helped me, and helped to relieve the stress.  Never hesitate to talk to your advisors and other people who a part of your life at college! Sometimes they surprise you. 

Spectrum Tuesdays

So it's Tuesday once again, and by now all of my friends know: Tuesdays equal Spectrum.

The Spectrum, if you haven't been tuning into my weekly (or not so weekly) rants, is Sacred Heart University's campus newspaper.  I am the copy-editor for the paper, which means that I'm in charge of checking over the grammar, spelling, and AP style of the whole paper.  It gets tedious at times, but I've made so many great friends, and had so many great opportunities to write about things that mean a lot to me. (Plus it looks good on your resume!)

Up until last semester, Spectrum Tuesdays meant the editors were stuck in the office until 2 in the morning, editing and writing last minute articles to fill gaps left in the paper by articles that weren't quite up to par.  My friends always know that on Tuesdays, I leave the apartment at 9 or 10 and come back in the early hours of the morning... and if they're on campus and need me, all they have to do is stop by the Spectrum office to hear me ranting about explanation points or a missing quote...

But now it's a new semester, and we have a new schedule, which means I'm just sitting around (at 10 pm!) waiting to read my last section!  Psyched!  So far, my last semester isn't shaping out to be too bad!

Beginning of the End

So it's the first day of my last semester and I expected to be upset about this, but as it turns out, I'm just psyched to get it over with.  I've got Understanding Theology with my roommates Noelle and Jen at 12:30 and then Creative Writing at 3:30--- which surprisingly makes for a pretty busy day, when you add in copy-editing for the newspaper.  Plus, my roommate Jen and I have been trying to run every morning (which is more difficult than it seems--- it takes wayyy too much willpower to wake up more than 10 minutes before class).

It's weird being back at school and actually going to classes--- I've been back in my apartment since January 3rd, but I've been busy with fencing practice, band rehearsals, and running errands.  And I just got back from an awesome trip to Florida with the band.  We traveled to Disney and performed at the Waterside Stage in Downtown Disney... it was cold, but so totally worth it.  In the end, we gathered quite a crowd and it was cute to be "staff members" for the day.  Plus, we spent three days in the parks as well as a day at Universal Studios and a day at Sea World!  

Our hotel was barely a block away from Downtown Disney, which is where all of the shopping and restaurants are.   Since a lot of my friends are twenty-one now, we all went out to Planet Hollywood and hung out at the bar one night... needless to say, it was a night to remember.  

Here's a picture of some of my friends and I in Disney's Hollywood Studios.  From left to right, top to bottom, it's Brian, Zack, Rob, me, Noelle, and Marie (and some random guy staring at us... have you ever wondered how many pictures you end up in the background of? lol)

Perfect Weather to Fly?

"So in looking to stray from the line/ we decided instead/ we should pull out the thread that was / stitching us into this tapestry vile,/And why wouldn't you try?/ Perfect weather to fly."
                                            -Elbow, Perfect Weather to Fly

So lately, the weather has been perfectly reflecting the frenzy of my life--- it can't seem to decide what season it is and whether or not it's going to cooperate.  Last week, it snowed.  It was rainy and disgusting one day, and sunny the next.  This weekend was the same-- pouring and miserable on Saturday, but absolutely gorgeous Sunday and yesterday.  And then I wake up this morning to the sound of rain once again. 

And as for my plans for the future?  One day, I'm all about going into sports broadcasting (we filmed the women's volleyball game this weekend for my sports TV broadcasting class) and the next, I'm thinking about just standard journalism (my professor in another class, multimedia production, was a producer at NBC and his stories and experiences make me want to do the same things).  Then there's the idea of volunteering after graduation-- Peace Corps and AmeriCorps are great ways to make the world a better place while still getting benefits I won't have if I can't find a job after I graduate.  And what about graduate school?  Am I making the right choice by going right into the working world rather than getting my masters?

Either way, I'm sure I'll be doing something I'll enjoy, but it's pretty stressful when deciding what I'm going to be when I grow up--- especially if I'm going to "grow up" in a few months!  For now, I'm exploring all of my options and weighing them all carefully, and just trying to enjoy my senior year!

This weekend, I just hung around and worked on homework, and of course, watched the Yankees win the ALCS series.  World Series, HERE WE COME!

Typical Day in the Mahogany Room

"We sleep, but the loom of life never stops, and the pattern which was weaving when the sun went down is weaving when it comes up in the morning."
                                -Henry Ward Beecher

    Above is kind of a cheesy and really metaphoric quote (not my fare at all, right? haha) but I thought it was kind of appropriate today. 
    Yesterday was one of those days where I had to fit so many things into a 24-hour period, and even though sleep didn't seem possible, it was physically necessary.  So I went to sleep studying, and when I woke up this morning, I studied for some more.  But for that split second when my alarm went off, I hoped that everything that I was working on last night had magically been finished during the night.
    Of course, that didn't happen, and even now, I should probably be working on a paper that's due in a few hours or so. 
    But instead, I'm going to tell you (quickly, before my class starts at 8:15) about the Mahogany Room, where I spend a pretty big piece of my time. 
    The Mahogany Room is next to the Chartwells food court, the main dining service on campus.  It's kind of the alternative choice to eating in the cafeteria seating area.  I usually choose the Mahogany Room (we've nicknamed it the Mahog) over the cafeteria, mostly because the chairs are more comfortable, and it's a great environment for getting work done while socializing.  There's almost always two or more people you know in the Mahog, and if you get enough people to fill one of the round tables, it's a good time.
    But it's not always about socializing either-- I spend a lot of time in the Mahog studying and getting my work done.  Just today, I ate dinner while working on the dreaded paper that I'm procrastinating, and earlier, I joined a study group for my American government class (we had a test this afternoon).
    During finals or midterms, it's pretty much common knowledge that the Mahog is the place to go for studying and cramming-- the room is usually full from sun up to sun down.  From personal experience, I've left people in the Mahog to get sleep, and come back the next morning to find them sitting at the same table (bleary eyed, yes).  I've done the same...

Time for class!

Columbus Day Weekend

"Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations"
                    -Faith Baldwin

Another week, come and gone-- and I think this week's quote adequately sums up my feelings on time management.  I tend to manipulate time: I change things around to make my schedule fit me.  For example, my week consists of classes, practices for marching band and fencing, editing for the Spectrum, tutoring for the athletic department, meetings for Kappa Kappa Psi, hanging out with my friends, and, somehow, homework.  The way I manage to do everything without exploding is a very intricate schedule-- my classes rarely conflict with practices or meetings.  I schedule individual meetings with professors or classmates during my breaks between classes-- and if I don't have to meet with anyone, I go to the Mahogany Room and concentrate on my homework!

It's also important to have downtime-- I view my fencing practices as an outlet for any kept-up energy and an opportunity to take my mind off of life and concentrate solely on my sport.  I also go to school events like Senior Pub NIght (the first one was Wednesday-- so much fun!) and concerts with my friends. 

My friends and I also set aside Sunday afternoons for sports, food and church (the best combo, haha).  I usually spend Sunday morning to sleep in or work on any leftover homework, but once 1 o'clock rolls around, the TV turns on-- right now, of course, it's baseball and football.  Every Sunday, a group of my friends (most of us have known each other since freshman year) and I drive to Moe's southwest grill, a restaurant in Milford that serves great burritos, quesidillas, and nachos.  It's my splurge of the week and we have tons of fun.

By the time 8 o'clock hits, we're all pretty stuffed, but I still find time to go to Mass with my apartmentmate Noelle, as well as some other friends.  It's a nice ending to the one day a week that I have completely to myself. 

On another note, keep an eye out for Sacred Heart on TV this Monday!  The marching band and dance team will be marching in the Columbus Day parade in NYC, and we might even get a TV spot!  It's a pretty big deal, and a high pressure event, but I'm looking forward to it-- as long as I can make it through the 3 mile walk (marching and playing at the same time takes a lot out of you, surprisingly).

Check out my article in the Spectrum this week-- and check out the rest of the headlines as well.  I had an editorial as well, but that didn't get posted yet, but if you're reading on campus this week, pick up a copy!

T.G.I.F.

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
                        -Ralph Waldo Emerson

So here I am, in the Pitt Center study lounge, taking advantage of yet another great opportunity provided to me by Sacred Heart--- I've become an Athletic Department tutor! 

Now, before you accuse me of going completely overboard this time and extending myself far beyond my limits (band, fencing and Spectrum, oh my!), I'll explain something.  Senior year has found me with this strange concept of having a less than full schedule, and this idea is foreign to me. 

While I have huge chunks of times between classes to do homework, catch up on sleep and hang out with friends, I've also found that I have two days, Thursday and Friday, with no classes!

So when I received an email from the head of the honors program about tutoring opportunities for the athletic department, I took it up almost immediately.  Not only am I an honors student with some free time, but I'm an athlete too-- so I spend half of my time in the Pitt Center anyway!  Plus, with no time for an actual part-time job, this is a great way to make some extra money for going out with my friends and shopping. 

So instead of sleeping in on a Friday, I woke up bright and early (9:30 a.m. haha) to drive up to the Pitt Center and tutor.  I haven't had a lot of takers yet-- except for chemistry (which isn't one of my strong points) but I'm staying positive!

On another note, it's Friday!!! Which means, for me, a weekend filled with band-- we're playing an exhibition tomorrow night and the first hockey game of the year on Sunday!  Something to be excited about; plus a friend who transferred last year is visiting from out-of-state tonight. 

Check out the latest headlines from the Spectrum, including my article on the Fray concert!

All At Once

"And all at once/the crowd begins to sing/sometimes the hardest thing/and the right thing are the same"
                    -The Fray, "All at once"

So last night was the first of two major concerts at Sacred Heart this fall: The Fray!  In the past, Sacred Heart has hosted big names like the Goo Goo Dolls, Hinder, and Ne-Yo and T-Pain, and this year, the Pitt Center is hosting The Fray and Maroon 5, both during the fall semester. 

This was a great opportunity for me because I've been listening to The Fray since the release of their first single, Over My Head, in 2005, and I like to say I've followed their career pretty faithfully, but have never been able to see them in concert.

It was a great show and tons of fun because all of my friends were there.  Since it was a Sacred Heart concert (although it was open to the public too) and held in the Pitt Center, it was a mostly Sacred Heart crowd.  Every where I went, from the main stage to the concession stand, from the merch table to the bathrooms, there was somebody around I was friends with. 

All in all, it was a great time and The Fray put on an amazing show.  I'm always surprised when I see bands live and they exceed my expectations-- I rarely expect bands to sound better on stage than they do in recordings, but The Fray brought a certain level of energy to their performance that was totally awesome. 

Check out this week and last week's issue of the Spectrum (our school newspaper)... we just started a new website that features articles from the print issue, as well as special features that you can only get online!  I've got a special article on the concert coming out, and I've got to work on it a bit, so I'll get back to work now.  The fun never stops!

Hello Senior Year...

"The more things change, the more they stay the same" (Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose)
             -Alphonse Karr

Here I am, in my new digs, getting ready to hang out with some friends, and I just can't believe it.  Most of us are refusing to believe it: senior year?  There's no way that the past four years could have passed so fast, and while I'm sitting here in an off-campus (non-SHU) apartment with the same friends I made four years ago, I feel like I could still be a freshman. 

Before I get all reminiscent on you (we have all year to do that) I'll start the academic year off small.  The most interesting part of my senior year so far is having my sister as a freshman here. 

It makes me remember what it was like to be living on the fourth floor of Roncalli (where she and her friends live), where your friends surround you 24/7, there's a food court on the ground floor, and you sometimes don't even feel inclined to leave your dorm except to attend classes.  Good times.

Also an interesting side of having Brooke (my sister) as a freshman here?  We hang out together.  It's not like we don't hang out at home; we actually spent most of the summer hanging out (when I wasn't at my internship).  But all of my friends have morphed into her friends, and her friends are morphing into my friends: it's all quite surreal.  Haha. 

But-- the more thing change, the more they stay the same: apart from the time I spend studying and at class, I'm hanging out with my friends (related or not) and making the most out of my senior year. 

Get back at you later!

PS-- Interested in off-campus housing?  Comment my blog!  I would never speak out against living on campus, especially to freshmen, because I lived on campus for three years, but sometimes it works out.  My friends and I found a deal that worked for us-- sometimes that's the most important thing!

In the middle of summer...

"There's no place like home." -The Wizard of Oz

So, it's the middle of summer (really, we're past the middle and moving towards the end of summer.  I know! I shouldn't really admit that...) and it's funny just how busy I am during my "time off."  And where do I spend most of my time?  Port Jefferson, NY.

I know, I know.  Us SHUbloggers, we generally don't share such specific personal information.  Why do you need to know where I spend my summers?  Because that's where the Bridgeport/Port Jefferson Ferry docks.  I'm brilliant, I know.

For many SHU students who hail from Long Island, the ferry is a major mode of transport.  But for others, it's another great opportunity to get out of Connecticut, and do something fun.  Port Jefferson is a small touristy port town along the Long Island Sound, and not many people realize how fun it is.  The best part is that from SHU, you can take the shuttle to Bridgeport Transit Station, board the ferry, walk on, walk off an hour later, and be on a little mini vacation. 

What should you do when you're there?  Whether you've got some extra time before heading back to school after Columbus day weekend, or you're bored for the afternoon in Bridgeport and need to get away, here's my favorite things to do down port.

1. Hang out in Harborfront Park.  The town just redid the park along the water, and now it has benches and a cute park area.  It's a great place to chill with your friends and some takeout, or enjoy watching the sun set over the Sound.  Also, if it's a sunny, warm day, make sure to take advantage of the top deck on the Ferry!
2. Visit the Frigate across the street from the ferry. I could be biased, but it's the largest ice cream parlor on L.I. and carries enough ice cream, candy and chocolate to put you in a diabetic coma.  Next door, there's a juice/smoothie bar (Roger's Island Juices) for the health nut, love it!  (PS. Homemade gelato-- try it!)
3. Walk the shops on Main Street.  There are all sorts of clothing, souvenir, antique stores along Main Street, and even more if you venture up to East Main.  Among my usual stops: Elements, Envision Crystal, Best Bargain Books. 
4. Eat lunch at Salsa Salsa.  Only the best burritos and mexican food around.  It's a casual, relatively cheap place to eat, and the staff is great (it helps that they know me by name by now, haha).  And they'll wrap your food up for you, if you want to take it on the ferry. 
5. Walk the docks with ice cream.  Typical "Port Jeff" thing to do-- look at the boats while eating an ice cream cone.  There are two different marinas and three or four sets of docks usually open to the public, so there's plenty of boardwalk for everybody, and it's cooler over the water during those hot August and September months.