GRADUATION!!!!!

This is it. Graduation. So much running through my mind, so much to do, so little time, so many people I don't want to say good-bye to. However, it is also one of the most exciting times of my life.

I have worked for this moment for the last four years, and I am proud to say that I am finishing strong. I have secured a job for next year, been recognized for the hard work I am putting in, and have been able to plan some really fun trips for this summer, and beyond.
First, the trips. I went to a Cardinals-Cubs game last week in St. Louis, and it was the most fun I have had in a while. On top of that, I am going to Ireland in July, and, in a somewhat related event, I am going to see U2 in Chicago on September 12th. All in all, a really good set of trips.
Now, the job (i.e. how I am paying for all of these trips). I was lucky enough to get a teaching job at Rockhurst High School, and I am much more than excited about it. I did my student teaching there, and loved every minute of it, so I am really happy I get to go back (but this time I get paid, SWEET).
Finally, the recognition. This is the part that I love the most. I was given an award for being an "Ignatian Outstanding Student Teacher". What this basically means is that I am an example of everything that Rockhurst University stands for, and that is something I really enjoy. The only downside to this is that I do not know why I got it. Don't get me wrong, I worked my tail off and did some good things, but so did everyone else that was student teaching this semester. Not only that, everyone that is graduating had to work their tail off this semester.

That being said, this is my thanks to the class of '09 at Rockhurst University. You all deserve all the recognition in the world for coming to this school and working through it. It was not easy, but it was fun. Graduation will be bittersweet, because we have to go our separate ways, but I hope we always remember the four years we had here.

RU class of '09 has to be the best one Rockhurst has seen yet.

Yes, that is a long-sleeved undershirt. I recently took a Saturday off to attend a sorority event here at Rockhurst. They took us out to the Holiday Inn at the Plaza, and it was a blast. I was really tired, so I thought the night was going to be a waste. In the end, however, it ended up being a pretty good time.
There was dancing and good times all around. Most of my friends were there, and we all just enjoyed having a night off to relax and get away from school and work.
These are the types of things that Greek life at Rockhurst can do for you. They provide you with opportunities to unwind and get away from the daily grind. You can look online to learn a little more about the Greeks here. After that, you will just have to experience it for yourself. Once you do, I guarantee you will just want to keep going back to them.
Just remember, dancing, free food, and friends. Those three things are enough to keep anyone happy for a night, and provide a good release from the stress of school.

The weather...

Here we are, in another wonderful Missouri February. Temperatures this past week ranged from 20 to about 70. While this can make people start to get sick - and it has - this inconsistency in the weather is also quite frustrating. I mean, how many people were excited when it was sunny and 65, just to be crushed a few days later when temperatures had dipped back below freezing. You go to bed at night in shorts, and wake up shivering. You get to bed in pants, and wake up sweating.
If Winter is going to stay, then let it stay. If Spring is going to come, then let it come. At Rockhurst, we just want one or the other. The warm weather is nice, but we only want it if it is going to stick around for a while. The picture is of me last Spring, and I cannot wait for that kind of fun again, but if it continues to get cold, it is just not going to happen.
With the weather not being a very reliable acquaintance, we must turn to other things. RU baseball started up this last Friday, so that is one thing we can do for fun. There is also basketball, which has had some pretty big games recently. All in all, there are plenty of things to do that can take our minds off this lousy, yet enjoyable, weather that we have been having. Hopefully I do not wake up freezing again.

Super Sunday!!!

The new semester has officially started. The first week is under our belt, and the rest of the semester is coming at us full speed. Sometimes it is nice to just take a moment and relax. Today, for instance, there is a wonderful hockey game on between Detroit and St. Louis, there is also some football game that people are all excited about.
However, I am here to say what everyone thinks:
When that game comes on, you will run around getting your snacks together. The soda, the chips, the dip, the salsa, the sausages, etc. These are all necessary, and you need to get them together fast so that you don't miss anything important, like all the commercials.
That is my point, more people watch the game for the commercials than for the game itself, and I am one of those people. The game is exciting, and I love football, but those commercials always manage to just be more entertaining for some reason.
Basically, enjoy the game as well as all the commercials, because that is the only way to do it. There may be other opinions here at Rockhurst, and you could check them out here.

The end of an era

This last Wednesday was the last large group event for Social Mentors that I will ever attend. I went to all of them as a freshman and then I became a mentor my sophomore year, so four years of experiences are now finished. It was a BLAST!!!
We went ice skating at Crown Center, and I really enjoyed it. I only fell once, and it was because someone cut me off and pushed me over, so I thought it was a pretty successful night. Also, no one else present got severely hurt, so that was pretty good.
The Social Mentors are awesome here on campus. Their goal is to basically help freshmen get acclimated to college life at Rockhurst in Kansas City. They help freshmen get the hang of getting around on campus and out in the city. It is a great program, and one that every freshman coming here should take full advantage of. My time with them is coming to an end, but I am confident that we are leaving the group in good hands, so anyone coming to Rockhurst next year should be able to have a blast, just like I did.
My top five favorite things about Social Mentors are as follows:

5) FREE STUFF: getting to go to ice cream shops, haunted houses, Royals' games, and a whole lot more for free is always nice

4) Meeting people, if you show up to the activities, you will meet people, I guarantee it

3) Learning about campus: The mentors can show you around campus in ALL its glory, they can tell you what classes are fun, and they can let you know a lot more about what goes on here at Rockhurst

2) Learning about what is off campus: I did not know Kansas City that well when I got here, but the mentors take people out into the city, and it really helps to get your bearings in a big city

1) Helping freshmen: I just like that there is a group totally devoted to making the transition into college life as easy as possible, it really helped me and I know it will help many more people in the future.

For more info on this group you can go here, I'm sure you'll enjoy Social Mentors when you get to the Rock!

It was a good time, anyway

Rockhurst hosted the first round of the D-II soccer tourney yesterday, and we lost. However, it was still a fun time. Getting to go out to the game and root on the team in the national tournament on our campus was a lot of fun. It was a 0-0 tie through regulation and overtime, and then we lost 4-1 in the shootout. Our guys fought hard, and we appreciate the hard work they do for our school. You can go on the website and see all the information about our soccer team, and all our other teams as well.
Anyway, that was the beginning of a long weekend for me. I work all weekend, and I had a test at 7:30 this morning, and that was not fun. On the other side of this weekend is yet another stress-filled week, but then we get a full week off for Thanksgiving, so it will all be worth it (hopefully).

The Rockhurst Men's soccer team has overcome all opponents. They are the champions of the GLVC tournament. They came in ranked sixth in the tournament, and they beat the ninth ranked team in the championship. The campus is incredibly proud of the team, especially with the guts they had to show to get to this point. The road to the championship was not an easy one, and they had to get passed a seven-round shootout in the semifinals just to get a shot at winning this game, and they went ahead and won the championship game 2-0. As with any championship game, every player on the team had a helping hand in the victories that led to this point.
With a 16-1-3 record, the Hawks are now preparing for the battles that will come in the national tournament. We are obviously all pulling for them, and expecting them to go out and win for our school.