Santa Clara University

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Wednesday, July 11, 2006

Posted by at 11:36 AM

Athletes Ball

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

There is an annual Athlete’s Ball planned out for all athletes to attend for a night of fun with fellow student-athletes.  This year it was held at a nearby hotel in which the athletes and their dates were bused to from the Levy parking lot.  As a Freshman I had no idea what to expect.  We arrived and had hours worth of fun on the dance floor and mingling with friends.  (PictureOne)  This picture is of me and another student-athlete on the evening of Athlete’s Ball.  It is safe school structured fun for student-athletes and others.  Seeing as though our athletic schedules wouldn’t allow us to join sororities (as for guys fraternities), we do not have the chance to go to tons of semi-formals so I felt it was very cool of Steve O’Brien and our SAAC representatives to put on such a night that ended up being so successful.  (PictureTwo)

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and my roommate and I traveled the gruesome six hour drive, down to my hometown.  We enjoyed a weekend of club soccer games, visits to the gorgeous Southern California beaches, the joy of big beds, individual showers, etc.  I forgot how spoiled we were before college.  It’s weird that my “home” felt more like a luxurious vacation spot, then just the place I’ve grown to know and love.  Although the location of my house is amazing (close to the beach and in So Cal), it would not be an amazing place to return to on 3 day weekends if it weren’t for my family.  My Mom, Dad, sisters, and my dog of course are definitely my soul reason for returning home.  Santa Clara is gorgeous, as is Orange County, but a big part of me has not been with me throughout this first year at college.  Luckily I have parents who traveled to our soccer games, tended to me when I received my ACL surgery, call me daily, and still stay thoroughly involved regardless of the distance between us.  They have still allowed me to experience college to the fullest, and in turn has been a big reason I can truly say I love being a part of the Bronco family that has been established here at Santa Clara.  For me, I think that it is not an under statement to say, that the obstacles that has encompassed Freshman year (school related stress, physical and emotional pain from soccer, etc.), would not have been overcame easily if it weren’t for the love, support, and backing my immediate family and family here at Santa Clara has provided for me daily.

Posted by Courtney at 12:02 PM

Finals Week of Winter Quarter Approaches

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Last week of winter quarter begins tomorrow. Everyone has been taking the proper steps to prepare for their finals. Once again the library seems to be the hot spot. A few of my classes have projects in place of a final test. Finals or papers, it doesn’t matter, they still require a ton of time and effort in order to feel confident about the results. During this lengthy preparation process I find the need to continually remind myself to stick-it out for one more week. Once this upcoming week passes, we are off one week for Spring Break before returning to begin our final quarter of the ’05-’06 school year. I decided this Spring Break to return home to spend time with my family and friends. I was going to partake in a cruise to Mexico with a number of my teammates and a few volleyball girls, but I decided against it. Since my family has been deprived of my presence for so long I will reside in Southern California for the week. (ha-ha, yeah right. Who am I kidding?) Speaking of my team, last Sunday we spent the day helping build a house. We woke up at 8 a.m. and drove to San Jose to the Habitats for Humanity site. Once we were there we grabbed hold of hard hats, hammers, nails, gloves, and any other needed construction materials. It was fun and rewarding, yet incredibly tiresome hammering for about 5 hours. We were able to catch a break though for a picture (as you can see below), and for a short lunch break.

Well, wish me luck on this upcoming week, and take care until next time :)

Posted by Courtney at 3:09 PM

Posting #9

Thursday, February 23, 2006

President’s weekend has already come and gone. My short visit to me hometown was an enjoyable one. I hung out with a few friends, and most importantly spent some time with the family. Not only was it strange seeing my parents, but it was also different getting to once again sleep in my actual bed, and have home cooked meals (even if those did comprise of the usual cereal and milk). The statement never seemed to true until I went away to college… “You never know what you have until it’s gone.”

While residing under my parents’ roof I forget how grateful I should be for a spacious room of my own, clean bathroom area, closet space, a mother who helps me with laundry, along with many other luxuries. I would never have been able to attend Santa Clara if it weren’t for my parents’ way of raising me. They bestowed beliefs, morals, good lifestyle, and high standards for me while growing up. Here at Santa Clara, the student body as a whole has high individual standards. Working hard and aiming for greatness in high school, allows oneself a chance to excel. Personally, when Santa Clara gave me the opportunity to continue my schooling as a Bronco, I knew that the high standards and morals my parents engrained in me, would be a key element to my future success.

Posted by Courtney at 12:02 AM

Posting #8

Friday, February 17, 2006

Midterms have concluded, yet there are only two more weeks until the next set of midterms come along again.  For awhile, the "to be" hot spot on our campus was surprisingly the Orradre Library.  Thankfully, the library is open until 2 a.m. This makes it a convenient location for students to fill their brains with as much material as it can handle.  There are many computers available for anyone to use on both the first floor and second floor of the library.

Currently, everyone is scanning their course catalogs for classes that interest them.  This is due to the fact that registration for the spring 2006 quarter has just begun.  The typical undergraduate student enrolls in about 4 classes, or an equivalent of 16 units.  Next quarter I have chosen to take 16 units, unlike last quarter in which I took 12 units to help myself get acclimated to the demands, stress, and lifestyle that college entails.  Personally, I felt that taking a lesser load for my first quarter at college was helpful.  I already had added time commitments with the fall soccer schedule, and it was a good way to learn how to manage my time.

This weekend is presidents day weekend, which means a three day weekend.  With this said, a multitude of people seem to be traveling home if they are not too far from home.  Personally, I will be flying home to Southern California to visit with my family.  One of the hardest things in college thus far for me would have to be being able to keep in touch with my family.  Going from seeing each other every day, which made it easy to chat and stay close, to not seeing each other but once in a blue moon, had made the transition a bit more difficult.  Therefore, I am anxious for this weekend to begin, so I can return home!

Posted by Courtney at 8:17 PM

Posting #7

Thursday, January 26, 2006

So far, the New Year and 2nd quarter at SCU has included a multitude of things already. Three weeks into the winter quarter, and I am already in the process of deciding where I will be living, and with whom, during the 2006-2007 school year. It may sound bizarre... and that is because it truly is. I guess all of the off-campus houses and apartments are always leased out by February for the following year. Besides house hunting, the quarter has been full of a variety of things to occupy my time. These ''things'' include winter weights for soccer, on going physical therapy for the ACL, and of course what we really came here for - classes. Although I enjoy having things to do during the day to occupy my time, some free time would be greatly appreciated. I am not complaining though! I just get through the weekly overload by looking forward to some free time on the weekends. For example, my teammates are throwing a "Disney" theme party soon, so next time I will tell you how that was, and hopefully I will have some pictures to share :) Until then . . .

Posted by Courtney at 9:31 PM

Posting #6

Monday, January 9, 2006

Welcome back to the second quarter at Santa Clara University. Just thought I would write a quick note wishing everyone a Happy New Year. Hopefully, you all had a grandiose time with your friends and family during the holidays.

I had a marvelous time at home throughout the holiday season. It was great spending time with family and friends. It was fun getting back together with so many of my high school friends and hearing about everyone’s adventures during their first quarter of college life. It was very nice not to have to adhere to a tight schedule. I found it very relaxing and the perfect time for reflecting back on 2005.

May the New Year bring you new aspirations, hopes and resolutions. I pray the New Year blesses you all with much love, joy and good health. As we know, a new year always brings new challenges also. We must face them head on and learn to conquer them to the best of our abilities. Determination and persistence will help us persevere past most all obstacles we encounter. Dr. Thomas Fuller once said," An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction between great men and little men."

Posted by Courtney at 3:45 PM

Posting #5

Saturday, November 12, 2005

As I write today, I am filled with a plethora of emotions. Last night my team, (SCU Women’s Soccer), played their first playoff game of the season. While I feel immense pride to be a part of this amazing group of players/women, I feel extreme sadness that I could not be on the field with them. Ever since I began playing at the age of 7, I have only missed a handful of games or practices. I would not allow an illness or injury to prevent me from working hard to help my team accomplish the goals we had set. There were many times I had to play through a lot of pain, but that was much easier or better than letting my team down. I never wanted anyone to think of me as a slacker, weak, lazy etc. You get the point, I could not have any negative connotations associated with me. In September when I tore my ACL I lost control of all this. I have had to watch my teammates working tirelessly 6 days a week to reach their goals of improvement and hopefully reaching the pinnacle of the season, the NCAA championships in College Station, Texas.

So now with that off my chest, I’ll get to the points I want to make. First, I have found the school and community support of all the sports teams here at Santa Clara is tremendous. Attending such events is a great way to not only show support, but it is also a great way to meet people. The student body, staff and members of the community are a special group of people here at Santa Clara University. My other point is that life is not always easy and it is not always something we can control. There are times that we will be tested, and we may need to rely on others for help. These tests are many times very humbling, but as Helen Keller once said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” *My favorite quote, ,therefore I felt it was worth adding in* Therefore, when times get tough just keep your chin up, know that some good will come out of the situation, don’t give up and know that the support you need is here for you at Santa Clara. It is definitely an extension of the family support system.

GO Broncos!!!!!!

Posted by Courtney at 9:31 PM

Posting #4

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

Now that midterms are over, I finally had a weekend free to go out, socialize, and just plain relax. Do not be scared, every school week does not require you to be up ultra late studying profusely. Halloween weekend was a true testament to that. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings included going out with friends to celebrate the conclusion of my midterms. Each night felt like Halloween since there were costume parties every evening. Below are some pictures of my four outfits; Army girl, Hippie, Firefighter, and a Cop.

You can finally breathe now knowing college life includes quite a bit of socializing along with the educational aspect. The school work is tough and requires quite a bit of time, but the new friendships you will make along the way make it all worth it. Take Care...

Posted by Courtney at 8:36 PM

MIDTERMS

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Yikes! This week will be full of me frying my brains, cramming, getting very little sleep, stressing myself out, and having absolutely no free time. Other then that though, at least the weather is gorgeous out right?! Well, I am enrolled in only three classes this fall to help me get acclimated with college life and requirements. The downside of being on a quarter system is that you have tests roughly every four weeks, the upside though, out weighs the negative. I enjoy the quarter system due to the fact that each quarter is only eleven to twelve weeks long, therefore it is much easier for me to remember what I have learned since it is rather fresh in my head.

Anyways, the great thing about freshman orientation is that you sign up for some fall classes according to your RLC (resident learning community). This is convenient for midterm and finals week especially, since your classmates are also your dorm mates making it easy to meet up and form a study group. In addition, besides all the events our RLC has to help meet people in Casa Italiana, having classes together allows you to meet others who live near by you too. This has been working to my benefit this week, since last night along with tonight I will be having a few classmates from my dorm over to study for midterms. Wish me luck . . .

Posted by Courtney at 1:46 PM

Second Post

Monday, October 17, 2005

Another few weeks have gone by, and school work is continually getting heavier. With midterms just nearing, I am finally getting caught up with all the work I missed while being out for surgery. Speaking of my knee, good news . . . As of today I can finally walk with no crutches or brace. It will make it much easier having no crutches on both my roommate, my sore arms, and many other things. I came to realize how amiable the family here at Santa Clara truly is. Teachers, students, campus safety, and friends have helped through the crutching stage. Now that I am finally off it will be easier to do what I love to do; support the other sports teams, such as men’s soccer and women’s volleyball. In addition, it is easier to go out at night with out having to worry about walking around with crutches. My roommate, Meagan McCray, and myself have thoroughly enjoyed spending time making our room more home-like. I could not be any happier with my rooming assignment. We knew each other prior to coming to Santa Clara through soccer, and therefore had requested one another to live with. Along with living together, going to practice together, eating meals together, we also enjoy spending evenings out together.

I have definitely found another sister, good friend, and a wonderful roommate.

Posted by Courtney at 10:24 PM

First Post

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

First off, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Courtney Lewis. I am from Mission Viejo, which is located in South Orange County, where I lived with my Mom, Dad, two older sisters, and puppy. I decided to make the move to Santa Clara University for multiple reasons. One of those reasons included the Bronco Women’s Soccer team. I am a student-athlete here at Santa Clara. Since the beginning of August I have lived on campus in a temporary dorm, while going through immense amounts of preseason soccer training. Thankfully, a few weeks ago I was able to make the move into my new “home-away from home”. This year I am living in Casa Italiana with a teammate of mine.

These first three weeks of school have been hectic to say the least. Along with moving, I have had the misfortune of coming across a bad injury. In our sixth soccer game of the season versus UCLA, I tore my ACL completely, requiring surgery. The surgery was last week, which means I am currently required to be on crutches. This is an inconvenience to get around from class to class, but with campus safeties help along with my friends and family it has not been too difficult. The joy of surgery meant a week’s absence from classes, yet the downside (which I am currently seeing the effects of) is a massive overload of makeup work and notes. For the most part I have been able to deal with the surgery, school, and transition to Santa Clara quite easily. The campus, weather, and student body could not be any more ideal for my college experience! Until next time . . .

Posted by Courtney at 9:30 PM