Meghan's Blog

Last Lecture is a Success!

scumedia@gmail.com (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:29:37 PST

I am so relieved! Not only is today the beginning of Thanksgiving break, but I can breathe easy knowing all my quarter trials are complete: final papers finished, final projects complete and final programs thrown! Whew. What a quarter!

Granted, I still need to get through Dead Week and final examinations, but 70% of the grade is already decided in all of my classes. Now, it’s just up to me to buckle down and test myself to see how well I really can comprehend the past 10 weeks worth of material.

Eek. It doesn’t sound too inviting when I admit it aloud to myself.

So, I’m going to focus on the positive—Last Lecture!

Last night went swimmingly well. Father Mick inspired all in attendance with his talk about “The Cuisine of Love or Missing Kisses.” I liked listening to his perspective outside of the classroom setting. I also really enjoyed the question and answer session; it was quite thought provoking!

From a management standpoint, I couldn’t be happier with the overall student turnout. This quarter, I went absolutely crazy with publicizing the event. I definitely took into account everything that Professor Williams had taught me about marketing: posters in all the dormitories, balloons with “Last Lecture” written on them all over campus and chalk up and down all the major walk-ways. The Santa Clara wrote an article about Last Lecture, too.

Thankfully, all the attention worked! The Recital Hall was packed to maximum capacity. Unfortunately, this meant that our team had to turn people away. Now, I know that we need to allocate more ASSCU money next quarter to rent our larger SCU venue, Mayer Theater.

I feel so grateful that the Last Lecture was a success. I feel like all of my hard work paid off. I am proud to say that I was able to be a part of the beginning of a Santa Clara tradition!

Location, location, location

scumedia@gmail.com (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:26:43 PST

One of the final determining factors when I was deciding where to go to college was location.

I wanted a new experience—something my friends in high school weren’t doing.

I didn’t want to go to school close to home but I didn’t want to be too far away that I couldn’t go home if I was miserable.

SCU was the best choice.

This Thanksgiving break, I have realized daily the benefits of our prime location.

When I was asked to drop friends off at the airport at 5 a.m., I knew I could be back under the covers by 5:30. Santa Clara is about 15 minutes away from the San Jose International Airport. It is so easy to get there—whether your friend takes you, you take a cab or the free Cal Train shuttle.

I also love how close HP Pavilion—home of the San Jose Sharks—is only 3 miles away. It’s the perfect landmark for my early morning runs. There is no way I’d be running outside at home right now, way too cold. My blood has definitely thinned—the boots were whipped out when the temperature dropped to 60 degrees.

Luckily, the weather was more cooperative this week and I was able to enjoy a couple days in the sun. The Santa Cruz beaches (20 minutes South) are my personal favorite whereas Half-Moon Bay (20 minutes North) comes in a close second.

It’s funny when you compare your college experience to your friends. I remember when I was at home last year, my friends and I had an on-going joke of who had the best school: “oh that sounds great but we have [insert even better attribute].”

To me, it’s easy to see that Santa Clara has the best surrounding attractions to offer for a college student. I mean, we are located in the heart of Silicon Valley…it doesn’t get much better than that!

Okay, fine. I do miss the snow and “actual” seasons but that just means I need to get in a car, drive 4 hours and BOOM! Snow-capped mountains.

Love, love, love the Tahoe.

Dinner with Father Mick

mskarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:11:24 PST

As a sophomore, I have many more friends who live off-campus then in the residence halls. One of my best group of guy friends moved to the Domicilio apartments which are right across the street from Bellomy Fields. At first, I was really disappointed that they weren’t going to be living on my floor. But, then, I realized that their separation just mean that we have more places to hang out.

Last night, Ryan, Sean, Brandon and Pat were quite hospitable and invited Catharine, Father Mick McCarthy and me over for an enjoyable dinner party [I am so jealous of their granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. If helping them clean is keeping the invitations coming, I’m totally willing to continue scrubbing.]

After catching up on Father Mick’s news from this year and asking him to admit that we were his favorite class, we asked him to give us a sneak preview about his “Last Lecture” which he will be giving this Thursday, November 20.

For those of you who don’t know, the “Last Lecture” is a talk modeled after an ongoing series of lectures where top academics are asked to think deeply about what matters to them, and then give a hypothetical "final talk", i.e., "what wisdom would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance?" It’s a chance for professors to give advice to their students if they knew it would be their last opportunity to do so. The lecture typically includes inspirational life advice that can be applied to one's professional and personal life.

Father Mick explained how he wants students to come away from his lecture with a sense of hope. He wants us to be able to look at things in our lives through the lens of presence rather than absence.

Last year, the ASSCU Current University Issues Committee really wanted the lecture series to happen, so I made it one of my goals as Sophomore Community Development Chair to kick it off!

I’m looking forward to hearing what Father Mick will say. Now all I need to do is figure out the perfect way to introduce him…

Simulation is Taking Over my Life

mskarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:02:53 PST

The majority of my time these days has been spent on my political science class, International Relations. Two weeks ago, we had our midterm. Last week, our term papers were due. This week, the simulation began. And, it has taken over my life!

The simulation is called “Middle East Conflict Resolution.” My teacher, Professor Stover, created the game of strategic interaction involving nation states in political conflict. You can check it out online at http://scu.edu/crs/index.cfm?action=view&gid=4&pid=81&cs=FD5D2CE46B39.

A long story short, the simulation helps us put ourselves in the position of leaders from other countries, view the world from the perspective of these decision makers, and develop an understanding for the problems and opportunities they face.

My favorite part of the game is that our team consists of students from my class and students at the Naval Postgraduate School. We exchange e-mails, post messages in conference rooms and even iChat before we make our decisions.

Well, I shouldn’t say “we” make our decisions. Technically, the Head of State makes all the final moves in the simulation. Luckily, our “President” in this scenario isn’t truly domineering like the real dictator. In the interest of learning and team play, he has decided to debate on things that maybe would not normally be open for debate in such a closed system as the Syrian decision making process. After all, HE President Bashar Asad is supposed to be the “kinder-gentler” version of his father who values teamwork and consensus.

So far, the simulation has been a rewarding experience. I’m learning so much just from working with the second half of our team from the Naval Postgraduate School. Plus, it’s fun to put all of our research over the course of the quarter into action.

I’m off to the library for a conference call with the President, Deputy Foreign Minister and Minister of Defense. Wish me luck!

Goallllllllll

mskarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:32:54 PST

My friends and I traveled to the San Jose Ice Arena to cheer for our very own Bronco ice hockey team. We beat UC-San Diego. It was a pretty eventful game with five goals in the first period alone. The fans were pretty wound up, too. I attached a picture of Monica celebrating our 8^th goal of the game!

Swamped with Work

mskarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:24:29 PST

It’s week seven at SCU a.k.a. the week before the next group of midterms, papers and projects. Needless to say, I’m sorely missing the eight hours of sleep I used to get.

Granted, most of my friends here sleep five to six hours…and most CFs I know only sleep four…so I really can’t complain.

But, I can tell you this: Brace yourself!

Sophomore year begins day one of class. It isn’t like freshmen year when we introduced ourselves, exchanged phone numbers, told stories and shared our excitement for the year. No, SCU part II goes straight to business. Literally.

As a business school student, I’m taking three core classes this quarter: Principles of Microeconomics, Statistics and Data Analysis I and Introduction to Financial Accounting.

I’ve never had any previous experience with any of the information so it has definitely been a challenge. Last year, for the most part, the classes I took were just a build from the foundation classes of high school—math, science and English classes.

So, my big news is that the library has turned into my home. My friends and I recorded the time this week that we spent in our rooms and the time in the library…I’m sure you can figure out which one was greater.

You have to do what you have to do. And, when you’re told you have 3 midterms on one day, you need to be prepared to do it. Even if it means sucking out all the fun of your weekend. If I have learned one thing in my econ class it’s that life is a trade-off. What’s the opportunity cost of studying in the library for tests that are 30% of your grade compared to hiking and stargazing in the Santa Cruz mountains?

I feel like I’m procrastinating writing this blog. I have so much more studying to do!

Ta-ta for now!

Halloweened out!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:58:55 PST

I’m so happy it is finally November and there are no more Halloween activities in my life. I feel like this year, the holiday completely consumed me! My final activity for Halloweeness was carving/painting pumpkins with friends.

I started off the month off right—in my humble opinion—by attending some presentations focused on this week’s election over the last couple of days. The SCU Department of Communications had a Multicultural Journalism Speaker Series: Difficult Dialogue, When Race Hits the Campaign Trail and The Crime Beat: Pahologizing Youth. I also listened to the APB SCU Democrats vs. SCU Republicans Debate. I can’t wait for the Election Party in the library this Tuesday!!!

DUNNEgeon

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryznski) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:58:30 PST

Dunne hosted their annual haunted house—cleverly dubbed “DUNNEgeon”—last night. I kind of ruined the scariness by taking pictures. I attached one of my fellow CF Pat dressed as the Joker. So eerie!!!

Improving the world, one woman at a time

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:56:31 PST

I was very lucky to attend a Leavey School of Business and Global Women's Leadership Network luncheon today. Dean's Executive Professor Entrepreneurship and GWLN Founding Director Linda Alepin interviewed two social entrepreneurs engaged half a world away creating radical new solutions through micro-credit and economic development in Nepal. Founder of Empowering Women in Nepal and 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking Lucky Chhetri and founder of Lending Promise, Inc. (a microcredit organization) and Cisco Systems Community Relations Manager Meg Taylor spoke about how they dared to transform the future of their organizations, communities and the world. I loved listening to their opinion about the difference between economic empowerment and entitlement. I was definitely inspired to make change like them!

Service for Sight

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryznski) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:53:43 PST

DG invited the kids of Chandler Tripp to our house today. Chandler Tripp is a local school that provides special education to partially blind and disabled preschool children. We choose to work with the children at Chandler Tripp because our philanthropy is “Service for Sight.” Since 1936, Delta Gamma's philanthropic purpose has been to stop blindness before it starts!

I liked how the kids could have fun with us after school instead of when we help them with their work at school. It was interesting to play with them in a new way! We had a cake walk, a pin the eye on the mummy, face painting, bag decorating, throw the fly on the spider and, of course, a haunted house. We had a blast celebrating together. I can’t wait to see them again next week and eat even more candy together!

Where in the world?

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:53:04 PST

Even though I’m only a sophomore, and it is only fall quarter, I need to start thinking about whether or not I want to study abroad. I’m having quite the difficult time deciding whether I want to go at all…or where I’d even want to go!

I had to start somewhere and I needed to learn a lot of the basics first. The International Programs Office was just the place! I learned about SCU’s study abroad procedures, program options, eligibility requirements, cost, financial aid policy, timeline, application deadlines, how to apply, among others.

Also, in Benson this week, we have a bunch of different study abroad program coordinators to talk to any students interested. There are so many different schools to go with and places to study that it makes it hard to weed out ones that you aren’t interested in trying. I’m going to go to some of the meetings for specific programs later this week and wait to see how I feel about the ordeal.

Proud to be a Bronco

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:50:33 PST

My weekend consisted of some major bonding time with ASSCU—Associated Students of SCU. ASSCU is the student government (and then some) at Santa Clara. My position on AS is the sophomore Community Development Chair. As a member, I help advocate for and represent the undergraduate student body’s diverse issues, concerns and needs. This year on AS, we are working to facilitate change and provide awareness through active outreach to the student body and cohesiveness with university administration.

As a member, I had the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing, and productive, weekend with all of the ASers on our annual retreat. We traveled to a center called Mission Springs in Santa Cruz. We evaluated how well we had achieved our three fall quarter goals (1. Utilize all members of AS to the best of our abilities. 2. Increase and improve communication with SCU undergrads and within AS. 3. Increase and maintain school spirit.). We also focused on plans for the winter and spring quarter, our individual committees and our BeHeard Campaign. It was so wonderful to hear everyone’s ideas about how we are going to work to improve Bronco life this year and aspects of SCU that we want to change for the better.

I love being a member of AS because it gives me the chance to be a voice of the undergraduate students. It’s empowering for me to be a part of a group of students working together to help one cause. On AS, we work for the students. And, if it’s an issue for them, it’s an issue for us!

It was obvious to me when we came back to campus that all of AS is proud to be a Bronco!

Give a little bit

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryznski) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:48:58 PST

We had 50 (yes fifty!) children come to trick or treat in our building! They came from various SCCAP Programs: we had kids from CHAM (Community Homeless Alliance Ministry—family center for children who need shelter with their homeless parents), Home Safe (a transitional housing center for victims of domestic abuse) and New Beginnings (a shelter for disenfranchised women and children).

After admiring how creative and bedazzled all of their costumes were, we gave them loads of candy that we had conveniently purchased at Cellar Market. After a good half hour of eating chocolate and sour patches and licorice, we headed to the lobby to devour pizza together. It was a good thing we had so many people involved—we definitely needed the group effort!

Happiness on a cone!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:13:37 PST

One of the highlights of my week is Monday night. Monday nights are the reason I don’t get “a case of the Mondays.” Because all of Sunday I think of this one fantastical moment. Monday nights are Blondies nights.

If you read my blog last year, you probably already know that I’m a fan of the frozen yogurt mecca.

But, did you know that Monday nights are $1 cone nights at Blondies?!

Yes, $1 for sweet goodness that gives you a perfect pick-me-up before you have to trudge back to the library to do your Operations and Management Information Systems homework.

To put it simply, life is better with a $1 fro-yo cone in your hand!

(FYI: our server has been glitching lately…sorry the blogs haven’t been updated promptly! Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions!)

Job hunting now?

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryznski) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:11:17 PST

Even though I’m not a senior, I swung by the Career Center fair today in the Kennedy Mall. If I was interested in looking for a serious job now, it would be the place to be!

The fair is a great way to get connected with business contacts and meet recent Santa Clara grads who work in the area.

It scared me a little bit to think that in two years I’d be one of the seniors dressed in a suit, resume in hand, hoping to nail a job.

Thinking about life after Santa Clara is something I DON’T want to think about since I love every minute of being here. Talking to seniors, it’s easy to realize that most of them don’t want to say goodbye either.

So, for now, I’m going to enjoy “polishing” my resume in preparation for that short time away when I too will have to say adieu.

Made in the 80s

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:09:00 PST

We had our first DG social event of the year—80s prom themed. The crazy costumes everyone wore were absolutely hilarious. I’ve never seen so many sequins in my life. Dresses had poofy sleeves, bows and a lot of lace. We all donned bright lipstick and technicolor eyeshadow. My friends looked like they were dressed by a Libby Lu crazed six year old. It was awesome!

Our dates weren’t as color happy, but they still looked good! A little hair product goes a long way…

Rock the vote!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryznski) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:06:56 PST

As November draws nearer, the overall campus vibe is electric. The presidential election is definitely one of the hot topics around school. I never knew so many people would be interested in politics! Whether it’s talking with friends over lunch, CNN blaring from the corner of the library, students wearing College Democrats/Republican t-shirts, voter registration drives or current event quizzes in classes, the upcoming election is definitely on all of our minds.

I am sooooooo happy to see that people at SCU care about the future of our country and who will be leading us.

In our newspaper, The Santa Clara, there was a pie chart to show the split of opinions on campus. Of the students who voted on eCampus, 69% were in favor of Obama, 25% were in favor of McCain and 6% were Other/Undecided.

I wasn’t really surprised by the statistics but it was still interesting to see on the cover of the student paper.

I’m anxious to find out what will happen November 4^th!

Involvement outside the bubble

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:03:41 PST

One of the activities I am involved with outside of Santa Clara University is my sorority. I am a proud member of the Zeta Epsilon Delta Gamma Fraternity. This past week, we had our new member recruitment period. I had a great time meeting all the girls interested in going Greek. It was fun to talk about why I love DG—how it has bettered me.

Being a member of Delta Gamma has empowered me to reach my full potential; I love how it has helped me grow as a leader through both our sisterhood events and philanthropic work.

I attached a picture from Bid Day—the day we welcome all of our new members. Everyone has huge smiles on their faces because we are all so EXCITED for the new year.

I can’t wait to get to know all the freshmen and make more memories with my sisters!

Spicin' up dinner

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:00:35 PST

A bunch of my friends and I have been enjoying the Sobrato amenities (AKA THE BBQ PIT). Even though it is only week 3, we are getting sick of eating deli sandwiches in Benson. I was going strong mixing it up with our stacked salad bar, but a break was needed.

The boys on the third floor decided to spice it up and throw a BBQ party last night. I forgot how great warm food tastes when it is cooler outside. I was really tempted to run to Safeway and get marshmallows from s’mores…but you really need a fire pit for that.

We looked like we were out of picture from the view books given to you in admissions—students donned in their college sweatshirts, textbooks strewed on flannel blankets, footballs tossed around, and of course, the grill blazed in the backdrop.

Love it!

Sailing with first mates

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:47:10 PST

All the Californians have been complaining how this is the coldest October they remember. I’m sad because the sun has begun to set a lot earlier and my night vision is pretty poor. I’m already clumsy and if I trip over myself walking home from the library one more time…

It also has been very windy lately! Not the beautiful, ocean breezes but ones from some crazy wind tunnel. I took the picture of Catharine earlier this week before the first floor had been stripped of its decorations. My theme of “First Floor Mates” has turned into only pirate hats on people’s doors. The super cool parrot/toucan poster swooped off and the treasure map is long gone. L I’m going to have to invest in some better adhesive. Duck tape just isn’t working for me!

The only other events to report are run-ins with old friends. I saw a high school friend, who started this fall as a freshman, yesterday. It was wonderful to see him settled and loving SCU after I had raved about it to him! Today, my best friend’s little sister came to tour the school and, tomorrow, my family friends are coming for SCU Prospective Student Open House.

I can’t believe two years ago I was applying to colleges. If I knew how happy I would be at SCU, I would have only finished one application!!

Loyola means family

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:44:56 PST

Midterms have hit and the added tension is not welcome. Sleep has been forgotten and many students have begun to wander campus in their pajamas. Someone asked me if I could open my eyes. Typically, I’d be offended by this remark but the recent sleep deprivation made it funny.

Students can work themselves too hard during midterms and they run low on energy and make themselves sick. It’s great to have a friend looking out for you to make sure you are taking care of your body and keeping yourself healthy.

As a sophomore, should I know the cure for my recent “midterm/no sleep/oncoming cold issue?”

I’d certainly hope so!

Airborne (and vitamin C in general), power naps and BREAKFAST are absolutely delightful and necessary during this period of the quarter for me. In my humble opinion, the best way for me to combat little sleep is to capitalize on what I like to call “family time.” This family time includes studying with friends, going to eat together, exercising next to eachother, etc.

Studying for midterms is a perfect opportunity to test your knowledge on what you learned in class. It’s more fun (and bearable!) to work in a group and quiz eachother. This usually helps me gain confidence before the test, too.

Since we have Monday night dinners in Loyola, I try to take time and attend them for a break. The CFs really emphasize that being a part of the Loyola community is being a part of a big family. I find it really helpful and relaxing to eat together—just enjoying everyone’s company.

And, exercising…right now, that’s me running to class on time!

And this one time, my freshman roommate...

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:41:31 PST

Living with someone for a full year is an experience few can forget. In college, two complete strangers (most of the time) will share a room. They will have to figure out who brings what amenities…the refrigerator, microwave, mirror, etc. They will discuss the layout of the room and how it will be decorated. How does the furniture affect the feng shui?

Last year, I roomed with Karina. We are both proud of our Polish heritage and showcased this pride in our room with red and white accessories. While many students choose to decorate with posters of their favorite artists or travel destinations, Karina and I decked out the room with the Polish flag and assorted paraphernalia from our Motherland.

Unfortunately, this year, we were not able to live together. We were worried our bonding time was going to disappear with our shared living space.

I didn’t want to join the rankings of people who stopped referring to someone by their respective name and started referring to them as their “freshman roommate.”

So, we did what any roommates who plan to be life-long friends do…

We enrolled in a class together.

Karina and I are both taking Microeconomics. We have to sit in assigned seating every class meeting. It magically happened (Karina thinks it is an alignment of the stars), that we were paired to work together for the quarter.

We’re having a blast—especially since we wear matching t-shirts to class.

Santa Clara Superstars

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:30:39 PST

The first week of school has come and gone and I had the opportunity to top it off perfectly.

APB’s LUPE FIASCO CONCERT!

Yes, Lupe, the man from the “Midwest, best city in the whole wide world,” graced us Broncos with his presence last night. He delivered a stellar performance to our packed Leavey Center. In fact, there was barely room to bust a move!

He opened with the classic “Kick, push” and closed with his best-known song, “Superstar.”

I think more than a couple students were disappointed Barack wasn’t in attendance. Lupe’s brother and back-up singers showed their political support, donning “Vote!” t-shirts.

The political undertone continued in between sets. Lupe talked about how important the upcoming election was. He kept telling us that intellectuals in college have the power. I’m pretty sure the crowd was more concerned about going wild over his lyrics than his views. However, the buttering-up must of helped because, as the concert went on, the cheering sounded progressively louder. There were many more gleeful shouts and overall giddiness for Lupe than his opening act, The Knux.

All in all, Lupe sure made us all feel like superstars.

Be true to your school

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzysnki) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:27:24 PST

The 2^nd year of school at SCU is a much easier transition than high school. I didn’t have to worry about the location of my classes. I’d like to think I know this campus like the back of my hand. Casa 8 had been gibberish to me only 12 months ago. Now, I realized the luxury of walking down the stairs, across a sidewalk and opening one door.

Bam! Academia!

I like knowing the ins and outs of the quarter system. I know to go to professor’s office hours in the beginning, middle and end. I know to buy scantrons and blue books this week instead of week 5 when all chaos breaks loose.

But, most of all, I love being able to get involved. I like being active in our small community and meeting new people and becoming friends.

Socializing officially began for the Loyola RLC when we had our first Monday night dinner of the quarter. The Welcome Weekend group played a short flick that they created about important things to know as a freshman. It definitely was a success…but we all knew you couldn’t go wrong when Winston is the main star!

Tuesday was the first liturgy. Campus safety wasn’t too pleased with our enclosed firepit. We’re planning on fixing this itsy bitsy problemo.

Wednesday, folks headed to the RootBeer kegger in the Xavier and Communitas courtyard. The RLCs gathered together to form a united front against the dangers of alcohol. It was both fun and informational—what every CF hopes to achieve!

On Thursday, I went to my first Associated Students meeting of the year. We hashed out a bunch of preliminary plans for events that we want to put on this year. I’m so excited to see how everything turns out!

By the time I was ready to start working on my loads of homework (yes, you still have to do homework on Thursday nights), the 2^nd floor was coming back from the Giants “college night” game. I’d be bummed out but I really don’t have time to think about any other team besides the Cubs!!

Woot woot

Kicking it off right

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:24:49 PST

My favorite part of being a CF is all of the e-mail and posters I receive in my respective mailboxes. Some might find it tedious going through all the information, but I love finding out what is going on and about campus. If you haven’t figure it out by now, I like to be super involved and busy. Changes in routine keep me on my toes so I don’t become a sleepwalker and just go through the motions. What’s the fun in that?

After the parents left yesterday, students gathered their Bronco gear and face paint and headed to the Leavey Center for the first Pep Rally of the year. Our top-notch athletes, cheerleaders and dancers displayed their unbeatable talents and the crowd went wild. It looks to be a victorious year for the Bronco athletic department!

After the Pep Rally, my friends and I walked over to the Benson Mall. The Center for Student Leadership (CSO) helped put on a club fair for students. Students from the East and West sides of campus, as well as some off-campus ones, to register for some of SCU’s finest clubs. There was a large of array of choices from Nova Res Do-It-Yourself (promoting education in the Bay Area underground music scene) to GALA (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community at SCU) to Bottom Line and Above (application of innovative business solutions to environmental and social problems) to Beach Volleyball to Hipnotik (hip-hop and step group). And, FYI, If SCU doesn’t have the club you are looking for, you can start your own!

Several helpings of sno-cones, scoops of popcorn and caramel apples later—it was time to celebrate!—I headed back for some shut eye before the first day of classes.

Check One, Two

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:21:02 PST

The first major change I’m feeling as a sophomore is my new position as a Community Facilitator in the Loyola RLC (Sobrato Hall). At most schools, the Community Facilitator is called the Resident Assistant. However, at Santa Clara, the Community Facilitators (or CFs) serve an additional purpose.

As a CF, I have countless resources at my fingertips. I can either positively impact the lives of my residents or neglect their growth and coast with them through the year. Naturally, I have chosen to do everything I can to enable my residents a year they will always remember.

Preparation for the school year began early. I arrived at SCU September 1^st with one of my closest friends, Clare. We had flown from Chicago to L.A the day before. There, we picked up her car and drove the scenic 1 route up the coast of California. I saw sights I will never forget. The geography from southern to northern California seems like it should span many states and not just one. As you can tell from the pictures, we had quite the adventure!

When we finally drove onto Campus Drive, I was thrilled to see some new changes. Lucas Hall, the new business school, was completed this summer. The new Olympic size pool is underway and there are beautiful palm trees beckoning students into our high-tech library. It felt so great to be back!

And, welcomed back we were. The Resident Directors and Assistant Resident Directors were already settled on campus. All of the CFs and our Residential Learning Community Association members met that night for a barbeque to plan out the upcoming weeks before students arrived.

My fellow CFs and I were thrown into a series of lectures, programs and question-answer sessions to enable us for our residents. The eighty of us had so much fun together decorating our halls (mine is pirate themed…yarrr) and planning events for the school year.

Like all good things, CF formation came to an end with the beginning of Welcome Weekend. The new and returning students had that familiar summer glow and the excitement of reuniting with their friends and starting anew.

Father Jack Tracy’s homily at the Welcome Mass set the positive tone for the year and the lingering helicopters (parents) were shooed off after the bountiful breakfast on St. Ignatius Lawn.

Check one for a successful move-in and check two for smiling faces galore!

New Beginnings

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzysnki) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:51:45 PST

The school year has officially kicked-off! It feels like yesterday I began my first day as a freshman at Santa Clara. What a fabulous whirlwind it has been!

You might have read my blog last year or seen me running (or should I say rollerblading?) around campus. I return this fall to SCU as a sophomore. I’m undeclared in the business school (deciding between accounting and finance) and hoping to pursue an English and political science double minor.

Last year, I decided I wanted to try a variety of clubs, organizations, sports and programs SCU had to offer. I’m grateful for all my memorable experiences and happy to say that I couldn’t have had a more fun and fulfilling freshman year anywhere else!

This academic year, I will write bi-weekly blogs about my life: classes, the (organized) chaos of dorm life, random to-do lists, our full-house sporting games, non-academic all-nighters, trips up and down the coast, late-nights to the Bronco…in short, my perspective of what it is like to go to school here.

I’m looking forward to spending another year with all of my wonderful friends and always engaging teachers. As you follow me during my journey, I hope you learn to think of Santa Clara as your new home.

Here’s to a New Year!

Sweetest Goodbye

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 11:14:57 PST

Cullen has been calling me all week saying he is on summer break. I get it. Santa Clara ends spring quarter later than most schools. But, I don’t mind. I love being here. I don’t want to leave!

I feel like yesterday was September and I was just saying goodbye to my family. It’s so weird that by Friday afternoon I’ll be a sophomore. The term “froshie” or “baby” will never again refer to me. Thank goodness.

Looking back, the year flew. I leave school feeling like I accomplished so much in such a short period of time. I’m excited to go home and see all of my high school friends—but at the same time, I’m sad to be saying goodbye to all of the friends I’ve met here. I am truly blessed for all of the people I have met at school. We’ve made some fabulous memories together: moments I will treasure for the rest of my life.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my day-to-day life at Santa Clara as a freshman. Best of luck next year. I’ll see you around!

Don't stop till you get enough

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 11:12:58 PST

As summer break approaches, I find myself squeezing in more and more events. Late nights talking in the lounge, stargazing on the knoll, Bronco runs, sunset runs, plain old bonding. Within the last week, I’ve seen the midnight premiere of Sex and the City and danced for FOUR HOURS at the Glow-in-the-Dark Kanye concert. It has been a remarkable quarter, a memorable year. I can’t believe it is almost over.

The funny thing about late nights and early mornings is a little thing called sleep deprivation. This means you are forgetful, sometimes cranky, and always lethargic. On Wednesday night, I fell asleep at my desk. It wasn’t until 2 a.m. that I realized that my research paper was due at 6 a.m. in my teacher’s mailbox (She did this so we would all have it in by Wednesday afternoon.). I raced over to Campus Safety in my pajamas, paper in hand, and headed over to the ever-lovely St. Joseph hall. It was creepy walking up the wooden staircase in a too quiet, temporarily abandoned building. Least to say, I sprinted home. Alarm clock went off five hours later when it was time for me to deliver the newspaper around school. By golf cart. Probably one of the best mornings of the year!

San Francisco Weekend

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:53:22 PST

Memorial Day—a day to remember the 1.1 million American service members who have died in battle and to remember why they gave up their lives.

This long weekend the entire campus shut down. Everyone cleared out of the dorms to go on adventures to Tahoe, Santa Cruz (the fires made it 3 exits close to school), L.A., Yosemite and San Francisco. Benson closed early everyday, which really frustrated me because there was nowhere to eat after 2:30 p.m. Good thing Safeway is so close to school. On Monday, food was supplied at the barbeque with Father McCarthy.

The highlight of my weekend had to be with my best friends in San Francisco to celebrate Maddie’s birthday. Our legs were sore at the end of the day from climbing uphill on the crowded streets. We went to a delicious and nutritious sushi restaurant at night which was overrun by a bunch of high schoolers on their way to prom. The train home felt like an express and we were back to reality of studying in the library too soon.

We have sixteen days left of school. Is it weird that I don’t want to leave?

Service

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:12:32 PST

We had a mandatory advising meeting on Monday. One of the business professors talked to a group of 20 students about the core curriculum for Santa Clara and requirements for the Business school. I haven’t decided what my major is so the session was pretty helpful for me. Since I’m deciding between Finance and Accounting, I’m planning my schedule so I fulfill lower division prerequisites for both of them.

Tuesday was less stressful. I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite Disney characters in San Jose! I went to “Beauty and the Beast” at the American Musical Theatre. I had such a good time singing along to all the songs. It was a trip down memory lane--I can’t believe how many quality Disney movies came out during my childhood. I feel badly for today’s youth and the junk that is on the T.V.

On Wednesday, my friends and I volunteered to work with the Glaucoma Research Foundation for a couple hours to take a much needed break from studying.

The rest of the week flew by, nothing too exciting to report.

However, this weekend was a completely different story! My friend, Carrie, traveled all the way from Chicago this weekend to see me. We had a ball! The nice thing about being on the quarter system is that everyone’s high school friends have been visiting. As you might have guessed, it makes life at school much more exciting. I mean, you want to show them a fun time and make them want to transfer/envy you since you go to THE BEST SCHOOL. Care and I didn’t get to do a lot around the area because there was plenty of activity right off campus. We went to our Relay for Life race--a 24 hour event--in the afternoon and at night we bowled in honor of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Sunday came and went! My the hours fly by...

Monterey and Tahoe Adventures

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:05:13 PST

No sleep

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:03:52 PST

We had our first of many Loyola CF formations on Saturday. I had no idea how fun it was going to be! I went to Julian Street Inn (typically sponsored by SCCAP) for the first time. We arrived at the San Jose homeless shelter at 5 a.m.—it’s amazing how lack of sleep makes you hyper. Hector and I were running around banging pots and singing along to the radio. By 7 a.m., we had prepared chocolate chip pancakes, sausages, fruit salad and hash browns for the residents. It was the perfect opportunity to develop friendships with inspiring people while gaining insights into pressing social problems. Most of the residents were “on the margin.”

In other news, I’m writing as a sports reporter for The Santa Clara (our school newspaper). I decided to take the job since I won’t be writing for the BlogSCU next year and I’ll have some extra downtime. Hopefully, it won’t be too difficult since I seem to be at all the Bronco sports games anyway!

Sports are finishing

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:12:59 PST

It might only be week 5, but most of the sports teams are finishing their seasons. We had our final field hockey tournament of the year. I can’t believe it is over! We had so much fun playing in the hot-hot sun. Thank goodness none of us got heat stroke. Even though we didn’t beat Stanford, we have high hopes for next year. After all, they are a Division I team and it is our first year being a CLUB team. Big difference.

I raced back to school for Global Village (The MCC closed down Market and the Alameda for six hours on Sunday to showcase international food and dance). Unfortunately, I did not arrive on time. The MCC coordinators were already taking everything down which was a bummer. I did manage to get a snapshot for a sneak of how it looked!

Earth Week

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:22:32 PST

Leave it to Santa Clara to make Earth Day a week of celebrations: The GREEN club (GrassRoots Environmental Efforts Now) at school kicked off the festivities with an environmentally-conscious fair in the Santa Clara Mall; the fair’s slogan was “Sustainability: It’s up to US!” There were all sorts of different booths specializing in educating students to be green. The Recycling Club, Solar Decathalon, Green Party and SCCAP were all passing out informative packets of how small adjustments to your daily routine can positively impact the environment. (There also was a rock climbing wall—not sure why, but it looked pretty cool.)

Bon Apetit also took Earth Week seriously. They have switched from plastic to biodegradable silverware. Yesterday, the caterers didn’t serve any meat in the cafeteria. There were posters to explain the change: “Assembly-line meat factories consume enormous amounts of energy, pollute water supplies, generate significant greenhouse gases and require ever-increasing amounts of corn, soy and other grains, a dependency that has led to the destruction of vast swaths of the world’s tropical rain forests.”

W-O-W. Who knew you could learn something with such importance while standing in line to pay for your food?!

Off to field hockey practice…

Midterms Already?

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:05:54 PST

The funny thing about going to college is the transition of “do you pay attention in class” to “evaluating your knowledge.” In high school, teachers usually gave chapter tests and then one final exam at the end of the year. In college, or at least at Santa Clara, I have found that I am no longer taking these “are you paying attention tests.” Instead, I’m faced with “let’s evaluate your knowledge” and mark it as 20-30% of your final grade. These “evaluations” are called “mid-terms.”

Even though there are another two weeks before the mid-quarter break, teachers are flooding our academic schedules. So, even though it is only Week 3 of Spring Quarter, I’ve already had three. Not fun.

I don’t even want to think about all the papers I have due. Luckily, the weather has been overcast and chilly so I haven’t ventured outside for hours on end.

Another thing that has been stressing me out is summer.

What? How can summer be stressful, you say?

It’s called “The Summer Job.” Me=unemployed

I decided I needed to find a job before I flew home on vacation. Yesterday, after my lovely 8:00 a.m. Operating and Management class, I traveled into the far corner of the Benson complex. Destination: The Career Center.

It felt daunting at first—after all, wasn’t The Career Center for seniors? Didn’t all the hustle and bustle revolve around getting them settled post-graduation.

Apparently not. I learned The Career Center is the hub of career help for all Santa Clara students. In fact, The Career Center told me they wished more underclassman would come in so they could “help them get onto that career path road!”

Hmmm. I was torn. I was hoping to get some direction—I am still undeclared in the business school and I have little idea of what kind of job I want when I graduate. But, did I really want to start my job search at 18? Figuring out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life? Answering that inescapable, interview question:

WHO IS MEGHAN SKARZYNSKI?

When it came time for my appointment, I realized there was nothing I really had to worry about. I spent about a half-hour talking to one of the advisors about my resume, what I do around school and what interests me.

Although I didn’t walk out employed, I felt better prepared of how to go about looking for a job. The advisor told me everything we had discussed could be found on SCU’s Career Center website.

Ah, the perks of being a Santa Clara student: “How to Land a Job” right at our fingertips!

Catfight on the Catwalk

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:02:50 PST

Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses. I loved her in “While you were sleeping”—classic chick flick. Do you remember her in “Miss Congeniality”?

BECAUSE HER PERFORMANCE WAS REENACTED LAST NIGHT!

We had our annual Mr. Loyola pageant in the Sobrato Commons. It was absolutely hysterical. The boys did a cat walk on the way in and started shaking their behinds like their was no tomorrow. Many of the audience members were blue-in-the-face. None of the judges could make a serious expression. Emcees Zampelli and Schultz were a hoot too—taking full advantage of the wild Loyola men’s personalities. I never knew that hidden talent lived in this building!

Brandon had some terrific throwback dance moves for the Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s get it started.” Blake performed a flawless 10-minute guitar solo with Tom Petty on guitar hero. Andy dunked on 7 ft-ish hoop five times. Wearing only his cross-country shorts and a cowboy hat, Chris sang Kelly Clarkson’s “Since you been gone.” Tony imitated a techno rave with his DJing skills. During the finale, I was worried about a catfight on the catwalk as they all fought for the attention of the crowd. The mood wasn’t too intense—I provided my bubble machine for cheer!

My pictures don’t do the performances justice. The men in Loyola cannot be captured in one moment. I’m stoked to go to Mr. RLC at the end of the quarter. I’m sure it will be quite the show!

Every vote counts

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:00:35 PST

One of the most important things I’ve learned this year is to always be open-minded. I’ve had the opportunity to experience a diverse array of cultures and religious beliefs (among many others) while attending school at Santa Clara. This past week was no exception: political views were the hot topic.

The main focus of the week was observing one of my favorite aspects of being an American citizen: participating in our democratic government. On Sunday, I had the privilege to hear Senator Obama speak (and shake his hand!!). It was so exciting to hear him talk about the future. His charisma reminded me of the stories I’ve read about President Kennedy. When I arrived back to school later that afternoon, the school’s sidewalks had been covered in chalk. What looked like graffiti was in fact catchy slogans for hopeful SCU Associated Student presidential candidates for the 2008 school year. Since then, campaigning has been absolutely everywhere: from signing nominations in support of students, “Meet the Candidates” socials, the Facebook groups or even the posters around campus bulletin boards—Bronco pride has been a record high.

I’m definitely looking forward to all of the campaign promises to be put into action!

Sneak preview!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzysnki) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:59:45 PST

Hey friends! It was such a pleasant surprise meeting you this past weekend at our Preview Days. I had no idea how many of you were going to recognize me. I couldn’t stop laughing during the beginning of the fair. Anywho, I compiled a list of questions people asked me in hopes that this will help others, too.

FYI: I’M ABSOLUTELY THRILLED ALL OF YOU ARE COMING. I HOPE YOU WILL LOVE SANTA CLARA LIFE AS MUCH AS ME!

Fun classes you shouldn’t pass up:

“Business 70” with Richard Williams

“Ethics and Globalization” with Dr. David DeCosse

“General Chemistry” with Dr. Steve Reaney

“The Christian Tradition” with Father McCarthy

“Emerging Leaders” with Bill Mains (This is the class I was speaking about at the fair. It is a great way to kick-start your freshman year. Basically, it is the foundation to learning how you can be a leader at SCU and beyond. You meet all the “big names” of SCU within your first 10 weeks of school. It is perfect if you are unsure of what you want to do while you are here or if you are wondering what your niche is/how you will fit in!)

Student Body Ratio:

Men 46%, Women 54%

From CA 57%

Live in Residence halls 92%

Athletics:

NCAA Division I, West Coast Conference

Club and Intramural Sports

Awards that you asked about (impressed that you knew so many!):

U.S. News and World Report #2 comprehensive university in the West

*we’re on our way to #1 with our fabulous, new library!

U.S Business Week’s #27 for undergraduate program at the Leavey School of Business

*the new business school building will be ready for you in the fall!

U.S. News and World Report’s # 20 for undergraduate program at School of Engineering

Let me know if I forgot anything: you can just post messages on the blog with your e-mail and I’ll get back to you!

P.S. It is never to soon to start packing…

A Rush of Colors

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:31:40 PST

I had one of the best and likely most memorable times of my life this weekend! I traveled to Stanford’s Manzanita Park with a bunch of my friends from our school’s Hindu Student Council and Interfaith Council to celebrate the Hindu spring festival, Holi. Observed in India and Nepal, Holi is a two day “Festival of Colors” in honor of spring. Originally, Holi was a special rite performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families and the full moon (Raka) was the deity worshipped by them.

We spent the day throwing colored powder (gulal) and water at each other. Alison, Laura, Annie and I were covered head to toe in yellow, green and red. It was quite freeing—and fabulous. Nitasha loved singing along to the various songs devoted to Holi. I had a lot of fun dancing with her and Anusuya to the non-stop music of popular Holi numbers like "O Rang Barse" (the anthem of India’s festival). With all the people smiling and dancing in rhythm, I felt like I was at a Bhangra performance!

I can’t wait to go next year!

The Start of Something New

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:30:04 PST

Whew!

I can’t believe it’s spring quarter. Where have the days gone? I’m going to be a sophomore and you are on your way to coming here…or at least, deciding whether SCU is right for you. I can’t tell you if it is, but I can relay my experience thus far:

Right now, I’m sitting in the Saint Clare room. It’s late and I’m thinking I need to make a run to the café for another caffeine kick. What happened to relaxing the first week of school? Sleeping at a reasonable hour?

[To catch you up: Saint Clare is on the third floor of the library. YES! The library has finally opened to all of its splendor. I, and the rest of the student body, have been pulled like magnets to it since opening day. It’s crazy what a building can do to you. I really like it because there is a spot for everyone. There are spots to focus, work and “work.” I’ll be sure to update the blog with some handy pictures!

Spring break was a blast! I went home to the snow and had a lovely time building snow forts, snowman and snow-angels. Hot chocolate tastes better when there is frost on your windows.]

Fine, it has been relatively relaxing so far. I love coming back to school the first day and walking around and seeing all of my friends. It adds an extra excitement into the whole “school” aspect. I’m going to have more downtime this quarter to enjoy other parts of college rather than just taking core classes; I practically cut my workload in half—I’m taking four classes (four four units) instead of seven (five four units, two two units).

The funny thing is, I’m pretty sure I’ll be working just as hard.

Some things never change. But, hey. It’s spring—the start of something new!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:37:25 PST

Even though it is week 10 of the quarter, I was surprised to find multiple changes this week to campus life. First, Father Locatelli announced that he is resigning as president of Santa Clara University. I don’t know yet how this will affect my personal SCU experience, but I’ve heard from others that school (as I know it) will be much different. Second, the weather has changed from sunny and wonderful to windy and brisk. This means no more shorts but a windbreaker and rain boots out of the closet. Third, there is no more recreational activities. Intramural sports have finished and the pool is closed. The only students out exercising are ones racing to class. Why? Because it was dead week—we all had our noses in our books. Even at the gym, people were studying on the elliptical machines (Since SCU is all about educating the mind, body and soul, we like to work on our multitasking even during our “study breaks.”). Fourth, my flex card is low. I’m almost out of money to do my laundry. Clearly, this is NOT good. I’m currently scavengering for quarters for one last load during finals week. My fifth and favorite change I have observed is the upgraded kindness from my guy friends. This is so they can mooch off of me and my girlfriends for our extra dining points…aka we have plenty of meal credits left because we don’t have the urge to drink MuscleMilk three times a day.

I’m gearing up for the long weekend of studying. I have a feeling I will lock myself up in the Sobrato Seminar Room so I’m not tempted by distractions.

All good things

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:42:48 PST

We had the most beautiful week! The sky was cloudless and the sun shone brightly everyday. I definitely indulged in the (not so) rare weather.

Since I finished taking all my midterms this week—yes, week 9—and registered for all my spring classes, I was thankful to be able to do prep homework for finals outside. Most of us have been enjoying naps on the lawn to reboot for our long nights of studying.

We also wanted to take advantage of hanging around the pool since it closed this weekend until September. After class, my friends and I would sit poolside and rehearse our numerous presentations for the upcoming week. I have a feeling we won’t be as relaxed when we are standing in front of a room of 30 students…plus our professor who is grading us for 20% of our final grade. Eek!

I am looking forward to the new library opening March 31. It seems so far away but I figure it will only be a week after Spring Break. I heard there are study spaces on porches off the sides. I haven’t noticed this when I walk by, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Last night, we celebrated Arianna’s birthday at Chevy’s Mexican Restaurant. I can’t wait to go back! It was a much needed break from Benson. We will return soon for another birthday extravaganza!

The highlight of Sunday was the self-defense seminar I went to. All of the proceeds went to WOMAN Inc., which is a battered women's shelter in San Francisco. It made me happy to see such a great turn out for an important cause.

However, the most noteworthy event that happened to me this was my acceptance to be Community Facilitator for the Loyola RLC—in Sobrato Hall. It’s a huge honor to be selected. I’m actually quite overjoyed! The letter said we will be starting our orientation for the position in April—so another new part of my life to look forward to!

Fighting the attack of ?winter? sickness

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:40:55 PST

“I’m living in the land where the seasons never change.”

The great perk of going to school in California is the weather: It never gets cold!

Okay, that’s not fair. A bunch of my SoCal friends complain of the “frigid mornings and nights” but I haven’t noticed. It makes going to the athletic games a lot more fun. When we are still pitching and it is only the 3^rd inning, I don’t have to worry about freezing after the sun goes down (Have I mentioned how I LOVE our ball park? It is amazing! I thought our basketball courts were snazzy but I think our baseball stadium is strong competition.).

Nevertheless, I’ve been bundling up recently. I don’t want to get myself sick before finals—that’s the worse. Thank goodness Cellar sells Airborne and EmergenC. I don’t know what I’d do without the daily runs to pump extra Vitamin C in me.

I feel like everyone in my hall gets sick whenever we have exams because we are stressed and then our immune system gets weak from studying all night and…it’s not pleasant.

In fact, William has been seriously ill. His mom flew in from Minnesota this week to take care of him. He has mono, post viral infection, double ear infection and strep throat.

Good news is Will is recovering quickly. He came back to school today and we went to Greg’s club volleyball game together (They lost to Cal. Ugh.). Tonight, I’m headed with Michelle to “Les Liaisons Dangereuses.” It sounds risqué!

Pat at the Boxing Ballet

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:34:08 PST

Chloe, Ella and I went to our first boxing tournament this weekend. Our friend, Patrick “Philly Pat,” was performing in his first fight. We were all very nervous for him after watching movies like “Rocky” and “Cinderella Man.” I mean, all he had protecting him was a cushion of a helmet and a mouth guard. It was quite nerve-racking watching. I was afraid he was going to get hurt—just last week he was knocked unconscious at practice. A) Not fun B) not helpful for the business midterm he took 12 hours later.

Luckily, Pat had been practicing all year. He has fast feet! I felt like he was dancing around the ring the entire match. But, I know there isn’t any bloodshed at the ballet so I wasn’t exactly confused about what was happening. Even though you only box for 2 minutes a set, his match set, each second felt like an eternity. We were all worried something bad was going to happen to him since the SCU EMTs would stand up every time his opponent threw a punch.

Good thing he didn’t throw too many! Pat totally rocked the San Jose boxer. He won the match in an impressive show of strength and finesse. We were all pleased and thankful he won’t have another match anytime soon!

Art Speaks

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:32:47 PST

Today, my friend, Meghan Kh, and I traveled through SCU’s Tunnel of Oppression. Designed to raise awareness and promote diversity education, the Tunnel of Oppression was an interactive learning experience for all members of the SCU community. As participants in the Tunnel, we were called upon to experience, reflect and act.

Spring Break Countdown: 33 Days

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 06:00:09 PST

I can’t believe the long weekend is over! I’m flying home from Chicago today. I’d wish I could’ve stayed longer but academia calls. Three days goes by way too fast especially when you are having quality bonding time with the Fam.

This past weekend at Santa Clara was Parents’ Weekend. The school looked amazing—there were people working on its aesthetic appeal for hours on end and students started matching their clothes and cleaning up their rooms. It’s those 72 hours when EVERYONE is on their best behavior.

So, why did I skip out?

Because it was time to say “Goodbye” sunshine and “Hello” rain, sleet and snow!

Okay, fine. I came home to be with my mom and dad and my absolutely crazy—but, nonetheless, fantastically awesome—siblings. And, my dog, Lunchbucket. I think she was the most excited to have me home. J I was even able to see Aunt Julie, Uncle Sam and Sadie. We are still waiting for Thor’s arrival (name subject to change!).

We had a successful hockey weekend. Sophie and Greta won their hockey league championship game, Jake knocked his opponents around on the ice, Mack was a wall at Orland and Luke used his tenacity to win 3^rd for his league wrap-up at Lake Placid.

I played cheerleader at the games. Apparently, I embarrassed my brothers with my “California dancing.” I know now moving your body like a cyclone is only appropriate in your own room.

Since everyone was out and about Chicagoland, I didn’t get to spend every waking minute with the family. Considering how unhappy I was when Lunchbucket would jump on my bed to wake me up in the morning, it’s probably a good thing they weren’t with me the whole time.

All in all, George Washington’s birthday let me enjoy a memorable trip home. I’m crossing my fingers that they’ll fly out this weekend to visit for my mom’s birthday!

Mission Accomplished

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 09:31:34 PST

I am one of the luckiest girls in the world! This past Friday, I was able to see the SPICE GIRLS in concert. Not only that, the reunion performance was in my hometown, Chicago.

Carrie and Mal came home for the long weekend. We all had such a fabulous time dancing at the concert! Care and I had a lot of fun singing to all their songs. We remembered the step-by-step dance moves the Spice Girls did in their videos and, of course, Spice World. I think dancing wore me out more than playing the intramural soccer games at school. It reminded me of freshman year when I’d play Dance Dance Revolution all night in my basement. Good times.

I also picked up some cool new moves from them. Those Spice Girls are super talented. I wasn’t expecting a lot because of…well, I don’t really know. I was just thinking it was going to be like listening to Britney Spear’s computer engineered “Gimme More” and such. But, clearly, it wasn’t!

The Spice Girls’ outfits all coordinated eachother to compliment the whole picture—the lights, the backdrop, the other dancers. Oh! Their backup dancers were insane and did all sorts of break-dancing tricks up and down the three-thrust stage. Each Spice Girl sang their own song—except Posh who “has moved into the fashion world.” She just did a runway walk. I thought she was going to fall on her face (she didn’t). I’ve always been a Posh-hater—what’s with the weird facial expression in EVERY photograph—but now, after hearing her perform, I might be her number one fan.

My favorite part was after they sang “Mama.” All their kids came up on-stage and started dancing with them and then they took a picture. I was waiting for Becks to get up, but no luck.

What I’m trying to say is: I understand why the media makes such a big deal about Hollywood’s influence on young adult. Because after seeing those girls work it on stage, I definitely want to be a SPICE GIRL.

Funny Valentine

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:30:45 PST

We had quite the exciting Valentine’s Day! Quentin convinced one of our favorite teachers to sing to a friend to make her day worthwhile. Quentin brought down his bass and his computer (and a lot of other equipment that I don’t know what is called) to amplify the music/harmonize with his voice. I appreciated the sound a lot more than I usually do at 1 a.m. when he “practices” his composer/d.j. skills above my room.

Anyway, getting back on track: At around 9 p.m., Father McCarthy approached the Sobrato bridge in preparation for a serenade. He sang Frank Sinatra’s “My Funny Valentine” to Angelica. We arranged the couches and chairs in the lobby to get a good view and support him like the admiring audience we were. Everyone was cheering him on—he did an impressive cover!

Sorry my pictures didn’t come out—you’re going to have to imagine this one.

Working with the Public Transportation

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:23:48 PST

It was the weekend of conserving energy/saving money. Friday night, we carpooled to the Bronco ice hockey game versus Fresno State. It was a nail-biter. The zebras were definitely in favor of the visitors—which only strengthened the comments by the unruly SCU student section. Our team pulled ahead with 3:00 minutes left in the third period. I think the Fresno goalie lost his mentality because the ending score was 4-1. Actually, we won because our club team was tenaciously fighting the entire 60 minutes.

Saturday, Arianna and I took the bus to the Valley Fair Mall. It was probably 70 degrees when we were walking up and down Santana Row. Love that weather! Saturday night, a group of us girls traveled to the always-exciting Stanford campus. Taking the Cal Train was quite simple and a lot easier than finding 10 cars for us to squeeze into for a half an hour. We all had a lovely time and plan on returning soon.

Yesterday was a day of prayer. I kicked off the day with Monica by attending the 10:00 a.m Sunday Mass in the Mission Church. However, it wasn’t the traditional worship service. Yesterday’s Mass was part of Santa Clara’s 2008 World Music Festival. In honor of 18^th century Cuban priest and composer Esteban Salas, the SCU music faculty and Concert Choir performed two of his songs. Salas’ music was intended for the churches and cathedrals of Cuba. The Santa Clara Mission Church’s design was perfect for the harmonious voices and acoustics of the instruments.

At 6:00 p.m, I participated in my second experience with our Campus Ministry (My first was on the Search Retreat.). I lead Father Jack Tracey into the Church and read the First Reading of the liturgy. I was super nervous! I had prior experience walking down the aisle while everyone is watching you (8 years ago, my aunt’s flower girl for her wedding) but, obviously, it was completely different this time. I knew if I wore heels I’d fall so I opted for flats instead. The Mass ran smoothly and I realized I didn’t have to worry about ruining the worship service for everyone. It was a positive experience but I’m still contemplating whether my nerves will allow me to do it again!

Part Deux: Birthdays Boycott Tanglewood

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:54:39 PST

Little did I know, the adventures of the night had not finished. After our meeting, a bunch of my friends and I went to Tanglewood for dinner. I was really happy to not be cooking or baking. Unfortunately, dinner was a fiasco. We decided to dub the restaurant, “TangleWOULDN’T.”

Without bashing this “haven for undulating rhythm of the seasons” for the remainder of this entry, I’ll say only one thing: we paid $75 for them to cut my cake that Chloe baked. Therefore, it cost $5 more for the cake to be cut then to tip the waiter.

In short, TangleWOULDN’T will not enjoy our business again. And, there is no way I’m going to recommend them to anyone I know.

It’s like my good friend once said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Our birthday party venue is, once again, Maggianos!

Birthday Blowout!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:49:47 PST

My birthday was one to remember! I missed my family so much that I did something that reminded me of them all day: I ran 6 miles for my mom. I cleaned and organized my suite for my dad. I took two showers for Luke. I talked on the phone for an obscenely long time with friends and family for Mack. I aced my test for Jake. I ate an entire box of MilkDuds for GG. And, for Sophie I baked my birthday cake with Ella.

Well, I tried. Somehow I managed to ruin a Funfetti cake. We left the cake in the oven for only 20 minutes (check with the DR Jeremy) and set it to 325 degrees. Somehow the cake burnt and smoke was everywhere in the kitchen and it spread to the entire lounge area and…set the fire alarm off. Again.

I know! It’s an issue. I’ve done it once a quarter now. It’s embarrassing.

Luckily, I have great friends who didn’t laugh at me when I started bawling because I didn’t have any cake to give them at fiesta part deux. Fuad and Alexa were quick thinkers and raced to Safeway. We ate frozen cheesecake instead!

Fiesta Tempo!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:48:12 PST

Good news came yesterday with the Giants win on Superbowl Sunday. There’s nothing more satisfying than an underdog upset. Poor Tom Brady.

We traveled to the Darkside to celebrate at Henry’s. The fiesta turned into a pre-party for my birthday. My favorite part was having “Feliz Cumpleanos” sung!

Tomahawk those Sharks

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:45:49 PST

Ryan took me and Chloe to the Chicago Blackhawks game versus the San Jose Sharks. It went into five-minute overtime and a shoot out. I was on the edge of my seat, literally! Patrick Kane saved the day as usual…but it wasn’t enough to keep Jeremy Roenick from sliding the puck through the five hole. Urgh! So frustrating—I had hand-tomahawked the stupid shark motion the entire game.

GonZAGa Game

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:42:44 PST

We lost to Gonzaga in double overtime. I don’t think I have the heart to overanalyze it. I attached some pictures documenting our victorious moments…

Sophisticated Aficionado

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:52:01 PST

I never thought I’d say this…but I couldn’t feel more avantgarde! I attended my first Art Exhibition last night (If I had been in New York, I would have thought I was in Charlotte’s art gallery on the set of Sex and the City.).

In my Performance and Culture class, I’m currently studying art from the Romantic era. My friends and I wanted to experience what we were learning first hand—our teacher suggested we go to the San Jose Museum of Art. We decided to give it a go and went to the opening night of Goya’s Caprichos: Dreams of Reason and Madness.

At the Art Exhibition, people were sipping white wine spritzers, looking at Goya and eating tapas. Goya’s 80 etchings of Los Caprichos looked stunning on the white washed walls. On our guided tour (We got to listen to an art critic on iPods. So modern!), I learned a lot of facts about Goya. For Los Caprichos, the underlying theme was the moralizing satires on society in general. Everyone was amazed at the beauty of his white and black portrayals of the excesses of the nobility and the corruption of the church.

In other news, we had snowcapped-mountains yesterday evening. I know! The weatherman said it was snowing in Saratoga—which is about 15 minutes away from campus. Unfortunately, none of that precipitation came my way. I have my fingers crossed that I’ll have snow on my birthday next Monday. It’ll be my first without it!

I know I should be looking forward to turning 19, but my main focus this week has been on the SCU-GonZAGa game this Saturday. The game has been sold out for months so I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to snag a ticket from the Ruff Riders. Luckily, Alexa, Bridge and Cam waited outside in the “cold” for two hours to be the first ones in line. They weren’t exactly happy when Kristy and I came over saying how overheated we were from sprinting to Leavey after class. I owe them Benson points now…but it’ll be totally worth it come Saturday when the entire school is cheering on the Broncos!

The Reasons

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:02:21 PST

I have high expectations for a lot of things in my life. Sometimes it keeps me grounded, others it causes me trouble. But, yesterday, I felt good about my expectations. It was nice to be right.

I absolutely adore my Thursdays: one of the classes I’m taking this quarter is “Ethics and Globalization.” Taught by Dr. David Decosse and one of the Hackworth Fellows (senior selected to promote ethical reflection and reflective ethical action among their undergraduate peers) Roujin, our class is only sixteen students.

The purpose of the class is two-fold: First, to have students understand the ethical dimension of some of the key issues of globalization in the present day and, second, to have students develop ethical tools for the critical analysis of these same issues. In laymen’s terms, each class we discuss (some may say argue) the beliefs that constitute people. We gather each time, grouping our desks in a circle to promote our openness to an outlook different than our own and to share our thoughts and express our opinions. We’ve talked about Thomas Hoepker’s “New York, September 11” photograph, Rachels’ “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” and Nussbaum’s “Human Functioning and Social Justice.”

My high expectations for learning at Santa Clara have been fulfilled. Ethics and Globalization class is everything I had hoped college would be. I remember leaving Santa Clara’s campus after the “Accepted Student Preview Day” and thinking…“I’m going to be learning with people who are equally if not more passionate than me. These students actually want to be here.” It was and is a complete rush! Imagine being in a room with seventeen people excited and energized to talk about ethical aspects of globalization and culture.

Yesterday, we discussed the documentary “Control Room.” It is a documentary on Al Jazeera and the Iraq War. Our class found that the documentary showed it difficult to embrace a universal concept of freedom. We realized the role of media was a central component to self-understanding.

Most of the reasons I wanted to come to Santa Clara are rooted in my Ethics and Globalization class: enlivened, curious students working with passionate, experienced teachers in a small class to give personal attention to educating the mind, body and soul.

Mama Megs

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:48:55 PST

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., I tried to make the effort to spend part of my weekend remembering the man and his impact on humanity. Friday night, my friend Clara and I went to “Jazz has a dream: Anthems of Peace and Social Justice.” The event was co-sponsored by the Justice and the Arts Initiave, the Department of Theatre and Dance, Office of Multicultural Learning and the Inclusive Excellence Initiative. To say the least, a lot of important people worked to make the recital happen!! All of their time and effort paid off—I know I was floored. I never realized the talent of SCU faculty. I couldn’t believe that these performers were teachers at my school!

Saturday was me in A-C-T-I-O-N. I played with the intramural soccer team for two hours and then I played an “exciting” match of tennis. I’m looking for a new partner…

Sunday began as a day of rest and quickly changed into one of anxiety. I finished all of my homework by mid-afternoon; it felt great to check it off my list. However, after stepping out of the shower I heard a blood-curdling scream. The unusually high-pitch sound was meant to excite me and not frighten me. (Obviously, that didn’t occur to my body.) Karina had news for me. She had just been asked to go out to dinner. Her FIRST DATE!

I spent the rest of the day primping her and assuring her that she wouldn’t do anything embarassing. I curled her hair, gave her fashion advice and briefed her on table manners. Then, I waited outside when her date, Ben, picked her up.

But, I wasn’t going to stop there. After all, this was a memory she would have forever. I took a couple snapshots, told them to not be out too late and threatened Ben if he broke her heart I’d break his bones.

I felt like her mom. It was weird. But, totally worth it too see his reaction!

Shark Attack!

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:45:41 PST

(Thursday night. Can’t believe in 10 minutes it will be Friday. Three-day weekend!!)

I enjoyed lovely company at Maggiano’s for Miss Annie Thompson’s birthday on Monday night. I’m not going to lie. Hands down, it beats Bon Appetit. We had a terrific waiter. He serenaded her with a wonderful version of “Happy Birthday” and then treated us to the richest vanilla bean ice cream I have ever tasted…and cheesecake!

The one and only Robert M. Sapolsky came to speak in Mayer Theater on Wednesday. An acclaimed behavioral biologist, Sapolsky cleverly entranced the audience with his unexpected humor. Everyone was thoroughly impressed! I never thought a neurology professor could make me laugh (stomach stitches) about how to make sense of our behavior in the context of brains, genes and hormones.

The Sharks game occupied tonight. The 2^nd floor of my building traveled a short seven minutes to San Jose. The convenience of living to HP Pavilion continues to amaze me. I knew I was going to have a fun time when the players came racing out of a paper mache sharks head. It was sooo cool! I had never seen anything like it. Unfortunately, it was not very intimidating to the other team: the Sharks lost to the Dallas Stars in the last five minutes of the third period. You could call it an upset…

All in all, it was another successful week. It’s crazy to think that Sunday marks the 3^rd of 10 weeks for Winter Quarter. And, by winter I mean walking around campus with jeans and a t-shirt instead of a tank!

Working for the Weekend

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 09:24:54 PST

It’s Saturday afternoon and the weekend is in full swing. As I sit near Ignatius Fountain, I can see frisbee throwers, late-lunchers and afternoon strollers. It’s a lazy day on campus—what appears to have many students snug in their warm beds (oblivious to the fact that they have slept half of their free day away).

But, who could blame them? After a stellar week of jammed packed activity, it’s hard to not want to rest for a moment. It’s exhausting being a college student: academia has no beginning or end here. I feel like each second I am called to pay full attention and deposit each piece of wisdom thrown at me for appropriate use. To say the least, it has been quite the roller coaster ride!

My friends and I were in the mood to laugh and have a good time last night (who isn’t?!) so we took an adventure to the always eventful Santana Row. Even though Arianna and Lizzie had already seen Juno, they agreed that the flick would definitely make our stomachs sore. And, I am absolutely infatuated with Superbad’s Michael Cera, so really, it couldn’t have gone wrong. Many memorable lines, but, my favorite was, “That ain't no Etch-A-Sketch. This is one doodle that can't be un-did, Homeskillet.” Dwight. [sigh]Ellen Page was hilarious. I love quick witt more than any type of dragged out humor—immediate gratification.

Jess and Aubrey wanted to head over to Peet’s Coffee and Tea after for an appropriate nightcapper. I think it rivaled Starbucks. The atmosphere was perfect and the caffeine quality superb. And, I thought the personable service was much more enjoyable!

It’s amazing how much a week can change your perspective. Monday feels like it was weeks back. And now, all my “Welcome Back!” homework is looming overhead. Must not procrastinate…I’ll give you an update soon!

Home Sweet Home?

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:36:51 PST

[7:00 a.m. Lily Allen’s “Knock ‘Em Out” blares from my computer]

I turn to the other side of my bed. It’s the first day of school. 2^nd Quarter.

2^nd Quarter?! Where did my winter vacation go? What happened to the concept of sleeping in? Of eating breakfast at 1 p.m?

I draw my shades from my lofted bed. Brilliant, bright California sun streams in.

“Meggggggs…what time is it? Are you leaving?” Karina says.

Shades pulled back down. Can’t wake the roommate up. Not the way you want to start the next 10 weeks. I “sneak” out of the room to begin my once familiar routine.

“You’re still dreaming. Wake up in four hours.”

Eek. 8 am class. Not fun. Swapping ASAP.

As I’m brushing my teeth, I start going over everything that has happened in the last month. I was back at home. I spent all my time with my friends and family. Sledding, ice-skating, snow boarding. Hot chocolate. Warm fires. Roasting marshmallows. It was simply wonderful! Am I prepared to begin the crazy quarter schedule again?

My day started getting better once I past familiar faces on my way around campus. Everyone was sooo happy to be back at school. “Meghan, isn’t it nice to be home?”

How are you supposed to answer that? Is Santa Clara my home? Second home—home away from home?

Everyone’s positivity and excitement for the New Year, their resolutions and their hopes for a fresh beginning rubbed off on me. There’s a fun rush you feel when you don’t know what to expect. 10 weeks of a new adventure.

I’m ready.

It's not about getting what you want. It's wanting what you?ve got.

blogSCU@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 02:23:52 PST

My friends and I also took a fabulous study-break. After exams, your brain can feel like mush. Which is basically what it looks like anyway.

We all baked cookies and then decorated them…a.k.a. we enjoyed a Christmas cookie party. Annie, Kristy and Jenny even donned festive sweaters!

But, the most exciting part of this week was realizing I’m going to be in the comfort of my home by Saturday!

And, the sugar-rush got me thinking. It’s not about getting what you want. It’s wanting what you’ve got.

HAPPY FESTIVUS! Hope your days are merry and bright.

XOXO

Meghan