Well it's certainly been awhile since my last post, sorry about that! I have quite a few things to catch you up on! Earlier this month the Elmira College Ski Club participated in Greek Peak's Hope on the Slopes. For those of you who aren't familiar with the event, it is essentially Relay for Life on skis; everyone is given a small radio receiver that counts the number of runs they ski by the end of the eight hour event and the winning teams are recognized. Though the event does get fairly competitive, the main focus is still centered on raising money for the American Cancer Society. The EC Ski Club made Elmira proud, we raised a total of $905 between the four team members and two of our team members placed first and third in the number of runs for the women. Overall it was a great event! Everyone had a blast supporting a great cause. Also along these lines, the Elmira College Relay for Life took place two weekends ago. As always the event was a tremendous success, the student run committee really takes care of everything. I don't think there is a better organized event on campus all year. My roommate, one of the officers in WECW (the college radio station) was there all night DJing, and there were performances the entire night long. Relay for Life really is one of the most fun events all year.
February feels like yesterday but April is already just a few days away. This is it. The homestretch of term two. We have two more weeks of classes and then one more week of finals. It's going to be a rough three week sprint, but luckily I have a number of things to look forward to that will see me through to the end of the term. Opening day for the Phillies is this Friday, everyone will finally be able to get a glimpse of the Phillies' ridiculous starting rotation and I couldn't be more excited for baseball season. Also, next weekend I will be accompanying the Elmira College Air Force ROTC on their weekend long field training exercise as an embedded reporter for the Octagon (the EC student newspaper). I'm not usually a writer for the Octagon, but as a military junkie I jumped at the chance. Expect a copy of the article and perhaps a more detailed description in a few weeks. In addition, I have a week long break after finals to look forward to! Regrettably I will only be going home for the first weekend, the rest of my break will be spent in Elmira studying with my MCAT tutor. Luckily I'm finally starting to notice an improvement in my scores after putting in more than 15 hours every week. Also, after my break I have five weeks of term three to look forward to. I will be taking two classes, one of which is on the holocaust (appealing to my passion for history), and playing intramural softball which I am greatly looking forward to.
Well that's it for this entry! Back to studying for the MCAT... I know that I promise this often, but I will really try to keep my updates more frequent from now on.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Octagon Fair
Once again I find myself having to apologize for the utter lack of attention that this blog has been receiving. So sorry for the lack of updates. This term is shaping up to be my busiest term yet (yes even busier than freshman year complete with the freshman writing program). In addition to my responsibilities as the president of both Beta Beta Beta (the biological honors society) and the Elmira College Ski Club, I've recently been appointed to the position of entertainment chair for the 2011 Octagon Fair!
If you're unfamiliar with EC, then you may have never heard of the Octagon Fair. Octagon Fair is a fair that is held on campus every year in September. The fair is open to the public and sees between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors every year! Each Octagon Fair has its own distinct theme and the theme for 2011 is "Hoist the Purple and gold; EC is setting sail for Octagon Fair!" Expect all manner of nautical and pirate apparel and decorations. Every student club and organization is eligible to run a booth and many do. A couple of completely unbiased random examples of student booths would be the annual Beta Beta Beta plant and goldfish sale and the Ski Club sno-cone sale, both of which are big hits every year. In addition to student clubs, local craters and vendors are also eligible for a booth where they can sell their various wares or perhaps simply distribute information. An example of these booths would be my friend and fellow student Josh's pottery sale or the Boy Scouts of America recruiting drive. Another huge part of the fair is the annual Elmira College Bookstore clothing sale, where you can find just about any piece of Elmira College apparel for extremely low prices. Better get there early though, there is always a huge line (I'm talking 30 minutes or so when it starts to slow down...). Finally, there are performances throughout the day on the campus stage which is set up for the Fair in the grass near the Campus Center; this is where I come in.
As the entertainment chair, it is my responsibility to ensure that their is always something going on at the stage. Past years have had performers such as the EC Danceline and martial arts demonstrations. Last year, to fit the Wild West theme, there were even square dancers! I'm already hard at work making sure that this years Octagon Fair is going to be a huge success so make sure you come out next fall, September 17, 2011 and see what Octagon Fair is all about!
If you're unfamiliar with EC, then you may have never heard of the Octagon Fair. Octagon Fair is a fair that is held on campus every year in September. The fair is open to the public and sees between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors every year! Each Octagon Fair has its own distinct theme and the theme for 2011 is "Hoist the Purple and gold; EC is setting sail for Octagon Fair!" Expect all manner of nautical and pirate apparel and decorations. Every student club and organization is eligible to run a booth and many do. A couple of completely unbiased random examples of student booths would be the annual Beta Beta Beta plant and goldfish sale and the Ski Club sno-cone sale, both of which are big hits every year. In addition to student clubs, local craters and vendors are also eligible for a booth where they can sell their various wares or perhaps simply distribute information. An example of these booths would be my friend and fellow student Josh's pottery sale or the Boy Scouts of America recruiting drive. Another huge part of the fair is the annual Elmira College Bookstore clothing sale, where you can find just about any piece of Elmira College apparel for extremely low prices. Better get there early though, there is always a huge line (I'm talking 30 minutes or so when it starts to slow down...). Finally, there are performances throughout the day on the campus stage which is set up for the Fair in the grass near the Campus Center; this is where I come in.
As the entertainment chair, it is my responsibility to ensure that their is always something going on at the stage. Past years have had performers such as the EC Danceline and martial arts demonstrations. Last year, to fit the Wild West theme, there were even square dancers! I'm already hard at work making sure that this years Octagon Fair is going to be a huge success so make sure you come out next fall, September 17, 2011 and see what Octagon Fair is all about!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Well the Elmira College Ski Club had it's first trip of the season last night and I have to say, it was a tremendous success. We had a total of 15 students go on the trip in a total of 4 different cars. Two of which left after classes at 2:30 and the other two at 3:30 for some night skiing at Greek Peak. After about an hour and a half drive we all arrived at Greek Peak to find several inches of fresh snow. We had gotten an inch or two of snow the previous night at campus, but none of us expected to find as much snow as we did at the mountain. The conditions last night were easily the best that I've skied yet this season and some of the best that I've ever skied on the east coast.
We even had two first timers go on the trip with us last night. One of whom learned how to ski and the other, already an accomplished skier, learned how to snowboard. Introducing people to skiing and snowboarding is one of the main goals of the Elmira College Ski Club and without a doubt, both of these first timers had a great time and cannot wait to go again. Luckily, there is a deal for first timers at Greek Peak that they were able to take advantage of. For just $25 someone who has never skied or snowboarded before can get an all day lift ticket to the beginner terrain, all day rentals, and a one hour group lesson. If you're familiar with winter sports, you'll realize how tremendous this deal really is.
After a great night of skiing in some glorious powder, the trip culminated in a midnight feast at the Taco Bell in Ithaca. The next ski club trip is scheduled for Saturday the 29th and will be day skiing at Bristol mountain. Hopefully we have as good of a turn out! Below is a picture of all the students that went on the trip.
We even had two first timers go on the trip with us last night. One of whom learned how to ski and the other, already an accomplished skier, learned how to snowboard. Introducing people to skiing and snowboarding is one of the main goals of the Elmira College Ski Club and without a doubt, both of these first timers had a great time and cannot wait to go again. Luckily, there is a deal for first timers at Greek Peak that they were able to take advantage of. For just $25 someone who has never skied or snowboarded before can get an all day lift ticket to the beginner terrain, all day rentals, and a one hour group lesson. If you're familiar with winter sports, you'll realize how tremendous this deal really is.
After a great night of skiing in some glorious powder, the trip culminated in a midnight feast at the Taco Bell in Ithaca. The next ski club trip is scheduled for Saturday the 29th and will be day skiing at Bristol mountain. Hopefully we have as good of a turn out! Below is a picture of all the students that went on the trip.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The start of a new year
I apologize for the lull in posts, but as with most college students my brain inadvertently undergoes a temporary hiatus during breaks. Speaking of break, my winter break was fantastic. For the first time since summer, I was able to see all of my friends from high school and not have a single worry about school for over three weeks. Most of my time was spent either skiing or with my friends or family, though I managed to get in some reading for pleasure (something that is almost unheard of at school) as well as some time on my Xbox. Perhaps the best thing about winter break however (besides skiing), is Christmas. Its nice to have the whole family get together and sit down for a delicious Christmas dinner. New Years was also a lot of fun. I spent the night at my friend's house where I was the charades MVP, which earned me a $10 gift card to Wawa (the best convience store in the world).
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and break eventually ended with my girlfriend and me driving back to school this past Sunday. So far this term has gotten off to a very good start. I'm taking Physics II, Genetics, US History II, Medicinal Chemistry, and Instrument Ensemble; as well as doing biological research with one of my professors. I'm particulary enjoying US History, as it's one of my favorite subjects. Unfortunately this term I need to start studying for the MCAT as I will be taking it this spring. I know that I will struggle to do this on my own, so I've been organizing Tri-Beta (the biological honor society) study sessions with the hopes that meeting with a group will be a source of motivation. In addition, the prehealth club is doing the same thing on different days. One of the best parts about being a science major at Elmira is how close knit all of the students are, as corny as it sounds, we're like a family.
I have to go plan for tonights ski club meeting now, but I promise I will be more forthcoming with updates now that break is over.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and break eventually ended with my girlfriend and me driving back to school this past Sunday. So far this term has gotten off to a very good start. I'm taking Physics II, Genetics, US History II, Medicinal Chemistry, and Instrument Ensemble; as well as doing biological research with one of my professors. I'm particulary enjoying US History, as it's one of my favorite subjects. Unfortunately this term I need to start studying for the MCAT as I will be taking it this spring. I know that I will struggle to do this on my own, so I've been organizing Tri-Beta (the biological honor society) study sessions with the hopes that meeting with a group will be a source of motivation. In addition, the prehealth club is doing the same thing on different days. One of the best parts about being a science major at Elmira is how close knit all of the students are, as corny as it sounds, we're like a family.
I have to go plan for tonights ski club meeting now, but I promise I will be more forthcoming with updates now that break is over.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Holiday Weekend
Hey everyone! As I mentioned in my last post, this past weekend was Holiday Weekend on campus; and what a great weekend it was! For those of you who don't know about Holiday Weekend, it is another one of Elmira College's time-honored traditions that takes place every year on some weekend between the Thanksgiving and Holiday breaks. The weekend consists of the Holiday Banquet on Friday night and the Holiday Ball on Saturday night.
The Holiday Banquet is definitely one of my favorite EC traditions. The banquet is definitely a unique experience in that each professor and administrator at the college is offered the chance to be the head of their own table. Students can then sign up to sit with their favorite professor for the most delicious dinner of the year. The dinner consists of turkey (which the head of the table is tasks with cutting), stuffing, corn bread, green beans, corn, cranberry sauce, and a dessert. In addition, the concert ensemble really sets the mood by playing holiday songs as everyone enters in the dining hall. In addition, there is a huge (I'm guessing 12 feet) Christmas tree in the front of the dining hall decorated with, you guessed it, purple and gold lights. This year I sat with Dr. Kjar, one of my favorite professors at the school, as well as his wife Maya. I have had several classes with Dr. Kjar, including a 4 week term three trip to the Bahamas last year (Maya went as well), and we get along well resulting in a very pleasant evening.
The Holiday Ball is an annual dance held in the campus center. Every year a very talented student oversees the decorations and transforms the dining hall. This year the theme was Arabian Nights and the decorations were flawless. The dance starts at 9:00pm and lasts until 11:00pm and most of the student body attends. It's a great way to cut loose and have some fun with all your friends before finals week and the end of the term. My girlfriend Emily and I both had a great time. Of course this post requires pictures:
All in all I had a great time this weekend and cannot wait until next year!
Also, for junior seminar this year we had to make professional websites. Mine isn't done yet, but I figured you might want to check it out. Let me know what you think!
The Holiday Banquet is definitely one of my favorite EC traditions. The banquet is definitely a unique experience in that each professor and administrator at the college is offered the chance to be the head of their own table. Students can then sign up to sit with their favorite professor for the most delicious dinner of the year. The dinner consists of turkey (which the head of the table is tasks with cutting), stuffing, corn bread, green beans, corn, cranberry sauce, and a dessert. In addition, the concert ensemble really sets the mood by playing holiday songs as everyone enters in the dining hall. In addition, there is a huge (I'm guessing 12 feet) Christmas tree in the front of the dining hall decorated with, you guessed it, purple and gold lights. This year I sat with Dr. Kjar, one of my favorite professors at the school, as well as his wife Maya. I have had several classes with Dr. Kjar, including a 4 week term three trip to the Bahamas last year (Maya went as well), and we get along well resulting in a very pleasant evening.
The Holiday Ball is an annual dance held in the campus center. Every year a very talented student oversees the decorations and transforms the dining hall. This year the theme was Arabian Nights and the decorations were flawless. The dance starts at 9:00pm and lasts until 11:00pm and most of the student body attends. It's a great way to cut loose and have some fun with all your friends before finals week and the end of the term. My girlfriend Emily and I both had a great time. Of course this post requires pictures:
All in all I had a great time this weekend and cannot wait until next year!
Also, for junior seminar this year we had to make professional websites. Mine isn't done yet, but I figured you might want to check it out. Let me know what you think!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Almost there
It's been awhile since my last update and as such I have quite a bit to talk about. Thanksgiving break was wonderful and much needed. There's nothing quite like 10 relaxing days at home with friends and family. One of the things that makes Thanksgiving break so great is that it's the first time all of my friends are home at the same time as me, so a large part of my break was spent catching up with friends that I haven't seen in several months. The rest of the time I spent either with my family, playing Xbox, reading, or just lounging around the house. This was the first year that we've had Thanksgiving dinner at my house and I have to say that it was a resounding success. My mother and sister cooked an excellent dinner as well as an absolutely delicious pie. The Saturday after Thanksgiving I went down to Liberty University with my dad and my friend Cameron to try out their new Snowflex Centre (http://www.liberty.edu/snowflex/). It's essentially AstroTurf that you can ski on. We all had a great time and my dad even managed to take some video of me on the jump.
All in all I had a great break and only wish that it had been longer. The only thing now standing between me and the holiday break is 2 short weeks of classes and 1 week of finals. Unfortunately these 3 weeks happen to be the hardest three weeks of the term. Luckily I have both the Holiday Banquet and Holiday Ball to look forward to this weekend. I'll let you know how they are in my next post!
All in all I had a great break and only wish that it had been longer. The only thing now standing between me and the holiday break is 2 short weeks of classes and 1 week of finals. Unfortunately these 3 weeks happen to be the hardest three weeks of the term. Luckily I have both the Holiday Banquet and Holiday Ball to look forward to this weekend. I'll let you know how they are in my next post!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The 11th hour
This morning I was fortunate enough to get out of physics lab early. On my walk back to my dorm room in Meier Hall I happened to hear the bell tower in Speidel Gymnasium play a song. Being a junior I am quite used to this as the bells ring every quarter hour and play a college song at the top of every hour. This time however, something was different. It wasn't until I began singing along that I realized the song was "God Bless America." The time was 11:11. The 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. I cannot even begin to express how much this meant to me.
I by no means come from a military family, but both of my grandfathers, two of my uncles, and my aunt have all served their country with honor and distinction. It's important in today's fast paced world to slow down and take a minute to remember and honor those who have served. From America's revolutionary beginnings to our current overseas commitments American men and women have dedicated their time, youth, devotion, and in some cases much more to their country. Whether you know them or not, whether you know anything about their service or not, and regardless of whether you agree with the reason they were called to serve, please take a moment and thank a veteran today.
To all of you have served or are serving your country, thank you so much for your sacrifice.
(image courtesy of marines.mil)
I by no means come from a military family, but both of my grandfathers, two of my uncles, and my aunt have all served their country with honor and distinction. It's important in today's fast paced world to slow down and take a minute to remember and honor those who have served. From America's revolutionary beginnings to our current overseas commitments American men and women have dedicated their time, youth, devotion, and in some cases much more to their country. Whether you know them or not, whether you know anything about their service or not, and regardless of whether you agree with the reason they were called to serve, please take a moment and thank a veteran today.
To all of you have served or are serving your country, thank you so much for your sacrifice.
(image courtesy of marines.mil)
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