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!

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)

Happy November everyone!

Well it's now November and the weather is finally starting to get colder. Winter jackets, boots, and scarves are starting to become the norm on campus as everyone gets ready for winter. All of this means of course that I have skiing on the brain. In fact, Christmas came early this year as just yesterday I picked up my brand new skis from Berger's Ski Shop in Corning! Needless to say I cannot wait to get them on some snow. With all this talk of skiing, I feel like now would be as good a time as ever to tell you about the ski club here on campus.

Ski Club is one of the most laid-back clubs on campus. We only really meet for three months out of the year and the meetings aren't mandatory nor do we take attendance. The whole purpose of the club is to expose as many people as possible to just how fun skiing and snowboarding can be. This year we're even going to have some trips oriented specifically toward first-timers. Traditionally the EC ski club has gone on a weekend trip every year to a resort in Vermont. Usually the trip alternates yearly between Killington/Pico and Sugarbush. We usually stay at condos right at the bottom of the mountain which makes for a great experience. There's nothing like the feeling of getting up in the morning and being able to ski right from your door to the lift. Due to funding from finance board, the trip is always a great deal too; we can usually get the cost for a weekend of great skiing in Vermont (including everything but food) down to less than $200. I went my Freshman year, and I have to say that it is honestly one of my best memories so far of my time at Elmira. We're still waiting to hear if we've received funding from finance board this year, but if all goes according to plan we'll be traveling to Sugarbush this January. I'll keep you posted and let you know the final word for the trip. If you have any questions about ski club (or anything for that matter) don't hesitate to ask! Think snow!