It*s that Time of the Year...

...When Clarion gets snowed in and every student (and faculty?) hope for a 'snow day'! Hasn't happened yet, but hey you never know! It has been snowing here like crazy since Saturday night! I had no idea it was supposed to get so bad, and I'm not enjoying dressing in layers. But I do want to go sledriding! It's been a while and it sounds like so much fun. Followed by some ice skating of course! Around this time, I always picture Clarion in a little snow globe. Except multiply the little white confetti (is that what it is??) by an infinite number and make it real snow and BAM! You have Clarion weather!
Beside the blizzard that Clarion is in right now, things are going well for me! This past weekend I finally ate at the Clarion Applebees (everyone keeps asking me if I've ever been to Applebees before, haha! yes, people I have) It was a great meal with great company, and of course I saw a lot of people I knew, just as I suspected walking in.
Well, classes are coming to a close and I cannot believe it! Where has the time gone?! This is the last week of normal classes, before heading into finals. My finals schedule is not bad at all. Being an MMAJ major, the majority of your classes don't have finals. And if they do, it's presentations and fun stuff like that. So I only have 1 test final next week in oceanography :(. So this week, I'm finishing all my other work to turn in: some journal entries and two 10-15 page papers! Yeah, I know! Haven't had to write that much in a long time! But they're a work in progress, and I can't wait to turn them in at the end of the week.
Other than that, there isn't really anything going on. I'm trying to blog a couple more times before my time is up (*tear) and let you all know what I'm up to as a student. I hope you've been enjoying it! It's been fun for me. Well, since I got out of class 45 minutes early, I'm going to continue writing these papers! Until next time.. stay *warm*!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm back again! Though it's been a while like last time! I'm sitting in the Mass Media Arts & Journalism office right now right before break. Things haven't slowed down a bit and I can't believe Thanksgiving is just days away!
I've been working since 2:00 and it's been quiet here. Although, that is good because I was able to work on a big paper that is going to be due after break. I got a good amount done in the quietness of Becker Hall! And now I thought that I'd blog since I have some time before I'm done for the day.. actually until after break!
Everything has been going really well for me still. I was selected as one of many students at WCUB-TV to be an honorary inductee into Clarion's chapter of the Society for Collegiate Journalists (SCJ)!! I was very excited and honored to be one of the students picked for this exciting society! A few young ladies started the Chapter up recently, and now I am a member. I'm very excited to be in such a prestigious club, for a lifetime!! We had an induction dinner at the Captain Loomis Inn last Thursday, in which we had a great dinner. Dr. Hilton (the MMAJ Chair and SCJ advisor) spoke before we ate and told us a little bit about the club, and how proud of the students she is. That really made me feel even more motivated and proud to be doing what I'm doing and being so dedicated because it's what I love. How can anyone not do something they love?
So that was my excitement last week, in addition to anchoring of course. That went really well Thursday night, too. Sara, my co-anchor, and I felt that we did a really good job anchoring and were very pleased! Another great night to add to our resume tapes!
We didn't have any shows or events this week for the TV station because we're only here until today. It was nice to have a break, but it'll be good to get started up again. I'm working for 15 more minutes, then it's back to my apartment to pack things up and wait for my Dad to come get me! I'm very excited to go home and see everyone for the Holiday! I was just home over the weekend for my parent's 25th Wedding Anniversary party and it was great to see all my family! My Aunt, Uncle and 3 cousins came in from Florida and they are staying with us! It's so much fun already and I can't wait to see the rest of my family on Thursday. Great (HOMEMADE!) food, (and plenty go around) with all my family around celebrating Thanksgiving is so great to me! I can't wait! While I love the turkey and gravy and stuffing... my favorite food is my Mom's homemade mashed potatoes! My Grandpa's are amazing, too! I can't wait for those!
Well, now that I've made you hungry and anticipating Thanksgiving even more than you were, I'm going to get ready to close up the office and be on my way home for break! Have a GREAT Thanksgiving everyone! I'm giving you all an assignment for the break: Tell someone you love what you're grateful for and never take anything for granted! Until next time.. eat until you can't move anymore! :) I know I plan to!

Happy Halloween!

Before we know it, we'll be on Thanksgiving break.. and eventually Christmas break. Yikes! Time really does fly! It is gorgeous outside today. Sunny, not very cold, and it smells like autumn. I love this time of year.
Since my class was cancelled that I should be in right now (feel better, Dr. Marshall) I decided to catch you all up on what I've been doing since I last wrote.
Things haven't really slowed down, but I didn't think they would! Classes are going well, and the station is going pretty good too. Just last week, I was moved to anchoring on Thursday nights at 7. They wanted to pair anchors together who worked well. And since we're both seniors, we need to get the flawless (or close to) newscasts for our resume tapes. It's so much fun, I love it already. It's so different from Fridays to Thursdays. Fridays were always so scarce tech crew wise, and it was always really quiet in the building. Thursdays are much better, but I will miss my Friday crew bunches! Last Thursday went really well. My co-anchor, Sara and I work pink because it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and that day you were supposed to show your support by wearing pink. The newscast went really well, too so I was happy. I can't wait to do it again! Be sure to watch us every Thursday at 7!
And this Friday marks the third week of scuba diving classes held here at Clarion University. On the third class, the instructor said she would let me come in and do a package on it, and actually learn to scuba dive! I'm very excited, and really hope that I get to do it this Friday. I have always wanted to learn how, and doing a package on it will be fun!! I'm hoping that she'll call me & I'll be able to go in. I'll let you all know what happens, don't worry!
I hope that everyone has a very Happy Halloween! I can't believe it's that time of year already! Maybe my roommates and I will get little trick-or-treaters at our house! We sure have plenty of Halloween candy to hand out. And that would keep us from eating it all!
Unfortunately I gotta run. I have something things to do before I have class again at 1... maybe that will be cancelled too! (I can dream!)
Everyone have a safe and Happy Halloween!! Until next time...

Work, Food and Fun!

Boy it's been too long since I last wrote! Whoever insists your senior year is easy obviously doesn't know the life I lead!
Pretty much the only exciting (or stressful) event of my week was scheduling for my classes. I always get really nervous and hope I get everything I need to graduate. Don't ask me why I always do that! I'm so happy it's Friday! This week has flown by, unlike the previous ones for me. I'm really looking forward to the weekend. I don't really have any plans, yet, but of course homework! Last weekend my parents surprised me and came up to visit on Sunday. It was great to see them and catch up. We went out to eat at Bob's Subs (yum!) and stayed there for a while talking.
I am working right now in the Mass Media Arts and Journalism office, and it's a pretty slow day. Since I work until 3:30, I get to experience Becker Hall quiet, with nothing but WCUC (the campus radio station) playing. Students and a lot of the faculty are headed out to start their weekends.
A good end to the day will be when I anchor the news at 7. By Fridays, I'm just itching to do it. It always seems so long each week before I finally get to sit behind the desk. And there will be lots to report with the ongoing MRSA case here and in other schools as well.
Speaking of lots going on, Clarion's campus sure has a lot of construction! The leaves aren't the only things changing around here. The new Science & Technology center that is being built is coming along. Everyday I pass by, there is something new and more structure up. Too bad I probably won't get to see it finished. BUT, something I will get to see done before I graduate is Applebee's!!! I haven't met any other student that isn't jumping with excitement at the new addition by Wal-Mart! It's definitely a great place to eat and I'm excited when it opens early next month. Another recommendation is Hamburger Bills. It's by Sheetz and it's a great atmosphere with yummy food! Definitely another great addition to the Clarion Community!
Well, I must get going for now. I have to run some errands around campus before I'm done with work. Take care, and thanks for coming back to read my blog. I promise I'll write more often!! Happy Friday!!

Happy A.L.F!

Boy things haven't slowed down a bit for me since I last wrote! Which is why I haven't posted in a while. It's been great though, and this is the best week ever! It's the annual Autumn Leaf Festival, and I love every minute of it! My roommates and I went into town yesterday to get some yummy food you can't get but twice a year (at Spring Fling too!) After we walked around aimlessly, trying to decide what to get, we loaded up on a bucket of fries, lemonade, sandwiches, and I got a garlic pasta bread bowl: My favorite food to eat there. And next time I go: a poor man's caramel apple. I highly recommend all the food, but those are my favorite. The Quaker Steak and Lube wings are wonderful as well!
So that was my first ALF experience so far (this year), and it was great. I'm very excited for Saturday because I was asked to commentate the parade for our television station! It's tradition I guess you could say, that seniors get asked to do things like that first for the parade, then it trickles down to juniors and so on. I'm so excited! It'll be an early morning, but a fun day. And the weather is supposed to be great!
Tonight I get to go cover the kiddie parade at 5:30 for the news! I love kids, and I think it'll be such a fun story to do. Hopefully I can get some cute kids to interview.
Now I must tell this story that I remembered. Last Friday, as I was done with the news, I had to go to the Tippin Pool to film scuba diving classes for a package this week. The class started at 6, but since I anchored, I couldn't make it until 7:30. So Megan and I walk into the pool area, and the only people present were the instructors. And they're putting all their gear away. So we started talking to the instructor and she informs us there were only 2 people, so the class was cut shorter than planned. And after telling her how I have always wanted to learn how to scuba dive, and was bummed I missed this story, she tells me to come back in 3 weeks. She has an underwater camera and everything for me to use, so she's letting me get into the pool and learn to scuba dive! I am so excited! That is one of the fun things on my life's 'to-do' list that I want to complete. Who knew that would happen! I'm sure I'll write about it and how much fun I had. Even for a college TV station, you never know what kind of 'perks' you could get.
Until next time, if you haven't already, get out and enjoy ALF! There is so much to see and do, and lots of food to keep you going! It's definitely one of the great things in Clarion. Have a great day everyone and be sure to keep reading my blog! :)

Back Again For the Last Time!

It's been almost a month since we started classes, and my how the time flys! I spent the whole summer in New York City's Upper East Side, doing an internship at Fox News. I won't bore you (or entertain?) you with all the details, but it was nothing short of rewarding and wonderful! I met so many people who I can now keep in touch with, networked with big wigs, and I was urged by the executive producer of the morning show Fox & Friends (the show I worked on) to send my resume upon graduation. How exciting! By the middle of the summer, I was producing my own segments from start to finish and meeting people I have only seen on television. I even had the chance to do the weather live on the show my last day there. It went pretty well! I had never done weather before, so it was a little.... funny, shall we say? My parents and older sister got to see the whole thing from right behind the camera, too! So after my last day, my family and I saw a bunch of sights that New York City has to offer and we picked up and drove the more than 6 hours back to New Wilmington and the amish. I was home for not even two weeks before packing up again, clean laundry and all, and moving back into my apartment in Clarion. It's weird how fast time goes.
School has been going well so far. Getting into the groove of classes, and everything else I'm doing this semester. Anchor tryouts for WCUB-TV, Clarion University's very own station, were 3 weeks ago, and I made it for the sixth straight semester. I've been doing this since my Freshman year, and it's all thanks to my Dad for urging me to get involved. I love every minute of it and I get to anchor on Friday nights at 7 with my co-anchor, Caitlin Zarecky. Last night we did really well, if I may say so myself! Be sure to check it out some time!
I also help out with remote productions for the tv station. That means we cover football games right now, and then we'll get into basketball and other sports. Today is Family Day and I can't help with the game this weekend. I have 4 tests next week, and a lot of other homework to do for the coming week, as well. So I'm staying in and getting that done, deciding how to go about organizing myself to study for 4 tests!! Yikes! Speaking of tests, and homework, I must be going to continue studying and all that good stuff! Don't worry, there'll be more coming soon! But for now, I am so excited to have this opportunity to blog about my life! And I lead a pretty exciting one, so be sure to come back often and see what I'm up to! Oh and let's hope the Golden Eagles can pull out a win at Memorial Stadium today!!