I took classes over the summer, so I was here at Lourdes all the time. As i walked the halls, and worked, I noticed a few holes in the New student knowledge. As i bought books from the bookstore i noticed, that New Students knew nothing of how the system worked. Either they werent informed, or they didn't hear the information, or they didnt go to orientation. Either way its upsetting for them and workers in the bookstore or anyone at that fact. Having to hear "Whats a voucher?" "Bursar?" "Schedule?" Some people are sincere and some well, they are upset when someone isnt able to help them because its not their job function. The bookstore doesn't give vouchers, the Bursar doesnt give schedules, Financial Aid doesnt give Vouchers, and Bursar and Financial aid are two completely separate offices with different functions. Emphasis. I feel bad, for both parties. First week is always hectic, i just hope it gets smoother within time. There are always going to be kinks. This isnt the only semester i have noticed the confusion and lack of information.

-Just-had-say-it-

Ashleigh

Tuesday, September 18, 2007 6:27:02 PM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] | 

Life is just getting way too busy.

I remember being younger - 12 or 13 years old - and being just so excited about "growing up" and "getting older".  I couldn't wanted to go to high school, graduate, move into my own place, get a job, a car, credit cards, go to college, and live my life the way I wanted to without the restraints of my parents and other authority figures.

Man - what I wouldn't give to be 12 or 13 again.

I would tell myself to slow down.  Enjoy being a kid.  Take satisfaction in not being responsible for anything except for my homework and cleaning my room. 

I feel like I don't even have time to think anymore.  Seriously, I could not tell you the last time I took a moment to reflect on things that are happening in my life.  I don't even have time to sleep anymore, and that's sad.  I have over-committed myself to too many things, and believe me, they have all started catching up to me. 

School is getting harder.  I actually have to do work now.  Not that the first two years were easy, but they were easier than the classes I am taking now. Especially Marketing Management - Jean is making me think way too hard in that class! :)  I'm actually applying everything that I have learned in the last two and a half years now.  I really do need to spend 2 hours outside of class for every one credit hour now!

I'm becoming more and more popular on campus now.  Not only do I tutor and mentor, but I am a member of SGA and co-founder of a new student organization that will hopefully be announced next Tuesday. 

Work pays the bills.  Fifty hours a week is not fun, but hey, it has to be done!

I have a responsibility to my family.  No - I don't have any kids. I'm thankful that I don't right now.  I give my respects to all of those men and women that attend school and work full-time and have kids at home - I have no idea how you stay sane! :) I'm talking about my parents.  My mother is legally blind and my father is terminally ill.  They are more independent than you would think given their situation, but, they appreciate my help from time to time, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Then there is my niece and nephew that my parents now have custody of.  They don't come from the best of environments, and I want to do everything that I am able to to let them know that they are loved in their new home. 

I also sit on the Board of Trustees for a non-for-profit organization based out of Columbus.  I enjoy the work.  it gives me the opportunity to give back to an organization that had a tremendous personal effect on my life.

I am also an artist - betcha didn't know that about me.  I have had exhibitions at the Columbus Museum of Art, Xavier University, Toledo Museum of Art, and several galleries outside of Columbus. I haven't done any artwork in almost a year!

I haven't watched TV in almost six months.  I haven't read a book for pleasure in over a year.  Any spare time that I do manage to squeeze out of a day is spent doing laundry and errands.  I want to spend an entire day doing absolutely nothing!

Monday, September 17, 2007 7:47:10 PM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] | 

On Friday, September 14, 2007, seven Lourdes College students were recognized at the 18^th annual Diamante Awards ceremony held in Bowling Green State University’s Lenhart Grand Ballroom.

Four of the seven students received Diamante scholarships funded by Lourdes College: Lauren Guzman is a senior majoring in nursing, Aaron Hoyos is a sophomore majoring in pre-art therapy, Kristi Parson is a senior with a double major in biology and business administration and Rachel Reyes is a freshman in nursing.

The remaining three Lourdes students received Diamante scholarships funded by outside organizations. Trina Craft, a sophomore majoring in business administration and Alexandra Moreno, a junior in nursing, will both receive Diamante scholarships funded by Owens Corning. Brandee Mendoza, a junior majoring in accounting, finance and business administration, will receive a Diamante scholarship funded by National City Bank.

The Diamante (Spanish for Diamond) Awards were founded in 1989 by IMAGE of Northwest Ohio. The awards recognize individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements and service in the Latino community and the northwest Ohio community-at-large.  Proceeds from ticket sales for the September Diamante Awards event support scholarships for Latino students at the four sponsoring colleges and universities: Bowling Green State University, Lourdes College, Owens Community College and The University of Toledo.  

Friday, September 14, 2007 4:12:36 PM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] | 

 I grew up in a horse culture. Has horses, rode horses, trained horses. I married a guy from Sylvania who totally was not into horses, nor was his family.

 His Mom and Dad now have horses.

 I corrupted them, I freely admit. They've had horses for almost as long as my marriage to their son - 10 years in April - and ironically, I no longer have horses. But I get to ride theirs whenever I want.

 My Mother in Law has a big, bay Tennessee Walker named Bourbon. Bourbon is a level-headed, willing-to-please horse that I have always enjoyed riding. Last month, I got permission to train and ride him in an Extreme Cowboy Race. Now, unless you watch the RFD channel, you might not know what that is. It's a race, but with obstacles - things that a working horse might encounter on a ranch. I will have to rope, drag a log, cross water, and jump, among other things. Bourbon and I have been working hard, learning together as we went. Our time trials are tomorrow, and our race is Sunday. I doubt we will win. But I know we will have fun, and we shouldn't embarass ourselves. For these two days, I get to relive my days when I spent most of the summer on horseback. I'm looking forward to it.

 I don't think it's about the race as much as it is about getting back to my roots. It's also about working as a team, with another living, thinking creature. It's about balance and luck, about skill and horsemanship. It's about running top speed across a meadow, just to skid to a halt and rope a post. It's about the surge of energy that comes from a jump, and about the feeling of power from having not your own body, but a body much bigger and stronger, at your command. It's freedom.

 Bourbon is standing in the pasture right now, unaware of what's coming. He thinks what we do is fun but mystifying, and that to me is the huge difference between man and beasts - an animal only knows the right now, without questioning why. Man always wonders why. Bourbon doesn't care why I made him drag a chunk of firewood all around the back pasture. He just knows that since we've done it, he hasn't been hurt, so it must be OK to do again. He'll drag as much firewood as I ask him to, without questioning why. Sometimes I wish I could turn off the 'why' and just enjoy the moment. People tend to have trouble with that.

 Why am I running this race? Because I will enjoy the moment. Wish me luck!

Friday, September 14, 2007 2:05:48 PM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] | 

Hello, and welcome to the 2007-2008 academic year! This year marks the 50th anniversary of Lourdes College.  You may have noticed the trivia facts about Lourdes, the Sisters of St. Francis, and the Sylvania area on the top of the LourdesWorld homepage.  They may provide some helpful hints for this week's 50th Anniversary Quiz!

What was the original name intended for Mother Adelaide Hall?

Please submit your answers as comments to this post -- the answer will be revealed next week. 

Hint: check out our 50th anniversary pages and timeline :)

Thursday, September 13, 2007 9:37:16 AM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [4] | 

The following excerpted responses were composed by the Learning Community students in Gail Conrad’s Writing Strategies course. Students free-wrote to the following prompt in regards to their respective seashells distributed in class.

This seashell appeals to my senses, both in my present and in my past…..

…the tip swirling like a twisty cone from an ice cream store moving down the shell till it reaches quarter size…

-AM

…when I feel the texture of my seashell, it feels kind of rough and edgy in unison with the white brown pattern…

-JB

…it reminds me of the beach in the summer time where I go when it’s too hot to do anything else…

-CS

…when I am at the beach I always remember and think about when he kissed me and that seashell hit my foot…

-EV

…the seashell has a spiral figure on the top, as if putting you in a trance…

-JY

…it has the most unique shape to it because it looks like a torpedo waiting to launch right into the sky…

-LH

…it was my very first time picking it up off the sand. When I looked at it I just smiled at my dad…

-AV

…when I look at the seashell I love seeing the differences…

-KL

…it appeals to my eyes because it looks like the sunrise permanently stuck on the surface of this shell…

-FR

…it also brings me excitement for the next time I’m out laying on the beach listening to the ocean…

-AR

…the smell of the shell reminds me of suntan lotion and ocean water, kinda what my towel smells like after a day at the beach…

-TP

…the colors have stripes of a tiger, white and a slight tint of orange and brown mixed…

-TR

…when I did it smelled like old hockey equipment… that made me remember when I played hockey and my whole family always at the ice rink….

-MB

…it also reminds me of Lake Erie because I used to collect sea shells when we went on a day trip to the beach…

-LL

…I can feel the playful wave smacking against my feet and feeling the cold water sending shivers up my whole body…

-MO

…this cylinder shape seashell has a slit down the side and it goes in like a staircase…

-AJ

…when you rub your fingers across the inner or outer side of the shell, you feel bumps and ridges…

-KM

…I see an opening on the top and that the color has been changed by the wearing away of several layers…

-PC

…but they were all beautiful, messy, and unique much like the shell today…

-SK

Tuesday, September 11, 2007 12:55:54 PM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] | 

  Some events live in our collective memories forever. Today is the anniversary of one such event. Like the assasination of President Kennedy, the explosion of the Challenger, and the day the dams burst in NOLA, the images of 9/11 are seared into our memories.

  I was born in the Cold War era, so I remember with great clarity the unsettled feeling of fear that we carried with us. Doomsday movies showed nuclear war, and our greatest enemy was the Soviet Union. We practiced ducking under our desks along with our fire drills, just in case the Russians attacked us. It seemed to be a time of fear, especially if you were a child.

  The threat of the Soviets melted away and a whole generation has no clue what that time was like. But unfortunately, a new threat came along and taught us about terror. For one moment in time, we were shaken, frightened, and confused. We came together as a nation after the Towers fell, and for that time, we were all Americans, and more specifically, we were all New Yorkers. Our fear turned into anger and resolve. We put our hearts into recovery.

  We are a strong, proud nation. We may not always be right, but I firmly believe our collective heart is in the right place most of the time. We are a nation of contradictions sometimes, and sometimes our ego gets overblown and we might be a little too strident in our efforts to make the world a better, safer place. But there is still no nation on earth I would rather live than right here, in the United States of America.

  I hope we all take a break from our day to remember the fallen on this sad anniversary, and to send our love and support to the survivors and to the heroes. They deserve our respect and gratitude, this day and every day.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007 11:58:02 AM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] | 

I'm horrible horrible horrible!!! Before I continue to spaz, let me just say that Sheena's blog about living in Toledo was a trip down memory lane--great list, by the way!

Ok, now onto the spazzing.  How hard is it to keep up with writing a blog once a week?  That's once every seven days, once every 168 hours, once every 10,080 minutes, ok you get the picture. 

I just can't believe how busy I am this semester and it's only the third week.  Work, clinicals, school, homework, oh my!  How do people with families and full time jobs do it? Do they ever sleep?  I'm getting very used to that, as evidenced by the fact I am writing this at 1:30 in the morning.

I must be a queen at time management suckage because I feel like I have no time to get anything of importance accomplished.  I'm not being lazy, I just have other stuff going on and that other stuff takes precedence over OTHER other stuff...oh boy.  I am not a Prioritizing Princess by any means. 

So what can I do? I want to get a good night's sleep for one.  And for two, I want to stop waking up in the middle of the night in a panic thinking that I'm late for something, or I forgot to do something.  Oh the insanity!

Oh, yeah.  I also want to curl up into the tightest fetal position a big girl can get herself into and cry sometimes.  But I can't. I won't.  I will get through this.  This is my last semester and I refuse to have a full nervous breakdown.  (Although I've had partial ones that were more cathartic than anything...) 

Who hasn't felt this way in their final semester?  Name me one person who has not felt like they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders three months before they complete their college degree.  I don't know anyone who isn't like me right now.  My classmates and I are freaking out.  This is reality setting in, the home stretch of our nine innings...

I can't help but feel all of these emotions--this is what I've been working for for 6 years at Lourdes.  I am so ready, but I am so afraid and overwhelmed. 

Thank goodness for chocolate!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007 1:40:15 AM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] | 

I love peaceful skies !

Monday, September 10, 2007 4:32:56 PM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] | 

I transferred to Lourdes one year ago.  I was at another college for nursing and took one of the required classes.  This class happened to be the only class that was mandatory that be taken there and not transferred in.  I struggled all semester.  I went to all of the reviews with the teacher, I studied by myself, I studied in groups, I even studied with a practicing nurse.  I got so desperate to pass the class I started recording my notes on tape and played them while I was sleeping.  Needless to say I narrowly didn’t pass the class along with two-thirds of the class.  Funny thing though, majority of us passed the national test.  I went to the head of the program, the dean of students, and the vice president of the college and told them everything that had gone on.  They supposedly did an investigation and turned up nothing leaving my options to take the class again or move on.  The stress that I was feeling while at this other college was beyond the limitations that any one person should carry.  For the first time I saw an ad on the television and new that Lourdes was the place for me.  I came out and was “unofficially” admitted to the college that day and received my official acceptance shortly after.  I got a tour of the college and fell in love.  The environment was welcoming and the staff was friendlier than I could have possible imagined (the staff at this other college barely smiled when you walked by).  After my first semester here at Lourdes I knew that I had made the right decision even though only two of my classes transferred and had to repeat several.  I went back to visit some old friends that this other college and wished that I had never gone there in the first place.  I have met so many people here at Lourdes and I truly enjoy the family atmosphere amongst everyone from the president of the college all the way to the incoming freshman.  When someone asks me where I go to school I proudly tell them Lourdes College! (I could care less that I have a degree from this other college).

Monday, September 10, 2007 10:14:21 AM (Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1] |