Updates!

Wow, April 21st. Time is flying, swimming, dancing, and doing a lot of other funky things.

Here's what you need to know:

1.) I made it through senior sem with my sanity intact. Woohoo!

2.) Sheila and I presented our project to the students and professors in our department, who received it well with laughter, tears, and plenty of mind-stimulating questions. Our peers presented their projects, too, with much of the same.

3.) Coming up is the PREMIERE of our film, and YOU are invited! If you're interested in seeing the thing I've been pulling my hair out over all year, then join me at Saint Mike's in Cheray 101 on Sunday, April 26th at 3 p.m. for the first-ever screening of "I'm Still Here: Growing old in ageist America."

4.) While I'm shamelessly promoting myself, you might want to check out the product of something cool I did while studying abroad in Morocco. That's all I'll say here. Don't want to ruin the the surprise. :) Click here.

5.) I've been thinking a lot about different things that I want to say before I graduate. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to continue blogging after I move on from Saint Mike's, but regardless, it wouldn't be the same. I have several post ideas, so hopefully you'll be reading more from me in the next couple of weeks. 

But first things first, I want to make sure that I make my in-person thank yous and last remarks while I'm still on campus. This is terrifying for me, as I don't love getting overly sentimental in person (it creeps me out). But I think it's an important thing to do here. 

In both of these cases, it seems like it's the most crucial time for me to have the right words. So of course, it's one of the few times where I can't quite think of any (some of you may remember this same speech from my last days in Morocco). But that's life, I suppose. Chock full of wisdom (or so you think) until it's put to the test.

Anyway--hopefully I'll work on that and get back to you. Until then, check out our film's website (if you want).

Cheers.

Lauren

"Who is Not Here?"

This post is quite late in the making, but as my friend Merrill said--it's not exactly late when every day is a good day to talk about it, not just the national holiday to commemorate it.

And what's the "it"? Well, if I'm being honest, not just one thing. We learn at Saint Mike's that everything is connected--after all, that's the essence of a liberal arts education--and I can't think of a better example than this year's celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

I began last week with a roommate outing to see Selma, the new film starring David Oyelowo as MLK. It's a heart-wrenching and incredibly beautiful tribute to not only Dr. King but the hundreds of thousands of people who supported the movement that we study in our textbooks today. I highly recommend seeing it, for anyone who hasn't yet.

One thing that really moved me about this film is the soundtrack, and my roommates and I have been listening to the song "Glory" on repeat. John Legend and Common together is a beautiful thing, and even better are the thought-provoking lyrics, which draw parallels between the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and today's modern movement for racial equality. This song is important because it drives us into the present, and over this past MLK celebration week, I've been impressed at seeing what can happen when we interpret our past in a way that can help us reflect on now.

The week started off with the MLK convocation, which is an annual event held in the chapel where different speakers are asked to come give a keynote address to kick off the week. This year, the headliner was Kevin Powell, an incredibly successful activist, writer, and public speaker. I think what I liked most about his speech was the inclusiveness of it. While the main takeaway was of course to continue working toward racial equality, he made note that we're not done with this conversation until people of all races, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability and age are treated with the same amount of acceptance and respect, all around the world. His words inspired and ignited. The night continued with speeches from students, beautiful music, and incredible poetry.

However, I think the most important thing about this event was the theme. The name for this week's discussion was, "Who is Not Here?" and I think that's the best question we, as a student body, should be asking ourselves. This is what I mean by bringing Dr. King's words into the present, into this time and place.

It's no secret that a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in Vermont would draw in a specific crowd. We are a school of predominantly white, middle-class skiers and snowboarders from the New England area. Despite Saint Michaels' best efforts to increase diversity on campus, the majority of our students have the same background and have lived very similar lives. So we must ask, who is not here? And by their absence, what are we missing?

I remember as a first-year student taking my Race, Gender and Ethnicity in the Media class. I was excited for it, and then on the first day looking around the room and thinking, how are we going to have a conversation about race when the student body in this classroom only represents one of them? When the most racially diverse class I had here came my senior year, and that was because a whopping 4 out of 18 students were a race other than white, I had to take a step back and think, how have I isolated myself so much from being able to learn in a diverse community--and what am I not learning because of it?

That's not to say that it's not an inclusive community here. Looking around at my peers, I know that I am surrounded by intelligent, socially engaged people who are quick to strike up a conversation with anyone around them, no matter their race, class, age, etc. They're interested in everyone and everything, they aren't quick to make judgments, they're good listeners, and they care about the world and the people in it. They're like me. They were attracted to Saint Mike's for the friendly community as well as the rigorous academics, the challenges they knew they'd get here. They came here for those things.

And yet...and yet. They came here too, though, because they were able.

They were able to come here because they went through a school system that prepared them for college. A school system with enough resources to truly challenge them and to empower them into believing they would accomplish everything they set their minds to. Most of them had supportive families and friends encouraging them. Many of them had guidance counselors and other helping hands. Many of them had money. They took tests that favored literature they grew up knowing, written by men who looked like them, cultures that were familiar to theirs. They grew up comfortable, and that led them here.

Moise St. Louis, Dean of Students and also our Director of Multicultural Affairs, said something at the beginning of the evening that really stuck with me. He told us that sometimes, we do our best learning when we are uncomfortable. He told us not to bat off our discomfort, but to sit with it. If it feels like something's wrong, then something's wrong.

On an individual level, it's nobody's fault. But collectively, we don't have to accept this separate world we live in the way it is. And to begin that conversation, well, that does start with individuals. So, this is me acknowledging my privilege. It is my privilege to be here at this prestigious institution, because I was able to be here. I chose it because it was the best education I could possibly get, and that is my privilege--one of many. I support the diversity initiative here at Saint Mike's, but I'm arguing (and I think everyone would agree) that we need more. More needs to be done, and it needs to happen now.

That's all very good and idealistic, isn't it? So where are the real, concrete answers here? I'm going to be honest--I don't know. Even after sitting in the chapel and being so impassioned by Kevin Powell's words, by this beautiful collective moment of catharsis we shared...I walked out of there and immediately felt flattened back out. What do I do? What do we do?

The answers aren't easy to come by. That's why I needed this education in the first place. Sometimes I think that the only thing I learned here is that I know nothing. But, ironically, I had a professor who once told me that that was all I ever needed to know. Because if I know that I know nothing, then I'll keep searching.

Hopefully, enough of us will keep searching. If we do, we will find each other, and someday we will all end up here.

PS: On a related note, I want to take a moment to congratulate my long-distance friend Fatima, who has been awarded for her outstanding journalism on her city's response to the Ferguson verdict. You can read her work here, on her school's newspaper website. Keep reporting the truth, Fats, even when it's something other people might not want to hear.

Cool Campus Events

I recently mentioned in a previous post that I've been making a point of attending more campus events. In the past, my main motivation to go see a guest speaker would have been a prompt from a professor. But whenever I go to a campus event, I always end up enjoying it and taking something away from the experience. There are some things that can't be learned in the classroom, or sometimes there's not enough class time to go more in depth with a topic that interests you. That's where these campus events come in--and since they're free, why not make use of them?

As many of you know, I have an environmental studies minor. I've been pretty passionate about environmental issues since high school, and I've recently been reading much more about the environmental concerns of urban communities. Although I am not currently taking any classes for my minor this semester, I've been trying to keep up with current events in ES and staying informed on what's going on locally and globally.

So, I was pretty stoked when I saw that Albert Huang, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), was coming to campus to speak to us. As one of the people working with the NRDC's urban environmental justice program in New York, Huang had much to say about issues such as environmental racism and class-ism. Huang represents low-income communities struggling with environmental hazards. Throughout the lecture, Huang often called on audience members to speak up about their views on certain issues or their definitions of what environmental justice is. Though he was speaking to a large room (the recital hall was full!), the event was very discussion-based. It was really interesting to hear about some of Huang's work and the types of strategies he used in different communities. He stressed the importance of community organization and grassroots efforts to face these issues.

Huang's lecture was actually a part of a lecture series facilitated by our Peace and Justice program as well as other campus organizers. I also went to the first lecture in the series, held earlier this month with Aziz Abu Sarah as the guest speaker. As a celebration of Ghandi's 144th birthday, a peace pledge was held and each part of the pledge was read in a different language by a student or faculty member. Then, Sarah spoke about his experiences growing up as a Palestinian in Israel. As one of the directors at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution, much of his work revolves around peaceful approaches to reconciling conflicts.

Another event I attended on campus this past week had a much more local focus. The exhibit "Let Them Eat Cake" was a student art project that called for a way to appreciate our kitchen staff in Alliot (the student dining center). Every month, Alliot workers make an enormous cake in celebration of every birthday that took place that month. The students who produced the exhibit made a documentary showing the process of making a cake that large (which is actually about 6 sheet cakes put together!). They made a few different types of smaller cakes for gallery visitors to sample, and they also had one of these large cakes donated by our own Alliot staff. At the end of the exhibit, we were able to fill out comment cards to thank the workers for all that they do. It was a delicious exhibit and a wonderfully creative idea!

I also attended another environmentally-themed lecture on Monday, when Christiana Peppard, a professor of Theology, Science and Ethics from Fordham University, came to speak to some SMC students about the global water crisis in the context of theology and ethical decisions. I was interested to hear about the Catholic Church's role in calling attention to the global water crisis--I have researched the issue for various projects, but I never looked at it solely through the lens of how religious groups have addressed such a massive ethical problem. Her talk was very interesting, and she brought a renewed sense of passion, decent sense of humor, and realistic approach to what can otherwise be a very depressing, very scary topic. I'm looking forward to reading her book, Just Water: Theology, Ethics, and the Global Water Crisis. It's definitely on my list of must-reads (it's quite a long list, but I'm determined!).

Anyway, I hope you're all doing things that fascinate you. I'm off to work on my homework and then attend a pizza party facilitated by SIT, my study abroad program. I can't wait to meet the representative coming to speak with us--I have tons of questions for her and I'm so excited about Morocco! It will also be really cool to speak with students who have traveled with SIT in the past. I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes!

Cheers,

Lauren

Honest Tea Studies Honesty

A funny little thing happened today. You see, a few months ago when my parents visited over the summer, I posted a photo on Instagram showing an Honest Tea kiosk on Church Street--left alone-- with a cash box saying that it was trusting people to use the "honor system" and that the tea bottles were a dollar each.

A little while later, I found out that Honest Tea was actually performing a study to see how many people would actually abide by the honor system and pay for their tea. They performed this study in cities all over the country. I was glad that my family and I passed the test!

Then, today, I was walking toward Quad Commons after my class when I saw a kiosk set up in our courtyard!

Alex couldn't decide between tea or ade. In the end, she went for half-and-half tea and I went for cranberry lemonade. No worries, we both paid our dollars!

I was thoroughly satisfied (although not at all surprised) to see a decent amount of dollars in the cash box. What can I say, Saint Mike's is a pretty honest place full of outstanding people. They do the right thing...even when nobody is looking (or so they think)!

Another funny thing--I totally saw the person keeping count for the study. That's the benefit of being at a small college...a slightly creepy benefit, since you can always tell who isn't a "regular" on your campus, but I consider it a benefit nonetheless.

Anyway...just another weird/quirky/shenanigan-filled day in Vermont! 

MACKLEMORE, P-Day and Finals Week!

Hey everyone!

So in case you haven't already seen any posts from our other fabulous bloggers (and also because I'm STILL so obsessed that I really need an outlet to discuss it), I'm going to tell you a little bit about last weekend's happenings.

Every year, the last weekend before finals is a huge, campus-wide celebration. The weekend kicks off with our Spring Concert, followed by the school talent show the next day, and then P-Day which is always the Saturday before the last week of classes and beginning of finals. P-Day stands for "Preparation Day", and it's sort of like the last hoo-rah before the real stress starts. There's tons of free local food (including Ben and Jerry's!), inflatables (such as a bouncy house) out on the 300s field, free henna tattoos and photo booth pictures, and lots of home-made t-shirts and school spirit!

The Student Association works really hard every year to make this an unforgettably amazing weekend, and thanks to this year's fearless leaders, Eric Jaukurri and (my future housemate!) Caitlin Shea-Vantine, it has been one of my best Saint Michael's experiences to date. The reason being summed up in one word...MACKLEMORE.

That's right, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were our Spring Concert this year. How incredible is that? I still can't believe it happened--and that I was in the FRONT ROW. I'm so glad that Sheila bugged me to get on line early, because we beat the 3,000 people who attended to the front of the stage. And she got some awesome pictures because of it!

My phone died, so these pictures were taken by Sheila.

He was wearing an audience member's vest during "Thrift Shop"!

Here I am before the show with Wanz (the guy who sings in Thrift Shop), Liz and Sheila on the right. Wanz was really nice and funny, and he likes hugs!

So it was pretty much the best night ever...it was just so cool because Macklemore was obviously grateful to have such an enthusiastic crowd. He said more than once that we were his best audience in the past few shows, and I think it was really easy to tell that his music means so much to us. The Burlington area in general is pretty big into Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, especially since they came to Higher Ground this past fall.

But the thing that really made us happy to have Macklemore as our spring concert is that he definitely understood our sense of community here at SMC--and really took it to heart. Before arriving in Vermont, a few students got in contact with Macklemore's tour manager/fiancee. They told her about a student, Sam Brigham, who had just been unexpectedly diagnosed with leukemia and was upset that he'd miss the concert. Obviously he was already going through such a hard time, and Macklemore's music was helping him get through it. Macklemore was touched by Sam's story, so he went to visit him in the hospital. I don't know Sam personally, but when I heard about this story I could just imagine how much it meant to him and his friends. At Saint Mike's, everyone really supports each other, and it's obvious that this amazing group of people understood and respected that, and wanted to show their own support. Sam's story reached internet fame immediately after the concert, so Macklemore made a blog post addressing his thoughts and reasons for the importance of this visit.

I could talk about Macklemore all day, but I'll leave it at that. Just know that he's wonderful. And if you don't know any of his songs (or anything besides "Thrift Shop"), he's definitely worth getting to know. He has a lot of fun and silly stuff, but he also sends a really important message out to his listeners. "Same Love" addresses civil rights for same-sex couples and the need for hip hop to shed its common stereotypes. He also raps about sobriety, and the personal importance of staying off of drugs. His song "Starting Over" is about how he's become a role model for so many people, and his relapse left him disappointed with himself and afraid that his fans will be let down--but, as he says in the song, "If I can be an example of getting sober, then I can be an example of starting over." Writing songs about social issues, rather than perpetuating them, makes Macklemore stand out from a lot of other modern artists.

Check out a cool multimedia from the Defender about the set-up for the concert.

Okay, NOW I'm done talking about Macklemore. On to P-Day!

Well, it was pretty awesome. I took 841 photos by the end of the day. That's right. Eight-hundred-forty-one. I'm crazy. But I was also shooting P-Day for my Photojournalism final project, so I was just being thorough. And having a lot of fun.

P-Day is just one of those things where you had to be there. So, I'll let the pictures do the talking:


I took this right before the trike race, which is a tradition that kicks off every P-Day at 11AM.

During the race (after just about everyone ditched the trikes and it became full-scale running), the Student Association was splashing water on everyone!

One of the stations in the food tent was a local place called Ali Baba's. I had falafels...yum!

Students get a free P-Day bracelet, and guests can buy one for $20. This allows access to everything for the entire day!

Lauren Kilmister '15 rocks her own SMC P-Day shirt.

 

The student band Business 2 Consumer.

My friends Shawn (left) and Danny racing each other.

Lauren Mazzoleni steadies herself in the bouncy house while Lauren and Cara jump in the background.

Then there was this mind reader/sword swallower/fire eater dude. Not a big deal or anything...

The day ended with a late-night breakfast in Alliot!

So, that was P-Day! Now if you're starting to think that Saint Mike's is just one giant freak show...well, I guess you're kind of right. But we DO get our work done! After all, it takes a lot of work to have this much fun as a reward. So, our blissful weekend of madness was over by Sunday morning, when it was back to the papers, projects, and studying. The last few days of classes went pretty smoothly, and now everyone is preparing for finals. I'm off to make a(nother) website for Global Comm. But I will definitely need to get outside at some point--it's a beautiful sunny day!

Enjoy your weekend and the great weather!

Lauren

Spring Break Plans

Tonight, my parents will be arriving at Saint Mike's, and then tomorrow morning I can leave after my morning class for a week of pure sunshine and relaxation! well, who really knows how much relaxing I'll be doing...

Not exactly what's in my Spring Break plans, unfortunately!

The cool part of my spring break will be Friday night. I'm not going straight home from school--first, my friend Cara and I are going to a Matchbox Twenty concert at Mohegan Sun. I am SO excited! Cara and I are huge Matchbox Twenty (and Rob Thomas) fans, and this concert is sure to be a blast. Their newest album, North, has a different sound from their older 90s- and early 2000s-era music, but I still enjoy it, and I'm hoping they'll play some of their older stuff too.

I'm really hoping that my parents knew what they were getting into when they offered to drive us to the concert...I'm currently making mix CDs to listen to all the way there. And, of course, we'll have to listen to the new album at least three times. And then, of course, after the concert on the way to my house we'll probably listen to it again!

I'm too excited for words!

 Anyway, after the concert Cara and I will go back to my house in Poughkeepsie, NY, sleep for a few hours, and then wake up and go to the train station where she can take an Amtrak back up to her home in Plattsburgh. She's going a bit out of the way for this show, but hey, that's a dedicated fan right there.

So that's my only plan that's definite so far, but I know I have a lot that needs to be accomplished over break. Here's a tentative list:

1.) Finish my Study Abroad application so that I can submit it as soon as I return

2.) Update my FAFSA and fill out a campus work study application for my summer internship

3.) Do some readings and decorate my journal for my MOVE trip to South Dakota

4.) Buy an external hard drive (imperative for an MJD major--I've got too much content for one little flash drive!)

5.) Go to interesting places around town and make use out of this awesome camera before I have to give it back at the end of the semester!

6.) Start looking at cameras so that I have an idea of what I want when I can someday afford nice things (I just added this)

7.) Work on my Malaysia project for Global Comm

8.) Continue research and begin a rough draft for my Environmental Problems paper (my topic is e-waste)

9.) Start looking at classes for fall registration

That's a pretty massive list, especially because 7 and 8 are quite time consuming. Plus, I'm going to be distracted with constantly wanting to take pictures and do the "fun" stuff, and of course I'll want to spend some time re-charging the batteries (read: sleeping) and spending time with family and friends. The good news is that Sheila, a Global Comm buddy of mine, has already agreed to getting together and working on our projects for a day (since we live just a few minutes away from each other).

So, looks like I'll definitely have enough things to keep me busy! I suppose the beach will have to wait for another time. :)

Let me know if you have any cool plans for Spring Break! Find me on Facebook, email me at lkopchik@mail.smcvt.edu, Tweet me @LaurenKopchik, and find me on Formspring.

Have a great break!
Lauren   

Tech Fasting, Mardi Gras and Exciting News

Well, just four more days until Spring Break...I can't believe how fast this semester is flying by!

This week has been a little funky so far, as I have felt a bit out of touch with people because I don't have my phone. I'm participating in a "tech fast" for my philosophy class. It was optional, but I chose to do it for extra credit to see how difficult it would be. I've done some tech fasts before, and I know from experience that it's hard at first but you tend to get used to it, and even grow to like it!

Obviously I'm not doing a complete fast from technology, since I am blogging to you wonderful readers, but I have been trying to cut back on screen time. So normally I try to get everything that involves a computer done at one time during the day, and then I don't log on again until I absolutely have to. Maybe this is why I'm finding it easier this time, because the main thing I'm giving up is my phone but I am still allowing myself computer access.

To tell you the truth though, I do enjoy tech fasts. I've done one almost every semester since coming to Saint Mike's, and it's actually very refreshing to not have to worry about constantly being connected with others. It sort of gives you an excuse for not being available, and for taking the time to do what you want to do, when you want to do it.

That being said, there are some downsides. I definitely feel out of touch with my family and friends. I can't talk to my family at all without my phone, and I have a hard time finding my friends when I'm not with them. It goes the opposite way too--Sheila messaged me on Facebook nine times on Friday hoping I'd check at some point. She'll probably get angry at me telling you that, but I find it hilarious. She was looking for me all day and had no idea where I was. Well, I had spent most of the afternoon on North Campus...in my own dorm building. Imagine that! And no one could find me!

So, what have I been up to with all of my screen-free time? Well, I had a total nerd moment in the library when I saw this book called "The Hunger Games and Philosophy: A Critique of Pure Treason". I love this kind of stuff, and I think the Hunger Games series is an excellent social commentary on modern society. So let the reading begin!

"May the odds be ever in your favor!"

Anyway, it was interesting going through the weekend without my phone--especially since Saturday was Burlington's big Mardi Gras celebration. Every year, there's a huge parade with floats and music and free beads and candy. People dress up in crazy costumes and paint their faces. It's like a giant carnival! The buses are packed running back and forth all day, and it feels like everyone in the entire city flocks to Main Street for the event. I volunteered for crowd control at Mardis Gras last year, which was fun because I got to stand right in the street and see the whole parade, and all of the volunteers were given free tee shirts and gifts for working the event. I also got to pass out beads and candy to the kids watching the parade, which was pretty adorable.

This year, I went with Sheila and Liz just to watch the parade and take pictures. It was pretty awesome, although my pictures didn't come out as well because I was in the middle of the crowd this time. But the energy was infectious, and everyone was having a great time--even when it started snowing! After the parade, we went to Sky Burger (our usual restaurant, if we're not in a Ken's Pizza or Fu Da mood) and then we spent some time at the mall before returning to campus. It was a fun day, even though it was so crazy and crowded, and then Sunday was just a quiet homework day.

It was pretty crazy!

The special of the day at Skyburger was the falafel burger...yum! And yes, I am one of those people who takes pictures of her food. You're welcome.

And now, the "exciting news" part of my post. Remember when I mentioned applying for internships, and how I was looking at one with Admissions over the summer? Well, I was lucky enough to have been offered the job! I was so excited when I heard the news, because it was the first summer internship that I had looked into and the one that was the highest priority for me. I just thought it would be so awesome to work with such a cool group of people, and I know I can learn a lot from them. Plus, I must admit that I'm pretty excited to be spending a whole summer with people who share the same zany enthusiasm for Saint Mike's. :) And, to top it all off, Vermont is amazing in the summertime, and we don't get enough warm weather during the school year!

So, it's not completely official yet because I still have to go through the workstudy application process, but as soon as all of the right paperwork is done I'll be all set with my summer plans. Keep your fingers crossed!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous start to their week. As always, contact me with any questions! lkopchik@mail.smcvt.edu

Happy Monday,
Lauren

Fossil Free SMC!

We've had some really cool environmental awareness things going on around campus over the past few  weeks. Not that this is anything unusual--at Saint Mike's, most students aim to live daily with the environment in mind. However, we're at the beginning of a new, huge movement, and it all started with Bill McKibben's visit to Saint Mike's at the end of January. His talk was incredibly inspiring, and I was quite thrilled to be able to write an article for Her Campus SMCVT about the event.

Bill McKibben is one engaging speaker.

As one of the most influential people on the topic of climate change, Bill McKibben is quite a role model for people all over the world, and the student body was so excited to have him here. He is a founder of the website 350.org, an organization that attempts to instill environmental and legislative change through its campaigns. In the past, it has succeeded in launching huge social activism movements worldwide, and it continues to make an impact on how global citizens view personal responsibilities for the way we treat our planet.

One of 350's recent campaigns is its divestment campaign, which has been asking colleges and universities across the nation to divest stocks from its list of 200 top oil companies. This "Fossil Free" movement, if taken on by enough schools, could make an impact--but more importantly, it's a statement that a great number of our population will no longer stand by and see nothing done about climate change. We want to protect our future, and we will not support something that will inevitably harm it.

So, this week a group of about thirty or forty students got together to start planning our own divestment campaign. We are currently waiting to hear back from the school's administration about exactly which companies we are invested in, and once we find out about that, we're going to start planning talks about divesting from any oil companies. It's kind of surprising that we'd be investing in stocks in the first place--I don't know, it's just something I never thought about. But I'm so glad to be taking this next step. When you're fighting something as gigantic and ambiguous as climate change, everything counts. ESPECIALLY money. And where we put our money is a statement of our beliefs. Taking our investments away from these companies sends out a clear message: this is NOT okay.

I'm really excited for what the rest of the semester holds for this campaign. It won't be easy work, that's for sure--after all, we don't want Saint Mike's to be losing any money in this process, and we will need to find new companies to invest in that will make up the difference but also follow in accordance with our beliefs, environmental and otherwise.

To support Saint Mike's in the divestment endeavor, like our Fossil Free SMC Facebook page. Find out more about the divestment campaign and how you can set one up for your own school here at 350's campaign website. If your school is already participating, see how you can get involved. Most importantly, SPREAD THE WORD. Knowledge is power, and the more people who know about this movement, the better. Remember that if we keep ourselves educated about the issues we want to face, and band together to change those issues, we really can make a difference.

Stay informed!
Lauren

The Best Concert Venue (Higher Ground)

Now, most of you know that I am a HUGE fan of concerts. Something about seeing your favorite artists performing live, with a group of people who love the music just as much as you do...well, it never gets old! There's so much energy at concerts that you can't get from just listening through your earbuds.

I've been to a lot of concerts--at least one (usually more) every year since the 6th grade. So, I've seen a few venues. You might imagine that my favorite place for a concert would be in some ridiculously massive stadium. The crowd is a part of that energy, so the more the merrier, right?



Going to the Bell Centre for Jason Mraz was surreal...but smaller shows have their benefits!

Truth is, I actually appreciate smaller venues. As awesome as it is to see thousands of people all gathering for the same music and to be a part of something that big, a more intimate setting is nice because you can be a lot closer to the performers--and you have a much better chance of actually meeting them! Every time I've gone to Higher Ground, a popular venue in South Burlington, I've been able to talk to a band member or see the show from the front row! On Sunday, I went to see Eric Hutchinson at Higher Ground with (you guessed it!) my concert buddy Sheila.

For those of you who may not know him, Eric Hutchinson is a pop-rock singer/songwriter with a natural ability to lift your spirits. I had first heard of him a few years ago when I randomly walked into Target, picked up the first 10-dollar CD I saw, and bought it. His album Sounds Like This was full of upbeat music that just put a smile on my face! When Sheila and I first met in high school, we initially bonded over our interest in his music and we went to a concert together. Since then, we have been to quite a few concerts, but we knew we had to go to this one. We're now in college together, we still love Eric, and he was coming here! I think that when she first told me, I actually screamed (I know...typical fangirl).

Sheila and I in tenth grade at an Eric Hutchinson concert...some things never change!

We had been sitting in the front row!

The show was incredible! He performed songs from his older albums as well as his newest one, Moving Up Living Down, which he wrote after moving to New York. It was really cool to hear all of his stories about the songwriting process. He was really funny too!

After the performance, we got to meet him and tell him our story. He loved the fact that we first became friends because of him. He enjoyed the fact that his music is "bringing people together."

The opener for the show was phenomenal as well. I had never heard of Jessie Payo before going to the show, but as soon as she began her first song I knew she would be amazing! She's such a talented singer and musician, and she was hilarious. She had a great stage presence and really got the crowd excited for the show. I enjoyed all of her songs, and she even did a cover of "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People. We talked to her before Eric Hutchinson came on, and she told us that it was her first time in Burlington and she really liked it here.

Jessie Payo was a sweetheart, and really stylish too!

Jessie Payo joined Eric Hutchinson for his song "Back to Where I Was".

So my last Higher Ground experience was tons of fun. I've been there a few other times too, and I have to say, it's my favorite place to see concerts! I love all of the people who perform there--sometimes it's hard to choose! But the other awesome thing is that it's not very expensive, either. I have never bought a Higher Ground ticket for more than $25. I went to my first Higher Ground concert last November for Jon McLaughlin and Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers. We also went to see Fun. last year, which was awesome because it was the first show on their tour!

Here I am with Sheila (far right), her sister Maggie (far left), and Jon McLaughlin. I remember that he smelled good even though he was sweaty!



Jack Antonoff made our night when he took a picture with us. We're huge Fun. fans!

We've actually been debating whether or not to go see Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers again, because they're coming back to Higher Ground this Thursday. However, it's a school night, and we're actually going home this weekend to see Maggie's play. We didn't want to cram too much into one weekend, but maybe they'll come back again sometime! :)

Here's a video of Jessie Payo singing "Take it On", one of our favorite songs of hers.

I hope you're all having a great week. I'm off to go listen to some good music!

Lauren

Fall Break and a Pumpkin Party

Hello everyone!

Last Friday I told you that the upcoming weekend was a long one, because we had Monday and Tuesday off. Last year during Fall Break, I went home to visit my family. This time, I stayed here and they came to visit me! My parents have obviously been here before, but they brought my aunt and uncle, who had never seen Saint Mike's. It was so much fun showing them around!

Dad, Mom, Aunt Tracey and I hanging out on Main Campus.

My mom left her mark in the Word Garden!

The weather was a bit cold and rainy when they first arrived, but it cleared up pretty quickly and it was beautiful on Saturday! We took advantage of the nice day and went on a drive up to the Champlain Islands in northern Vermont. At one point, we were only about a mile away from the Canadian border! We also took the bridge over to New York.

Hmm, which way to go?

A lovely view of Lake Champlain.

After the ride, we came back into Burlington, where we went to Church Street. I insisted on getting kettle corn...it's one of my favorite snacks to have while I'm downtown. I could live on that stuff!

Mmmm...kettle corn!

We tried to cram as much as we could into the days they were there, so it was pretty hectic but lots of fun! Everyone had a great time, and I was so happy to see my family after seven weeks without them!

This weekend has been jam-packed with fun stuff, too! Yesterday, my friends and I decided to have ourselves a "fall party". Some of us went apple and pumpkin picking that morning. It was a beautiful day, so we took a drive out to Shelburne Orchards. We had a great time picking apples, and they were delicious!

Cara found a good one!

 

Greta likes liberty apples!

Once we picked up pumpkins, we returned to campus and began making apple and pumpkin pie. Other friends contributed cupcakes, cookies, and pretty much any dessert you can think of...there was a LOT of food!

Nobody knew where to start!

Cait and Emma mixed the apple pie filling.

Emma, Alex, and Merrill made delicious cupcakes! (Click on the linked names to see their blogs!)

We also brought our pumpkins outside and carved them to make jack-o-lanterns. It brought me right back to my childhood! I know some people get freaked out by "gutting" the pumpkin because it feels so slimy in your hands, but I have to admit that's one of my favorite things about pumpkin carving! It turns out that most of my friends are the same way. It got very messy very fast!

Getting started!

 

Liz with a "pumpkin beard"! She separated all of the seeds so that we could roast them :)

And here are the finished products! Maya and I carved the one in the middle with hearts for eyes.

Our party was definitely an awesome way to spend the day. The fun will continue later on when Green Up, an environmental club here at SMC, hosts their annual Harvest Fest. There's all kinds of food and tons of fun activities. But for now, it's time to study!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, everyone!

Lauren

Weekends at SMC

As you can tell from many of my posts, weekends at Saint Mike's are one of my favorite things about college. Don't get me wrong, it's still awesome during the week--I absolutely love everything I'm learning in my classes and wouldn't trade it for the world! However, weekends are the best time for relaxing and catching up with people I don't get to see much during the week...including my own roommate! You'd think that since we live together, we get to see each other all the time. But we're both really busy, and we each have really different schedules. We're lucky if we get to eat together! So normally, during the week, we only get to see each other and talk for a few minutes before bed each night. That's why you can bet we're attached to each other on the weekends!

My roommate, Maya, and I at Friday Knight Dry.

This past weekend was a lot of fun, and it started with Friday Knight Dry, an event that promotes sobriety on campus. This is an awesome night held once at the beginning of each year where students can attend a bunch of different activities, like open mic night in Alliot or a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (a personal favorite!). The more activities you go to, the more raffle tickets you get, and then you can enter to win prizes at the end of the night! This year's prizes included an ipod shuffle, a Keurig coffee maker, gift cards, dvds, as well as various other prizes.

My favorite part of Friday Knight Dry is right at the end when all of the students go to Alliot for yummy treats. Before the raffle tickets are drawn, our 3 a capella groups perform their first concert of the year. They are the Sleepless Knights, the Aca Bellas (an all-female choir) and Mike Check (an all-male choir). All three groups are amazingly talented and they do a wonderful job at their performances.

After an awesome night, I spent most of my Saturday afternoon out on Church Street with Maya and our friend, Tanya. We got bagels at Bruegger's and then went browsing through a few cool stores like Second Time Around, a designer consignment shop (read: WAY cheaper than you can get this stuff for normally!) and Old Gold, a really cool store that's perfect for trying on Halloween costumes! I'm no sure what I'm doing for Halloween yet, but I did buy a Snow White costume, so I better figure something out!

When we got back, we had to get ready to go bowling. Our friend Sheila's dad, Jim, was visiting for the weekend, and his birthday was this week. Jim has been an important person in all of our lives since we met him, and we wanted to celebrate with him and do something special. I think he had a really great time!

Here he is getting ready to blow out the birthday candles (I won't tell you how old he is!)

So, next comes the part of the weekend that (I admit it...) I dread a little bit: Sunday (dun dun duuuuhhh). Sunday is homework day, of course, but not without brunch first! Normally, my freinds and I meet in Alliot for brunch, where we always make Belgian waffles. This weekend, however, we decided to have breakfast up North in our dorm building, Linnehan, and make it ourselves since we have a kitchen!

I must say that having a kitchen this year is pretty awesome. It's definitely one of the perks of living up North. About 40 students share this kitchen, though, so we always make sure to clean up when we're done!

It was an awesome brunch! Tanya and Cori, who live on Main Campus in Founders Hall, came to eat with us, so they stopped at Dunkin Donuts (conveniently placed between campuses!) and bought Munchkins on the way. Danny made biscuits, Maya made potatoes, and Shawn made...well, everything else. I contributed by helping to clean up and mostly staying out of the way while everyone cooked...trust me, that's the best contribution I could've made for all of us!

Shawn was very proud of his omelette-making skills.



Maya, Danny, Cori, and Tanya (looking away from the camera...a little shy in the morning!) enjoying our lovely breakfast.

 

 

After that, we all had to part ways to do the homework and laundry that we had been avoiding. But, we had an awesome weekend together, and there was so much to talk about from the week before! This weekend should be fun too, since we have Fall Break. That means no classes on Monday or Tuesday! Most of my friends are going home, but I'm really excited because my parents and my aunt and uncle are coming to visit for the weekend. My aunt and uncle have never been here before. I can't wait to give them a tour of Saint Mike's and some of my favorite places around Burlington! I think they're really going to like it.

 

I hope everyone is having a great week. Til next time!

 

Lauren