classes, pits, graduations!

This week was the second week of my summer class. The first week was an introduction to what we would be learning. I didn’t have any labs last week so it was a nice start. I officially started the lab portion of the class this week. Two four hour lab classes a week from here on out for the rest of my summer class!

The weather has been brutal! The past few days my apartment has read 88 degrees! I am stubborn when it comes to turning on the air. So instead of lying in the middle of the floor with four fans on me I try to get try other things. One I have been to the “pit” which is a man-made lake in Mankato. Sandy beach and clear water has become my new home for staying cool and not to mention getting a tan! The occasional ice cream in the winter has now become a meal of mine in the summer. Got to love all the tasty options!

Last weekend I went to visit my best friend from high school at her graduation from Minnesota State University Morris. It was a lovely day outside with a light breeze that made it perfect to be outside! Something that was different at her graduation that I have not seen in other college graduations is that they had a choir and a band alternating songs. It was a great addition to the ceremony. I am currently trying to get pictures from her graduation, so as soon as I get them I will put them up!
--
Sharon

thank you letters

This morning has already proved to be a challenging one. I woke up with my back hurting and to make things worse it is thunderstorming and it is supposed to continue all day. I am putting the first of my thank-you letters in the mail today and hopefully I will get the rest out later this week. I continue to take life easy and yesterday I hung out in our cold basement because it was 95 degrees outside. I really can't wait to get back to some sort of schedule come july even though I know I will be busy as the only summer office aide. Well, hopefully next week I can get some pictures to post up here, but until then this is all I have.
--
Liz Schieler

Could Mankato get any hotter?

! I just got back from spending some long needed vacation time in Denver Colorado. It was such an amazing trip. The weather was hot but not humid so I could handle it. I climbed my first mountain, which wasn't as bad as I thought. I also saw a few wild animals! I was a little scared but also tried to think that they are more scared of me then I am of them. I also went to the Denver Zoo and Science museums. The zoo was really fun, they have so many more animals then any of Minnesota's zoo's. The Science museum was really neat specially since we bought tickets to see the Body Worlds exhibit. Other then that my time was spent going out to eat, walking, and spending time with my best friend who came with me. Now I'm back in Mankato an this weather is not making it fun to be outside. I'm glad that I get plenty of hours at my jobs so I can stay indoors where its cool. I would highly recommend students who take summer classes to try and find a job working on campus. It's like you get a whole new experience of campus rather then just sitting in a class room for hours on end. Plus its much more relaxed as well, which is always nice!
--
Andrea Currier

life just got crazy!

Hey all,

I know it has been a while since I have made contact with you guys, but not to worry I am back. Life just got crazy with finals and moving back home to Tomah, WI and this just slipped my mind. The good news is that somehow I managed to pull through the semester with only one "B" and four "A"s. I also kept my sanity and am now enjoying my month off before getting back to work at my summer job that starts in June. The reason I get a month off is because I work in the high school office and high school doesn't stop until June and until then they have their regular secretaries that work in the office. However, it's not all fun and games in the meantime as I am busy writing thank you letters and attending banquets for the lovely scholarships that I have received for next year that make it possible for me to keep my student loans at a minimum. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for those scholarships, but don't let anyone tell you that the application process through actually receiving the check isn't work. I am also making a few extra bucks by working some high school track meets as the person who measures the discuss throws. Well, I am pretty sure that is all I have for now, but I promise that I will keep you updated more regularly.

Until next time
--
Liz Schieler

Let summer begin!

Hey everyone this is my first blog of summer 2010! I am so excited for everything in store for me this summer. I start summer class on Monday. For two months I will be going to be taking Analytical Chemistry. It will be a mix of lecture and labs throughout the week. During the week I will also be going to school for yoga, step, and water fitness classes that are offered free to students taking summer classes.

Later this summer I will be moving out of a three bedroom apartment and into a six bedroom house! I am very excited to move into a house. It will be a new experience for me and I will be living with five other girls. Even though I am not moving till early august, I will start packing my stuff within the next few weeks. I like to go though things every year to donate to the Salvation Army and food shelves.

I typically see more movies in the summer than in the normal school year. This summer is set up for a lot of blockbuster movies and I am very excited to see as many as I can. I use to work at a movie theatre and love watching movies.

--

Sharon

Life is great!

The summer is here and I have already started my summer off great! You can see pictures of greater Mankato area parks and waterfalls that we have here. I went out with one of my friends the other day and just spent some time outside! It was a great relaxer for the beginning of summer!

Since summer began, I've spent most of my time hanging around my new house, working at Toppers Pizza, and spending time with friends! What could be better than having a week of very little to do? The week gets even better! I get to go back home for a few days to Oakdale, MN to see my family, friends and of course, my dog! It's my little sisters birthday and her first high school prom, so it should be an exciting weekend!

Next week, the craziness comes back. I go back to work full time! You probably won't believe this, but I am SO excited! As i've said before, I work at summer orientation with all the new incoming first year students. Not only do I get to come back for my third year, but I am one of the two Orientation Student Coordinators (OSCers)! Stay tuned for all of my updates about orientation and the new students, because I know that there will be tons!

Until next time...

--

Erik

a busy summer ahead..

Dear Fellow blog readers,

This blog is a little late but I have been so busy that I haven't even had time to think about something to write about. I'm having one of my good friends Morgan stay with me for awhile and so I've been rushing to get my spare bedroom cleaned out of all my stuff that I just put in there when I don't know where to put it. Now it is all shoved in my office so its pretty full. Well this week was the last week of my 2nd year, now I am a junior!! Its so crazy. I also get to see my dad tomorrow and sister. I get to have dinner with them and tell them all about my 2 years so far here at college. Then of course Mothers Day is Sun so I will be going to my mothers and having dinner with her and my 3 other siblings! Oh and Iron Man 2 comes out tonight and I'm really excited for it, I'm going to see it with my boyfriend Patrick and his best friend Andy (were all in the picture). I love going to the movies and loading up on pop and popcorn!! Best times ever! Oh and more exciting news, I start working at the Hospital on Mon and I start working in the Admissions office on Tue. It's going to be a busy summer. So maybe when you call Minnesota State University Mankato I will answer your phone call and help you with your questions!! Have an amazing Mothers Day to ALL the moms out there!!!!

--

Andrea

Oh a great feeling!

Is there a better feeling in the world than knowing that you are DONE!?!?! Well everybody, I have just completed my third year of college. Crazy. Scary. Fast. Amazing. Four words to describe my experience here at MSU so far. I just took my only test final today, and feel pretty good about it. Now students are just waiting to find out semester grades, which is very nerve wrecking.
So where do I go from here? Well, this week I plan on enjoying some quality relaxation time with my friends. Catch up some sleep, that is a for sure. Finish unpacking into my house... Oh, I forgot to mention that I moved into a new house :)

I've made a list of 5 things to accomplish before I start school in the fall. Interested in what they are?
1. Have fun! 2. Enjoy the beautiful weather! 3. Work my butt off! 4. Make 1 new friend! 5. Get out of Minnesota for at least 1 week!

Well everyone, it has been fun sharing my life this semester. I'll be around campus all summer long working at Orientation, which I am SO EXCITED for! Other than that, the time has come to enjoy the world and have some fun!

Until next time...

--

Erik

finals finals everywhere, not a moment to think!

Oh man what a fast semester!! IT has been a great a one! I have already taken two of my finals and I have one online one tonight and then one next Tue at 10am, then I'm DONE!! I can't even believe that next year I will be a junior, its so crazy. Since I don't have any actual classes left I have started to watch late night TV and I am really into Glee and Modern Family. There are quite good! I believe the fact that I can actually watch the whole episodes rather than doing my homework really helps. I'm also spending more time with friends and baking a lot more which I enjoy so much! My dad and sisters are also going to come down since we all have a bit of free time on our hands and I'm super excited to see them (there in the photo, I'm on the far left). I'll give you more info all throughout the summer but for now, I'm going on a run since its not raining and the sun came out!

--

Andrea

taking it one step at a time..

This week was the picnic for the Student Ambassadors. The weather was wonderful and the food was great! Rodeo golf and bean bags were set up for down times. Not only were many of the Student Ambassadors there but the many of the admissions staff came to introduce themselves and thanked the ambassadors. We also announced the Students Ambassadors that had the most points for tours and other activities.

This week is the last week of actually classes before finals and I feel the stress of everything coming together. I had a laboratory final on Tuesday of a majority of the information we learned in throughout the semester. I looked at microscopes and answered questions about different hematology diseases. Next week I have a final on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I took off this weekend of work to focus time on each subject. Two out of my three finals are cumulative which means more information to review. Still to this day I don’t understand why in a class you get tested on a subject then get tested on it again at the end of the semester.

I have also been working with my advisor to help my major. Currently I am a Cytotechnology major with a minor in Chemistry. I have been looking into Microbiology major with a Minor in Chemistry. A lot of my decision depends on the availability of classes that I can get into. I guess I will be taking it one step at a time.

--

Sharon

money money money money money money!

Hi again,

So no pictures this week, but I did get a lot of good news. I found out that I have received a $2500 scholarship from the college of education, as well as a $1000 scholarship from the college of science engineering and technology for next school year. Then to add to the excitement my Philosophy professor decided to cancel our remaining two papers due to some sort of hiring emergency within his department. Plus with only one week left of classes and then finals, and only one or two more days of working at McDonald's my life is going pretty darn well. The only down side is that since everything is coming to a close, life is more hectic and crazy than usual. This weekend I have a bowling banquet at 8:30am for my youth league, followed at 12:30pm by Youth State bowling tournament team event and then at 3pm I bowl in the singles event. Sunday I am back in New Ulm for the Doubles event at 10am and then I have a leadership banquet back here on campus at 5pm and then finally a meeting for my National Society of Leadership and Success at 8pm. This doesn't even include things like homework and shopping, etc.

Well I will talk to you all next week to let you know how the bowling and the rest of my classes went,

--

Liz

catching up to the end of the year..

Hey everyone,

Been a while since you've heard from my side of the street. It has been a very crazy past few weeks. April has been and continues to be the busiest month of my life. Since the beginning of the month I've had my birthday, Greek Week, Initiation Week and now I'm preparing to go down to Iowa for the weekend! Oh what a ride it's been. This week I've been laying pretty low, catching up on a lot of school work and getting everything ready for the end of the year. Earlier this week, I got a chance to relax with some of my fraternity brothers and have a grill out down at the chapter house. You'll see a picture of me and my close friends enjoying the burgers! It was a great time to just relax for a little bit with some friends and get away from school and the crazy month I've had.

Next week is the last week of classes, and I can tell you that I am very excited! I'm ready for summer to be here, if you couldn't tell from other posts :) because then summer orientation begins!! I love working my on campus job at orientation with all the new incoming freshmen!

Well, I better get going, have to finish a paper due for class tomorrow!

Until next time!

--

Erik

let's take this one day at a time..

Last weekend I went home to watch my twin sister graduate from the Le Cordon Bleu! I am so happy for her to be graduating. She has a job offer for a bakery in Tofte, Minnesota. Afterwards we had a graduation party for her at my parent’s house where the chocolate fountain and buffalo wild wings filled everyone. YUM!

I absolutely love waking up to warm weather and a bright sun. I have walked to school just about every day this week. A short fifteen minute walk from my place to school is enough to wake me up for classes or give me a good dosage of the warm sun. :-)

This upcoming weekend I will be working and getting s jump start on studying for my finals. Next week is the last week of the regular classes. There is still a lot to get done including laboratory test, final papers, group projects, and chapter exams. Let’s just take this one day at a time.

--

Sharon

oh the weather outside is delightful!

Hi again everybody,

The weather has been fantastic this past week at MSU Mankato! I had the opportunity to travel to the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota this past weekend to help judge at the Minnesota State FCCLA Convention. FCCLA stands for Family Career and Community Leaders of America. It was a three day long Leadership Conference, and I was chosen as an experienced Alumni judge. I got to listen to some of the best leaders in the State of Minnesota present their community service projects this past Thursday and Friday. FCCLA was something I was involved with when I was in high school and I feel that it was very meaningful and a great experience.

The reason why I am telling you all this is that Mankato is relatively close to the Twin Cities area, and it would be easy to travel there and back in one day. So lets say you're like me and live five hours away from home. The Twin Cities is offers a variety of things to do in an abundant amount of places, so your family or friends could come visit you and you would not have to drive all the way home. Also, many conferences take place in the Twin Cities area, and there are a large amount of job fairs and internship opportunities in the Metro area as well. Coming to Mankato, you are close to that area.

My last thing I will talk about is how the rest of my weekend went. I had a blast on Saturday! I was outside for almost the entire day! I played sand volleyball for a good chunk of the afternoon, then went to the Land of Memories Campground to play Disc Golf! Disc Golf has become my favorite hobby very quickly!

If you haven't heard of Disc Golf, Google it! It is so much fun and it is much less of a burden financially than regular golf! After playing disc golf I played basketball outside of the Crawford Residence Hall. To finish off the night I watched a movie with friends. What a great Saturday! And guess what else? I didn't spend a single cent the whole day to do any of those fun activities!

On Sunday, reality set in, and I realized that finals are just around the corner, and although the weather is gorgeous, I have to buckle down and study for my final exams.

--

Braeden

Stomping out for the Cure!

This Wednesday has been amazing for me! The weather is a little rainy but I don't mind it. I have been able to get so many little projects done I am very proud of myself. My Computer Technology class flew by today. I think it helped that he had class work rather than a lecture (sometimes they get a little boring). That was my only class today. I'm looking forward to registering for classes for this Fall. Its coming up very soon. I also just had the Relay For Life this past weekend and that was so much fun. I got to run 2 games, one was "Where is the Cure" which is basically a whipped cream eating contest with gum in the whipped cream and someone has to blow a bubble first. The second one was "Stomp out Cancer" and for that people tie balloons to there feet and try to pop one another's. I had a great time, I got a little more tired than I thought since it goes from 6pm-6am. Since I'm in the Colleges Against Cancer club I had to be there extra early to set up and stay late to clean up. But overall great week and I will chat next week.

--

Andrea

Running, Polishing, Cooking

This past Saturday I participated in the Relay for life that was located here on campus in the Myers Field House. Students, faculty members, friends, and family came together to walk from 6pm to 6am around the track. During this time I participated in a three-legged race, limbo contest, and even attempted a one-on-one tug-o-war. It was a great time and enjoyed getting to know a few more Student Ambassadors as we walked the tracks together.

This past Tuesday, April 13^th we had the Apple Polisher. I enjoyed seeing the teachers that have made an impact on the Ambassadors as well as hearing the stories that the Ambassadors told about them. From numerous office visits to after school help the faculty was there to help them out even if they had a giant “To Do” list of other activities.

This weekend I will be going home to Prior Lake to celebrate my twin sister’s graduation from the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute. Karen is an excellent cook and enjoys adding her own twist on recipes. I often call here when needing do add a little something to my traditional pizza or spaghetti nights at my apartment. Between Karen’s clever way to throw things together to make a delicious meal or my mother’s gift of truly defining home cooking I am always well feed and most certainly will always be there to be the taste tester or take leftovers home. ..that is if there is any to take home.

--

Sharon

Relay for Life

As promised here are some pictures from my Easter weekend with my family at the cabin we rented in Waterville. One of the pictures is just a family portrait of my mom, my dad, my little brother, and me, and the other is my dad holding the fish that he caught.

For the last two years I have been on the planning committee for the MSU-Mankato Relay for Life and that is what I was doing all weekend. Our goal this year was to raise 30,000 dollars for Cancer Research, and we ended the event just 800 dollars short of our goal but thankfully we have a spaghetti feed and one other fundraiser yet to complete so we should be able to reach our 30,000 dollar goal. If I can figure out how to get some pictures from someone else, because I was counting the money most of the night, I will put some up for you guys later this week.

As for school, it is that time of the year when everything is due and tests seem to appear every other day or so. I really am just trying to stay afloat day by day knowing that there is only 4 weeks left including exams.

Until next time...

--

Liz Schieler

Nearing the end...............

We are so close to SUMMER! So close yet so far. There is much to do before then. Project deadlines, final exams and quizzes, campus activities and event! It is a crazy time for me right now. Next week is the Apple Polisher for the Student Ambassadors. The juniors and seniors nominate a faculty member that has influence them some way or another. I nominated my advisor and teacher, Professor Lois Anderson. She has been more than helpful with giving me advice on classes, answering any questions, and always willing to meet. Not to mention she is always smiling and eager to talk about Hematology or being a Med Tech.

I have my summer class schedule ready as well as have a tentative fall schedule. I have one more week till I register for the Fall 2010 semester so I am anxiously waiting to see if my classes are still open come time for me to register. It looks like as of right now I will have this summer and the fall left of classes on campus! I am debating on possibly taking next spring and next summer to complete another minor. That is another idea in itself and with my busy schedule I have going on in the next few weeks I might just wait awhile before I figure that one out!

--

Sharon Schwarz

Jordan's Voice

Greetings to all!!!!!!!

It’s about time the sun came out! Time to put on the shorts, break the sun glasses and catch some sun! For the first time years I actually found myself playing volley ball in the sand with some people behind McElroy. However, not that spring is officially here and summer is right around corner lets go over some tips that will hopefully keep you looking good and feeling great.

Water…….. Yes, it is a necessity. If you drink more now, you’ll be more hydrated when it really gets hot outside. I know I sound like a father talking to small children, but let’s be real. No one wants to be out in the sun, having fun but then get extremely tired due to dehydration.

Flip flops and sandals are definitely in. Be careful about which type you get. Some flip flops have been known to break after a week of wearing them. Go for comfort and if you must, style. But please remember to keep your feet and a reasonable condition. No one, guys or girls, wants to look or be around somebody with crusty toes. LOTION AND TOE NAIL CLIPPERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS = D

Use sun block when tanning. Burnt skin is not attractive.

Last but not least, try not to clash your colors when picking out shirts and or bikinis. Believe it or not, certain colors do not go together.

Other than that, enjoy the weather. BBQ, go swimming or even travel up to Valley Fair when you get the chance. Remember, this weather only last for a few months. Take pleasure in it while you can!

--

Jordan Harper

Oh what a week

Hey everyone--

This has definitely been quite the week, and it's only Tuesday! Yesterday I participated in the Undergraduate Research Conference, and presented my research project about students living in residence halls. It was a ton of fun, but a good deal of work also. Also, on Monday night, I threw a Philanthropy event for Greek Week. It was called "MSU Greek Benefit Bash" and we got to spend the night at the WOW! Zone playing laser tag, mini golf and bowling, all while raising money for the United Way! We raised over $450, so I was pretty excited about that! Here you get to see a picture of me and my roommate 'attempting' to play Dance Dance Revolution. It was such a great time and I am glad we got to have so much fun, while raising money for charity!

The school year is winding down, and I'm already looking into classes I'll be taking for next semester. Crazy to think that I am already going to be a SENIOR in COLLEGE! For those of you who are thinking, "Oh I can't wait for that day to come" you better wait. Enjoy your time in college while it lasts. These past three years have been so amazing and I have been given so many great opportunities! I don't know if I'm ready to leave....

Until next time!

---

Erik Heller

A different kind of weekend..

Hi again everybody,

So this weekend was a bit different for me! I actually went home to Lake Park, MN. For those of you who don't know the map of Minnesota like the back of your hand, Lake Park is a town of approximately 800 people and is located about 40 miles east of the Fargo-Moorhead area. I went home because it was Easter weekend, and it is family tradition to wake up early on Easter Sunday, go to church, eat the scrumptious Easter breakfast at the church, create an Easter egg hunt for my younger cousins, and then eat an afternoon meal with the family. This was a great weekend. Allow campus is a wonderful place to be and you have so many friends around and things to do, its nice to go home, relax and see the family. In addition to the people in my family, there is another that we consider to be part of our family, her name is Candi, and she is the most adorable dog! Candi is always right there at the door to greet me when I get home, and this time was not any different. I had a great Easter break, but this week ahead of me is going to be a busy one. I was glad to be home, but I am excited to be back in Mankato for the week.
--
Braeden Hogie

Easter Rummy

So, this past weekend my family met me in Waterville where we rented a cabin so that we could spend Easter together without me having to make the four hour drive home late Friday night. I had a blast with my family. My dad caught a fish, we cooked our traditional Easter dinner together, we played Monopoly and Gin Rummy, and most importantly we just got to spend time together. I will post the pictures this Thursday for you so I'll talk to you then.

--

Liz Schieler

formal boys

Hello future Mavericks!!!

Oh what a week! The past seven days have been quite the ride! I had my fraternity formal this past weekend, which was such a great time! You'll see a picture of me and some of my fraternity brothers posing for a quick picture! They guy on the left is one of our new guys, and my little brother! It was such a great time to go to Rochester for the night and have a dinner, dance and spend time with all the guys and their beautiful dates!

Also, a big event this week was... MY 21st BIRTHDAY!! :) It was definitely a great time, with alot of text messages, facebook messages, and more time spent with my friends! The next day I realized that I was 21, left my window opened, and that there were ONLY 4 weeks left of school. Yup, it is really time to start cracking down. With the weather oh so beautiful and the smell of the grill, its gonna be tough to keep my eye on the prize, but I think I got this in the bag! :)

Until next time....

--

Erik Heller

What a beautiful day!

I didn't even mind that it took me 30 minutes to walk to school and back! I was a little upset because my iPod battery was dead when I walked out my apartment this morning. Classes have been so great lately! I was really scared for my Chemistry test last night but I ended up getting 100% so I was really glad I took the day to study. I've also been doing a project for my Food Culture so tonight I will be making traditional Irish Beef Stew for my friends to try before I make it for the class. I find it beneficial to make things before hand so I know it will turn out. Well I'm off to soak up the sun! Relay for Life in 1 1/2 weeks!!

--

Andrea

I enjoy looking back..

Hi again everybody,

This weekend was a blast! The first thing I'll take you all through it and hopefully you like what you read!

Friday started out alright, I went to my one and only class of Chemistry, then I worked on homework in the Student Senate Office. If any of you readers are interested in running for Student Senate, the Senate office is on the second floor of the Centennial Student Union. So after that, I got to eat with some friends at the newly open Pizza Ranch that is about a three minute drive from campus! It was delicious, and I haven't been that full in a long time! After Pizza Ranch I tried to work off some of the pizza by playing racquetball, and later that evening I watched Northern Iowa go down in the NCAA tournament at the hands of Michigan State. That was alright since Northern Iowa had ruined everyone's bracket anyway! But then came Saturday, and I worked on some homework, watched a movie with friends in the Resident Halls, and we then went to the theater to see How To Train a Dragon, in 3D! It was pretty cool, I enjoyed the movie very much. After the movie I went bowling with some friends at the Maverick Bullpen. That was fun, and I won both games! =) I think as always, weekends come to an end, and this one's end certainly came too fast. I realize the weekend is over around 4 in the afternoon on Sunday's, because that is when I finish up homework and studying I need to get done before the week starts. I always enjoy looking back on the weekend with this blog and thinking about how much fun I always have on the weekends here and what great friends I have met.
--
Braeden Hogie

Minnesota weather.. yay or nay?

To start this blog I would like to say how much I love and hate the Minnesota weather. Three days ago I packed up all my winter coats, hats and, gloves and put them in a storage bin under my bed. The weather was beautiful and I loved walking around campus and feeling the bright sun in a cloudless sky. Two days ago I drug out my winter hat and gloves to wear out in the windy drizzle. I was shivering by the time I got to the bus stop…across the street from my apartment. Yesterday I saw more people walking to school than I had in a long time. I kept my hat in glove on my desk just in case Mother Nature wanted another laugh. This past week I changed out the trunk of my car from my winter skates and stick to my softball glove, tennis racket, and rollerblades. I love the outside activities that happen on campus. I played tennis in high school so when I get the chance I like to be out on the courts. I am not much of a runner but if I find a buddy I like to go walking or jogging. I think a lot of students felt that they were cooped up way to long over winter and took full advantage to the nice weather we had.

--

Sharon

Lots to Report!

Hey, again. I know it's been a while since I talked to you all last, and a lot has happened. This past Tuesday I was elected as the Residence Hall Association Secretary for the 2010-2011 School year which means that I will be getting a 600 dollar room credit each semester next year. Yay!

Wednesday night I did a scavenger hunt that was hosted by Julia Sears and I have uploaded some pictures from that. I didn't really do very well, but I had a lot of fun with it and that is really all that matters. So one is of me in the Maverick Bullpen TV Lounge, and the other one is my perspective from sitting at the base of the clock tower and looking straight up.

Last Sunday I bowled in the Districts for the Pepsi Youth tournament and didn't bowl very good unfortunately only shooting a 500. Oh well, there is always next year which will indeed be my final year as a youth bowler before I have to make the jump to the adult leagues.

For those High School Seniors out there I have one question. Are you sick of filling out scholarship applications yet? I know I am. I have another batch that I will be sending out in the mail today which contains about 6-7 separate applications, and I have previously turned in about 4, so I am well on my way to a mega scholarship season. That's right I called it scholarship season and for those of you who haven't experienced it yet, congratulations, enjoy it while you can. The season runs from about early February until about mid April, although you will always have a few outliers and it is during this time that those of us who rely on outside help to pay for college are thouroughly swamped with finding reccomendations, filling out applications, and writing a different essay for each one. I am just so happy that I should only have one more year after this in which I will need to participate in this frantic rush for limited scholarship funds.

Well, hope you enjoyed the pictures, as much as I enjoyed taking them, and with that I will say so long until next week.

--

Liz

I'm a mess!

Yet another BEAUTIFUL day in Mankato! I walked to school today and when I first got outside it was pretty chilly but it warmed up while I walked. Classes went really fast and I met with some friends after class and was able to get a good chunck of my group assignment done. This past week was very busy but I enjoyed it because it gave me things to do.

I celebrated my 2 year anniverary with my boyfriend yesterday. We just went out to dinner because I had a busy day with classes. That night I made him lemon bars and he took it upon himself to pour the powdered sugar all over me. I didnt get him back because I knew I would get it worse so I just laughed it off.

Recently I've been shadowing New Ambassador tours and its been really fun. Its so different to be on the one on the tour listening rather than giving it, but again its fun and I'm really impressed with the New Ambasadors. Other than that life is going good and I'm off to experience more things this week to tell you about next week.

--

Andrea

Ah! such is life!

Getting back from spring break was not easy! I and three others went to Daytona Beach for a week. We rode Mopeds, went to the beach, and enjoyed not having to study for classes. With that nice weather in the upper 70’s it was difficult to drive back to Minnesota where it rained for three days. I found that a majority of the students either had their mid-terms the week before spring break or the week following spring break. This meant more students in the library till 2:00am. Since I had my finals before spring break I looked at this week as a way to start reading for new chapters and work my way through 5 loads of laundry. Also, since I didn’t work during spring break I picked up a few extra hours at Aldi Foods. A lot of businesses around Mankato are aware of students busy schedules and are flexible with schedules.

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Sharon

an active week of activities!

Well, it was an interesting week to say the least! You see it was the first week back from Spring Break and the shift back to normalcy was different. My week seemed to go by surprisingly fast. I wanted to go play disc golf on Wednesday of this week, but the Land of Memories Campground, much to my dismay, was flooded. That was a minor setback in an otherwise great week. I had a busy week so it was nice to relax some this weekend. On Friday it was nice enough outside so I got some buddies together and we played football in the early afternoon. Later on that evening I went to the Otto Recreation Center to play some basketball. After playing basketball, I went to a movie "She's Out of My League" at the movie theater that is about half a block off of campus. The movie was great and it was fun to hang out with friends. Of course since Thursday of this week, I have been going nuts watching NCAA Men's basketball. So that along with homework was on my priority list for the weekend. On Saturday evening I went to the Campus movie in the Ostrander Auditorium entitled "Up In the Air." That was also a good movie, and it was nice to take a break from my studies that took place earlier on during my Saturday. Thanks again to all of the readers!

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Braeden

coming back from spring break..

Dear Fellow followers

This week is going by very fast! I can't believe it is already Wednesday. I will be tabling today in the Centennial Student Union for Colleges Against Cancer because we have the Relay for Life coming up very soon. I also haven't seen my friends in a week or two so I'm making dinner for everyone tonight (I just hope they all fit into my apartment). Last week was MSU's Spring Break, but I did not do much. I never left good old Minnesota, but I did go back to my hometown to see my family and took some time to finish my homework and study for upcoming test, very eventful I know. I am glad to see the sun is shining right now, when I woke up and went to my car I had to scrape ice off my windshield and I was scared the day was going to be cold. Lets hope it just keeps getting warmer!

A little early, but I think I'll be okay :)

Nicer weather, check. Midterms over, check. Spring break over, check. Back to reality, check. Spring break is over, and all the students have returned back to campus to finish off the last half of the spring semester, myself included. It was a great past week back home, relaxing with friends and family. I didn't get to go anywhere too exciting like Cancun or Florida. However, Oakdale, Minnesota was a good escape!

Now that I'm back, I have a lot ahead of me. Numerous tests, quizzes, papers, research projects, campus activities, and preparation for summer. Okay, so the last one isn't really a huge deal, but it's definitely something to keep me motivated! It is, however, very nice to be back in Mankato with my roommates, friends, and classmates. It's funny how much you miss all your friends at college, after being away for only a week. Needless to say, my friends and I all went out to dinner to celebrate our returning and finishing the last half of the semester strong!

Stay tuned....
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Erik Heller

looking forward to some down time..

So, I am writing this on the eve of my departure for Spring Break. I just finished my math assignment that is due tomorrow, but still have one more quick assignment to finish before I can start packing. I'm not doing anything very exciting for spring break, just going home to Tomah, WI and unfortunately getting a lot of schoolwork done while there is no classes. But all the same I am excited to get a break from school and to be able to see my family. This has been a crazy week, but it is almost over and then I will have some down time.

Well, I will talk to you all later,

Liz Schieler

no woof for me

Last weekend we welcomed 17 new selected Ambassadors and got to show them the ropes. It was an amazing time and I can't wait for them to have their own tours. I'm also raising money for The Relay for Life and I've received a lot of donations and I couldn't be happier, I still I have 5 weeks to raise more. I do have some bad news for the week, I was suppose to get a dog on Monday and it turns out she will not be coming into my family anytime soon. I just wanted a furry friend to walk around my apartment with me but I guess it's ok just because it is slightly a small apartment. On a good note I am learning some new cooking recipes in my spare time. Once I have made it just right I will have a dinner party for my friends to come and try it. They always get excited for my cooking! Since next week is spring break I have a few tests to study for but it will be nice to have a break after that, even though I won't be going far.

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Andrea

summer on my mind..

Hey everyone-

So, very similar to all the other MavBloggers, my last couple weeks have been extremely hectic as well. This week is midterms, so I have been spending so many hours in class, even more in the library, a few less hours sleeping, and every minute thinking about summer. Not really the number one thing I should have on my mind, but I am SOOO excited for this summer! But than again, what student isn't?

I haven't had too much time to hang out with my friends and have a whole lot of much needed fun time, so I am excited to get out of Mankato for a few days and head back home to Oakdale, Minnesota. Spending some time with family, friends, and my dog is much needed right now! Other than that, let's see what this week of midterms comes to be. I'm working my butt off, and hope it all pays off in the end!

Stay tuned....
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Erik Heller

its the same story.. not really!

Hi again everybody,


Well I know I start off all of my statements saying that my weekend went fast, and I'm sure that any MSU student could attest to that, but let's get into what went down this weekend in the life of Braeden Hogie. My Friday started off strong, I went to my Introductory Chemistry class at 10 am, now this is my only class for Fridays, which is pretty nice being as I am done with class so early. After class I went to do office hours for MSSA (Student Senate). After my office hours I went to eat lunch at Carkoski Commons. I really enjoy the food at the cafeteria, and I would strongly recommend that incoming students get a meal plan that is similar to their eating habits. I have the Maverick Anytime meal plan just for the convenience factors. That meal plan allows me unlimited access to the dining hall from 7 am to 7 pm, which is nice and allows my eating times to be flexible. I also utilize the wonderful to-go program that the dining hall provides. It is nice because I can take some food back to my room with me and study, or save some food for later on in the evening when I want a snack.

I decided to make a little road trip to Winona, Minnesota this weekend to see a friend that I had not seen in awhile. One thing that I enjoy about Southern Minnesota as a whole is the fact that there are so many beautiful bluffs, hills, and rivers. The terrain is gorgeous! I had the opportunity to go cross country skiing with my friend this weekend. Even though I was not the greatest skier, I had a blast. I know that one great thing about living in Mankato is that we are so close to several parks and nature areas. We have cross country skiing here, we have multiple State Parks in the area, and they are a very nice place to go and get away from the "city life". Mankato has a great balance being a medium sized city by Minnesota standards, it has more developed areas within the city and just a mile or two down the road, you wouldn't even know there is a city that close to you, and you feel so remotely located.

That's my blog for this Monday. I hope everyone has a great week!

Until next time,

--

Braeden Hogie

short and sweet

Hey all. So as you probably guessed since this post is about 3 days late, I have been super busy. Down to one week before Spring break so all the classes and RSO's are pushing to get things done before our week of vacation. I had 2 papers and 2 homework assignments due this past week and on top of that I had work and I had to study for an essay test that I have tomorrow in Philosophy. Well I'll keep it short and let you know more about what's going on this Thursday.

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Until then,

Liz Schieler

oh no! midterms!!!

Hey everyone!

This week has been one crazy week! With midterms coming up, and spring break just around the corner, my life is busy, busy, busy! This week has been filled with numerous hours in the library working on a group project, as well as coordinating a philanthropy event for the Greek community. I am working with one of the Fraternity Presidents on a project that will allow the MSU community and Mankato community to go to the WOW!Zone to play laser tag, mini golf, and bowling while raising money for the Mankato School District. :) I'm excited to see where this project takes us and it is a great experience for me!

I don't have much planned for this weekend except for working at my amazing job, at Topper's Pizza, visiting with one of my friends from home, and catching up on some sleep! Oh how I can't wait for Spring Break!!!

Stay tuned....

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Erik

Summertime and the classes are speedy!

During this week of classes our summer session courses were posted on e-services. I have taken a summer class every year since I have started college. I think to take the time to do take the classes that either I didn’t want to take during the normal school year or that filled up before I was able to register during the fall and spring semester. The course I have been taking for the past few summers are biology courses. So far four to five weeks in the summer I attended about 2.5 hours of lectures as well as about 2.5 hours of lab Monday through Friday. It is an accelerated version of the course; however I feel that sometimes with the short time it is easier to remember all the information. I get to take 4 credits in about a month. Minnesota State University Mankato does a great job with offering a variety of summer classes. Just about every major has classes that are available. With that there are also a lot of activities going on in the summer.. I think students are surprised to know what activities are going on in the summer.

Hi again everybody,

Well it was another short weekend here at Minnesota State University Mankato. I had quite a bit on my plate this weekend that needed to get accomplished. On Friday, my day started at 10 am, when I went to my Chemistry Class. Its CHEM 104 to be exact, and its just a general course to fulfill a science general credit area, but it is still an interesting course. After my class I went to grab a quick lunch from the cafeteria and then I went to the MSSA office to do some office hours for Student Senate. After my office hours I gave a tour to admitted students and their parents. I gave the tour as a part of my Student Ambassadors organization. I hope they enjoyed their visit! After the tour I went back to my room to relax and hang out with some friends after the long week. We watched the Winter Olympics and cheered for the United States.

After watching the Olympics, I started working on my Management paper that is due on Tuesday. My paper is a part of the project my group has to complete for a class. It is a very strenuous class, so I wanted to finish, but that did not happen. I decided to go play some pick-up basketball with friends until 9 PM, and then before I knew it, I was watching Step Brothers with some friends. After the movie, and upon realizing the time, I went to bed.

On Saturday, I slept in since I went to bed late, but I did get up for brunch, which is served from 9 am until 1 pm on the weekends. After brunch I worked on my Accounting homework and my Management paper. Then I decided to go play basketball with friends again until 7 pm when the Otto Recreation Center closed. After that I got showered up, and decided to go to a movie with friends. There is a movie theater that is located within walking distance of campus, so we went to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Lightening Thief. It was a fairly decent movie, and it was nice to be around friends.

On Sunday, I woke up and worked on homework for most of my day, but I sneaked in a little leisure time in there as well. I had to play some more basketball, and work out a little bit.

But there was my weekend, in a nut-shell for all of you.

--
Braeden Hogie

Give us warmth, Mother Nature!

This week was a calmer, as far as test and quizzes go. I was able to relax a bit and begin learning the new material for a few of my classes. Only a few weeks till spring break which seems to be on many students and staffs mind. I saw more students and staff in the Otto Recreation center this week. We have a great recreational facility here on campus. Our treadmills, elliptical, and bikes each come with “tech rech.” What it allows all of its users to do is be able to go on the internet, watch television, use the touch screen, or even play a DVD. I enjoy going to the Otto Recreation center mostly because they have more channels to watch than my cable at my apartment. As nice as the recreation center is, when the weather gets nice, the outside becomes flooded with students and staff that are ready to break free from the cold winter and are willing to brace the outdoors. Even if that means putting on an extra layer, we are all anxiously waiting for Mother Nature to send a little more warmth our way.

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Sharon

Hello? Is anyone there?

Hey, it's me again. I would have to agree with Andrea that this week seems to be taking forever, even though the semester as a whole is flying by. I keep trying to make it a day later in the week than it actually is, and I am starting to get pretty confused. Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and as I live in the residence halls, that meant pasta without sauce and grilled cheese for lunch and dinner. Hopefully I can bring this up in RHA on Monday and maybe get it so that those of us who observe lent aren't stuck with this diet every Friday until Easter. As for classes, things seem to be going pretty good right now but I have a feeling they are about to get a lot more frantic as midterms are right around the corner.

On a separate note I am super excited that the Olympics are on (Go USA!!) and I watch them every chance I get. So far so good for the USA with only one major disappointment in the Women's Snowboard Cross, but from what I hear that is just the nature of the sport. But my favorite sport to watch is the short track speed skating because it is so exciting and fast. I am definitely rooting for Ohno to break the medal record for a Winter Olympian, but I will be watching all the sports, not just his.

Hope someone's reading this

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Liz

What..? It's not Friday, yet!?

The week is going by a little slow. I woke up this morning thinking it was Friday and yet it is only Wednesday. I'm going to say it's because I have been very busy with meetings, classes, homework, and work. I have 4 classes this semester, including Food, Culture and You, IT 100, Health 101, and Chemistry. It is not that much to handle, but it does take up a lot of time. Today I only had IT so I'm taking some time to clean up my apartment and take my car in to vacuum it out. I can actually get things accomplished faster when I'm not hoping over laundry piles. I just bought the new Gain detergent that has an Island escape scent and its AMAZING! Today at 4 I will be interviewing potentially new Ambassadors! I am super excited about it as well as to see all those new faces and what everyone can bring to the group. I also have my own interview on Sunday for an OPA (Orientation Peer Advisor) position. I'll probably explain more next week!

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Andrea

Greek Leadership Conference

Hey all,

This weekend I spent in St. Louis, Missouri for a Greek Leadership Conference! It was so much fun getting to meet other members of Fraternities and Sororities from all over the nation! I got to listen to great speakers, participate in workshops, and meet so many new people from my campus and other campuses! The 10 hour bus ride wasn't the most fun, but it was a good time to get caught up on the homework and start some of my research projects!

Although the weekend was great, it felt nice to get back to MSU. This week is filled with all sorts of events and meetings for the different organizations I am involved with. I am particularly excited for a meeting I have on Wednesday! Over the past two summers I have worked at summer orientation for new freshman as an Orientation Peer Assistant, and this year I was selected to be an Orientation Student Coordinator! It is going to be a blast getting to plan and prepare for this upcoming summer!!

Stay tuned!!!

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Erik