Hello Fontbonne

Today is such a beautiful day! Everyone’s having an awesome time, yes? You better be.

I also believe we all know that SGA (Student Government Association) is sponsoring the Fall Festival TONIGHT in the AMC at 7:00PM. Many organizations will be participating with their very own activities. I, personally, will be with FISA (Fontbonne International Students Alliance) and FISH (Fontbonne in Service and Humility). FISA will have origami and a little scavenger hunt, as FISH will have pumpkin carving and advertising about their big service trips, coming up for next semester. Please come and have fun!

Now I would like to just recap on the interesting things that I did this week. Sunday: A few members from FISH–along with my twin sister, Mary, as a guest–went to The Bridge (a Centenary Methodist Church in downtown) to help serve food! It was pretty fun, and the chefs were awesome. There were three of them, and I think two of them are Alan and one is Steve. Anyways, our members who went were Andrea, Rayne, and Erica. Rayne started the plate with the macaroni pasta (hamburger style), I pass it to Andrea for bread, Erica served salad, and Mary finished it with a slice of cake. Sounds oh-so delicious! After we were finished with serving, Steve said we could eat, too. And yes, I loved the food.

Let’s rewind real quick. We did have a small inconvenience before going to the church. Andrea and Rayne already arrived to the place while Erica, Mary, and I had to park in a $5 spot. Unexpectedly, when Erica was paying for it, we were all out of the car and it was still on–with the keys locked inside. A little unfortunate, right? Man, we had a good laugh about that. So I told Andrea and Rayne about it and said that we will come later. Luckily, Erica’s boyfriend, Shay, was able to get her spare key from her dorm room! How awesome is that? While we waited, we just talked about all kinds of things, getting to know each other. It wasn’t such a bad experience! Everything turned out okay.

Monday: SAA (Student Alumni Association) had the Brown Bag Lunch with an alumni, Tony Effan. Basically, Tony talked to us about his experiences with Fontbonne and how he got to where he is now as a Wells Fargo Advisor. Pretty neat stuff. I highly recommend students to join SAA because you do get the chance to learn more about career development and about the things you can do to get better jobs.

Tuesday: Gaming2Gether’s Bingo Night! I was supposed to be there for volunteering, but they were pretty set so I just played. It was really fun! Bingo never gets old. I actually won one game, so I definitely benefited from that night.

Wednesday: No special event for me, but I did go to the Delmar Loop with my awesome buddies, Izzy and Ben. We went to Blick Art Materials to buy awesome origami papers for our fall festival activity. Then we decided to stop by Bubble Tea (my favorite!) to eat. Ben kindly paid for our drinks, then Izzy and I paid for our own meals. Sadly, I didn’t really get to eat most of my wonton noodle soup because I ate one piece of the “spicey” crispy chicken that Ben ordered. Why is that bad? Well, I’m pretty sensitive to spicey now, so I can’t eat any form of spiceyness anymore. That also keeps me from eating hot food because it hurts even more. I had my food to-go, so I was able to eat it later.

That’s all for now! Oh, I’m starting my own fundraiser for Dance Marathon by polishing and designing people’s nails: 2 designs for $2, 10 designs for $5. All of the funds will go towards the marathon, so don’t worry! If you would your nails done, just let me know!

Have an AWESOME day!

The great thing about Fontbonne is that there are so many wonderful extracurricular opportunities offered here, you just have to open up your eyes and inquire about them.

If you have room in your academic schedule, there is even room to learn about other fields. For example, I might be a Speech-Language Pathology major, but I’m also a Psychology minor and currently learning soooooo many things about both fields.

However, like I was telling my roommate earlier, I really do love my classes, and my professors are amazing, but I’m not always fond of the workload. Plus, there’s just so much information to process that is difficult to fully engage myself to the extent that I want to. There’s no doubt that I’m keeping my brain stimulated! (I’ve been thinking about the brain lately due to having two classes involving the brain. It’s such an amazing structure that we all have.)

Therefore, my advice is that you should find things you really love and are passionate about. However, learning to prioritize and not spreading yourself too thin are valuable skills to have.

And I’ll probably talk more about this later, but I love Dance Marathon!

Learn more here and donate to the cause: http://www.dmstl.org/profile/5070

Does this not look like an amazing cause?

Peace, Love, & Miracles.

So since it is almost Thanksgiving, I would like to say what I am thankful for. My family and friends mean the most to me and I do not know what I would do without them. With saying that, I am also thankful for the life I live. My parents are the most supportive and loving parents I could ever ask for. I’ve played sports my whole life, and they were my #1 fans since day one.  They support me in all my decisions and help me get through when I feel like my whole world is falling apart. My friends are also so supportive and I know I can count on them to be there.

One experience that has made me thankful for the life I live is the annual Dance Marathon held at Washington University. We raise money, and then on one night, we get together and dance for 12 hours for the kids and to celebrate our accomplishment. Throughout the night, these kids and their families go up to the stage and talk about how Children’s Miracle Network has helped them throughout their experiences with cancer.  It is really touching to hear these stories and see how young these kids are and how much they have to go through. They inspire me to live my life to the fullest and never regret a thing because there are people that are less fortunate that don’t get a chance to live their life to the fullest because they spend so much time in the hospital. So even though I have always been thankful for my life, these kids have made me extra thankful. It inspires me to want to help out as much as I can and any time I can.

It’s hard to think that this semester is already half gone!! Between homework, lectures, and tests it is hard to find time to breathe or even relax and enjoy this lovely fall weather St. Louis is experiencing.

If you are waiting for a sign to change you procrastinating ways. This is it!! Go for a run in Forest Park. Get involved in Dance Marathon, as well as any Dedicated Semester Event–there are still more to come! Study when you need to, not as a last resort! And finally, talk to your professors if you are experiencing difficulty in your classes!

So, sit outside and study in the nice weather– before long, it will be gone!!

-Lee

This past week has been a whirlwind. Last Saturday was Dance Marathon! We raised $166,807.65 for the Children’s Miracle Network! It was an awesome experience and totally worth the weak knees after 12 hours of dancing. It was an extra treat for Fontbonne because we won the most spirited award for the whole event! I definitely had a good time and made a few friends in the process!

The week following had a lot of things going on too. The Pointersaurus contest (which is a giant pizza-eating contest for those of you who are unfamiliar with it) proved to be very interesting. Two members of the cross country team were in the lead for most of the contest, but I heard later that one of them almost vomited on the other! Yikes! The FAB board also gave away attendance prizes and every person at my table won something. One of my friends won a set of coasters, another won a Fall Dance ticket, and I won a cooler cup. My other won friend tickets to a Blues game!

Friday night was the kickoff of the basketball season here at Fontbonne with the annual Late Night with Lee McKinney Alumni vs. Student basketball game. It wasn’t only the kickoff of the of the men’s and women’s basketball seasons, but it was also the much anticipated debut of the Griffin Girls. Even though I wanted to go, I had something else going on. I can’t wait until the first basketball game of the season when I get to see the teams play and the dance team and cheerleading teams perform! There is so much to look forward to as the semester winds down!

This past weekend, I joined other Fontbonne students in dancing 12 hours for Dance Marathon. We raised money for the Children’s Miracle Network and the money goes to the two children’s hospitals in St. Louis. Let me just say, this was the most amazing experience ever. I enjoyed every second of the 12 hours that I was dancing for these kids. There were also miracle children and their families there to show us what we were dancing for. Each hour was themed, and so it was really fun dressing silly each hour. In between hours, different families would come share their stories, and it got pretty emotional for me. I was not only dancing for these kids, but I was also dancing for my sister’s friend who just went through surgery to get a tumor taken out of her brain. She is in ICU at one of these hospitals, and so I wanted to do this for her especially. I thought of her throughout the night as I was dancing and couldn’t help but cry — not always sad tears, but also tears of joy, knowing that all those dancers were there for her, and for all these kids who have to spend so much of their time at these hospitals, if not all of their time. Fontbonne got the most spirited award, and I definitely believed we deserved it. We didn’t stop dancing, and we were surprisingly energetic all 12 hours. All together $166,807.35 was raised. I am still just so happy that I got to spend 12 hours dancing FOR THE KIDS! And I cannot wait until next Dance Marathon!!!!!!!

I just finished with the Metanoia retreat today, and I have to say it was a fantastic weekend! I felt like I did get to know some of those attending the retreat, despite my earlier apprehensions. Even though I didn’t get a lot of one on one time with many people, I did try to ask people how they were feeling about the whole experience. No one gave me a negative answer! I hope that everyone who attended felt like they were welcomed and that their environment was safe. The thing that I like about the retreat is the fact that the whole experience is promoted as meeting people where they are in their faith. I like this aspect because I wouldn’t say I am devout in my own faith and spirituality. I think the experience of working on the team, especially the core team, has brought me closer with God, but I can’t say that I’m quite devout yet.

Many other things are going on around campus as well. The next few weeks are pretty packed for me. This coming week I am hoping to either go to the “Theology on Tap” at Schlafly Taproom or the comedy night here at Fontbonne. Next weekend I’m hoping to get back into the habit of singing at choir for Sunday night Mass in the chapel. Oh, and it’s Halloween! I’m excited because I have plans with some of my friends who live next door. We’re staying in, but that’s just fine by me. The week after Halloween I am teaching a freshman class here at Fontbonne that I’ve been observing all semester. I’m really nervous, so wish me luck! Dance Marathon is just around the corner as well, and then it’s time for the Fall Dance. I’m so excited for everything to come, but the thing I’m most excited about is Thanksgiving break. I’m so ready to just hang out with my family for a while and gorge myself on Thanksgiving turkey, only to regret it a few days later of course.

I can’t say that have just one favorite event on campus. There are so many things that I look forward to throughout the year, that picking one would be rather impossible.

We’ll start at the beginning of the year with FOCUS. Orientation is definitely more than one event, but when you put them all together it becomes one of  my favorite two weeks of the year. Being a FOCUS leader and creating a welcoming and fun environment for the freshmen every year is such a great time.

Mystery Masquerade. I love the fact that no one knows where we’re going. Everyone just gets all dressed up, hops and a bus and prepares to dance the night away at an undisclosed location.

Dance Marathon..more dancing, but for an AMAZING cause….kids! This past year I was up for 26 hours straight, dancing for 12 of them and it was one of the best nights of my life! We raised over $134,000 for Children’s Miracle Network and have already started planning for next year, like to dance? You should come!

Service trips. Each year they get better and better. I love serving communities in need with the community we’ve created at Fontbonne. There is nothing better than helping others while having an amazing experience and getting closer with those around you.

Geez, I could go on and on!

Become part of all the activities! Apply today or come to an open house!

Hmmm…what’s my favorite thing about Fontbonne? I have about a million answers to this question, but I think they can all be summarized in one word: opportunities. I would have never in my wildest dreams thought that I would have so many amazing opportunities at Fontbonne. Because of the close-knit community here and the number of faculty and staff who’s number one priority are the students, I’ve learned and grown in more ways than I could have ever imagined. 

       From week one of my freshmen year I was introduced to so many things that have grabbed my attention and gotten me involved. I went to an interest meeting and before I knew it I was a starting defender on the first ever NCAA Women’s Lacrosse team in the state! I had never even touched a lacrosse stick, and here I was traveling all over the country playing teams that had been established for years. Speaking of travel, my freshmen year took me to Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas for lacrosse, and down to Georgia and Mississippi for service trips through FISH, rebuilding houses from Hurricane Katrina and building relationships with the people of that community. All of the sudden my freshmen year was over and I was honored with the Outstanding Freshmen Leadership award by SGA at the annual awards banquet, something that I never expected, but was an incredible honor.

      Before I knew it, it was my sophomore year I was the service trip coordinator for FISH, planning trips and recruiting people to go on three different and successful trips. That year took me to Tijuana, Mexico as well as Biloxi once again. I led a team of dancers at the St. Louis Area Dance Marathon held at Washington University every year, which raises money for Children’s Miracle Network. After the amazing event that I experienced, I decided to apply to be a part of the Executive Board at Wash U and was chosen as the first ever student from outside of their university to be a part of all of the planning. That event took place two weekends ago and the whole process and the skills I attained on the board will last forever. My sophomore year also took me to Rome on Easter Sunday with Campus Ministry, a once in a lifetime experience that I will remember forever. This year I’ve been leading FISH as President and overseeing the awesome events that we’ve been having and am also in the process of starting to plan Freshmen Orientation 2009. From leading retreats and having fun on campus, to teaching my very first lesson as an education major by my sophomore year, Fontbonne has provided me with more than I could have ever imagined, and I still have a while to go before I leave.

       As simple as the word “opportunity” is, Fontbonne has been anything but a regular college experience for me because of the opportunities that I have been provided with. I’ll carry the skills and memories I’ve made from these opportunities with me forever….they’re all my favorite.

What opportunities can Fontbonne offer you? Apply today!