Wow! It’s hard to believe that I am already writing the final blog for this semester. While these past 16 weeks of school have been amazing, I am really looking forward to this summer. I guess you could say pretty much everyone is, but I personally have never been this excited. I’m pretty sure this is going to be the best summer of my life thus far. Allow me to explain. First of all, I will be studying abroad in London for five weeks. I have never been out of the country before or traveled alone. This will be an entirely new experience for me that will help me grow tremendously. I have been making a long list of the things I want to do while I am in Europe.

Secondly, as soon as I get back from London, I am driving to Kansas City to go to the One Direction concert! I bought these tickets 13 months in advance, so this event has obviously been a long time coming. I love these guys beyond belief and couldn’t be happier that I get to see them live. Besides these two major events, I will also be attending a team bonding/leadership development retreat in Lake of the Ozarks with my fellow Fontbonne Activities Board officers. Any other time that I have will be spent working at Gordmans, babysitting, visiting with friends, and seeing Muny shows. My family gets season tickets to the Muny every summer. I will be missing most of them this year due to my numerous other plans. I am okay with this though considering I will be in one of the major fashion capitals of the world. I am convinced that summer 2013 will be one to go down in my personal record book. I will be sure to return next semester with many fabulous stories.

This semester, sooooo many great events and activities have been planned for students. A ton of volunteer opportunities, as well as student activities have been organized to encourage more student involvement, and it is totally working.

I attended World Food Day at John Burroughs High School, with Fontbonne In Service and Hunility, or FISH earlier in October and it was an awesome experience. Basically, the team you are with has a table with stations of different components to add to the food bag as it goes from person to person, an assembly line.  We made enough food packages to feed 3,000 children from a community in Tanzania in about 45 minutes. Here is more info. http://www.stlwfd2012.com/home/about/

The Hunger Banquet was quite the surprise. This event was held by the Community Nutrition course, to help raise money for the Niger Hunger Relief Effort. The ticket was $10, and 100% of that went directly to the Relief Effort, which is a great feat. As for the banquet, I had no ideal what to expect. I was given a green ticket as I entered the doors, which meant I was “middle class,” so I got to sit in chairs. People with yellow tickets represented the lower class and sat on the floor, while people with red tickets were upper class and had the privilege of sitting at a very fancy dinner table. The upper class got a ton of food, real silverware, table cloths, and different drink options with waiters. The middle class got a scoop of rice and a scoop of kidney beans to eat with plastic forks and a tiny cup of water, while the lower class only got one scoop of rice, and no silverware; they ate with their hands. We heard informative presentations, watched videos and heard a lot of scary statistics.  It was a really cool experience.

Yesterday, we went to Soulard Market! The event was organized by Marielle Counts and the Environmental Club and I had never been so it was a really cool experience. I loved it. I wish I had a real life kitchen so I could totally utilize the market more but rooms in Medaille do not come fully stocked with a kitchen. Too bad. There were tons of vendors with fresh fruits, veggies, breads, pastries, jewelry, clothing, soaps,, everything you could think of! No peanut butter though, which I was super excited to buy freshly ground PB. But it is ok because I went to Eckerts Farm for apple picking the next day and I found some there!

Tonight, in honor of October, FAB, Fontbonne Activities Board is showing The Exorcist at 6 and then providing free tickets and transportation to The Darkness, a haunted house. I am not a fan of haunted houses, so I am passing on this one, but it should be a blast for everyone attending!

Also, because of the Cardinals games, they have all been streaming somewhere on campus! So convenient and a great way to share a common interest or the St. Louis spirit with fellow students!

I am so impressed with the events to get students involved and to allow for some fun this semester! Keep up the good work!

-Kelia

I’ve got another busy week ahead of me, which is the way I like it. Especially when the week is spent doing things I want and choose to do.

Wednesday night, FAB (Fontbonne Activities Board) is hosting a free event at Wild Country. So, I will be line-dancing the night away in my cowgirl boots!

Thursday night there is going to be a “Meet and Mingle” event at Fontbonne. Professionals that work in the fashion industry will be here to talk about their careers and open to any questions that students may have. Although this may not seem very fun, I am looking forward to it. I am hoping to learn about more internship opportunities. Plus, it’ll be a great event for networking.

Friday and Saturday I will be working. But that’s okay, because after I get off Saturday, it will be movie night in the meadow! As part of my internship, I will be helping set up for the event. This will be the fourth time this semester that Fontbonne has played a movie outside on the giant projector. So far, we’ve watched The Hunger Games, The Avengers, and 21 Jump Street. The title for this Saturday is yet to be announced. Students had the chance to vote this time. Some of the choices were Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Little Rascals, Goonies, Lion King, Fever Pitch, etc. I would like any of them, but Monsters Inc. won my vote. I LOVE Disney Pixar films. And, the Monsters Inc. sequel is coming out June 2013, so I’m already getting pumped for that!

Have a great week. It’s important to work hard, but don’t forget to play every once and awhile too!

Hello, Readers!

An exciting development in my life this past weekend was winning the Lip Sync contest with my friend Claire, and Katie (Claire’s roommate/a friend who I just met by doing Lip Sync). (Getting involved on campus brings people together.)

We did a lip sync performance to the “Gangnam Style” song by PSY (a Korean artist). I’ll have to post a video of the performances once they get posted up on Facebook.

Gangnam Style – PSY

I’ve been in to 2 of the past 3 years of Lip Sync contests and this one was definitely one for the books. Even though there were only 3 groups competing (I guess people are shy, seeing as there were A LOT of people there.), the performances were all quality and I was really impressed.

I give mad props to the group of Freshmen guys who did a performance to “Get Buck in Here” and a Freshman who did a performance by himself to Queen’s “Under Pressure.”

FAB’s (Fontbonne Activities Board) Lip Sync is one of my favorite events each year and a great Fontbonne tradition. Plus, thanks to the Lip Sync event, Claire, Katie, and I get to go on a $200 shopping spree!

Peace, Love, and Gangnam Style.

Transitioning from a junior college to a university is not as overwhelming as it would seem. It is a lot more hard work than I thought it would be, but I’m up for the challenge. I’ve had two tests this week and next week I have two papers due. First time for everything, right? School work may be piling up, but I certainly have time for campus activities.

Over the weekend, I saw Grant Lyon in the DSAC. He was hilarious. I was in need for a good laugh and he made me laugh a lot. I did not think he was going to be funny, but he sure proved me wrong. Then, the next day, saw one of my favorite movies of the summer! The Avengers was so good. My favorite are Iron Man and Captain America. Finally, on Sunday, it was my first time that I went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens. It was so pretty and interesting. I learned a lot about different fruits, vegetables and plants. Another good week at Fontbonne.

Until next time.

Three weeks have come and gone, and it feels like we never even had a summer break. It’s so natural and easy to fall back into step here at Fontbonne — back in the same routines with classes, work, homework, and hanging out with friends. Although it feels like we never had a summer break, I have certainly noticed the course load difference between freshman and sophomore year. I have much more homework, and my class schedule is completely different as well. On Mondays I have 4 classes, and on Tuesdays I have 2, one of which is 2 hours and 45 minutes, and we meet at Brentwood Middle School. Wednesdays I have 3, but then on Thursday and Friday I only have one which makes it easy to relax at the end of the week.

Although the work load is harder, I am still really excited about this semester. The class on Tuesday that meets at Brentwood is a lot of fun, and is teaching me much more than I imagined. It’s my first real education course I have taken, and it is making it very clear to me that teaching is what I want to go into. This course also requires 30 hours of observation, so I am spending 3-4 hours a week in a 7th grade, math classroom. I have already gone once, and I absolutely loved it! The kids are so energetic, and it is so much fun to see how they try to figure out problems. Observing, and helping in a classroom opened my eyes much more than I thought it would. I never looked at the classroom from the teacher’s point of view, so that was really cool to get to do.

Along with balancing work, classes, and a social life, I am trying to be more involved this year. I am going to more FAB events (Fontbonne Activities Board) as well as trying to help out with Campus Ministry more. So far, these three weeks have been great! I couldn’t be happier to be back, and to not be the lowest on the food chain anymore

With Spring’s arrival and the number of weeks of college left getting smaller and smaller, I have began to reflect on how my first year at Fontbonne University has been so far, and what advice I might have to others (all you readers out there!). While at Fontbonne, I would definitely urge everyone to get out and enjoy what the city has to offer. Just yesterday I took in the various sites at Forest Park, enjoyed an afternoon snack in Central West End, and finished the afternoon at the zoo. Seizing opportunities such as this is something I would recommend to anyone. On campus, engage yourself in activities and join clubs. There is always something going on sponsored by the Fontbonne Activities Board, and meeting for clubs are held at least once a month. I try to be as involved as my class schedule allows, and have never had a bad time at any campus event. Surround yourself with good people in good places and you won’t regret your years at Fontbonne.

It has come for the time to register for Fall 2012 classes. Yikes. It’s amazing to witness how fast the time flies, and registering for classes months in advance does not make that any better. On the bright side, I am really excited about the classes I plan on taking next year. I would advise future students not to put off any class, and also to incorporate as many classes related to your major as possible. Taking Fashion Merchandising courses this year has surely kept me entertained and engaged!

I feel as though this semester has flown by! Easter break begins here Thursday, and I will be going home tomorrow. I cannot wait to spend more days at home with my family. However, this break, I will not succumb to laziness and will get some work done!

Hello to everyone reading this blog!

This is my first blog for this semester and there is good reason for why that is.

Let’s just say that I’m SUPER involved here at Fontbonne and keeping up with everything can be quite challenging.

Don’t get me wrong though, school is challenging enough, and as a Speech-Language Pathology Major and a Psychology Minor, I have more than enough schoolwork to do.

However, I cannot help but stay involved on campus in some way.

It can be tedious work, but I get a lot out of it.

For example, my personal development has gone through much change since I first came to Fontbonne roughly 2 years ago (I cannot believe I’m a Junior already!).

Plus, it makes for great Fontbonne memories.

Just this month, I’ve already….

Helped with events such as Sibs Weekend with FAB (Fontbonne Activities Board).

Attended the Best of Missouri Market at the Missouri Botanical Garden with Environmental Club.

Made guacamole for and attended the FISA (Fontbonne International Students Association) Potluck.

Help put together a Comedy Night with FAB featuring celebrity Ross Mathews and comedian Taylor Williamson.

Helped with facilitating a Zoo Photo Scavenger Hunt with RHA (Residence Hall Association) and CAB (Commuter Advisory Board).

And the month is only almost halfway through!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go prepare for my next class along with preparing for the RHA meeting that I’ll be running soon!

Peace, Love, and Penguin!

I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. Four weeks into the school year and everything is in full swing. I know that as a senior, classes are REALLY important now. Not that they weren’t important before, but it just kind of hit me that “Hey, this is your life!”

Luckily there are a few things around here that I have to look forward to to de-stress. One thing that happens when we’re in the thick of it is the Lip Sync competition. I have gone almost every year since I’ve been here, and the year I didn’t go I watched on the performances online. It’s gone from what kind of seemed like a thrown-together event to a full-fledged FAB sensation. The house is usually packed. A lot of that is due to the reigning champs, my classmates Mike Horn and T.J. Eggleston. My sources have told me that these guys are already working on their performance for Friday night. But it’s hush hush–they won’t tell anybody what song they’re going to be doing so they can keep it a surprise. I look forward to finding out what song they chose and if they’re going to be dethroned this year. I hope to see you there!

Of course, good luck finding a college student who doesn’t love Facebook, who doesn’t procrastinate regularly by scrolling through their news feed, and who doesn’t regularly keep in contact with their friends (and sometimes family) using this social media beast.

But I feel like I have a special relationship with Facebook. I manage two pages besides my own on FB; one is for FAB, where I’ve had a fun time tinkering around with social media advertising. It’s a unique experience. Not only have I tried the free form of it—events, status updates, and so on—but I also had a chance to attempt using FB’s paid ads. It was a useful learning experience!

But in the last 24 hours or so, FB has been particularly interesting to me. Let me share two stories. I like to write a lot, but I’ll do my best to keep them brief.

Story 1: I received a message from a Fontbonne alumn, saying she had graduated from FU a little over a decade ago. What bonds us is that she noticed I was from Penfield, a suburb of Rochester, NY. She herself was from Fairport, a neighboring suburb, and had gone to a nearby high school I was familiar with. How crazy is that? I thought I was the only person to ever come out of upstate New York to Fontbonne, much less from Rochester (that is, until Brad Soble showed up—he went to a neighboring high school, too!) I’m currently chatting with this woman, asking her how life has been since Fontbonne and so on. Too cool!

Story 2: I received a friend request from a woman I didn’t know. Her profile picture looked oddly familiar and her name rang a bell, but we had no friends in common and she wasn’t in any of my networks. However, when I checked her page, I saw she had friends in the networks of some large advertising agencies, so I accepted. I then sent her a message, to see if I know her. Turns out she had the wrong Andrew Cohen… but I finally figured out that I recognized her because I had just read an article about her; she was recently hired to an agency that I had just applied to for an internship! (In fact, her profile picture is the same one used in that article, which explains how she looked familiar.) Thrilled by this random windfall, I asked her if she could maybe provide some guidance and wisdom based on her successful career so far. She asked me to e-mail her my resume… What! Maybe I’ll get an internship out of this?! Either way, it’s an amazing experience!

Facebook—and social media in general—has risen up to become a dominant, undeniable feature of our culture. Use it. Master it. Love it. It’s not going anywhere.