So, you might notice that this is not my first blog, I actually started this 4 months ago, while home and bored during Christmas break. The first two posts were intended to be just for me, and I meant to keep doing it, but we know how that goes when you get back to school for a new semester. I thought of deleting them but I might as well leave them there! They are a little bit personal I guess, but honest as well and honesty is a pretty great thing, I think.
Here it goes: My name is SUNNY, but that's not my real name. My real name is Elizabeth, but basically only my mother calls me that and as much as I've actually grown to like it in the past few years, Sunny has stuck, and I like that too! I come from an exceptionally boring town, the name of it is Plainville, how worse does it get than that? Naturally, I'm very glad to be spending the next two full years (except next spring semester that I will be spending in Madrid, Spain!) in Vermont. I'm a sophomore and I'm studying history - I've always loved stories and old things - and Spanish language/literature - it's so cool to read and speak in a different language. I came to Saint Mike's for one of the most cliche-sounding reasons: it felt right. After visiting here, nowhere else gave me the same feeling. I am happy every day with my choice. Vermont and Saint Mike's have truly become my home, I feel so much more like myself here than I ever have in my life. Being here is comfortable to me, I feel like I breathe easier just driving up Interstate 89 toward my favorite exit 15! I'll post later with the talk I'll be giving on this summer's POW II, Pre-Orientation Weekend II, for incoming first years, it talks a lot about this!
As far as what I do on campus, I guess it's a lot, but I feel like there a lot of people who do a lot more. First off, I'm a Resident Assistant - I live on a hall in a first-year dorm with 24 other first year girls. It's been very interesting so far. To use another cliche phrase, it's been incredibly "rewarding". But really! Besides meeting a lot of people, learning a lot about people and how to deal with social/personal issues, I've learned a lot about myself and how I really work. Sometimes it's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun. I'm also a part of the Student Association, I've been a senator for my class for the past 1.75 years (haha) and next year I'll be the Vice President for the Class of 2012. Through S.A., I've been on the Academics Committee and this year I've been the student representative (from Academics) to the Faculty Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee!! This might not sound exciting, but this year there has been a lot of exciting things going on regarding curriculum changes, which I'm sure I'll share later. Besides that, I went on a Leap retreat through our Edmundite Campus Ministry in January of my first year and it was fantastic and that community has been one of my mainstays here at Saint Mike's. Last month, I was fortunate enough to be a team member for March 2010 Leap and I gave a talk about one of my best friends. It's been a phenomenal experience and I hope to continue being involved! I dabble in MOVE programs, which are service programs put on by our volunteer organization, and I really wish I made time to volunteer more. Over Christmas break, I went on an extended service trip through MOVE to Buffalo, NY and it was one of the most incredible things I've ever done. We worked in a school for low-income middle school boys and everything about it gave me even more love for humanity, learning and sharing.
Besides being involved, I spend the rest of my time trying to stay on top of schoolwork, including getting "the reading" for done in time for class, calling my Mom (no, really), cleaning my room that never stays tidy, trying to keep up with my friends and daydreaming about the rest of my life. Sometimes I get so caught up in all the exciting things I get to do "some day", I forget that I'm already doing loads of exciting things right now. One thing I've loved about being at SMC, including feeling like myself, is that "myself" is independent. I feel independent, I feel like I can do anything, I am able to have my own life. Colin Hay and my friend Alyssa say "I'm waiting for my real life to begin." I think that I'm slowly realizing here at Saint Mike's, that this IS my real life. More cliche, but: I couldn't think of a better place for my real life to begin! This is me:
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