The humbling experience I previously spoke of was just one of many such instances I encountered during Walsh Universities annual field trip to Washington D.C.  Our group left Walsh last Wednesday with over twenty students and four faculty members in a coach bus headed for our nation’s capital.   Glancing over the jam-packed itinerary, I thought the heavy D.C. traffic would prevent us from seeing at least half of the sites.  However, when Thursday morning rolled around I discovered that I had underestimated the professors, who would make sure a fast and efficient schedule would be upheld. 

       First thing Thursday morning we headed off to the Supreme Court where we were able to sit inside the courtroom in which Supreme Court Justices have handed down some of our nation’s most critical decisions.  Next, we took an exclusive tour of the inside of the White House.  After leaving the White House we made our way over to Capitol Hill, where on the steps of the Senate our group stopped for a photo op with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.  The Senator was quite accommodating, in that after taking pictures he chose to stick around for awhile and field questions from us on numerous issues.  After having lunch in the Capital building, our group gathered together to head over to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.  The Holocaust Museum was an extremely heavy experience that rouses emotions of anger, fear, and helplessness. Yet, it’s indeed an experience every American should undertake, because as free people we have an obligation to fight just such injustices at every turn. After leaving the Museum we toured both the Jefferson and Franklin D. Roosevelt memorials at night then headed back to the hotel, where the evening was now ours.  Many of the students in our group got dinner together, and although everyone was quite exhausted from the day’s events, many students hit the town for a little bit of D.C. nightlife.  I personally went to a bar with a few of my Walsh friends, and had the pleasure of meeting up with two of my great friends from high school, who now go to school in the D.C. area. 

Cardinal Mooney Alumni in D.C!

       Friday would also begin early, and we had many wonderful sights on the agenda. So I don’t bore you to death, I’ll just list the following places we were able to explore this day: The Library of Congress (A breath-taking work of art, the architecture rivals any historic building in Rome, Paris, etc.), The British Embassy (had the opportunity to pick the brain of a British ambassador to the U.S.), Then your choice of the various aspects of the Smithsonian Museum, as well as the National Archives, where the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights preside!  After these terrific tours, our group gathered for a rooftop dinner with various Walsh alumni who work in the D.C. area, also President  Jusseaume was in attendance.  The dinner was delicious, and our Walsh alumni were quite impressive and open for discussion.  The accomplishments of these alumni were extensive, and they all reiterated what I have come to now know.   The education we receive at Walsh is second to none, and if you take advantage of your days at Walsh any future career path is attainable.  After dinner we took a night stroll around the National Mall, which consists of great monuments such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a tribute to the Korean War, World War II, as well as the Washington Monument, among other sites.

Walsh Old Fogies in Our Nation's Capital

         Finally, on Saturday before heading back to campus we walked around Arlington Cemetery, which is an emotional, yet majestic resting place for many of this nations fallen heroes, both past and present.    Then we made our way to where this story began, Mount Vernon.  General Washington once said “I can truly say I had rather be at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about me, than to be attended at the Seat of Government by the Officers of State and the Representatives of every Power in Europe.”  This quite justly attests to the beauty of Mount Vernon, and to me Washington was stating that it’s indeed an honor to explore the countless beauties of the outside world, but home, (Walsh University), is where we will always feel most at ease. 

A quick doodle I did of Mount Vernon (Kidding, dont sue me for copyright infringement)

            Ladies & gentlemen, I hope that everyone’s winter break was enjoyable. This past break from classes I was able to participate in a study abroad program that Walsh co-sponsored with CCSA (Cooperative Center for Study Abroad).  The trip my group and I embarked on was a two week, full 3 credit hour course that was taught in London, England.  Ever since I had the opportunity to study abroad in Rome through our global learning program I have had the greatest yearning to once again venture outside of the states.  Therefore, when this trip to London was proposed I decided to do all I could to secure a seat on the plane that would take our group over the pond to old England. 

            The course we studied while in London was centered around the astonishing Christmas truce that took place between opposing enemies during World War I.  It was a philosophy course that would be taught by both reading great minds of the time period such as Sigmund Freud and Friedrich Nietzsche, as well as through our interactions with English culture, tradition, and history throughout our stay in London.  Plainly speaking, because we had only two weeks to accomplish such a task, our days in London were fast-paced and the itinerary was tightly scheduled.  A routine day consisted of breakfast in the morning, followed by class, then a trip to a site such as the British Imperial War museum.  At this point our tight-knit group would find a pub, scarf down fish & chips and wash it down with a pint of beer…or two.  After lunch, some people would take the tube to Oxford St. where the shopping was never-ending, while others would continue their sight-seeing adventure through the streets of the city. 

                             Magnificent Oxford Street
On our trip we had the great opportunity to take a coach for two magnificent day trips to unforgettable landmarks in England.  The first trip, we made our way to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Stonehenge, and we also visited the beautiful city of Bath.  If you look at Stonehenge from a historical perspective, the mystery behind its creation and purpose that still to this day is left unanswered, is truly awe-inspiring. 

Myself at Stonehenge (Excuse the picture size, having technical difficulties)

             Our next day trip was to both the city of Stratford and the grand castle in Warwick.  In Stratford, our group visited the birthplace of world-renowned playwright and overall Renaissance man, William Shakespeare.  Who, after reading my blog told me, “a fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.” These wise words of Shakespeare I took as a telling sign to start wrapping things up.  Therefore, I’ll end with a picture of Warwick castle, because my words will simply not do it justice at this moment, and I’ll also display an edited collage of our group’s unforgettable New Years Eve night in London.  Until next time, thank you for stopping by. Cheers!!!

“We are the Champions, me and my friends!

  We are the Champions…Once again!

  Sing along, everybody now!”

  ~The Gods and the General

            For those of you that haven’t heard…most likely everyone reading this. The Gods and the General, which is the intramural flag football team I played on; just last Sunday completed a successful undefeated season.  We are now the two time back to back champions of intramural flag football here at Walsh U.  The road to an undefeated season wasn’t easy.  However, I won’t waste your precious time with every detail. Just know the Gods and the General embodied the spirit of a true team, showing moxy, bravado, gamesmanship, grit, perseverance, and just about any “legendary” quality on our way to a second championship title.  What’s in store for these warriors in the future you ask?  Easy, zero contracts, shoe deals, or really fanfare of any kind. Rather, we’ll take ibuprofen to nurse the embarrassing amount of injuries we’ve accrued due to flag football.  Then, who knows? Maybe a future of golf, or possibly even the more risky option of men’s summer softball. 

The Gods and The General

            On another note, did you catch the results of the 2010 midterm elections?  The road leading up to this race was full of more “political media warfare” then any midterm in our nation’s history.  The amount of seats Republicans gained in the House made for an historic swing. Regardless of what side of the political spectrum you fall under, or if you feel you can’t be labeled at all; the results of this election will affect our country now and into the future.  As a college student how does this affect you? What changes will impact your personal life? Geeze! How should I know?!

            Personally, I feel all you can hope to do is stay informed, figure out what causes you’re passionate about, and take time out of your busy life to enjoy the freedoms that our great country still affords us.  Anyway, that’s all I have for now.  If you could think of an awesome and catchy send off sentence please let me know. It would be my pleasure to steal your catch phrase and call it my own. 

As I sit here before you, my glass of red wine plays a serenade on the left and Ferrero Rocher chocolate’s impatiently stay wrapped to my right.  This moment of simple beauty makes me reflect on just how well off I am as a college student, more specifically how wonderful it is to have the opportunity of pursuing a higher education here at Walsh.  Yes midterm’s just wrapped up last week and I’m sure not all of them went so well for everybody.  However, you’re not laid off for doing poorly.  In fact this week marks a new beginning. At Walsh professors really do want to see their students do well. So if you’re struggling with something see your professor and if that’s not enough, contact student services and sign up for tutoring.  I just see no reason, moreover no excuse for students here at Walsh to ignore their academic struggles.  Your studies, which eventually lead to your future career, are very important and should be taken as such.  Hmmm not sure what that lesson (rant) was for.  Anyway you get the point. It’s just too important and simply far too expensive to not take your time in college seriously. 

   Just an obnoxious picture I found while googling “hard work.”

Ok, ok time to completely contradict what I’ve just said.  It’s my blog right?  Your education should be taken seriously and each assignment should be conducted with the passion and vigor to achieve an A+. Nevertheless, you do live only once right?  When your work is done I see nothing wrong with the motto of “working hard to play even harder.” Actually, I would argue that one can only truly enjoy themselves after a hard week’s work.  You may have fun going out every night of the week, but that ship will sail once you’re out in the real world. On the contrary, if you get in the habit of busting tail throughout the week, you’ll find yourself to be the life of the party on the weekends.  Not only the weekends, but every free “kick up your feet” moment you have will be pure ecstasy. Anyway, if you’re reading this and are older than me, thus wiser, tell me to bug off with my advice.  However, if this simple entry has resonated with you heed this advice: “Some people dream of success…while others wake up and work hard at it.”~Unknown.

Fellow college students, for this blog I’d like to discuss one of my favorite pastimes of keeping up with current events.  I do this by both watching the news and keeping up with daily articles online.  Why do I enjoy what is perceived by most students as boring and dull rather than following one of the many reality T.V. shows that clutter cable television? My answer is simple.  If you watched the news, especially on stations such as Fox or MSNBC, you’d realize that people such as Glenn Beck or Keith Olbermann can spew out crazier statements than any Mike “The Situation” pickup line.  Sorry for the second Jersey Shore reference in the last three blogs, come on…it’s hot right now!

            The main thing the news has over any given T.V. show is variety.  On a daily basis newscasters cover stories of every genre. You’ll find stories of suspense, political/celebrity scandal, and unscripted drama on local, national, and global levels.  Keeping up with this information is important. The news discusses topics that really do affect our everyday lives. 

            The hot national story as of late has been the upcoming midterm elections in November.  Even if you wanted to avoid hearing about it you couldn’t.  Seemingly every other radio and T.V. commercial is about what a particular candidate will do for you; or how a particular candidate, if elected, would bring about Armageddon.  If you think the election coverage is boring, think again.  While the big 3 news stations may not be your cup of tea, I guarantee you’d find the Daily Show or Colbert Report on Comedy Central to have some the funniest material on television.  So stay informed, enjoy the vast freedoms our Democracy allots us, and get out and vote in November!

            For this particular entry I felt it naturally fitting to write from within the Library itself.  The Brother Edmond Drouin library, as it is called, is a resource at Walsh that is definitely worth getting to know.  Yes, it may not be as grand in size or structure as libraries of bigger, publicly funded universities.  However, what it lacks in size it makes up for in coziness.  Besides, because of online library databases and e-books, e-articles, and e-journals, the oversized libraries of old have been rendered obsolete.  

                The first notable thing that the library will help you with to get by in College is its help with research.  My majors fall into the humanities category, which means I have been writing countless research papers since I started as a freshman.  Even if you are in a field where you write very little, by attending a liberal arts college you will have to do research for a paper or two somewhere down the line.  In attaining the necessary research, you can either take advantage of the various search engines at your fingertips located on the libraries online homepage, or you can ask one of the skilled librarians at hand that are more than happy to assist you with whatever question you may have. 

                The next great thing about the library is that it’s filled with what are called books? Yes books!  These books, magazines, and encyclopedias can be used as excellent secondary sources for your research or even to be read for pleasure at your leisure. Haha disregard the second half of that statement.  One of the better advantages of the library is the various quiet rooms and tables hidden away to both study and do homework at.   These hideaways are perfect for escaping the distractions of everyday dormitory life and getting down to business.  The only major qualm I have with the library isn’t the libraries fault at all.  Rather it stems from the congregation of what I termed as “Commuting library squatters,” who throughout the day sit around the main computer area and act as if the library is merely a social hall to catch up on the latest Facebook updates.  In fact, I’m dealing with that very problem right now…be quiet!!! 

             Now that I’m done venting, I’d like to share with you the hidden gem of Walsh’s library.  However, before I do you need to promise not to abuse this great wealth of knowledge I’m about to entrust with you.  The Walsh University library has a vast DVD collection of both classic and modern hits that are absolutely free to check out and enjoy!  The collection contains hits ranging from “The Sting” to newer releases such as “Public Enemies.”  Again, be responsible and timely return what you have read or viewed because I want to see it as well!  The library has assisted me with countless papers, aided me in studying for numerous tests, and has entertained me on occasion, so I hope you use this great Walsh U resource to your advantage in the future.

            At Walsh U we now just completed our third week of the fall semester and I don’t know about you, but I’m still a little overwhelmed about being back on campus. To make light of our troubles here on campus I decided to write what I believe is known as an acrostic poem, or at least that’s what Google came up with.  For your reading pleasure:

Consistently falling behind on homework no matter how hard you try.

Overdrawing from your bank account for tuition payments, book costs, and most importantly night’s out.

Learning to cope with the reality that Febreze may be the greatest invention, but that doesn’t mean it will solve all of your dorm room/apartment messes.

Living with the fact that no matter how hard you study, Mike of Jersey Shore will make more money off of calling his abdominals “The Situation” then you will with your degree.

Envying those college students, who despite astronomical costs, are seemingly at college solely to party.

Google solves every problem that Wikipedia cant.

Endlessly complaining about all of the stress you’re under as a college student, yet realizing you wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything.

Current events:

            -This upcoming Sunday marks the beginning of the fall intramural season. Good luck to your flag football, soccer, and golf teams. 

            -Again, good luck to Walsh’s various fall athletic programs currently competing and doing quite well!

Click here to listen and view relaxation personified. Dont worry about a thing…

        Are you ready for some football?  These famous words are like music to my ears.  College football kicked off the previous week and last night’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings marked the beginning of the 2010 NFL season!  For a die-hard football fan like myself the Fall can be quite the hectic time.  I mean there’s following your favorite team/s weekly, updating your fantasy football roster daily, watching Sportscenter hourly, and occasionally getting a pick-up game together with friends on the grassy knoll.  Yeah, I know what you’re thinking.  When does this guy set time aside to eat, sleep, and dare I say…do homework? Let’s not get too carried away, I eat nachos while watching the games and sleep during class. There problem solved. Boy do I make Ma and Pa proud!

        Alright, let’s now discuss something a little more serious.  Why do I get the Eerie feeling that here at Walsh U, which undoubtedly resides in the great state of Ohio, has more…(this is difficult for me to type) Stee…(No I can’t do it!), has more Steelers fans then Browns fans walking around campus??? Say it isn’t so WU!  How could it have come to this?  Sure, blame it on the lowly Browns and there streak of bad luck. Ok, ok near half century of heartbreak.  But isn’t that what being an Ohio sports fans all about?  The Indians are dead last in the Central, his “Quitness” devastated our beloved Cavaliers, yet the Brownies are 0-0 as of today and could really use your support.  Mark my words!  You don’t want to be that fan sulking in his/her front runner jersey when Ohio’s own Cleveland Browns are back on top!  Because I know there is at least one thing you can agree with me on, Ohioans know how to party!  So prove me wrong, dawn your Browns jerseys with pride this season. And if all else fails, those Ohio State Buckeyes and even Walsh Cavaliers are looking mighty unstoppable!!!  Go Browns! Go WU! Go Buckeyes!  The 2010 football season is underway…Enjoy!

            Hey Walsh U!  Back to school already?  Not only did this past summer fly by at sonic speed, but the start to this fall semester also marked the beginning of my senior year of college!  It feels like just yesterday that I was saying goodbye to my high school classmates and beginning my undergraduate journey here at Walsh.  Now I’m weighing potential career choices, going to bed at a reasonable time, and stretching before exercising to prevent injury.  Well enough with the sob story, I’m getting old and I know it.    However, what’s a 20 something to do in the midst of this faltering economy?  The job market right now is just as promising as a date going well in which you met the person on Myspace…good luck!

            I’ll tell you my personal answer, more and more schooling. I really enjoy learning and am not afraid to admit it.  School to me is “fake life” as I like to call it.  Not because it isn’t difficult, it definitely can be.  Or because you shouldn’t take your education seriously, on the contrary doing so may be the most important thing you will have done to this point in your life.  The pursuit of a college education is the one time in your life where you are in complete control of the direction of your future.  Here at Walsh you have among many other things, the ability to make lifelong friends, study abroad in various countries, and pursue a career path you find yourself to be passionate about. 

            At this point I’m going to introduce an addition to my blog which will stray from my typical philosophical jargon and will discuss current events.  My first current event is very simple.  “The Gods and the General,” which is the flag football team I play on and Reigning Champions here at Walsh University are concerned with the competitiveness of other flag football teams. Thus we are openly challenging all able body Walsh students to create a team of their own to attempt to dethrone the champions!  You can register a team at this link https://my.walsh.edu/walsh-life. Registration is due September 15^th and the season officially begins September 19^th.

Webster’s dictionary defines Procrastination as-“To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.”

(Currently checking Facebook, Twitter updates, hmmm, ESPN article on why Lebron & Co. are going to crush all opponents with a business-like demeanor in route to a NBA Championship, NICE!!!)

………………..Shoot! Already off to a bad start.  For college students I believe there is no greater love/hate relationship then the art of Procrastination.  It poses the epic question of, “to do or not to do?” Well something along those lines.  Personally, my motto is to begin every semester with the determination to keep a well balanced lifestyle of work and play. 

Upon receiving my syllabi from each class that first week I start off on fire.  Grand proclamations are made that research on my paper assignments will begin right away.  Heck, for tests I may even make flash cards and study two, dare I say three days in advance!  For me, where does this wonderful agenda begin to fall apart? Do I get caught up in partying and live a life Jersey Shore members would envy?  It may not be that drastic, but what’s wrong with a night out with a few friends every now and then? 

Yes remedying your knack for procrastinating would relieve stress and create the ideal student, but who needs a perfect world. I don’t know about you but I’d rather keep living mine wonderfully chaotic.  Finals week is approaching and beautiful summer days are on the horizon. Whether your technique is all night, last minute cramming or doing diligent work throughout the semester, I’d like to wish you good luck on your upcoming finals.