Almost done

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Our volleyball girls are heading to NATIONALS this weekend!!! The games start Thursday evening and the final game is on Saturday. They are being held in Ohio this year which is pretty cool for us students because it is only a 4 hour drive to get down there. I know that me and a few of my friends are going to head down on Saturday for sure and possibly even Friday into Saturday. I am sooooo excited for the girls! I know that they will sweep the bracket and if a bunch of Juniata students are able to go it will be even better. The girls know that the school is always behind them but it never hurts to have the loudest fan section.

Other than Nationals this weekend, students are talking about Thanksgiving break. It’s coming up next Wednesday and I think everyone is just ready for a break from schoolwork. It also doesn’t help that everyone wants to eat a home-cooked meal and watch football. Besides Christmas, Thanksgiving is the best day of the year…….Dallas Cowboys and Grandma’s mashed potatoes!!!!!!

 I really think that the rest of the semester is seriously going to fly by because Madrigal is the weekend we get back from Thanksgiving and then there is only one more week of classes after that!!!!!! That is crazy. It is almost scary because then I only have one more semester before I graduate and have to go out into the real world, I really hope that next semester goes by a little slower.

Sporcle

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So when you’re sitting in the library writing a paper that has to be a million pages long sometimes you need a break or you have an hour in between classes and reading is the last thing you want to do. The internet is an amazing thing but it can be bad at the same time. The internet has allowed people to become addicted to the most random things ever.

The common trend at Juniata is www.sporcle.com. Every time I walk into the library, I see at least two or three people sporcling. It’s actually pretty entertaining to hear a small group of people shouting out names of holidays or U.S. states. The website consists of mentally stimulating diversions. There are a ton of games to play and they only take a few minutes each. The problem comes from the addiction to the games. We, as students, think that we can take a five minute break from our paper writing and play one of the games but before we know it we have been playing for 30 minutes. The games are addicting because they challenge you and you know that you know the answers but can’t always think of them. Some of the music, movie, and television games are pretty neat because they take you back to your childhood. For example, there is a game that makes you list all of the Disney movies. There is always that one that you forget about!

Sporcle can be educational without us even realizing it. The all time most popular games are as follows: (1) U.S. States (2) U.S. Presidents (3) Countries of Europe (4) Countries of the World (5) Three letter body parts. As you can see, Sporcle players are choosing history games over any other games. There are also science games like name the elements of the periodic table. Literature games consist of options like famous authors or Shakespeare plays. It even has religion games like the 5 Pillars of Islam and the 7 Catholic Sacraments. You can also play miscellaneous games like seven dirty words, fast food restaurants, and famous foursomes. And if you’re interested in sports you can play 1^st round quarterbacks or 300 win pitchers.

In a nut shell, there isn’t a brain-teasing thing that you can’t find on Sporcle! If you don’t want to get addicted don’t try it!

Job Preparation

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I know it’s only the fall semester of my senior year but I feel like it’s not too early to start my job search. Lately I have been a little nervous about not acquiring a job before graduation in May. I have always wanted to move to a big city or another state after graduation but if I am unable to find a job in the area I won’t be able to move. Some graduates prefer to live with their parents for a year or two after graduating to save up some money but I really want a new scenery and am afraid that if I move back home that I will make to many ties to home (Altoona) which will prevent me to move out of Central Pennsylvania in the future.

In attempt to find possible employers for myself, I attend the WestPAC job fair at the Monroeville Convention Center. Prior to the fair, I knew that there would be a little over 100 companies being represented. I went to the fair’s webpage and research the companies in attendance to figure out which ones I would like to approach. After I did this I made sure that I knew enough about the company that I could have a small conversation with the company’s representative.

I have never went to a job fair as big or important as this one before so I wasn’t sure how beneficial it would be to me but I am soooo glad that I went. I would suggest job fairs such as this one to all students! They allow students to make face-to-face contacts with people that have experience and a lot of contacts. If these employers can’t help you, they may know someone who can. Also, if you prepare for the fair appropriately you can make a lasting impression on the representatives that could land you a job!

Even underclassmen can benefit from job fairs. At this specific fair there were several companies that were also looking for students that would like to intern for the summer. This would be a key way to get into a company and if you perform to meet their expectations you could even be hired after graduating. I really wish I would have gone to this fair in previous years. Even if you are not looking for an internship you could always talk to representatives of the companies you’re interested in and then return to speak with them again your senior year. This way they will know that you are serious about acquiring a position at their firm.

Overall, ATTEND JOB FAIRS!!!!!! They can only help your future

Homecoming & Halloween Wkd

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This past weekend was so crazy! You couldn’t have been bored, there was so much to do on campus!! Not only was it homecoming and family weekend but everyone was also celebrating Halloween. Campus was sooo packed and parking was a little but of a problem. The bars were so packed with alumni that there was a wait outside of Memories just to get in. And you definitely couldn’t even try to get a reservation at Mimi’s because it was booked for the weekend about two months ago.

On Friday, SPEAK hosted the soap box speeches and the Juniata Theatre held a showing of Twelfth Night. JAB held a Halloween bingo in Ellis. I didn’t go to this but some of my friends did and they said that it was a pretty good time. After bingo some people went to see the Friday Night Live comedian, Dan Cummins. Other students visited with their parents who traveled in for family weekend.

On Saturday, the football team played John Hopkins. This was the senior game and a gold rush. There were prizes given to the best “gold” dressed and the first to kick a field goal at half-time. There was also a soccer game which was their senior game as well. Saturday night Juniata Presents held 500 Clown Frankenstein and then their was a costume competition after the show. Some students went to the show and many others celebrated Halloween by dressing up and hanging out in East.

The costumes Saturday night were so funny. Me and my roommates dressed up as different kinds of sharks. There were also groups of teletubbies, umpa lumpas, wrestlers, and a ton others. Some individuals dressed up as tin men, a variety of animals, and one kid was Oscar the grouch with a trash can and all! Some people pulled off different celebrities too. I would have had a good time just walking around and looking at everyones costumes haha.

DIG PINK

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Fall is coming to an end and we all know what this means…..the end of all the fall sports. For senior athletes, this is an extremely happy and sad time. For the underclassman, they are mentally preparing themselves for conditioning with Coach Smith in their off season.

The women’s volleyball has especially outdone themselves recently. On Tuesday they played California University of Pennsylvania which is a Division II team. Last year our girls struggled when we played Cal U but we beat them Tuesday 3-1.

Also, Larry Bock (head coach) has recently reached 1,200 wins with the Juniata team. He really might be the best volleyball coach ever!!!! Way to go!

In spirit of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the volleyball team with host Dig Pink tonight at their game against Carnegie Mellon. The team has sold a ton of bright pink t-shirts to faculty, students, and family. The t-shirts are pretty sweet……this years logo is “Save second base”… last years was “Feel your boobies.” So tonight at the game the stands will be full of bright pink The team has also planned a Dig Pink Dance for tomorrow evening after they host York at 11 and Geneva at 5. They are charging three dollars for admission and girls are also able to donate bras to the cause.

Good Luck tonight and tomorrow girls!

Midterm Week

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This week is midterm week and if you step foot on campus you can tell. The library is packed and the students all look drained. The weather doesn’t really help either; it feels like winter out there. I feel like everyone has a sinus infection or strep throat. I feel bad for nurse Connie, she is extremely busy at the Health and Wellness Center. We even had a couple of cases of the Swine Flu on campus but they were properly taken care of thank goodness.

I will never understand why every professor thinks that he or she should have an assignment or schedule a test the week before fall break. Sometimes I think that each professor thinks that their class is the only one that students have. I guess in the long run the loaded week helps us with time management but it really stinks when the weeks are crazy busy. The hard part is finding time to get a good nights sleep. I have been trying to get as much sleep as I can to get over this sinus infection but I feel like there is no time to think about sleep. I guess that’s what fall break is for; not only does everyone bring back their winter clothes, they probably sleep for 12 hours a day. Sounds pretty good to me

If your an alum, you more than likely know exactly what I’m talking about and I’m sure students wouldn’t mind hearing any suggestions you have to get through crazy weeks. If your a student, stay warm and drink lots of fluids because if your not sick you definitely don’t want to get sick!

Growing up :(

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So I had a ton of realizations this weekend. For one, it really hit me that we are all getting older and older and there is nothing we can do about it; all things are no longer innocent and we have to be ready to deal with adult issues everyday. When in high school, people think they are surrounded by a million amazing friends and usually make plans in the evenings to hang out with them. At some point in college, you realize what a true friend really is and know that you are blessed to have them.

After the football game on Saturday, I went to Memories with two of my best friends and we were chating about the game. Alysen asked me what I am going to do with my Saturday afternoons after football season and it hit me that after this year I won’t ever cheer again. Cheerleading has always been a part of me and it is going to be extremely weird to come back to Juniata as an alumni to sit in the stands to watch a football game.

Another big realization that I had this weekend was the fact that I am entering the “real world” in less than eight months and I don’t have any clue where I will end up. I know what I want to do in my future but have no specific idea of where I would like to relocate. With the economy I will more than likely go where I have a job offer rather than move to my ideal environment (the beach!). I think the scariest thing about this transition is that I may end up moving to an area where I might not know anyone. I think it would be exciting to meet new people and see new faces but when I am getting settled in I would rather have someone close to me near by.

I also volunteered at the Special Olympics, on campus, this weekend. When I was there, a participating athlete asked me for a hug and I will never forget his face when I agreed. Sometimes the smallest kind gestures can be just as rewarding to you as they are to those receiving them; don’t ever forget that you have the ability to make someone elses day wonderful. I will never understand those who only live to please themselves but trust me, you will find satisfaction in helping others.

Overall, there are so many changes occuring and only more to come. I think it’s important to look at them as opportunities.

Fall Fun

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The cold weather is kicking in and the school work is piling up. Don’t stress out and lock yourself in the library, here are some fun fall things to do around Huntingdon.

**To begin the perfect fall you should definitely decorate for Halloween! You can always go to JB Tree Farm, on route 22 towards Altoona, to pick pumpkins and carve them. The best thing about the fall is pumpkin carving :)…it’s a reason to get gooey and be a kid again! The tree farm also has a corn field maze that you could check out.

**Lincoln Caverns, also on route 22 towards Altoona, has haunted trails every fall. They are always fun and the Caverns are a must see attraction before you graduate.

**1,000 steps is absolutely gorgeous in the fall. From the top, you can see all of the changing leaves on the surrounding mountains. Make sure you don’t forget your camera for this one! They are located on route 22 towards Mount Union.

**The Cliffs, behind BAC, are the most peaceful place around here! It’s nice to read up there or to just go to get away and enjoy the scenery; you can see for miles.

**If you need a break on Saturday afternoons, you can always go to Knox stadium to watch the football team or the east fields to see a rugby game.

** On Sundays, have an NFL party. You can’t go wrong with food, football, and friends! Maybe you could even make the Hershey Gridiron Cake (link below). And don’t forget to root for the Cowboys

**It’s also the perfect time of year to have bon fires and to go fishing or biking.

http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/detail.asp?id=6005&page=13&per=25

It finally came :)

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Tigers Mouth!!!

Shelby and Megan Boxing

Jane and Tarzan

Mountain Day finally came!!!! It was yesterday, Oct 1st. Students started wondering if it was going to be canceled this year because it ended up being so late in the semester. But after word got out on Wednesday that it would be the following day, everyone began celebrating. The bar was packed and east was loud! We realized that if it wasn’t Thursday that there just wouldn’t be a Mountain Day.

So since I live off-campus I was not able to hear the air horns and pots and pans at 4:30am. Believe it or not, I kinda missed it but my roommate’s sister lives in South and she texted us to tell us that it was Mountain Day. We did not believe her at first because JAB did not send an email out until a little before 8am. Some students that live off-campus started getting ready for class because they didn’t get the email and they had class at 8am. This was a little crazy but after everyone realized that it was indeed Mountain Day we all had a blast!

 They had a jungle theme this year. The first 200 students received an animal print slap bracelet. I haven’t had one of these since I was a kid; I loved it! We even were able to take pictures in a lions mouth. As soon as we got there, me and my roommates went to get temporary tattoos; I got a flaming football on my calf. Some of my friends got into the blow-up boxing ring and duked it out; the gloves were huge!!! Others raced up the inflatable rope pull. They also had tye dying, canoeing, and a slip-n-slide. And even though it was freezing out, students still went down the slide! The first person down it in a speedo received a gift card for Sheetz. After we ate, a bunch of us walked over to the Marina to check out the carp. Most of my friends aren’t from around here so they have never seen the intense amount of fish that swim right off the dock. Afterwards we all started playing a game of football on the lawn to warm up a bit. On the way home we stopped at Donna’s for some coffee and an early dinner. Overall, the day was a blast! It was nice to act like a kid again

What was your favorite Mountain Day experience?

Why Juniata?

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So the other day, me and my roommate were talking about how we went about choosing where to attend college. I never really thought about others reasons for attending Juniata until our conversation. When I was a junior in high school, I had a teacher who graduated from Juniata and always told me that I would love it here. I never really paid any attention to his persistence until the following summer. I figured that I should at least drive up to the campus and check it out. As soon as I saw the campus and walked around, I knew that I wanted to come here and scheduled a meeting with the admissions office.

My roommate, Shelby, has a total different reasoning for attending. She originally didn’t want to even apply because her mom graduated from Juniata and always pushed the school on her. She would tell her all of her best memories and all about the traditions of the college. So to please her mom, Shelby said that she would visit the college and then evaluate it. After her visit, Shelby decided that she would love to attend Juniata. She loved the small town atmosphere because she would feel safe anywhere she went. Also, she would be a name and not a number in the classroom. Most of all, she liked the fact that she would have the opportunity to be a part of a sports team and still have a social life.

So the day after our conversation, I asked a few others why they decided on Juniata:

Rachael…”I came to Juniata because I knew it held high academic standards and I would have the chance to play softball too. So I knew I was going to get a good education and still be able to play ball, which is something I couldn’t live without.”

Tyler…”I was recruited for football, the appeal of the campus, and the closeness to home (1.5 hours).”

Kaity…”I came to Juniata because of the high acceptance rate to med school, its size, and it is far enough but not too far from home.”

Alyssa…”I have a lot of family that graduated from Juniata, it has a great science program, and I could play softball.”

Megan…”I came to Juniata because it has a really good study abroad program. It is also located close to where I grew up so if I need anything, it is easy to get it. Also, I really like the idea of a small college where I could be a student and not just another number. My brother also attends so having someone already on campus that I knew helped me to feel more comfortable in a new environment.”

Nikki…”I originally came to Juniata because they are nationally ranked for their biology program and I would have the opportunity to play soccer. I am no longer a biology major.”

Elise…”I came because I was offered a nice size scholarship and they kept in contact with me throughout my senior year.”

Kelsey…”I would be able to cheer and I like how involved the staff is with the students.”

Andrew…”I came to Juniata because it is a nice rural campus and had everything I needed. I could play football, hunt & fish, and it is not too far from home.”

Kelly…”I was recruited for basketball and loved the mountains. I also liked the idea of a small school and the personal one on one with teachers.”

Why did you choose Juniata?