At lunch the other day, I asked my friend if she had any regrets about college, and she said, “No.”

I, on the other hand, rattled off a list of regrets. I wish I had also minored in history, joined Knight Radio, took a painting or drawing class, and joined the choir. However, between two majors, a concentration, a minor, acting in plays, editing the student newspaper, and a job, I just couldn’t fit everything in.

My regrets should be taken with a grain of salt, considering I graduate in ten days and all I can think about is wanting another four years in college, this college. Luckily, as part of the Division of Arts & Letters, I had a lot of freedom to accomplish most of my goals and dreams for college.

Just past the atrium of MST, and tucked into a hallway near The View, is the Arts & Letters Division. In both places, you’ll find professors who might intimidate you with their extensive vocabularies and knowledge of James Joyce and Tennessee Williams, but who will also make you laugh, think, and excel. These professors are not going to mold your mind, they’re going to expand it.

For the past four years, I have been fortunate enough to call myself an English and communications major, as well as a theatre minor. I have been lucky enough to be instructed by Sr. Catherine Walsh, Dr. Sulit, Professor Beard, Dr. Cotter, Dr. Shea, Professor Phillips, Dr. Witkowsky, Dr. Entrekin, and Dr. Von Rosk. There were times when I cursed these teachers because I put off a paper until the last minute and blamed them, and there were times I praised these professors for helping me or for giving an easy extra credit question on the midterm. There have been times where I’ve had nervous breakdowns over things I thought to be catastrophic, only to have Dr. Sulit sort it out calmly or Sr. Catherine fix it in three seconds. Even the professors I haven’t had class with smile and say hello in the halls.

While I may be joking about my regrets, I will never regret any of the Arts & Letters classes that I’ve taken. I recommend that everyone take an Arts & Letters class, whether it’s Acting, News Writing, Plays of Tennessee Williams, Literature for Young Adults, Choir, Public Speaking, or Creative Writing. Take a class that will make you think with a professor that will make you enjoy it.

Graduating from the Mount will be difficult, but graduating from Arts & Letters will be excruciating.

Erin-Therese Vecchi, class of 2013, is an English and communications major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in theatre from Levittown, NY. Erin is a co-managing editor for the Mount’s student newspaper, Mount Messenger.

I hope you can see how happy I am in the above picture, because the memory behind that image is marvelous; I still get happy each time I look at it. Several emotions come to mind when I stare, but it’s predominantly the traces of that specific day that dictates. There were many happy faces, beautiful linens, prints of scarves, the flash of a DSLR going off every few minutes, and unity among students. But before I jump into the reason behind my happiness and divulge the story I have for you, I want to share an important fact about me: I hate to idle, hence my activity on campus and my exhausting resume.

Truthfully, it’s the reason why I’ve triumphed from the low and indecisive period I had during the first semester of my freshman year. I constantly asked myself, “What is there to do here? Where are the events?” Now that I am in the second semester of my freshman year, my questions have changed to, “When will I get a break to sleep?” or, as my roommate harmlessly teases, “What time will you come off of Pilot-shift?” I’m always on the go.

The wave of my campus activity began when the bi-annual club fair arrived during my first week of school. This event is a promotional period that displays the unions and clubs here at the Mount, and I knew it would be a good place to discover the offerings of my campus. I signed my name up to clubs that genuinely appealed to my interest, and that indicated a potential challenge. Among the clubs I signed up for was the Muslim Student Association, lead by my friend, senior Nadirah Muhammad. Although I am Christian, I do have a connection to Islam through my paternal side, in addition to practicing it as a child. One of the biggest events that MSA does annually is the Hijab Challenge.

Above, from left: Students Asma Neblett ’16, Anita Ali ’14, Nadirah Muhammad ’13

A Hijab is a headscarf worn by the women of Islam to display modesty and to represent oneself for who they are, without any superficial additions. Nadirah wears her Hijab daily in a variety of eclectic, colorful, and sometimes neutral styles. Most people on campus can testify to how fabulous the colors and prints of her Hijabs are, so my excitement was through the roof when the day approached to wear my own. We were in front of the View (the main dinning hall), passing out free scarves and tying them in different styles (like mine pictured above or MSA club member, Anita’s).

Although the scarves went like hot cakes and folks read lovely flyers about Islam, the challenge wasn’t wearing the Hijabs – that was the bonus, in my opinion; it was practicing some rules of Islam for twenty-four hours straight. The rules challenged all participants, including yours truly. No cursing, no physical contact with your significant other (unless you’re married), no pork, no taking off the Hijab in public, and have fun.

We learned so much about ourselves when we chose to abstain from these daily activities; significantly, I learned more about the religious tolerance that exists here on campus. As a Dominican Order college with Catholic roots, it’s profound to witness how open the Mount community is to all demographics. I was so happy to have supported the Hijab Challenge, and to witness my fellow Knights on campus embrace that event. And I won’t lie, I felt kind of fly placing my waist long braids into a beautiful scarf for a day. It’s truly a challenge to maintain daily, but that’s another story for another blog entry!

Asma Neblett, class of 2016, is a communications major with a concentration in journalism from Port Jefferson, New York.

You’ve probably seen all the flyers, the articles, and the ads for studying abroad. You may have even complained about those people who talk non-stop about their experiences abroad. Well, I have to confess that it will not stop. Once you study abroad, life becomes more exciting, and speaking about it is the only way to travel back. However, there is a reason to all this madness; otherwise, I would not be writing this to annoy you even more.

Studying abroad is a life changing experience. While studying abroad in Granada, Spain, I realized something: there is a difference between vacationing and actually living somewhere. When visiting a country for vacation, you do not get to experience the culture, the places, and the people. A majority of vacation time is spent visiting the touristy places and ordering food similar to our own. While living in Granada for almost five months, I immersed myself in the culture, so that by the end of the experience, I felt I was part of the Spanish culture. Besides the touristy places, I visited the local area and met local people. I spoke Spanish 24/7 with my host mom and I ate authentic Spanish food which was a huge plus. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to understand another country’s government, social problems, and traditions.

Why is this important? Learning to understand and interact with a different culture helps us to work better in a diverse environment. The ability to speak a different language helps you to become more aware of the world. In other words, you will become worldly and more marketable.

Embracing differences is rarely negative; in fact, it often strengthens and broadens our knowledge and skills. Another positive about studying abroad is that it teaches you to appreciate other cultures. I always knew I wanted to study abroad. Learning about other cultures always fascinated me. When I went to Spain, I was open to experience something different than my own. In fact, while in Granada, I participated in the University theater group, I volunteered in a senior center, I took flamenco classes, and on top of that, I was a full-time student at the university. The result: the best experience of my life so far.

Studying abroad will ultimately enrich you with adventures and a great sense of independence. One thing I discovered in my journey abroad was my identity. There were many times when I reflected about my life, my goals, and where I was heading. I am clearer on where I want to go now. It was a journey full of surprises, challenges, and happiness.

Do not be afraid of the unknown. Go to the Study Abroad Office and learn more about what they offer. Search programs and talk to your relatives. Who knows, next year you might be on a plane going abroad for an amazing journey!

Liliana Peralta-Zapata, class of 2014, is a public relations major with a double minor in theatre and Hispanic studies from the Bronx, New York.

Above: Photos from the 13th Annual Employment Fair on March 27, 2013

As someone graduating in the very near future, the idea of finding a job keeps me up at night. I was lucky to get an amazing education, but soon I will have an amazing amount of education loans. Fortunately, the Mount’s Career Center teaches you how to fly before being kicked out of your comfy nest.

There is a magical place in Aquinas Hall called the Career Center. There, you will find fairy internship and career godmothers like Mrs. O’Keefe and Mrs. Nolan, who will turn your resume from a pumpkin into a Rolls-Royce. Mrs. O’Keefe and Mrs. Nolan have spent hours upon hours with me building up my resume, teaching me interview etiquette, and matching me with internships that I will find useful and enjoyable. You can walk into the Career Center in a panic over your future and walk out with several internship possibilities and a newfound confidence. The Career Center offers countless programs to help students every step of the way so that the transition from college to the working world is a smooth one.

As an English major, I cringe when I am asked, “What grade do you want to teach?” Teaching is an admirable profession, but not all English majors want to go into education. This year, the Career Center and the Division of Arts and Letters sponsored a program called Careers for English Majors. The panel was comprised of a journalist, technical writer, advertising and business writer, and a book publisher. The panelists graciously answered all questions and put many worries to rest. This is just one example of the many, many programs offered to help get students on the right career path.

On March 27, 2013, the Career Center hosted their 13th Annual Employment Fair. Businesses from all over the Hudson Valley and New York City gathered in the Kaplan Recreation Center to network, provide information, and broaden student’s possibilities and ideas. This was the perfect opportunity to meet employers face-to-face and hand out resumes. You can go into the Employment Fair set on meeting one specific employer and find yourself happily leaving with six business cards and an interview for next week. The employers are friendly and they very obviously want to help.

By the time you leave the Mount, you should have a full resume, interview suit, and the confidence to walk up to any interviewer and shake their hand. With the Career Center in your corner, you’ll be able to jump from the nest before you’re kicked out of it.

Erin-Therese Vecchi, class of 2013, is an English and communications major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in theatre from Levittown, NY. Erin is a co-managing editor for the Mount’s student newspaper, Mount Messenger.

A friend once told me that I would know what college I should go to the second I stepped on the campus. She was right. The first time I visited the Mount, I felt at home. I remember thinking on the tour, “I could live in Sakac,” “I’ll get Jazzman’s before every morning class,” and “I love small class sizes!”

On my first day, I made friends with a senior who loaned me ten cents for tea. That senior told me when auditions were for the play and encouraged me to try out. I had gone to a high school that was big on theatre and couldn’t wait to get on stage again. I got a role in The Trojan Women and couldn’t have been more excited. I carried my script with me everywhere and made my suite mates run lines with me every day. I made more friends, who I’m lucky to still call friends now four years later. I made the second play, too, and was lucky enough to meet the playwright. This cast was even bigger, which meant more friends and more fun! I had an absolute blast freshman year and had to be dragged out of Sakac for summer break.

I decided not to do the play in the fall semester of my sophomore year because I took on a heavy course load. One piece of advice: watching Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t mean you will be good at chemistry. Fall semester of sophomore year was the worst time in my college experience. I still had my theatre friends from freshman year, but they were always at rehearsal or running lines with each other. I felt completely isolated. I never realized how accurate statistics were before, but it’s true that participating in the arts makes you a better student. That semester was my lowest in academics. (I bombed chemistry, but it wasn’t my professor’s fault; he was great.) I would cry to my mom on the phone that I just wanted to come home. By January, I had submitted my application and transcripts to a school closer to home. I was leaving the Mount.

Photo Credit: Erin-Therese Vecchi

Before I left, I wanted to do one more play. I got a role in The Imaginary Invalid that spring. My life went from tragic to dramatic — in a good way! Every weekend, I was back at tech to help build the sets and make costumes. Every night, I was at rehearsal. I felt like I finally found my home again on campus. After the show, Professor Phillips and his wife hosted a barbecue for the cast. Everyone sat around the table like one big family, talking, eating, laughing and picking on one another for hours. This would never happen if I went to a bigger school. Am I really going to find this family anywhere else? Obviously, you know the ending. I decided to stay and have been thankful every day since. I have to credit the Arts and Letters Division for helping me make my decision to stay. I’m pretty sure I have stopped to receive help from or just shoot the breeze with every professor in the division at some point in my four years. Arts and Letters encapsulates the word ‘family.’

Being a part of theatre at the Mount has been the best part of college for me. I never sit in the cafeteria alone and, because there are so many majors involved in theatre, I haven’t failed a class since chemistry because there is always someone to help. Sometimes, I feel bad for Professor Phillips, because us theatre kids don’t leave him alone. Nobody involved in theatre can pass by his office without having to stop and talk, ask for advice, or complain about their day. I’m pretty sure I have taken most of his classes with the rest of my theatre friends, so there really is no escaping us. But joking aside, Professor Phillips’ door remains open and everyone is always welcome.

I said ‘yes’ to the Mount twice — once when I was formally accepted, and again when I felt accepted. Not everyone wants to be on stage, but there are so many roles in theatre (pun intended). There are nursing majors, IT majors, math majors, Hispanic studies majors, and many more gracing the Aquinas stage every semester. When I look back at my four years at the Mount, I probably won’t remember every book I read or every ‘A’ that I got, but I will remember my theatre family, the day I learned to use a power drill at tech, the butterflies on opening night, and how happy I was at 7 pm every Monday through Thursday at rehearsal.

Erin-Therese Vecchi, class of 2013, is an English and communications major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in theatre from Levittown, NY. In addition to being active in theatre, Erin is also a co-managing editor for the Mount’s student newspaper, Mount Messenger.

The past two weeks have been relatively hectic, but I am finally done with my first set of term assignments. I have also started constructing my final papers which are due at the end of term today. What have I been up to you might ask? Besides editing and revising my assignments, I have been embarking on a few exciting adventures.

I recently took a tour of the Chelsea Football Club, and no, this is not American Football.  I got to go out near the pitch and learn about how football began. Although I am not an avid fan, it was an amazing experience to see a stadium of such magnitude in London.

I also explored the streets of South Kensington and found my dream home on Queensbury Avenue. I went to the fashion exhibit in the Victoria and Albert Museum while in South Kensington, and got in touch with my inner musician while touring the Arts and Performance exhibit, where I saw Beatles memorabilia and one of the first Pink Floyd records. The V&A museum is one of my favorite museums in the world.

I’ve also been learning the art of Rugby. I’ve been watching many of the Six Nations games and, with the help of my friends in the UK, I am learning how the game works.

The most exciting day that I have had thus far has been a day where I went to London all on my own. I bought tickets to see the award-winning play One Man Two Guvnors, and I took the train in early to London Town where my adventures were just beginning. I took the tube from London Paddington to Oxford Street, and then decided to get lost. Somehow I ended up in Hyde Park. I then took the tube again back to Oxford Street and walked to Regent Street, where I bought my brother’s birthday gift in Hamley’s, one of Europe’s oldest toy shops.

I then decided to walk to Westminster Abbey and take a tour. The Abbey is beautiful. I was able to stand among some of the greatest leaders, writers, and thinkers of all time. It was interesting to see how another faith works and how it is similar to my own. Being in the presence of Queen Elizabeth I and Geoffrey Chaucer was absolutely amazing.

After touring Westminster, I took another tube north to the British Library. My Shakespeare professor at the University told me it is the one thing that I should see in London before I leave. I did not realize how right she was until I was standing in front of Jane Austen’s writing desk, which is located in the treasure room in the library. I must admit, it brought me to tears. I also got to see the Magna Carta and one of the first manuscripts of Beowulf. As I walked out of the British Library, I didn’t realize that I was standing near one of the landmarks in Britain that seriously changed my life.

The British Library is located next to Kings Cross Station. The station where Mr. Potter boards Platform 9 3/4. I walked past the station but didn’t go in because I plan to go again with a few of my friends. I want to enjoy it with other Potter fans. Instead, I traveled to the National Portrait Gallery where my breath was taken away by portraits of Princess Diana, Prince Charles, and Cassandra Austen’s Portrait of Jane. I even saw the Dutchess of Cambridge’s portrait which was very well presented. I think my favorite was the portrait of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Then it was off to the theatre. I met some of the nicest individuals in the theatre and the person I was sitting next to was a director and professor of theatre from the States. We talked of London and he told me the productions that he was to see and even gave me a few recommendations. The performance was wonderful and my last adventure of the day was the race from Trafalgar Square to London Paddington. London is a quiet city after dark. I think this is what makes it so beautiful at night.

On Saturday, I went to visit the Queen at Windsor Castle (and, no, I did not have a private audience with Her Royal Highness). I did, however, have the chance to marvel at Queen Mary’s Doll House, and say a prayer in front of the graves of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in St. George’s Chapel. King George VI is one of my heroes because of the obstacles he overcame to be the best possible king. I also found an antique bookshop in Windsor, or rather in Eton, where I found a rare edition of Northanger Abbey, one of my favorite Jane Austen novels. Surprisingly it was not expensive and it now sits on the bookshelf in my room.

Other than those adventures, things have been quite serene in Reading. I’ll write again soon. Thanks for reading about my adventures in Reading!

Cheers,
Steph

Stephanie Weaver, class of 2014, is an English major from Rockville Centre, NY. She is spending her spring 2013 semester studying abroad – and blogging about her adventures – in Reading, England.

Mount student Jillian Torre is currently studying abroad in London, England for the spring 2013 semester.

One of my favorite things about living in London is its proximity to everywhere else in Europe. Where else in the world are there so many different cultures, all with their own unique history, sandwiched into such a small geographical space? I came here fully intent on seeing as many of the world’s greatest cities as possible, and blowing every last cent in the process. I quickly booked trips to Italy, Scotland, Paris, Greece, and Ireland. I didn’t expect the start of my travels to come so quickly, but sure enough, Venice has come and gone.

My fellow travelers and I were definitely thrown some curveballs throughout our trip, but those only added to our entire experience. I packed four days of stuff into a severely tiny Vera Bradley backpack. (After this trip, I invested in a “backpacker’s backpack.”) I woke up at 3 am to catch a 6:30 flight Milan. After landing at Malpensa Airport, my group took a train to the city’s center. Once we got off the train and stepped out into Milan, I was in disbelief. “Oh my gosh, we’re in Italy! I can’t believe we are in Italy!” I repeated over and over again. I’m pretty sure my friends were getting annoyed by my obnoxious excitement.

The next few hours were spent walking about Milan. Within the first two hours, I was able to cross “eat pizza in Italy” off my bucket list. The restaurant was a huge tourist trap. There was even a boy who looked as if he’d just stepped out of Mary-Kate and Ashley’s “When in Rome” standing outside trying to sell the restaurant to us; but the food was out of this world none-the-less. After spending the day exploring the fashion capital of the world, we headed for the train to Venice, but not without stopping for what would be the first of many gelatos.

Upon arrival in Venice, I was running purely on adrenaline. My back hurt from carrying my bag all day and I was exhausted from going non-stop since 3 am, but none of that mattered because I was in Venice! We bought our transportation passes for the weekend and tried to find the right bus that would take us off the island of Venice and to the restaurant where we planned to meet two girls from our group. Before I continue, let me say that Venice possibly has the most unorganized bus system of anywhere in the world. It doesn’t tell you where the bus is stopping or what stop is what, and they never check for tickets. Hearing from many people that Italians are some of the friendliest people ever, I asked a local girl if she knew where our stop was. Of course, she told us that we were on the wrong bus. We got off at the next stop only to find out that we were on the right bus all along. But now we were off of the island, in Venice, on a fairly dark and uninhabited street at 9:30 pm in a foreign country. Did I mention I had the only internationally working phone? We had no way of reaching our friends to let them know we were lost.

After two hours of getting on and off three different buses, walking over two miles, and getting pizza from the only open place we could find, we were able to get a hold of Maurizio, the landlord of the apartment we were renting. Maurizio had met our friends at the restaurant as planned and brought them back to our temporary Italian villa. He was kind enough to make a second trip to find us and drive us back to safety. Once the door opened to the apartment, there was a series of running hugs as we were reunited with our friends. Our journey was scary in the moment, but I now look back at it as one of those funny travel memories filled with a bunch of obstacles.

On day two, we rose early to begin our time in Venice. Maurizio kindly offered to give us a lift to the bust stop, but made a detour to the main house on his property where he showed us his huge screened-in porch, where he likes to host parties for his guests in the summer, and a liter of week old puppies. Us being girls, we went crazy over the puppies. Staying in a local’s apartment may not have been the most traditional way of traveling to another country, but it added something to our trip that a hotel or hostel would not have been able to. We got to see first-hand what real Italian country life is like and we received the amazing hospitality that Italy is known for.

The remainder of the day was spent walking around and exploring the city. We were so immersed in the island’s beauty that every time we walked over a bridge, we all stopped to take pictures. I probably took multiple photos of the same place without realizing it. For breakfast, we found an adorable Italian bakery with the most delicious pastries.

The weekend we visited also happened to be Carnevale di Venezia. People everywhere were wearing masks and others were dressed in elaborate costumes. Most wore elegant gowns and attire from the 16th and 17thcenturies, but every now and then I saw a herd of cows or the Simpsons. Of course, I had to jump on the bandwagon and buy a carnevale mask.

Our next day was a little more structured. We started our morning at the same bakery as the first day and then we were off on the Vaporetto dell’ Arte, a boat tour up the Grand Canal. The view of Venice’s colorful buildings from the canal was amazing! I have never seen a more vibrant and gorgeous city. Afterwards, we went inside the famous Saint Mark’s Basilica. The walls of the basilica were completely covered in the most breathtaking paintings.

Next up on our itinerary was a gondola ride. How could I possibly go to Venice and miss out on the gondolas? Our gondolier, Christian, was another quintessential friendly and outgoing Italian. He sang to us a bit, but mainly answered our questions about his life in Italy. We learned that he has been a gondolier for 20 years and would love to visit the states. New York is the number one place he’d like to visit, so he was very excited when my sister and I told him all about it.

That night, we ate our last dinner in Italy and savored every bite. Before we headed back, we stopped for cannolis and wine to take back to the apartment. As soon as we tried to head back to the bus station it began to rain, thunder, and lightening. We were all in a panic because we had no shelter and couldn’t find our way back to the bus. A little elderly man saw us looking lost and, in generous Italian fashion, asked us if we needed directions. By the time we reached the bus it was snowing, too. I will forever remember Venice as the place that had thunder, lightening, and snow all within the same hour.

The next morning, we only had a few hours before our flight home so we said our goodbyes to our guardian angel and new friend, Maurizio, and our Italian villa. We decided to spend the last of our time in Venice bidding adieu to the food. Within two hours, we had an entire day’s worth of food: Italian pastries, an entire pizza with wine, and gelato. These foods summed up our time in Italy so we felt it was only right to end our trip with them.

Before I knew it, we were on the plane and heading back to London. I am so grateful to have been able to experience Italy’s culture, people, and food. I hope to make it back there soon but, until then, arrivederci Italia!

Jillian Torre, class of 2014, is a public relations and journalism major from Bohemia, NY. Jillian is the photo editor for the student newspaper, Mount Messenger.

In day to day life, everybody has their roles. Take the Mount, for instance; some people on campus can say “I am a student,” “I am a professor,” or “I am an athlete,” and everybody is defined by those roles.

One of the truly amazing things about being an actor is being able to say, “I am (blank).”

From an actor’s perspective, everything changes when I’m on stage. In those moments, when an audience member is looking at me and believing in everything I do or say, the options are limitless. I can be a charming neurologist, a doting father, a supernatural serial killer, and everything in between. Every performance is an expression of art that can never be reproduced and will never be witnessed outside of the moments when they exist. It is for these reasons and more that I find Mount Saint Mary College theatre to be a unique and exciting experience.

It is through theatre and drama club that I was able to find fantastic friends that I could create memorable moments with, both on and off stage. At this point in my life, I can’t imagine a future that doesn’t include theatre or the people I have met because of theatre.

For all those who are possibly interested, there are many ways to get involved with productions at school. Each semester, the theatre program holds auditions and new students are more than encouraged to join. Also, I am an officer of Different Stages, the student-run drama club, and we are always welcoming new members. If anybody wants to get involved but doesn’t know how, contact me by email. I am available to answer any of your questions.

William Biersack, class of 2015, is a math major with concentrations in elementary and special education, from the Bronx, New York. Billy last appeared on stage in MSMC Theatre’s fall production of The Mystery Plays. He has also directed performances of Wit and Five Women Wearing the Same Dress.

“Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.” – William A. Bard

Hi! My name is Emily and I’m the Public Relations Officer for the Student Honors Council. In case you haven’t heard much about the Honors Program here at MSMC, I just want to take a few moments to talk about this amazing facet of Mount Saint Mary College.

Here at the Mount, academic excellence is promoted in all students. Students in the Honors Program, however, are particularly encouraged to achieve their highest level of academic potential through custom-designed and advanced classes, special service opportunities, and entertaining programs exclusively for honors students.

There are many perks to being a part of the Honors Program here at Mount Saint Mary College. For instance, Honors Students receive priority registration for classes, allowing them to register with seniors. Students enrolled in the program are also offered special housing with other like-minded students. Finally, the Honors Program sponsors fun activities for its scholars, from trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Broadway shows to organizing food drives and honors receptions held on campus.

Once a student is part of the Honors Program, he or she must maintain a GPA of 3.4. Honors Students are required to take 18 credits of Honors classes in order to graduate from the program, 3 of which must be from an interdisciplinary course and 3 from an Honors research project to be conducted by the student.

Some of you may be wondering how being in the Honors Program can benefit you after you have completed your degree. The benefits of being an Honors Student extend far beyond your years at MSMC. Upon completion of the program, Honors Students receive a special certification on their transcripts. Being able to put an Honors citation on job applications will also allow you to stand out when applying for your dream job a few years down the road. Finally, you will be able to make lifelong connections not only with fellow Honors students, but also with Honors faculty members who can help your professional development.

For me, joining the Honors Program has been one of the best decisions I’ve made since coming to MSMC. Not only have I been challenged to grow to levels of academic achievement I didn’t even know were possible in myself, I have also met some wonderful people. From the superb Honors faculty, who have become not only professors, but also friends, to my floormates in the Honors wing of Sakac Hall, who are the sisters I never had, I’ve made wonderful connections that will last a lifetime. And being a part of the Honors Program goes outside of schoolwork; last semester, for instance, I was able to see the Tony-award winning Broadway show Once with other MSMC Honors students.

Being an Honors student has also allowed to me to participate on the Student Honors Council, which helps to plan and make decisions for the student aspect of the Honors Program.

If you are interested in learning more about the Honors Program here at Mount Saint Mary College, please visit our website at www.msmc.edu/honors.

Happy studying!
Emily

Emily DiBiase, class of 2016, is an English major with a minor in religious studies from Putnam County, NY.

Guilty as charged. I apologize for not writing to all of you last week. It was a crazy one. I got home from Dublin on Monday and ran to my Shakespeare lecture on Richard II (it is not my favorite Shakespearean piece, but it is a perfect example of a history play). This week was paper week for me. I wrote two seven-page papers, and while I enjoyed writing them, it’s refreshing to have a little bit of a break to edit them before they are due in two weeks. I apologize, I am forgetting myself. Let me tell you about Dublin.

Dublin was definitely an adventure. The research aspect of the trip did not turn out the way I had planned, but hopefully I will have a chance to get back to Ireland soon. Otherwise, it was an amazing trip, filled with culture, laughter, and a few tiny adventures. I went to Trinity College and fell in love with their library, while marveling at the Book of Kells. I walked along the river that both Stephen Dedalus and Joyce himself walked along so many years ago. I also had the chance to go to Glendalough (pronounced “Glendalock”) to see where the movie P.S. I Love You was filmed and witness where a Twelfth Century monastic village was constructed. It was life-altering to marvel at the Irish countryside and I now understand why my ancestors loved the Emerald Isle so much. After three lovely days, I hopped on a plane back to the UK.

Obviously, Dublin was fun. What else did I do this week? On Saturday, I took a train into London Paddington, a tube to Baker Street, then a bus to Stonehenge and Bath. First stop, Stonehenge (pictured above left). I have to say, on Saturday the sun was shining and England could not have been more beautiful. Did you know that Stonehenge was considered an ancient ruin even before the Romans invaded Britain? It is a magnificent vista to walk through. After Stonehenge, I got back on a bus to Bath. Thus my day with Jane Austen began.

Jane Austen spent a considerable amount of time in the small but bustling city. Two of her books are even based in Bath; both Persuasion and Northanger Abbey have elements of the novel spent in Bath. I visited “The Circus” (above right) and The Jane Austen Centre, which were wonderful, and ended the day in Bath cleansing my mind at the Roman Baths (pictured below). I even made a couple wishes in the wishing pond in West Baths.

So I guess, despite my preliminary thoughts, my week was pretty eventful. I’ll keep you all posted as to what adventures await me in the coming weeks. I do know that I am going to Germany in three weeks! I can’t wait to practice my German! Talk to you all soon. Thanks for reading!

Cheers,
Steph

Stephanie Weaver, class of 2014, is an English major from Rockville Centre, NY. She is spending her spring 2013 semester studying abroad – and blogging about her adventures – in Reading, England.