May 2, 2011

School is almost out for the summer and the reality of being a senior next year is about to hit me.  I just cannot believe that my time at Valpo is flying by so quickly. Tonight we have our last Chapter meeting of the year for my sorority, which will surely be emotional to say goodbye to the graduating seniors.  Wednesday is Reading Day and we will be having our last event of the year, Senior Wills, where the older girls pass down their Chi Omega possessions to the rest of the chapter.  I’ll try not to cry but it will be hard! Good thing I will be on campus until Graduation and will be able to attend Senior Week, celebrating the end of college for many of my friends all week long.

Amidst all the sadness of having friends prepare to leave Valpo as students forever, we have the harsh reality of finals.  Valpo has a bizarre finals schedule; exams start this Thursday and go until Tuesday the 10^th, with Sunday as the only day off in between.  You guessed it- that means we have finals on a Saturday.  I luckily will be finished with my schoolwork by Saturday night so I can enjoy the rest of my weekend and Senior Week without the stress of papers and tests

April 27, 2011

There has been so much rain at Valpo this April that I’m beginning to expect Noah’s Ark to show up!  In addition, while home in St. Louis this weekend there were severe tornadoes on Good Friday that devastated many homes and businesses, including the airport.  Keep the people who lost their homes in your prayers! However, the crazy bad weather has not slowed down students on Valpo’s campus, everyone simply puts on their rain gear and treks to class anyways.  I have seen many cute pairs of colorful rain boots and umbrellas to brighten up the gloomy weather.

My search for a summer internship has finally produced some results, with an opportunity to intern at the Cushman-Amberg office in St. Louis.  I am beyond excited to have the chance to receive public relations experience outside of the Valpo bubble.  Perhaps my new internship will require me to have a blog like this one, or maybe I will start my own just for fun.  I think I will miss these weekly entries once I have to leave the Guild!

April 18, 2011

Easter, Easter, Easter! That’s the mantra on most students’ minds as they knuckle down to plow thru one more difficult week of school before a much needed 3 day weekend.  I myself have two more papers due before I can go home and am dreading all the library time coming in the next two days. I’m confused as to why Valpo does not give Easter Monday off, being a Lutheran school and all.  I wish the Guild could change it to a four day weekend; it would enhance my life very much so!

The Guild Campus Gift Grants are off to the voting committee and my focus in my internship has moved to the Guild Bulletin.  I won’t give away what I will be writing about, but I will hint that I have two campus stories as works in progress.  It is sad as I realize that my time interning for the Guild is winding towards an end, as is the rest of the semester.  After Easter break there will less than two weeks until final exams!  It is crazy how time flies. 

April 7, 2011

So much has happened since my last entry I don’t even know where to begin!  The National Assembly that I attended opened my eyes to what it will really be like to work in public relations and was so much fun.  Seattle is a beautiful city despite its often rainy weather and Torie and I had a great time exploring and sight-seeing.  Among the best places we visited were the Fish Market and the original Starbucks.  In addition we ate in some great restaurants, and I was pleased when Torie tried sushi for the first time and loved it.  In addition to all the great sights and restaurants, there were lots of places very close by to go shopping at.  But alas, we didn’t have that much time to explore since we had to attend leadership sessions and vote all day on the next PRSSA executive board, so we made the most of every second of spare time.  I think we did a pretty good job cramming all the fun stuff in.

While away in Seattle at the assembly, I got an awesome surprise that my boyfriend was coming to visit me Monday through Wednesday.  He was planning on surprising me by showing up on campus, but he got too excited and accidently told me a few days before he arrived.  I was so happy!  It was great to see him since he is now living in Florida trying to make it as a minor league baseball player.  This surprise visit totally made my entire week, since I wasn’t planning on getting to see him until June.

March 28, 2011

Job/Internship fever has hit campus!  Along with the usual course load, this is the time of year that students hit the pavement (or rather, the internet) searching for something to boost their resumes over the summer.  I myself have fell victim to the application craze, having spent countless hours tweaking resumes, cover letters, and writing samples to send to Public Relations Firms.  I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping to hear some positive feedback before the semester ends.  Thank goodness I have my helpful internship supervisor Julie to pick her brain about what employers look for in applications and to whip my resume into tip-top shape!

Coming up rather soon on my schedule is a trip to Seattle for the Public Relations Student Society of America National Assembly this Thursday – Sunday.  I and my friend Torie Brewton will travel to Seattle to participate in the Day of Competition (a competition to see which students come up with the best PR plan in a specific amount of time), voting on the next national PRSSA president, networking, and attending guest speakers and conferences.   I am beyond excited to get to visit Seattle, a city which I have never been to but heard positive things about (besides the amount of rain!).  This will be a true adventure for me, and I anticipate making many new friends in my prospective field along with having tons of fun new experiences.

March 21, 2011

What a lazy Monday on campus.  As the weather has made steady increases to enjoyable temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s, students have put their studies on hold and opted to be outdoors instead.  After an awesome St. Patty’s Day Celebration last Thursday, the option to have fun instead of do homework is overwhelming. I myself am having trouble concentrating; thoughts of sweet summer keep invading my mind while trying to get things done.  Luckily, since I am so far on course with my internship and school work this daydreaming is not a serious threat.

After getting over our unmotivated Mondays, students at Valpo have a lot to look forward to this upcoming spring. Tickets for the band Far East Movement went on sale Friday and they will come to perform in the Union ballroom in a few weeks.  If this concert promises to be anywhere near as much fun as the Jason Derulo Concert last spring, I will definitely be attending (Last year I was in the front row and touched his hand!).  In addition, there are many Greek philanthropy events coming up in April such as the Phi Psi 500, Chi O Swishes for Wishes (Formally Make-a-Swish), Lambda Chi Girls of the Gridiron, and Rebuilding Together.  All of these events allow for Greek students to get some exercise and support a good cause in a fun way.

March 14, 2011

I wish I could say that I was happy to be back at Valpo after two wonderful weeks of Spring Break, but with the memories of warm sunshine hitting my skin contrasting with the cold shock of wind when I step outside of dorm, I cannot say that I am.  I traveled to Jacksonville and Orlando Florida the last week and a half of break, and it was hard to drag myself away from tropical paradise back to the Midwest.  However, I can say that I am well rested (despite the 18-hour roadtrip to and from Florida) and ready to finish off the rest of this school year strong.

Besides laying out each day by the pool, perhaps the best part of our trip included dining out.  In Orlando my sorority sisters and I went to several unusual and fun restaurants.  My favorite was a Greek restaurant called Tavern Opa, which I give top recommendations both for atmosphere and food.  Seriously, if you are ever in Orlando and with a group of outgoing friends, this is the place to eat.  The traditional Greek food was great and we received belly dancing lessons and danced on our table for dessert.  (I’m not kidding! We were not the only group dancing on our table either, the restaurant actually encourages this.)

Two other restaurants that were really good were the House of Blues in Downtown Disney and Bahama Breeze.   House of Blues is known for having popular live music and had the best Spinach Dip I have ever had while Bahama Breeze had delicious Caribbean food and beachy drinks.  I apologize for playing travel agent for the last few paragraphs, but I swear these places were worth mentioning.  After so many awesome meals and memories with great friends, I have to add Orlando to one of my favorite vacation destinations.  I’m already daydreaming about Spring Break 2012 J.

February 21, 2011

One more week until Spring Break! This is the mantra running through the minds of every student at Valpo as the countdown to a blissful two weeks off of school quickly approaches.  This spring break will be even sweeter than most for me as I travel home to St. Louis to watch two old friends from high school get married this Saturday, and then take a road trip to Florida with my Chi Omega sisters to spend a week and a half of fun in the sun.  I literally cannot wait to lay by a pool with palm trees overhead, drink a pina colada and not have to read textbooks.  Oh how awesome it will be!

In addition, Valpo beat Missouri State this weekend, so I can brag a little about my school at the wedding to all my high school friends who attended Missouri State.  I promise not to get too carried away emphasizing how my tiny private school managed to defeat a huge public university; but it might be hard considering how pumped full of school spirit the basketball team’s success has made our student body.

February 16, 2011

As I’m sure you all know by now, Monday was Valentine’s Day, and this meant campus was divided between lovesick couples and bitter singles.   But significant other or not, even the biggest cynics seemed infected with candy and Valentine’s cheer.  I contributed some of my own sappiness when my boyfriend surprised me with a heart-shaped balloon as I was studying for exams in the library.  With Spring Break fast approaching, school work has increased with many tests, papers, and midterms coming up for nearly all majors.

Although this week has been so busy with school, I managed to even out my weekend with lots of relaxation and some new fun experiences.  On Sunday my boyfriend and I went to the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place.  I had never been before, and was surprised to realize how fun it is to look at and sit in cars I will probably never be able to afford.  The luxury car section was especially cool, with the best display probably being the Lexus LFA (a tiny yellow sports car of which there was only 50 made in the whole world!).  This weekend reminded me that one of the best kept secrets about Valpo is its proximity to Chicago and the ability for students to go explore all it has to offer so easily and cheaply.   It’s so much fun to get a change of pace from our small town school and experience the big city. 

February 7, 2011

I am back at Loke Hall interning after a wonderful week.  Due to a blizzard that raged Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday, the university closed and classes were canceled Wednesday to the joy of all Valpo students.  I heard the grand total came to 21 inches of snow.  I spent the day sipping on hot chocolate, watching movies, and doing homework.  It was delightful to basically have two Saturdays this past week.

After a relaxing snowed in week, I had a busy weekend celebrating my 21^st birthday.  On Friday my sorority sisters threw me a party and we counted down the moments until I became legal at midnight.  On Saturday, I went out to a nice dinner with my boyfriend and made my first trip to a liquor store and to the bars.  Sunday was the Superbowl; of which I probably watched more of the halftime show (which featured the Black Eyed Peas and a surprise performance by Usher) than the actual game.  But congratulations to the Packers and their fans, all of my friends and classmates from Wisconsin were extremely happy. 

So now it is finally back to reality for me after a never before experienced university wide snow day, my magical 21^st birthday, and a dramatic Superbowl .  This next Wednesday the 9^th will be very busy for me with both the Career Fair and an event put on by the Public Relations Student Society of America called “Get Heard” that I am attending.  The “Get Heard” event teaches students how to get their organization advertising and promotions through campus mediums, which will be essential for me to get the word out about Guild Campus Gift Grants coming up in March. 

January 31, 2011

After a crazy weekend at home in St. Louis, I am back at Valpo. My mom was so surprised by my visit, and was ecstatic that I came home to help her celebrate her 50^th birthday on Thursday.  The rest of the weekend was spent visiting with family, since it was so special that some of my family came in town since they live on the East Coast.  I also got to meet two upcoming additions to my family; my cousin Tanya’s fiancé Mitch and my cousin Marina’s fiancé Brock.  I’m so excited for the two newly engaged couples!

Now that I have helped my mother celebrate a milestone birthday, it is time to celebrate one of my own.  I will turn 21 on Saturday, Feb. 5 and am unbelievably excited to order my first drink and be fully declared an adult.  My birthday plans include a party Friday and a trip to a local venue at midnight.

In other news, I was informed over the weekend that Valpo men’s basketball was victorious against our rival Butler this past Saturday.  Although disappointed I missed the game, I was very excited to hear that Valpo managed to beat Butler, a feat which our basketball team has not been able to pull off since 1993. If you missed the game like I did, the highlights and analysis can be viewed on the Valpo home page. 

January 24, 2011

I’d first like to talk about my weekend, which was highlighted by getting to watch one of my Chi Omega sisters get lavaliered to Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity.  To lavalier a girl into a fraternity is a big deal, it means they are allowed to wear fraternity letters and know their secret rituals.  It is usually only done if the girl has been dating the fraternity boy for a long time, as was the case with the one I witnessed.  I’m touched to have gotten to observe something so rare and meaningful for this couple.

On the agenda for this week is the Etiquette Dinner tomorrow in the Union Ballroom which I plan to attend.  The Guild is sponsoring this event, which is designed to give students tips on table manners and proper networking skills for future career dinners.  This Saturday Valpo Men’s Basketball will take on their rival Butler in the ARC.  Everyone on campus is pretty excited for this game and most of my friends have gotten tickets in advance.  Unfortunately, I won’t be attending since I am going home to St. Louis Thursday to surprise my mom for her 50^th birthday.  So if you’re reading this and you know my mother, lips sealed please! This is my first time going home on a weekend that isn’t an official Valpo break, so I can’t wait to spend time with my family.

January 19, 2011

It is my second week as the Guild Intern, and already my usual routine has been nicely interrupted with a three day weekend in honor of MLK.  In addition to not having to go to classes, Valpo students also got to participate in the many events the university sponsors annually to promote diversity on campus.  The theme this year was “Justice as a Team Sport” which brought topics of equality and non-discrimination into focus sessions that related to sports.  Tying athletics into the meaning of MLK day seemed to attract a lot of students. 

On the topic of athletics, Valpo’s men’s basketball team is currently in first place in the Horizon League standings with a 6-1 record in league games and a 14-5 record overall. This is extremely exciting to have a winning basketball team and the atmosphere at home games has been full of school spirit. Their next game at the ARC this Friday against Milwaukee will undoubtedly bring a large crowd.

On a personal note, I have been appointed to be the incoming Career and Personal Development Chair for my sorority.  I’m very excited and honored to be given this position, and hope to translate all that I’m learning here at the Guild into my new role. 

January 10, 2011

Hi, I’m Martina, and I’m the Spring 2011 Guild Intern. I am a Junior majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Political Science here at Valpo.  I’m from St. Louis, MO and am excited to get an opportunity to intern here at the Guild, which is a perfect union of my Lutheran background and PR skills. On campus I am the co-director of SparkPR and a member of Chi Omega Sorority.

Part of my duties here at the Guild is to blog about events going on around campus, and for many Valpo women this past week has been consumed not only by the start of classes, but also by the excitement of rush. Formal Spring Recruitment just culminated with Bid Day yesterday so there are many happy girls running around in sorority clothing today.  Congratulations to Jennifer Jones-Hall, all the Rho Gammas, Recruitment Chairs, and to each sorority on a successful rush. Hooray for new girls!

My first day is almost over here at the Guild.  But I’ll be sure to report back with more news from campus and updates about Guild events and activities throughout the semester. Thanks for reading!