Stephen- Pretty Fun Summer

Summer is almost here. . . thank the Lord.  With all of the stresses of school it is about time to just relax.  That is a joke seeing as my summer plans are to work 70 hours a week and there are only 128 hours in a week.  If you have to count how many hours out of the week that you are not working you are working too much.  But I cannot complain too much because my work is extremely enjoyable.  I am going to be an assistant pro at a country club in Kirkwood as a tennis instructor, which should be fun to work on my farmers tan, and teach little kids how to swing a tennis racket.   I am also going to be working at a radio station in Festus, which is also good.

But as for outdoor plans they are fun but somewhat limited by the hectic work schedule.  Some outdoor plans include flying to Belize with campus ministry to help out people down there an do a bit of service.  Also I have a float trip planned with friends in late July, which should be fun.  There are also plenty of outdoor campfires in my back yard, which should also keep me and my neighbors entertained.  So pretty fun summer planned.

Come see the fun at Fontbonne in the summer! Check out our open houses.

Andrew- Summer Goal List

We are soooo close to being done with this semester. SO CLOSE. One final week to stress out about final projects and final reviews, and then one finals week to stress out about final study sessions and final exams. Finally!

This, of course, means that summer break is right around the corner. At least, that’s true for returning students—congratulations to all graduates, and good luck in the real world! As for me, I’m going to go live in fantasy for a while.

I didn’t end up with this internship I had hoped for (competing for internships in Advertising as a freshman is pretty difficult, in my defense) so instead I get to go and goof off all summer. I’ve already got a healthy line-up of vacations, too! Once school is over, I’ll be down in Branson, Missouri for a week in the Ozarks. Then, I’ll be hitting up Chicago, where I’ll visit some relatives, the Baha’i Mother Temple of the West, and a friend of mine at the University of Chicago (they do trimesters) on his birthday, all on my big drive back to New York. After that, I’ll be flying out in another month or so to visit a few friends in Santa Monica, California, and then visiting parts of Oregon. And at some point, I’ll be back in St. Louis for a while, to attend a FAB retreat in preparation for being next year’s Marketing Manager. I’m really excited for that, but nervous, too! And, I may fit in a quick visit to Kansas City, if I can, somewhere in there!

Well, once I completely run out of money—which, looking at those vacation plans, is inevitable—I’ll be chilling out in Rochester, New York, doing things that are free. I do literally mean ‘chilling out’, since the summers there rarely get too much over 80 degrees, and I’m pretty sure 90 never even happens. I’ll pass the days by trying to read up on some books, mostly concerning Advertising, Personal Philosophies, and Religion. I’ll jam around on bass with some friends, and maybe record some music, maybe find a gig to play. I’ll bike everywhere I can when at all possible—why spend money on summer’s inflated gas prices when I could get the exercise? And, finally, I’ll be playing a lot of frolf, or Frisbee golf. With any luck, maybe I’ll get an even game this summer! Haha, yeah right—usually I don’t get under 5 over…

The most important thing I’ve got to do, though, is to write up a list of goals. I wrote up goals for last summer, and kept the list in my wallet. I didn’t achieve all of them, but I did make a lot of progress and made sure to do some things I thought were personally valuable. I recommend you do the same! Having a list of summer goals is a wonderful way to keep ‘on track’ during lazy days of freedom. Make sure you accomplish something this summer!

What goals can Fontbonne help you accomplish? How about attending an open house?!

Mike- Making A Difference, Having Fun

My summer should be an enjoyable and rewarding one.  I am working three weeks of basketball camp at my high school where I will earn a good deal of money, while helping kids improve their basketball skills.  I will enjoy working with my old teammates and friends that have been part of the Vianney basketball program.  In early June, I will travel to Belize for a service project with Fontbonne.  I hope I can make a difference for the community in Belize.

I will do plenty of running to prepare for cross country next year.  It is essential that I improve my speed and get faster in order to help our team compete on the national level next fall.  I plan to play many sports during the summer and just have a great time seeing people that I have missed over this school year.  I will go to a community pool many times and spend a lot of time in the sun.  I look forward to catching up with my friends at parties and other events.

One of the most important parts of my summer will be the Steubenville Retreat with my youth group.  I will spend two days on the campus of Missouri State University building my faith life and growing closer to God.  In addition to this event, I will participate in many other events with my youth group.  I am not taking any summer classes at Fontbonne and will probably not have any real jobs over the summer.  It is a goal of mine to read a book written by President Obama entitled The Audacity of Hope.  I have many goals for the summer of 2009. Overall, my summer should be a time of becoming better, making a difference, and having fun.

What will you summer have in store after Fontbonne? Apply today to find out!

Andy- No More Farmer’s Tan

My summer plans are going outside and swimming, a lot.  I plan on getting a good tan, rather than my farmers tan that I have been supporting the past couple years.  I also will be doing my internship here at school in the Admissions office.  I plan on training with them and getting a first hand experience on how the process works of getting a student to come to this university.  I plan on going full-time at my current job at Sam’s Club.  I just love my job so much that I want to be there all the time now.  They only trips that I am planning on going would be the retreat for FOCUS and maybe going down to the lake and going tubing for a couple of weekends.  I will be playing hockey on Sunday nights, Volleyball on Monday, Soccer on Wednesday and whatever else I have time for.  I will be taking a class on Tuesday’s, and that is my summer.  I will be quite busy but I am looking forward to not going to school all the time and relaxing for a good majority of the summer.

Let Fontbonne show you a good summer! Check out our summer open houses!

Sarah- Tears for Fontbonne

It’s weird.  You start off freshman year almost in tears as your parents are saying goodbye to you, leaving you in the dorms to start a new chapter of your life.  Heck, I remember thinking, ‘I’ve got to make new friends, learn a new campus, find things to do on the weekends, study things I’ve never learned before’ which all led to getting involved on campus; it’s overwhelming!  Now, I’m almost in tears thinking of leaving Fontbonne.

I’ve just had the time of my life.  Waking up at 6AM for an early morning class.  Falling down the stairs during my first month of classes (believe me that was as traumatic for me as the person who saw me do it!).  Was it because of the late nights studying for classes or was it the hanging out with friends into the wee hours of the morning?  Stopping by the lunch room to grab a quick snack, finding friends, and ending up sitting down for an hour talking.  Dancing all night for the Children’s Miracle Network.  Winning the Senior Leadership Award.  Winning the CSJ award.  Falling asleep during a boring class (just kidding!).  Working for the Alumni Office.  Sleeping in on snow days.  Decorating my dorm room.  And my next room.  And my next room.  Moving my things out of the dorms.  And back in.  And back out.  And back in.  Going to the Catholic student center at Wash U.  Going to Church here.  Crying with friends.  Laughing with friends.  Praying for the day I graduate.  Praying to not graduate so soon!  It’s been a whirlwind of emotions, from crying to laughing to praying to shock that the time has actually come.  I am going to make it big someday and give back to Fontbonne.  Until then, I’ll just help out when I can and encourage all I see to come here.  It was the time of my life.  I’m going to miss it with all my heart.

HMMM…Might have to come back for my masters I guess!!!

Where will Fontbonne take you? Apply today!

Liz- Outdoor Time is Always a Good Time

I…absolutely….LOVE the outdoors!!!  Nothing in the world is more relaxing than being outside with the wind gently teasing my hair and the sun laughing at my skin. The refreshing sent of young flowers blossoming after spring rain will always beat the discomfort of mechanical air.  To me, the outdoors screams: beaUtifulness….

So! I will spend my outside time walking around my neighborhood, absorbing the local delicacies of independent coffee shops, admiring the artistic expression displayed in corner boutiques and enjoying the zooms of the public (I live in the loop).  Well really…I’ll just walk around till I get a cup of coffee, pass a couple of dress shops and hope NOT to get hit by on-coming traffic….LOL

But if that’s not tickling my fancy, I might go for a bike ride! Just the other day I biked to the central west end to meet my friend in Forest Park. We biked around for a while eventually ending at a climbing facility downtown, and then biked to the loop for a bite to eat.
So, that’s how I’ll spend my outdoor time. Walking and biking, eating and walking. Biking and eating, walking and smiling!

I’m VERY happy that the weather warmed up. My friends all agree that: OUTDOOR time is always a GOOD time!

Have a good time with Fontbonne! Apply today!

Libby- Remembering Childhood Activities

In February, I was asked to participate on the Fontbonne University’s Women’s Tennis team.  I thought this was a joke because I have never played tennis in my life, minus the couple of times I attempted to at the park with my friends.  But I have played sports all my life and decided that it would be a worthwhile addition to my schedule.  Plus, how hard could tennis really be?  Well harder than it looks was the answer.  Though I never played before, I quickly LOVED the sport.  As the season progressed so did my skills.  I am no Williams sister but now that the weather is looking better I am so excited to go find some tennis courts and play.

Along with playing tennis, the weather has encouraged me to go outside a lot more.  I plan on migrating outside to work on homework.  Maybe the sunny weather will help me get an A on my last Rhetoric paper.  I also have already decorated Fontbonne’s parking lot with sidewalk chalk.  Which I plan to do again.  Along with chalk I will be tuning in to joys of my childhood by flying kites and swinging on swings at a park.  My friend Mary Alice and I have found a park with perfect swings where we can also fly kites.  The good weather makes me remember activities I enjoyed as a kid, and I have realized I still enjoy them now.

Become part of the outside Fontbonne Community! Apply today!

Andrew- Aching for Summer

Last Saturday, the Fontbonne tennis team played in its conference tournament. Being on that team, I ended up playing four separate matches throughout the day. It was wonderful, especially because it was into the 90’s during the peak of the day. Now, some might think that’s terrible, but keep in mind that I’m coming from New York. I haven’t felt 90 degree weather in about a decade, since I moved to New York in 1999 from Shawnee, Kansas (I didn’t come to the Midwest; I came back to the Midwest)! So for me, that was a real treat, and a perfect night to go and enjoy some Ted Drewes!

But this incredible weather has me aching for summer to arrive! It’s so difficult to think that we still have two more weeks of classes, and then exams to top it off. I just want to be done! I’ve already got so much planned for this summer. To begin with, once exams are over, I’m heading down to Branson, Missouri to stay at a timeshare my parents still own from when we used to live in Kansas. It’s right on Table Rock Lake. I haven’t been there in many years, so I’m really excited to basically revisit my childhood! Then I’ll be traveling back home by car, stopping along the way in Chicago (not really along the way, buuut… oh well) to visit friends and family. Finally, around the 24th, I’ll be back in Rochester to stay. Except, not really stay! I’ve got plans to visit Oregon and Santa Monica, California thanks to invites from friends and family of friends. Not only that, but I’ll be swinging by St. Louis again around the first of August for a retreat with FAB! I’m excited to hang out with the FAB crew and get ready for next semester, when I’ll be serving as the Marketing Director. I’m nervous about it, but I think it should be a lot of fun and a lot of good experience.

Aside from that, my time back in Rochester will be spent frolfing (we have a fantastic Frisbee golf course at Ellison Park, which if I remember correctly is actually scheduled to be the site of the world frolf competition in 2010 or the two years following) and generally being in nature. Upstate New York has a lot of parks with some really beautiful scenery, including some incredible waterfalls and gorges. I’m hoping to go hiking all over with my dog and my best friend (am I talking about two people or just one? You decide!)

C’mon, time, pick up the pace and let’s get to May! I’m ready for summer!

Come see Fontbonne in the beautiful weather! Check out our upcoming open houses.

Andrew- See You There!

There’s a growing excitement on campus for the upcoming event of Springfest. Those who have experienced it in past years, those students who have been here for more years than myself—it’s really incredible to think I’ve almost, and yet only, been here a year—are anticipating this event.
Except, I know absolutely nothing about Springfest!
So I checked the Griffin Scratch, the free student planner and handbook and my best friend through my freshman year who has helped me keep track of the weeks and kept me posted on major Fontbonne events. According to the Scratch, Springfest is Friday, the 24th—oh, wait, wow, that’s this Friday!—with two different sets of activities; the day activities run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., while the evening activities begin at 8 p.m. But what are these activities? I’ll have to ask around.
In high school, we also had a Springfest event. Classes were shortened that day and then everyone moved outside to enjoy food, pick-up games of ultimate Frisbee and volleyball, live music from the band “No Child Left Behind”, an all-teacher rock band (every high school has its cool teachers, you know?) For the most part, it was just a day to enjoy not being in classes, to get excited about the end of the year growing near, to take a break from the mind-numbing routine of high school life (which was hardly mind-numbing for me, but still, shortened classes are shortened classes, so who am I to complain?)
So I’m looking forward to fun for Springfest. I won’t know what it is ‘til I get there, but I’ll go all the same. Because I know how these things work at Fontbonne: it’ll be fun no matter what, and it’ll be a great opportunity to be with friends and enjoy this university’s community. Friday, April 24th: see you there!

What else goes on? Check out student activities for more information!

Mike- First Springfest

I am looking forward to the Faculty/Student volleyball game during Springfest.  It will be interesting to see how athletic some of the teachers and staff members are at Fontbonne.  It should be a lot of fun and excitement for us to watch.  I am not really familiar with much of the events that are planned for this Friday, but I am sure that the Fontbonne Activities Board (FAB) will do a wonderful job with the event.  I am especially excited about the event because it will bring all of the students here closer together.
One thing I have heard is that there will be a device in which people fall into a tub of water if a certain object is struck.  I am sure plenty of people will have a great time with that.  Teachers and students both will look ridiculous falling into the water.  It should be a wonderful day for great events, great food, and great entertainment on campus.  I can’t wait to see what will happen on Friday and spend an excellent day with my friends here.

Become part of the action! Apply today!