What-to-Know Wednesday : Combatting Campus Wifi Withdrawals

It's not often that the SMC campus experiences wifi outages. But when we do, it's important to remind ourselves there are ways to survive and thrive without the comfort and reassurance of those familiar bars.

If you read regularly, you'll know that we just came out of our fall break here at SMC, with no classes held on Monday or Tuesday. And unfortunately, just as I sat down for a nice little Netflix bender on Sunday night, those long-weekend-network-maintenance blips kicked in. Alas, we were wifi-less for the night.

So, as a seasoned veteran of such digital disasters, I can't think of a better time to bring you five ways to kick those wifi withdrawals to the curb!

1.) Rent a DVD from the library!

SMC's very own Durick Library has a huge collection of DVD's to rent for free! Bring back the good old days of scouring your local video store for the perfect movie night pick.


2.) Catch up on cleaning.

This could be just the excuse you were looking for to give the ol' dorm room a good scrub down. Take advantage of some freed up time and whip out your Swiffers!

3.) Get cooking.

There's no better time for some quality snacks. Go the homemade route and experiment with making your favorite goodies from scratch!

4.) Get outside.

When you find yourself in an unexpected tech-hiatus, embrace the outdoors! It's Vermont, for crying out loud.

5.) Break out some old fashioned fun!

Find a friend with a board game or a deck of cards and go to town!


How do you make the best of campus wifi withdrawals?




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #7

Hello all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's. We are currently in the middle of our fall break, with no classes taking place tomorrow or Tuesday! While some students opt to go home on these breaks, I usually opt to stay here and enjoy some fall fun in Vermont.

Campus was gorgeous this week as more and more foliage came through!

Yesterday, we celebrated fall the right way at Sam Mazza's corn maze! 

It was a beautiful day for a classic fall adventure.

Smiling through the realization that great teamwork isn't always a given. ;)

To all you SMC students, I hope you're having a wonderful fall break! To all you prospective students, I hope you're enjoying fall wherever you are! Be sure to stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 19th.




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

What-to-Know Wednesday : Why All Prospective Students Should Be Following SMC's Student Blogs

[Huffington Post]

Those of you who have read my post about SMC's Founders Society are experts by now on tours, Open Houses, Knight Chats, and other ways to interact with current SMC students as a prospective student. Throughout your prospective process with SMC, these interactive experiences are vital towards building a vision of yourself as a future St. Mike's student, and I recommend you participate in them all at some point!

However, another key tool in building a well-rounded view of student life at St. Mike's is often overlooked. In addition to running our Instagram (follow @knightlifeVT) and Snapchat (follow at smcknights), our student Social Ambassadors each run a personal blog about the St. Mike's experience (yes, there's an entire team of us, and a whole bunch of blogs to show for it)!

As a Social Ambassador since my first year at SMC, part of the reason why I love blogging so much is that I firmly believe blogs can provide a unique view of student life that no other platform can. So without further ado, here are five reasons why all prospective students should be following the Student Blogs!

1.) Have your FAQs answered in deeper detail.

Tours and Knight Chats are invaluable opportunities to ask questions of current St. Mike's students. Responses are on the spot, quick, and personalized. Our Social Ambassadors also write their blogs with prospective students in mind. Chances are, certain topics that pertain to your frequently asked questions are addressed in some blog posts!

2.) Get an idea of your goals.

Reading about a current student's different on campus involvements might give you an idea of different majors, extra curricular activities, clubs or sports you may want to pursue as a student.

3.) Make connections.

Similarly to how your tour guide might hand out their business card at the end of a tour, most of our Social Ambassadors include contact information on their blogs to be reached by prospective students for questions, comments, or just to say hi! That's certainly an inside contact to take advantage of, especially if a particular Social Ambassador has blogged about things you may be interested in pursuing as a student.

4.) Follow along on a current student's journey.

Some of our Social Ambassadors, myself included, post on a weekly basis. If you ask me, there's no better way to get a complete, full view of SMC student life than to see one chronicled on a weekly basis!


Find the full list of our Social Ambassadors and the links to their blogs here! Happy reading!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #6

Hello all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's. With just one week left before our October break, there's excitement in the air and much anticipation for a long awaited and well deserved rest!

In the meantime, it's been a busy and thrill-packed week...

Similarly to last fall, we're seeing a lot of yellow in this season's first foliage appearances. We're not complaining!

This Wednesday, Uncommon Grounds, a cute little coffee and tea shop on Church Street, gave out free "Luke's coffee" for the day in spirit of Netflix's upcoming release of the Gilmore Girls revival episodes! I was surprised to learn of so many other fans at SMC as a result! 

It was a beautiful day to make a quick trip downtown for this super cute event!

This Saturday, SMC Admissions hosted the year's very first Open House! With over 155 families registered, Ross was packed and my fellow Founders Society coordinators and I were a busy group! I'm so grateful to have experienced these amazing events, both as a prospective student and also now as an employee of Admissions. So many people worked so hard to put on an amazing day, and it turned out quite successfully! Being able to welcome prospective students and families to some of their first experiences at SMC, both in my duties as Online Media & Communications coordinator and at events like these, will have certainly been among my most fulfilling St. Mike's experiences. 

The view from Media Studies, Journalism & Digital Arts at the Academic Table Fair! It was wonderful to be able to talk up my major to prospective families with the head of the department. 

For those of you interested in partaking in the next Open House- whether to attend or to volunteer- be sure to mark your calendars for November 12th! 

In the meantime, stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 12th!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

What-to-Know Wednesday : 3 Unwritten Rules of Getting Involved in College

Getting involved on your college campus can be one of the most important and fulfilling experiences of your college career. It allows you to branch out, be a part of a community, and give back to the place that's given you so much.

Make the most out of your extracurricular experiences by following these three key (unwritten, but I guess not anymore) rules of getting involved in college!


1.) Find what you'll enjoy.

This sounds like a given. But, it's important to recognize the difference between an activity you're joining or a position you're taking out of obligation or under pressure and something you're taking on because you're generally excited about it.

2.) Find a direction.

Pursue activities that will take you in the direction of your post-grad goals. Not only will this confirm whether or not this is the direction you want to stick with, but it will also prepare you for the type of work you hope to do down the road.

3.) Be realistic.

Quality over quantity, people. Taking part in a few activities that are truly important to you and your direction far outweighs taking part in several activities for involvement's sake. You'll avoid weighing yourself down and taking priority away from not only each individual activity, but your classes and relationships as well.

How do you make the most out of your extracurricular experience in college?




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #5

Hi all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's.

Friday night, we visited Champlain College for a three-part art show: poetry, visual media, and dance. (My dance professor from last semester choreographed an amazing interactive dance piece!) With all the other colleges in the area, it's easy to hop on the city bus or take a short car ride and catch events, shows, and other goings-on at our neighboring schools!

This weekend, my parents came to town for a visit! We spent Saturday in Shelburne, kicking off the day with a hike at Mt. Philo! 

The foliage is just starting to peek through! In a couple of weeks, this view will be a gorgeous fall rainbow!

After lunch at Folino's Pizza, we had to show them around one of our favorite spots- Shelburne Orchards! We made out with some delicious hot cider, a bag of cider doughnuts, and of course some apples with help from our GrocerySak's! This past summer, my Aunt made use of some photos from a past photography assignment and created these eco-friendly grocery totes (great for grocery shopping and apple picking alike)! Check out her website here, and her Instagram @grocerysak! 

This morning, my parents and I made our way downtown for a healthy, delicious breakfast at Vermont Juice Company!

They both got the acai bowls, which were a hit. I tried their banana ice cream for the first time, and it was amazing! Totally good for you, complete with the taste and texture of ice cream.  

And so goes another week at St. Mike's! And as the colder months approach us, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind all you prospective families that yes, there are countless things to do around here besides ski (even though it happens to be my favorite winter pastime)!!! One of my favorite parts of being here has been exploring around and finding new places and activities to spend my weekends with. And after almost four years, we're still discovering new things. The possibilities are truly endless!

Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 5th!

Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

What-to-Know Wednesday : 5 VT Spots for Your Fall 2016 Bucket List

 *whispers*...it's here. 

I don't know about you, but fall is a highly anticipated season for me. Between the gorgeous foliage, crisp air, tasty seasonal goodies and the impending holidays, it's a close second to Christmas as the most wonderful time of the year.

And one of the great parts about spending fall in Vermont is all the awesome local spots to flock to for all the best fall activities! Be sure to add these to your Vermont bucket list this fall...


1.) Shelburne Orchards

Come pick some apples, get a cup of hot cider, and grab a bag of doughnuts to go! (And don't forget to pick up some pie ingredients on the way home!)

2.) Shelburne Farms

Hard to beat this view! Come visit the barn animals, take a stroll around the beautiful property, and admire the Vermont landscape in all its glory!

3.) Mt. Philo

Philo is a short enough hike to be doable in cooler weather, but you'll still be welcomed with a gorgeous view of the farmland and rolling hills below! (Imagine this with some even more fall color!)

4.) Sam Mazza's Farm Market

Come for the famous corn maze, stay for the cute animals! (But seriously, it's an awesome corn maze.)

5.) Burlington Farmer's Market

Take advantage of your last chances to stroll around the farmer's market downtown before it moves indoors for the winter!

How will you celebrate fall in Vermont?





Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu