Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #11

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

This Tuesday, we celebrated my boyfriend Jared's 22nd birthday! Can't wait for another season of fun up in the mountains with him.

On Saturday, St. Michael's Admissions hosted the semester's second "Sample St. Mike's" Open House! It was a gorgeous, sunny day for it, and it is always an amazing experience to chat with prospective students about St. Mike's. While helping to run the Media Studies, Journalism & Digital Arts table at the academic tabling part of the day, I was able to share my experiences in MJD over the last few years, the opportunities it has given me, the opportunities it will bring me in the future, and why it would be a great major to pursue for the prospective students who approached our table. While this was our last Open House of the fall semester, I'm very much looking forward to next semester's upcoming ones! 

Somehow, Marissa and I have lived together since sophomore year yet only took our first picture together last night. I've been very lucky to have such a wonderful roommate in my years at St. Mike's! 

I hope you all had a great week! Enjoy this beautiful Sunday for me- I'm off to a day of homework!

Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 16th!




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Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
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E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

What-to-Know Wednesday : Thinking Positive at SMC

We all woke up this morning to the same news. Whether or not it was what you'd expected or hoped to hear, there is no better time than now to come together. That said, a place like St. Mike's has a lot to be thankful for, and it is certainly a community I am grateful to be part of on a day like today.

Here's why...

1.) We are accepting.

St. Mike's is unconditionally accepting of all races, genders, ethnicities, religions and sexualities. Here, everyone is part of one community.

2.) We provide a safe space.

At St. Mike's, all opinions, perspectives and world-views are heard, respected and valued.

3.) We encourage conversation, healthy debate and inclusion of varying perspectives. 

The St. Mike's atmosphere- from the social community to the academic environment- facilitates the acceptance, discussion and healthy debate of different issues and perspectives.


It is an important day to remind ourselves what we have to be thankful for. Thanks again, SMC. <3




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Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #10

Hello all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's. It seems as if all of a sudden, we've jumped straight from the semester starting to planning for the semester's end!

This week, seniors registered for their last semester at St. Mike's (...joy!...fear!...panic!...). While I had to jump through a couple of hoops first, I was able to register for all the classes I'd planned on. So for my last semester at St. Mike's, I will be taking my Senior Seminar to write a book, Race, Gender & Ethnicity in Media, Introduction to Sociology, and Introduction to Cultural Anthropology.

Seeing as it's been a very busy week, for the first time ever, I don't have any pictures from the week to include in my post! So, that being said, I'll include a throwback to represent what I'm looking forward to as the semester nears its final weeks...

Can't wait for these beautiful days on the mountain! Nothing beats a ride through a true winter wonderland on the Smugg's lift! 

Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 9th!




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

What-to-Know Wednesday : a Guide to Halloween on a Budget

With Halloweekend having just come and gone, I was so impressed by the creativity and cleverness I saw in costumes across St. Mike's- mostly because, if you ask me, Halloween can be kind of tricky on  a college budget with limited resources (unless anyone has a sewing machine tucked in their dorm room that I didn't know about??).

That said, I'm here to provide you with all the tips and tricks to rocking your next (or maybe your first!) college Halloween without breaking the bank!

1.) If you're shopping, shop early.

If you decide to buy a costume, get either online or to your local party store sooner rather than later. You'll have a wider selection, and you'll probably find some better deals!

2.) Get crafty!

To me, homemade costumes are always the best ones. They showcase not only your great idea for a costume, but also your creativity and inventiveness! Extra points galore. Many store-bought costumes don't end up matching exactly what you're looking for, and most of them are one size fits all. But with a homemade costume, you can customize it to your body and your exact vision, and you'll likely be able to do so for a lot cheaper!

3.) Use what you have.

Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love: a great costume on a budget using mostly things we already had!

A lot of costumes can be crafted from a carefully constructed combination of clothes and objects you already have! Think about the resources you and your friends can bring to the table first before rushing out to buy anything.


Happy Belated Halloween!




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

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #9

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

While it's been pretty dreary these last couple of weeks, campus remains as beautiful as ever!

It's "Halloweekend" at SMC! It was fun to see so many creative costume ideas around campus. Bob and Louise from Bob's Burgers were a big hit!

While Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love required a little more explanation, it was still a really fun last minute costume!

While I hate to make this a quick post, it's a busy week up ahead with a lot of assignments coming up, a Founders Society meeting, and class registration for my last semester of college on Thursday (eek)! I hope you all had a wonderful week and a fantastic Halloween, however and wherever you spent it!

Be sure to stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 2nd!



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

What-to-Know Wednesday : It's Snowing! (Knight Chat FAQs)

Hello all, and greetings from the first snow of the year! 

While some may be a bit bummed that it's arrived so early, I prefer to embrace the magic.

So, in light of this October dusting in the wake of last night's Knight Chat,  I can't think of a better time to discuss some frequently asked Knight Chat questions about the snow!

1.) How cold does it really get?

To be honest, I don't find the temperature in Vermont to be much different than the rest of New England in the thick of winter. If anything, the wind off the lake can add an extra chill to the air downtown. But again- New England is pretty much across the board.

2.) How often does it snow?

In all my years at St. Mike's, I don't recall ever being buried in snow. (Here on campus, that is. Up in the mountains, it usually starts earlier and is much heavier than down here!) Big storms that dump several inches at once have been rare. In fact, I'm having a hard time getting past last winter, when we hardly got any snow at all! (Again, that was the sad truth for skiers all over New England!)

3.) Is there anything to do in the winter besides skiing?

Speaking of skiing...why yes, of course there are other things to do! And while I certainly recommend taking advantage of SMC's $65 season pass to Smuggler's Notch, an amazing mountain just 40 minutes from campus (!!!), Vermont always provides endless options. Essentially, you can do just about anything in the winter that you can do in the warmer months...go for a winter hike (but please be prepared, I've made that mistake before), explore downtown Burlington and Church Street, visit a local park, a neighboring town (Shelburne happens to be my personal favorite!), or hang out with friends on/off campus! 

So no, you don't need to know how to ski to come to St. Mike's, nor will you be looked down on if you don't! There are plenty of people here who don't ski, and some have even taken the opportunity to learn in their time here! 

4.) How is it walking between classes in the cold/snow?

One of the many great things about St. Mike's is that you'll never have more than a 5-minute walk to your class! The main academic buildings are all connected to one another, and even the furthest residence halls are a quick walk- no big deal as long as you're bundled up! 

Happy First Snow!!!

Be sure to stay tuned for the next Sum-It-Up Sunday on the 30th!

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

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #8

Hello all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's. And with potential snowfall in the forecast this week, there's a chance we're about to say the usual quick goodbye to fall! But before that happens, we're still milking as much as we can from our last few foliage-filled days.

On Sunday, we took advantage of one last day at Shelburne Orchards before the apple-picking season came to an end.  Shelburne Orchards has been one of my very favorite spots up here, and I certainly hope this wasn't our last visit! 

As you probably know from my last couple of posts, we didn't have classes this Monday or Tuesday as part of SMC's fall break. On Monday, we took a trip to Red Rocks Park, where you will always find a gorgeous view of Lake Champlain! This particular visit, that view was coupled with some amazing foliage! 

Fall is everywhere! This gorgeous shot was sent from home in Newbury, MA on Monday!

A tasty dinner Wednesday night of rice, an egg, avocado, cilantro, lime and sriracha! 

I hope you all had a great week! Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 26th!




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