St. Mike's is Close to Spring Break!

I recently began spring break this past weekend, and it was definitely a great way to spend the first one! Saint Mike's is just under a few hours to beautiful Montreal, where I spent the weekend visiting gorgeous Old Montreal, exploring adorable shops, snow-strolling through the city, eating delicious food, and swimming on the hotel's rooftop pool. It was such a great weekend that I didn't even mind the cold!

Rue Notre-Dame, Old Montreal

Rue Notre-Dame, Old Montreal

Buddha shop on Rue Notre-Dame, Old Montreal...it smelled pretty great in here!

A fairytale sighting on Rue Saint-Paul, Old Montreal...spotted a few of these moseying about through the day!

A neat little art shop on Rue Saint-Paul, Old Montreal.

An unforgettable dinner on Rue Saint-Paul, Old Montreal...easily some of the best pasta I've ever had. 

A dreamy nighttime swim on the Hilton Bonaventure rooftop! We tried to make it in before the snow stopped, but didn't quite get there in time. :(

Headed back...even leaving was a gorgeous experience!

Spring break will undoubtedly go by fast, but I'm already eager to get back! Rooming selection for next year will happen soon after, and so far it's been sounding very quick and simple. Couldn't be more excited for that! Before I know it I'll be selecting classes for the fall as well. Time flies!

Summer will be here quickly, but I know that once it starts I'll be counting down the days until I'm back at St. Mike's.

 

A Glimpse of Spring!

Well, almost. But it was close enough yesterday! When was the last time we all woke up to birds chirping over here?
It was a great time to be skiing yesterday- it was warm, the snow was falling, the ice was reasonably hidden, and there's definitely a level of thrilling adventure when it comes to your coat frosting over with the melting and re-freezing of the snow!
All this aside, it was an even greater day to be at Smugg's specifically. I'm not sure if this is the actual truth, but I'd like to think that it was all in celebration of a rapidly incoming Spring: FREE BEN & JERRY'S. Armed with Milk and Cookies and Cotton Candy, three scoopers hard at work effortlessly managed the line. With wishful thinking for warm weather soon in the back of my mind, it was a pretty magical experience licking an ice cream cone as the snow fell around us.

My first Cotton Candy flavor experience. Perfection!

It was certainly a well-deserved lunchtime reward after managing a certain level of treachery through the slopes above: fog is rarely considered a dangerous element to face, but I certainly felt like I was walking (or skiing) the line yesterday! Twenty feet (sometimes less), and that was it...a blurry wall prevented any and all feelings of security. A little nerve-wracking, yes...but we were forced to take it as an adventure. A little more snow and it would have truly been action-packed-movie material. 

The Artsy Experience: Fog at Altitude. (Movie title?)

Can't wait for some even Springier skiing in the (hopefully near) future!

 

Burlington vs. Williston

It's no secret that Burlington is the hotspot college town of the area. And don't get me wrong, I love it as much as the next person: I saw Catching Fire in Roxy Cinema, I've spent an embarrassing amount of time getting fitted for a mattress (that I would never buy) at Sleepy's, and the waterfront benches have provided the setting for many a people-watching session.

Can't beat these Champlain sunsets, people. Trust me. 

 

 

Dreamy, right?

 

However, other neighboring towns cannot be ignored, or you'll be missing out. While Burlington has its own scene going on, Williston is the quick stop for all that extra stuff you may need! I've spent quite a bit of time in Williston, and it's been nothing but kind to me. It's a quick fifteen minute drive or bus ride, and very well worth it. I experienced my first steak dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse, and enjoyed a very tasty Valentine's Day in Outback Steakhouse (can't miss those garlic mashed potatoes). My roommate and I bought our TV at Best Buy, my boyfriend and I have found our new favorite movie theater in Majestic 10 (the first one I've ever seen with escalators, if I might add), and we've turned to Walmart for our occasional candy and chips fixes; today I stumbled upon apple cider K Cups. Who knew?!

 

Today at Walmart: not quite sure what happened here, or who even attempted it. All I know is that there were plenty of available spaces around. 

A classic strawberry milkshake at Outback!

My new favorite chips, a tradition with every Majestic 10 outing.

 

Long story short, when you get your butts up here, don't forget to explore all around St. Mike's! There's an adventure everywhere- whether you're exploring the (coolest EVER) shops in Burlington, the slopes at Smuggler's, or even the junk-food aisle at Walmart. I look forward to hikes once (or if) the snow season ends, and to exploring the green version of Vermont without a coat!

Knightchats, the Slush Sessions, and Pizza!

I had my first Knightchat experience this past Wednesday, the 19th- and I must say, it was some quite enjoyable chaos! The parents all had such great questions. Knowing especially how stressful it was for myself and my parents to have these burning questions (none of which are small, stupid, or insignificant!), it felt amazing to be the one that provided the answer this time.
Considering it lasted for an hour and a half, it flew by! It was a great time, and I highly encourage accepted students (and their parents!) with those burning questions to partake in one of the upcoming Knightchats:
- Thursday, 3/27
- Wednesday, 4/9 (parents only)
- Wednesday, 4/23
Check out all this fantastic Q&A from Wednesday!

In other news, while last weekend was a powdery wonderland, this past one was a bit of a slushy disappointment. A slush show? The slush sessions? Regardless, it didn't make for the most exciting day of skiing, but we made a day of it nonetheless.

It all began with the rain...DISCLAIMER: the iPhone does NOT have this impressive of a lens. Although it was in fact raining, the appearance of rainfall was enhanced with an effect on Pixlromatic (a highly recommended app, I must add). :(

Though it may look like we had abundant snow, all that white was mostly an ice sheet. :( 

It was a warm day, which I certainly can't complain about considering temps of previous ski adventures, but a cautious one. Crossing my fingers for another glorious storm! 

While the day may have been a let-down, the following midnight snack was not. Praise Domino's, once again! (I'll never get tired of it, I swear. And the best part is, guess who has leftovers??)

Long story short, it's another weekend come and gone. But we sure made the best of it!
Hope we hear from all of you in upcoming Knightchats, I'll be attending on 4/23! Looking forward to it. :)

Mike's Movies!

An exciting part about coming to St. Mike's is that we're even given options for those times when we just don't feel like being exciting! Which we can all admit, I'm sure, happens more than we'd like.
So for when those times hit, one may venture to the portal. For the prospective students out there, the portal is a St. Mike's student's access to everything St. Mike's: email, class registration, your class schedule, announcements and reminders for events or other goings-on, and even the weather forecast! A new addition to the portal for these times that we just don't feel like being exciting is the ironically quite exciting Knightflix. Yes, while the name is a spin off of Netflix, a St. Mike's student doesn't have to pay for a subscription. Yes, we are given access to more titles than we could ever hope to tackle! And as cliche as it may sound (still going to say it!)  there truly is something for everyone...you've got your action, your thrillers, your chick flicks, all those 80's classics, and loads more.
And if one of those nights that you feel like being slightly more exciting comes around, there's always the Saint Michael's Film Series- a new movie is put on somewhere on campus every week! A professor knowledgeable on the context or period introduces the movie, and delivers a brief synopsis. And no, you won't feel like you're sitting in a lecture hall (even though you might actually be), as long as you take advantage of the free popcorn and soda (who wouldn't go for that alone?!).
Long story short- even if you are just sitting on your bed, or maybe even in a lecture hall, there are always options; there is always something to do at St. Mike's!

Snowy Times at St. Mike's!

One of the best parts of St. Mike's is those sudden snow surprises! Last week, campus got hit and was immediately washed in white. It made for some great skiing, as well as some of my favorite St. Mike's shots yet! All can be found (along with lots of other St. Mike's shots!) under #smcvt on Instagram.

One of the other best parts of St. Mike's (yes, there are more than one!) is that the classes not only teach you more about who you want to be once you enter the work force, but also more about what's going on around you. You are given the opportunities to learn about life near and far away. What's even better than this is that professors here actually make you want to learn about these things. And once you have, experiencing these things is infinitely more thrilling.
One of the best examples of that in this particular time of year is my freshman seminar, Snow: Art and Science. In this class, we are able to learn not only about the artistic, visual experience of snow, but also the even cooler parts like crystal formation! It comes as no surprise that this has made the weekly ski adventure even more exciting.

GET PUBLISHED!!!

The Onion River Review, Saint Michael's literary magazine, offers St. Mike's students the chance to get published at least once a year with each publication. It is edited by students, run by students, and comprised entirely of student work! And YES, if your submission is accepted, you are officially considered officially published! (Talk about a little color on the resume, right?)
Submissions of poetry, photography, sketches, and more are being taken (from students of any year) until February 6th, so get those creative juices flowing! Because this wouldn't just offer bragging rights.  Being published would render you a creative, talented, gutsy go-getter...and that's an honor impressive to any future employer!
Anyone who wishes to submit work may submit up to five pieces (this gives you the opportunity to submit in more than one medium!), so no worries if you've got a lot of good stuff you'd like to be considered. I myself submitted a photo; here's hoping I'll have more time in future years to submit more!
Even though I'm not affiliated with Onion River, I think it's definitely a fun opportunity for any student, even if you may not have previously considered yourself to be very artistic. My outlook is, why not at least try for it?!
For more information, visit http://www.smcvt.edu/onionriver/ or email onionriver@smcvt.edu.
GO FOR IT!!!