What-to-Know Wednesday : Why Everyone Should Take a Dance Class at SMC

Hello all, and welcome to my last post of the semester! I want to thank you all for reading along this fall on Stories of St. Mike's. While it's been a difficult semester for many reasons, I'm always grateful to be able to bring you my tales, tips and tricks from the best school ever!

After having taken my second dance class at St. Mike's this semester amidst some administrative considerations, I've been given a lot of opportunity to reflect on how truly beneficial they have been to my St. Mike's experience. So without further ado, here is why I think everyone would benefit from taking a dance class at SMC!

1.) Pay attention to your mind AND your body.

Taking a dance class has provided time that I otherwise wouldn't have had to focus on physical activity through the school week. While the load of course work and studying often takes priority over physical wellness, dance classes have allowed me to focus on flexibility, posture, and overall physical self-awareness.

2.) Take a break.

In these practices of physical self-awareness, I've found that dance classes have allowed me to unwind from the week's academic stresses and clear my mind for the rest of the day. It feels good to walk into a class knowing it's time to forget about the exam you have tomorrow and the paper due next week and focus on yourself for an hour or so.

3.) Explore physical activity and awareness of your own body in an academic context.

Through taking a dance class at SMC, you'll learn not only about different styles of dance, choreographers and techniques, but you'll also learn a lot about yourself.


I hope you'll all be lucky enough to experience a dance class in your time at SMC. I promise you will not regret it!

With that being said, I hope you all have a wonderful break, a merry Christmas and happy holidays!

See you in 2017!



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

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #15

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

SMC got quite a few snow showers this week starting on Monday. While it's gotten much colder, it's a worthy trade for the beautiful new campus landscape!

After having gone home Friday through Saturday for a family funeral, there is lot's to be done on the studying front today! To all my readers at SMC, I hope your finals week preparations are going well. To all my prospective readers, I hope you're all gearing up for a great Christmas break as well!

To those of you who have been longtime readers, you'll know that this week's coming What-to-Know Wednesday will be my last post of the fall semester! Be sure to stay tuned!




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

What-to-Know Wednesday : Dorm-Friendly Sweet Treats to Get You Through Finals

Hello all! As you all know by now, it is the last week of classes for the fall semester here at St. Mike's. So naturally, you know what that means- next week is finals and it's time to buckle down and pray for sanity.

But before you go panicking, keep it together. What might be just as important as studying for your finals is knowing when to take a break and treat yourself. So without further ado, do exactly that with the following sweet treats (all of which, by the way, are dorm-doable)!

1.) Hot Cocoa

Think about it...you, a steamy mug of the good stuff and a little Netflix marathon (after you've already studied your butt off for the day, of course). It's as easy as buying a box of cocoa packets and brewing a cup of hot water from your Keurig (just don't put a K-Cup in and you're set)!

2.) Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug

Mmmmmmm girl. If I had a dime for every time I craved one of these bad boys. Only have a few minutes between study sessions to cure that sweet tooth? Try this quick single-serve microwave version. 

3.) Ben & Jerry's

Here in Vermont, you never have to go far to get your hands on a pint of Chunky Monkey (or whatever flavor you desire, I'm not here to judge you). At SMC, for example, you'll only have a short walk to the Cumberland Farms, which is basically on campus!

Enjoy and happy studying! Stay tuned for the next Sum-It-Up Sunday on the 11th!




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

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #14

Hello all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's. Believe it or not, we are about to start our last week of classes before finals! As always, the semester flew by and I expect the next to move even faster. Here's a look at our first week back after Thanksgiving:

As always, it was a beautiful drive back to SMC! 

This Friday, Jared, my roommate Marissa and I all went downtown for the night! The usual charm of Church Street coupled with the Christmas lights makes the iconic marketplace even more of a spectacle in the fall/winter!

The three of us had dinner at Pascolo, where you can treat yourself to homemade pasta! It definitely does not disappoint. 

While I have no pictures for this, yesterday I spent a few hours helping out at Alumni Relations' annual Children's Christmas Party, where SMC alumni, faculty and staff bring their children for an afternoon of holiday fun! Alliot was transformed into a Christmas-y wonderland with red and green balloons, the usual Christmas tree, and tables decked out with cookies and hot chocolate. I think I volunteered for the best job available- manning the camera at the line to sit on Santa's lap! As a senior, I wish I'd been able to volunteer at this event in years past. It was a great time!

I hope you all had a wonderful week. Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 7th!



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

What-to-Know Wednesday : Post-Thanksgiving Motivation

Now that you've had your fill in turkey, pie, and undoubtedly several sandwiches' worth of leftovers, you're back to school with only two more weeks of classes and one week of finals. The only problem is, you probably got way into the holiday spirit over the break before crawling back for the final haul.

That said, motivation is more crucial now than ever! Keep up morale with the following tips:

1.) Plan it out.

With only two weeks of classes left, chances are you have a good idea of what's coming up on your to-do list and your timespan to get it done. I've always found that the best way to avoid becoming overwhelmed is to plan out what needs to get done and when. This will minimize stress and ensure that you aren't letting work pile up.

2.) Keep taking care of yourself.

Remember all that luxurious sleep you got over break? You don't need to leave that at home. Keep getting a lot of rest and eating well (there may not be a cornucopia of leftovers in the fridge, but you can make do). Know when to take time for yourself and accept support from the people around you.

3.) Remember what's around the corner.

If the thought of Christmas trees, Elf marathons and a month off doesn't motivate you to push through, I don't know what will! You've got this!


Stay tuned for the next Sum-It-Up Sunday on the 4th (yes, that's December!!)!



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

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #13

Hello all! It's been a wonderful Thanksgiving break, but today we've made the trek back up to SMC for the last few weeks before Christmas Break.

This Thanksgiving break, I got to visit both sides of my family and got together with my best friend Maureen for the first time since she started school in North Carolina! So needless to say, it was a very productive, much needed break.

On Wednesday, I was able to squeeze in an interview for my senior seminar book at an interior design workroom in Boston!

One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is preparing some tasty Thanksgiving treats! The finished pumpkin pie...

...and some apple roses (apple slices rolled in puff pastry)! Both were delicious hits. 

Thanksgiving wouldn't have been complete without an awkward family photo with my Uncle Steve's moose!

One of the best things I did over break was visit my late Grammy and Grampy's house as my family admired my Grammy's jewelry collection and decided what they wanted to keep. I ended up with this gorgeous necklace, amongst other pieces that I will treasure forever.

See you in a few weeks!!!

I hope you all enjoyed your break and had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 30th!




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

What-to-Know Wednesday : Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, I'm a day early- but I want to take this week's What-to-Know Wednesday to wish all my lovely readers a Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving break, I am thankful for time with family, decorative pie crusts, the Gilmore Girls marathon and squeezing in an interview for my senior seminar book! There's nothing better than spending the day making some Thanksgiving treats, so I'm gonna get back to it. 

Wherever you are and whomever you're with, I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with food, fun, friends and family. To any and all SMC readers, I hope you're all enjoying your well deserved break! We've got just two weeks left in the semester before Christmas break.

Stay tuned for the next Sum-It-Up Sunday on the 27th!



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