I can't believe that its been almost an entire month since I've last blogged; where did the time go?! I've been so busy wrapping up the semester/Senior year/time at Suffolk that I completely forgot to blog. Let me tell you a bit about the craziness that has been the last four weeks:

- I've decided to go to Tufts next year. I'm really excited about my program and about staying in the Greater Boston area. I was thinking about moving to NYC, but I'm not ready to leave Boston...yet. : )

- The Spring Ball has come and gone. This year it was at a hotel in Cambridge, and it was a good time. Dinner and dancing with some of the best; what else could I have asked for?

- Classes ended last week, and I had my last final yesterday. That's right, I'm officially done. After writing hundreds of pages of papers, taking countless pages of notes and many hours spent taking tests, I have paid my dues as an undergraduate student. I guess I'm sitting here writing this as a former Suffolk student. That's such a weird feeling. On May 17th, I will be an official Suffolk graduate... AHHHH!

Since its my last official week as a Suffolk student, I feel that it is my responsibility to pass on a few bits of advice to all of you who are planning on coming to Suffolk for your undergraduate years:
1.) Get involved. Try something new, or keep an interest from high school going when you're in college. We have so many opportunities to get involved, and the happiest people at Suffolk are those who are in clubs and go to school events. I've met all of my best friends through doing this.
2.) Get creative. We're not the school who has a quad, but rather one who has the Boston Common. We don't have a NCAA finalist basketball team, but we can walk to see a Celtics game any day we want to. We don't necessarily have tons of traditions passed down to students every year, but we have the traditions and history of Boston in and around our campus. We're not a stereotypical college, but that's one of the things I like most about us. Create your own culture and experience.
3.) Be open-minded. Take a class that sounds interesting just because you can; it may end up being the one that teaches you the most. Talk to your classmates, neighbors, and coworkers; that stranger sitting next to you may end up being your soul mate.
4.) Don't be afraid to look dumb. Whether its trying something new for the first time or its regressing back to doing something you haven't done since you were a kid, just do it; don't think and over-analyze. Dancing in the rain is always fun, even if you think people are staring.
5.) Ask questions. Get to know people, subjects, and anything else you aren't an expert on. Curious people are always the smartest and make the most of life.
6.) Read. A lot. Whether its for class or just for fun, it increases your vocabulary and is a great way to spend some alone time. Who knows, maybe that book your professor is making you read will be the best piece of writing you've ever read. It may change your life, but you never know until you try.
7.) Go out into your community. See the history that Boston has to offer, and see what makes us different from wherever you come from. Regardless of class, ethnicity, age, or religion, a Bostonian is proud of where they come from and is excited to meet someone else who identifies as a Bostonian. Find out why that is.
8.) Sleep... or not. I'm torn on this one because sleep is really important, but precious time with friends may be more important when there's an intense board game still going on.
9.) Help the needy - its a life-changing experience. It is your responsibility as a human being to leave the world a better place than how you found it. And its so rewarding. You don't need to go to Mississippi to make a difference, but if you do get the opportunity to go you should definitely take it.Best experience of my life.
and 10.) Be yourself. There are plenty of people here who will love you just the way you are. I promise.

I'm sure I could keep going on and on because I've learned more in the last three years at Suffolk than I could have ever imagined. I'll stop, though, before I start getting redundant. Good luck to all of you who are just getting ready to embark on your Suffolk journey; it'll be the best 4 years of your life. And to those of you who I know from Suffolk who like to read my blog (Sara, fellow Ambassadors, Kelly...) thanks for everything! I'd say I will miss you guys, but I know I'll still see you around. : )

Peace and love,
Whit

Symptoms: Excessive laziness, short attention span, irregular sleeping patterns... Diagnosis: Senioritis

So, I kind of feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Its the final stretch of spring semester, and I have an insane amount of work to complete in the next week or so. For my social work class I have to write a 20-25 page paper about my family. We learned about this on our first day of class in January, but do you think I've even thought about it until now? That would be a big N-O. It will be literally impossible for me to do my usual procrastination routine, so I have to break my four-year pattern of starting/completing things the night before they're due, and start to work on it soon. Hopefully my friend Justine, who also has to write the paper, will help motivate me to get it all done ASAP.

That's the thing... there's kind of a lack of motivation at this point. I mean, don't get me wrong, I want to do well in my last semester at Suffolk, but I've just been officially accepted into all of my grad school programs for the fall! Its hard to focus on writing a paper when I can be thinking about which path I want my life to take in the next few years. Should I move to NYC or will Boston be my home for the next three years? Do I definitely want to be a school psychologist, or should I get a more flexible degree?? Will I really be able to turn down Harvard, if that's what it comes down to?? See, there's actually a lot going on in my mind; I'm not just suffering from a bad case of Senioritis out of sheer laziness. Or that's how I'm going to rationalize it to myself...

No but seriously, I need some help here, folks. My choices are Tufts (MA/CAGS in School Psych), Harvard (M.Ed in Risk and Prevention) and Columbia (M.Ed/CAGS in School Psych). Any thoughts???

This Ain't No Turn Around - ASB 2009

I arrived back in Boston late on Saturday night, after spending the best week of my life in Mississippi. I went on Alternative Spring Break - something that Suffolk completely paid for - and spent the week working on a house in Waveland, where the eye of Hurricane Katrina hit. During the day, I worked on hanging sheet rock with some of our group, but at night we were able to hang out at the beach and explore the area. We had so much fun working on the job site and met some amazing people from the area. We worked on the inside of a house being built for an older couple, Bonnie and Jack. They are still living in the same trailor that they lived in before Katrina, only now its all moldy and causing both of them to have major health issues. While it was so sad to see Bonnie and Jack's current living conditions, their unwavering sense of hope and appreciation for our work was so inspiring; they were so happy, and their resilience was truly something I've never seen before. I honestly can't even put into words how moved I was by everyone and everything in Waveland.

Another cool part about the trip was that I learned how to build something. I now know how to use power tools, and am capable of putting up dry wall on the beams that support buildings. I was ridiculously exciting to see the house transform before our eyes from something that looked so empty, to something that really started to feel like a home. Here are some before and after pics of our work:

Before -




















And after (TA-DA!!!) -




















I was so proud of us! We accomplished so much in just five work days. While it felt great to help out and get so much done for Bonnie and Jack, the best part of the trip was meeting those who were on the trip with me. The people I spent last week with were honestly some of the best people I've ever met in my entire life. We had so much fun, and we had such a great vibe going all week long. We're actually all planning on hanging out again this weekend because we miss each other so much; it's corny but honestly these people are like family to me already. In the wise words of my friend, Michaela, "E-Harmony couldn't have picked a better group."

I could go on and on about this forever, but TJ told me I should wrap it up. One last thought: if you decide to go to Suffolk, definitely look into doing Alternative Spring Break; by far the best week of our lives.

Its 4 o'clock in the morning....

Ok, well, not exactly. Its really about 2am, and it feels like I've been up for days now. You may be wondering why: a. I'm blogging in the middle of the night, and b. I'm doing admissions work on a Saturday night. I'm actually getting ready to embark on the exciting journey that is Alternative Spring Break, which begins at 4:30 this morning when we're whisked away to Logan Airport. Our destination? Waveland, Mississippi. Our mission? We're building a house for a family of Hurricane Katrina victims. While this experience promises to be exciting and full of unforgettable moments with some of Suffolk's finest and most compassionate students, I'm sort of questioning why I applied to go. Don't get me wrong; I'm so pumped for this amazing opportunity, and I'm grateful that I have been given the chance to do something I've always dreamed of doing, but I'm tired. I'm sleepy, and want to do nothing more but curl up in my bed and sleep til noon. But thats just it: I'm tired. I'm not thinking clearly...

The upside to all of this is that I'm going to be arriving in Mississippi around noon instead, and on my way to exploring the city of New Orleans in the afternoon. This trip certainly promises to be an interesting one: 20 Suffolk kids sleeping in a still-unknown location for a week, soaking up the sun and battling the monsterous mosquitos that we've heard so much about.

The real reason why I wanted to go on this trip was to meet new people, from both my school and from a completely different region of the country. We've heard a lot about the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina throughout the past three and a half years, but you can't understand it unless you're there to witness it firsthand. And, that's right; its already been almost four years since Katrina hit, and there is still so much work to be done. Its so incredibly sad to think about, yet so motivating.

Some people have asked me, "Why would you want to give up your last Spring Break to do community service when you can go lounge on a beach somewhere?" The truth is that I can't imagine doing anything but this. I've always wanted to participate in ASB, and I consider myself so fortunate that I was able to have this experience at relatively no cost to my personal bank account. I want to be able to think that I've made a difference in the life of a perfect stranger, and what better way to do that than this? I have some preconceived notions of what to expect while on this trip, but I'm sure it'll end up being something more unique and amazing than I ever could have expected.

I won't have internet access for the next week, but I promise to blog all about my fantastic experience when I get back to Boston. For now, peace and love.

So... Its been a while. The last time I blogged there was just around 100 days left until graduation, and now we're down to about 75. I can't even believe how quickly the time is flying by! The senior class held an event at a bar in Faneuil Hall - McFadden's - last Thursday to celebrate the last 100 days of . It was such a fun time! A lot of people were able to hang out with current friends while catching up with old friends - friends from living in the dorms, friends from a course taken freshmen year, former coworkers, or whatever. And there was such an eclectic group of people there; it was definitely refreshing to see some new faces at a Suffolk event. This was the first Suffolk event that my friend Kelly's boyfriend had ever attended, and he was amazed that the unique vibe we had within our student population. He said, "Wow... I had no idea that so many different types of people go to Suffolk." Its absolutely so true; we have so many types of people here and the diversity of the student body really adds something to our campus - both in- and outside of the classroom. Anyway, it was such a great time, and I'm so excited for the rest of the "Senior Week" celebrations!

I also have some exciting updates for my graduate school applications: I was accepted into one of the programs I applied to at Tufts!! : ) I'm so pumped... I got accepted into their M.A. - Child Development program, and I have an interview this Saturday for their M.Ed. - School Psychology program. I also have an interview at Columbia University's Teachers College next Wednesday! Needless to say, I'm really nervous about the interviews. I mean, I was accepted into a program for next year so I have a definite plan to continue my education in the fall and therefore should feel a bit relieved about everything, but I'm still freaking out. Its funny, I tell prospective students on my tours that I know how anxious they are about college because I'm in the same boat. I absolutely know how you guys feel; its a bit overwhelming, but as someone who has gone through my undergraduate years, I can assure you that its well-worth the hard work and stress it takes to get to college.

Well, anyways... I guess that's enough "college wisdom" for now... Haha Catch ya next week! Peace and Love : )

100 days left!

Its pretty quiet down here in the Welcome Center, so I figured this would be a great opportunity to blog...

Less than 100 days until graduation. Pure insanity. I can't even believe it. I was at the senior week meeting last week, and someone was talking about how she had written the countdown in her planner. At that point it was 106 days, and when she announced it to everyone, the committee let out this collective sigh. It wasn't really one of those sighs of relief, but rather one of those UGHHH moments when we all took on this look of panic. I mean, its definitely exciting, but its scary. Are we supposed to be adults or something?? I'm hoping to go to school again next fall, but for the majority of our graduating class, this will be the first time they've been out of school for 17, 18, 19 years. WHHHAATTT?? I definitely feel like Suffolk has prepared us as much as an higher ed. institution possibly could, but lets get real. You can't wake up one day, go get your diploma and know how to be a grown up.

Luckily I feel like I've gotten a lot of the scary "firsts" over with while I've been in school: my first apartment, my first bills, my first attempts at devising and following a budget, my first experiences traveling alone, and my first time trying to juggle 5 or 6 real responsibilities at once. Many people have to deal with all of these situations while trying to find a "real job" and coping with being out of school after graduation, but I really feel that being at Suffolk has forced me to grow up a little faster. This is a good thing, though. Everyone needs to learn to be responsible at some time, and it might as well be when you're a student. Its somewhat comforting to know that my biggest worry upon graduation isn't really the crazy financial adjustment, but rather the getting-used-to-being-out-of-school part.

Anywho, back to what is relevant to today and now.... I'm currently having a great last semester of my undergraduate career. I'm taking Abnormal Psychology with Dr. Bursik - one of my professors from last semester and the Chairperson of the entire department. She is brilliant, and it is great to already know my professor and the majority of my classmates going into the semester. We've been learning about some really cool things, and have our first exam on Thursday on anxiety disorders and the basics of psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanism. I am also taking Social Work with Families, which is turning out to be a really interesting class. What I really like about that class is the fact that its more of a seminar rather than a lecture class, meaning the students do most of the talking. We learn a lot and our professor facilitates the discussions, but we can bring a lot of our personal experiences with our own families into the discussion, so it makes things really interesting.

My last class I'm taking is Psychology Internship. The class itself isn't demanding; we meet for an hour a week. To complete my internship requirements, I've been working at the Commonwealth Children's Center on Beacon Hill. So far its been such an awesome experience! I work in the Pre-K room with 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. The kids are so adorable, and its been so much fun so far. I will definitely keep you updated...

On that note, I need to be getting back to helping Lindsey and Kristina in the WC... Peace : )

Seven down, One to go...

So now that its finally the fourth week of the semester, I guess its time to get back to blogging. We had around one glorious month of vacation between semesters, and it was nothing short of fantastic. I had plenty of time to go home and see my family, and lots of time off to celebrate our temporary freedom from studying and going to class. I'm going to be completely honest, though: towards the end of vacation, I was really excited to head back. I'm not really used to not having a lot of responsibility in my life, and the lack of running around like a crazy person really started to bore me.

My best friend, Rebecca, came to visit for a few days right after the New Year. She currently lives in London, and we hadn't seen one another since August. We've done a really great job with keeping in touch, but nothing compares to being able to spend time together in Boston. I had so much fun with her; it was by far the highlight of my break.

I also completed all of my graduate school applications over break... I will definitely keep you posted on this. : )

Anyway, I was so ready to come back to school by the second week of January. I missed the first week and a half of Suffolk classes, however, because I went to Washington D.C. for Obama's Inauguration. It was one of the most exciting and exhausting experiences of my life. 92 Suffolk kids ventured down to North Bethesda, Maryland on January 10th to partake in a seminar held by The Washington Center for 10 days. We heard from so many different influential people and visited so many great sites. A few of our sessions were even shown on C-SPAN. Suffolk was by far the most represented university at this national program, and we were all so proud to be there. Being there also made us realize how fortunate we were to go to Suffolk for a few reasons. Many students had to be elected to attend and represent their school, or had to be political science or government majors to attend, but Suffolk opened it up to all students. Also, many students had to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket to participate in the seminar, but Suffolk covered all of our expenses except for transportation and food costs. We even received 4 credits for taking a 6 day class! I was repeatedly told that I was so lucky that I go to a school that would be so supportive of its students participating in such a unique program, and I definitely agree with that. I attended the program with Emily, Beckee, and TJ so be sure to check out their blogs for their takes on the trip, as well.

Although we did so many really interesting things and had so many once-in-a-lifetime moments, here are my favorites:

1.) Watching DC transform into a place that could accommodate for millions of extra people in preparation for the Inauguration,
2.) Visiting many of the monuments and my favorite museum: the Holocaust museum,
3.) Visiting the Human Rights Campaign, which fights for something I am so passionate about,
4.) Hearing the Ambassador to Pakistan and a representative from the Israeli Embassy both discuss their takes on U.S. involvement in the conflict in the Middle East,
and 5.) Seeing Obama drive past us when we were at the Capitol. This picture is of my friend, Kelly, and I after the Obama sighting... So excited! haha

Being in DC with so many people who were so excited for Obama's Inauguration was absolutely unreal. The city had this hopeful vibe wherever we went. We saw some ridiculous things - Obama hand-puppets, for example - but the most memorable thing I saw was the sea of people who were gathered for Obama's concert that aired on HBO. There seemed to be a never-ending sea of people who were clapping, cheering, and hoping to catch just a glimpse of our 44th President. The experience was definitely one that I will never forget, and I am so thankful that Suffolk afforded me the opportunity to partake in such a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Until next time... Peace : )