Rain, rain, go away!

I’ve been spoiled with amazing spring weather over the past few weeks. Yesterday I even broke out the shorts, so maybe I jinxed myself because when I got up this morning to open the blinds, I found rain falling from the dark, cold sky. Well, there’s no point in blow drying my hair today…So, maybe I’m a little pessimistic (very out of the ordinary for me), but coupling the rain with the fact that it is officially crunch time at Thomas has me grumbling on my way to classes and work. Finals are a little over a week away and even though I haven’t been procrastinating this semester I can still feel the pressure. My lacrosse games for the past two weeks have been every other day, but my professors always understand if I need to reschedule a test or meeting. That’s one of the perks of going to a small college. Plus, my professors often come to watch my games because they like to see us succeed outside of the classroom.

Something that might help alleviate the stress of the next few weeks is free movie night tonight at Flagship Cinemas for all Thomas students. I haven’t been to the movies in a while and I think that my friends and I want to go see Fast & Furious. I also can’t wait for late night munchies and back massages that Thomas sponsors during finals week.

Don’t be shy when rocking the rain boots today!
~Maggie

Housing Lottery

Monday and Tuesday nights were full of suspense and anticipation as everyone gathered in the auditorium lobby waiting for our housing lottery numbers to be called. “Number 1, 2, 3, 4…16!” Oh, that’s mine!

The housing lottery gives all returning students the chance to pick their own rooms for next fall. This was my third time going through the process, but it was still exciting to see who my neighbors will be and where everyone is going to live next year.

At Thomas there are four different options for housing as an upper classman. You can choose to live in Grant, Parks, or Heath Hall (GPH), The Village, Bartlett Hall, or the Townhouses. GPH is where the entire incoming freshman class lives, but upper classman can choose to lottery into GPH if they want. The Village is motel style; you and your roommate share a common bathroom and a front door that opens out to the lawn. Bartlett is set up with suites of five and seven. You can choose to live in a double room or even have a single all to yourself. This year I live on the third floor of Bartlett in a seven person suite. The townhouses were built new this fall and offer students the chance to have more single rooms to choose from. There are six singles and one double in a townhouse and both floors have their own bathroom. There is also a common area/entryway that students often put a couch and TV in. Like the Village the front door opens to the outside making it easy to visit your friends and get to class quickly.

“Number 16!” My roommates and I selected the townhouses and we can’t wait to move in this fall.

Go enjoy the sunshine!
Maggie

P.S. It’s a game day! See you at 4:00 as we play UMF at home!

Happy Easter!

It finally feels like spring in Waterville! The past few days have been beautiful. Yesterday, I spent the whole morning outside helping my lacrosse coach prep and line the field for our home game vs. Elms College...did I mentioned that we WON!! Megan led the scoring with five goals in our 8-7 win.

Now that it’s Friday I have the whole weekend off from lacrosse, but instead of heading home for Easter I’m just planning on staying on campus to relax and watch the baseball games this afternoon and tomorrow. The boys have double headers against Husson both days.

Everyone have a safe weekend!

Maggie

Quick updates from Spring Break

Spring break was full of family dinners, lacrosse, and some serious dorm room cleaning!

On Thursday night we all went to coach’s house for a BBQ and some fun and games after practice. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard over a game of Mad Gab. Earlier in the week I got to go home for a few days to see my family. My mom loved having me home because when I’m there I love to cook, since I don’t get to do much cooking at school. I also spent some time with friends from back home and went shopping at the Maine Mall.

Over the week we played three lax games and had an overnight road trip to Vermont. Road trips are always fun but really exhausting. While at the hotel we all went swimming in the pool and had a pretty intense dance party in the room. We played Castleton and Green Mountain while we were there. We ended up losing both games, but braved the snow, rain, and mud pit (aka the lax field). In the end we had a fun/wet weekend.

When we got back to school Sunday night I had tons of unpacking and cleaning to do. My cleats had so much mud caked to them that I had to soak them in the sink to scrape it all off. Plus my homework had been piling up…now that spring break is over we only have five more weeks of classes and it always goes by so fast!!

Hope to see everyone at our first REAL home game of the season tomorrow vs. Elms at 3:30!

~Maggie

Thinking about fall classes

I love spring semester at Thomas because our calendar is different than most schools. When we come back from winter break we have five weeks of classes followed by one week off in February. Then five more weeks of classes, a week off for spring break, five more weeks of classes, finals and then we’re off to bask in the sunny rays of summer. Yet, today feels nothing like summer…it’s so cold and the wind turns your hair into a tornado as soon as you step outside.

This current five week block has been flying by, and with spring break coming up it’s actually time to start thinking about signing up for fall classes! I’m looking at taking Public Speaking, Business and Management Policy, a Marketing Elective, Experiencing Diversity, and my Internship credits. I also have to make sure that most of my classes fall in the morning because once field hockey starts my afternoons will be busy.

Maggie

Spaghetti Night

My first lacrosse game is tomorrow at Worcester State College at noon. The whole team is pumped for the chance to actually play outside! Due to a snow covered field we've been practicing in the gym and the opportunity to move to a full size field has us all wound up. Tonight we’re having our traditional pregame spaghetti dinner; something that both the men’s and women’s teams do the night before every game. It helps us to stay out of trouble and focus on the game. The guys well be having their own dinner tonight too because their first home game is tomorrow against USM.

As for our game, I’m sure that it will be…well…interesting. I say that because there are only four players on our team that have actually ever played lacrosse. Most of us were recruited from the field hockey team just to help the roster numbers. Even though we have never played we've been practicing hard and hope to have a fun trip to Mass.

Wish us luck!
Maggie

The luck of the Irish

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Leprechauns, pots of gold, and shamrocks might be the symbol of Saint Patrick's Day around the world, but at Thomas College Chris Doherty and Mike Ross got it all covered. Chris starts his St. Patty's day count down around mid January and often shouts out weekly reminders when he sees you in the hallway. He bleeds Irish and won't let anything ruin his day of celebration. Below Chris and Mike show off their Irish spirit!

Hope you have a lucky day!
Maggie

Spring is in the air!

Spring training is in full swing this month as the sports teams prepare for the start of their seasons. Men's lacrosse has their first game tomorrow at Becker College in Mass. They are predicted third in the conference and hope to open with a solid win. The softball team left this past Tuesday for their annual trip the Sunshine State. When they return this weekend I’m sure they will all be tan from playing softball and not just from relaxing by the pool and going to Disney World. The baseball boys are pumped for their trip to Arizona in eleven days. Their program has been going on spring training trips for over 13 years and has gone to Arizona for the last three. Men’s tennis has also been practicing hard everyday in the Harold Alfond Athletic Center. As for Women’s Lacrosse we’re all just trying to stay healthy and recover from pre-season injuries. Our first game is next Saturday at Worcester State College.

Now I’m off to practice!

Play Hard,
Maggie

Snow days in college

In college we don't get snow days very often, so when one comes along (like yesterday) we act like kids on Christmas morning...well at least for the most part. The term snow day takes on a new meaning when you're in college. The actual snow day its self is usually a lazy one; often spent watching tons of movies and ordering pizza. Yet, it is the day after the snow subsides that we receive the dreaded e-mail of a snow removal protocol. Aka, don't bother looking nice today because you could potentially spend hours uncovering your car from a foot of white fluffy stuff.

The adventure starts by putting on your warmest clothes (most commonly doubling up on two pairs of sweatpants) and finding your boots located somewhere under your bed. At this point you're still half asleep and it's not out of the ordinary to forget your mittens. Then you and your friends trek outside (with or without mittens) and begin the long process of digging out your car.

Now, most people might say what's the big deal?...I have to do this all the time at my house. Well, my response to that is...have you ever had to shovel an ENTIRE parking lot just to remotely get your car to budge? Think of it like a domino effect. If you are in the back of the lot you must first help the ones in the front get their cars out before you even have a chance to touch your car. One tip that I have for people would be to invest in a good shovel.

Also, the joys of college mean that you often have to deal with people who are so broke that they let their car's gas tank get low enough that it won't even start. This adds the additional factor that when in a parking lot people often get blocked in, meaning that this dead car must be pushed. Normally not a big deal, but add the factor that a car with a running motor can barley get through the snow. How can a few people possibly push a car through it? I don't know how we do it, but we're all troopers and get the job done.

I just have one remaining question. When is spring?

Happy shoveling,
Maggie

Wear red!

The men's basketball team is ranked number one in the North Atlantic Conference!! This is an amazing accomplishment for the team and a fun night for the entire school because it means that this weekend we will be hosting the NAC championship games. The game schedule for the tournament is as follows:

Friday 6:00 pm Thomas vs Green Mountain
Friday 8:00 pm Husson vs. UMF
Saturday 2:00 pm Winner of Thomas/Green Mtn. vs Winner of Husson/UMF

Thomas Faculty, Staff and students can get in for FREE with their Thomas IDs. Otherwise tickets are $4.00 for an adult and $2.00 for a student. Also, everyone who goes should try to wear a red t-shirt! We want to pack the bleachers and cheer on our boys as they steal it all! GO TERRIERS!

See you at the game,
Maggie

Skiing pictures!

Jennah and I at the top of North Peak at Sunday River.

The view of the storm coming in, heading to Jordan Bowl.

Skiing

It's weird how you get so excited to see your friends from Thomas--even if you just left them. So, on the last day of winter break Jennah and I decided to get together and go skiing. It has been almost three years since either of us have gone skiing, but that and the pending snow storm couldn't stop us us from dusting off the old skis and heading to Sunday River. It was the perfect day for skiing...it was warm and the conditions were great. Plus it wasn't that busy because most people were traveling home that day. We took a bunch of runs and then headed over to Jordan Bowl. It takes a while to ski over there because you're actually going across all eight mountains, but there were some great views along the way. I was hoping to post some pictures, but it's not working so I'll try to put some up soon!

Overall my vacation was a much needed break from the daily routine of school. Earlier in the week I helped my mom in her flower shop for Valentine's Day...fun, but very busy. Then for the rest of the time I just hung out with some friends from high school and went on a baking rampage; filling my house with cookies and cupcakes (my dad loved it). I know vacation can't last forever...yet...let the count down to Spring break begin!

Hugs,
Maggie

Lysol and Popsicles

It seems like everyone is sick this week...

I came down with bronchitis last Friday, that same day Jess was in bed with a fever. Then over the weekend Jennah caught with this weird stomach flu that she's now passed on to Sarah. The only food that they can hold down is Popsicles.

Since our suite is officially under quarantine I spent last night Lysol-ing the bathroom and every touchable surface in the place. It's just so hard to stay healthy when living in the dorms but hopefully winter break next week will help every one's immune systems. I know that my hands look like leather catching mitts from washing them so many times and I've been pumping my body full of vitamin C just trying to get better.

Hugs & stay healthy,
Maggie

It feels like a Monday...so here's a joke

FINAL EXAMS:

One night Jack Evans, along with his 3 university friends went out drinkinig till late night, as many college students are prone to do, and didn't study for their test, which, of course, was scheduled for the next day.

In the morning they thought of a plan. They made themselves look as dirty and weird as they could with grease and dirt. They went up to the dean and explained that they had gone out to a wedding last night and on their return the tire of their car burst. They continued to explain how they had to push the car all the way back and that they were in no condition to appear for the test. The dean, being a compassionate human being said that they could take the test after 3 days. The students graciously replied that they'd be ready by that time.

On the third day, they appeared before the dean. The dean explained that since this was a special test all four were required to sit in separate classrooms for the duration of the exam.
They all agreed as they had prepared well in the last three days. The test consisted of 5 questions with total of 100 points:

MID SEMESTER COURSEWORK EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS :All questions are required. Any inconsistencies on any of the questions among the four students will result in all the candidates getting a zero mark.
Q.1. Write down your name. ----- (2 POINTS)
Q.2. Write the name of the bride and bridegroom at the wedding you attended. ----- (30 POINTS)
Q.3. What type of a car were you driving? ------(20 POINTS)
Q.4. Which tire burst? ------- (28 POINTS)
Q.5. Who was driving? ------ (20 POINTS)

Taken from http://www.joke-of-the-day.com/

It's that time of year...

While my parents are thinking about taxes and filling out the FAFSA I'm thinking about one thing...INTERNSHIPS!

As a junior I know that this summer I will most likely be interning somewhere. So, now begins the daunting and sometimes intimidating task of searching for that dream job. I have so many questions...do I want to stay in Maine, how many hours a week do I want to work, can I find a paid internship, what branch of Marketing do I want to pursue? I may not have it all figured out, but here are five things that I've learned so far that have helped me with my internship search.

1. Keep your resume up to date. Anytime you receive an award or accomplishment; either at work, school, or in the community add it to your resume. It is much easier to remember important milestones as they happen and this helps your resume become more accurate.

2. Start early. It might seem that May is far away but companies will start posting summer internship positions soon and having your resume and cover letter ready ensures that you can get a head start on other possible candidates. It is also important to have time to look for living arrangements if you're planning on interning away from home.

3. Think big. Just because an internship sounds too good to be true still consider it. I was looking at an event planning company in New York. The company was amazing and many of its clients were A-list celebrities. Yet, in the end it wouldn't be feasible for me to live in New York for four months, but that doesn't rule out considering that company for a job after graduation.

4. Make Career Services your best friend. Go to their office for help with interview skills, resume editing, cover letter techniques, and current internship openings. They are their to help you with any questions that you may have.

5. Market yourself. When communicating with potential employers keep in mind that you are selling yourself. You want to allow them to know you on paper, but more importantly on a personal level. Take this opportunity to...well brag...you've worked hard for your accomplishments so talk about them! '

I will keep you all posted on my internship search...wish me luck!

Hugs,
Maggie

FREE=Gran Torino

As a college student I believe that the most valuable lesson we learn is to never pass up free stuff. Well, okay...maybe not the most valuable lesson, but we do love anything that's free. So, last night for Free Movie night my friends and I saw the new Clint Eastwood movie, Gran Torino.

The movie was amazing. Yet, all viewers should be aware of the controversial racism laced throughout the storyline. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski who is a widower holding onto his prejudice views from serving in the Korean War. The plot dips into his personal life showing his family problems, his Michigan neighborhood being taken over by gangs, and his prized-mint condition-1972 Gran Torino. Without giving too much away, Kowalski sets out to reform his young neighbor, Thao, who is trying to stay out of his corrupt cousins gang. Drawn against his will into the life of Thao's family, Kowalski is soon taking steps to protect them from the gangs that infest their neighborhood. For me the whole movie was a success due to the perfectly timed humor that I wouldn't expect to find in this type of movie.

On another note...I'm heading home this weekend to see my family. See you all on Monday!

Hugs,
Maggie

Softball, Yoga, & Birthdays

Updates after the first week/long weekend...

Friday at our Winter Open House I got to meet some nice families and had the chance to show them around campus. It was such a cold day, but everyone seemed to enjoy their visit.

Softball has started for Sarah, so now she's like a phantom in the suite...she's here, she's there and then poof she's gone again. Yet last night she did have the time to go to Yoga with Jennah, Ashley, and Me. Some people might see yoga as 'hippie-ish' but it was really relaxing and a nice change from the aerobics class that I normally take.

Jennah's been working a little at Bath and Body and is still getting use to her new Criminal Justice night class. Sunday we got to relax with the guys across the hall and we all went to Applebee's for dinner. Jess went to Topsham this weekend with her boyfriend, Nick. They both have jobs there and then drove back in the huge snow storm that we had.

Tonight is Julies birthday and I think the we're going out the club to celebrate! Tomorrow is also Melissa's! Also, tomorrow is free movie night. We always love going to Flagship Cinemas when Thomas offers a free movie night...not sure what we'll see yet, but Jess wants to see Bride Wars. I'll keep you posted on what we watch.


Hugs,
Maggie

Back at last.

Ahh the first few days back from winter break...the joys of a packed cafeteria, new classes, seeing what friends got for Christmas, and the never ending stories about home. Over break I was sick and worked...not exactly fun, but a girl has to pay for books somehow. I did however find some time to shop and see some friends from back home. My roommate Jennah had fun going to Boston with her boyfriend, TC, to see the Celtics play. My friend/suitemate Jess spent time with her little nephew and then made the long trip up North to go home to visit family and my friend/suitemate Sarah found time to catch up with friends from high school. Last, my friend Ashley spent her break visiting with her younger sister who was home from Ohio. Break never seems long enough, but it's always great to move back into Bartlett and see my girls!

Yet, moving back in this semester was a little sad because Julie (our little giggle queen) isn't coming back, but now we have a new suitemate, Melissa. She transferred from Husson and we're happy that she's made the switch to Thomas.

Jess, Jennah, and Sarah having snuggle
time and happy to be back.

So now that we have the first two days of classes completed; I'm sure that tonight TC's finest will come out to show their school spirit and cheer on their Terriers as they take to the ice in the first Thomas club hockey game of the season! Hockey games are always one of the more entertaining sports to watch, but my least favorite part about hockey season it the strange odor that you often smell when you enter the hockey player's suite across the hall (sorry boys). See you all at the game!

Hugs,
Maggie