It's almost time to go back to Steubenville

As you can see from the title, it's almost time to go back to Steubenville for the spring semester. I'm planning to head back on Monday. The break has gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday that I left for NJ for the break. Now it's almost time to go back. But it's been a good break.

Books: I ordered textbooks for my classes last week. It wasn't as expensive as it was last semester. But I made sure I ordered my books early so I could get used books. I will pick them up once I get back to Steubenville.

Orientation: I will be helping with spring orientation this time around. That is one reason why I'm going back so early. I'm looking forward to helping the new students, especially since people helped me when I was a new student last semester.

There's not much to update on right now. I spent Christmas with my family and my cats. It's nice to be back in Carteret. It's especially nice that I don't have to pump gas. Come Monday, I'll have to go back to pumping my own gas again. But it'll be good to see everyone at Franciscan again.

Grades are in, and I'm home for Christmas

As you can see from the title, I am back in NJ for break and I got my grades from the fall semester.

As for grades:
Intro to Catechetics, C+ (not bad considering the power outage the night before)
Intermediate French I, C+
Philosophy of the Human Person, B-
Foundations of Catholicism, D+ (failing the midterm really did me in)
PBS I, B-
So overall, I passed all of my classes, got at least a C+ in Intro to Catechetics, and don't have to retake PBS I. I'm hoping that next semester will be much better. The only D's I want to see are in my name.

Back in NJ: As you can see, I am back in NJ for the break. I left Ohio on Friday morning. It was 13 degrees that morning. I had breakfast in Bob Evans, since the caf was closed for break. And I saw a lot of Franciscan students there (some of whom are my friends and classmates). So it was nice not being surrounded by strangers. I made sure I brought home a couple of orders of biscuits since my mom loves their biscuits. But anyway, it took me about eight hours to get back to Carteret. The weather was pretty good going out, though it was cold. My hands froze while I was pumping the gas (Ohio and Pennsylvania need full serve gas). There wasn't much traffic on the road, even on the NJ Turnpike (which surprised me). But I will be in NJ until January 4th, when I will head back to Steubenville for orientation for Spring 2010. I will be an orientation leader, probably with the Grad/Non Trad group (since I'm a Non Trad).

So I am enjoying the time off. I am so glad I will not be taking 15 credits again next semester. I think that next semester will not be as busy as this semester was. So if I don't write another entry until after Christmas, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you all next semester!

Fall semester is now done

As you can read from the title, the fall semester has come to an end. I have been really busy the last few weeks. Here is an update as to what has been happening.

Thanksgiving: I got to go home for Thanksgiving break. It was good to go home and see everyone. And it was nice not having to pump my own gas. But anyway, it was a good holiday. I spent the majority of the time doing homework, especially for PBS. I went back to Ohio the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It was a short break, but a good one.

Finals: Just a lot of studying. But at least they were more spread out, unlike my midterms. So I was able to devote more time towards studying for finals. And I think I did much better than I did during midterms. I took my last final today...I don't know how I did. I'll find out soon.

Power outage in Steubenville: Yesterday there was a massive power outage in Steubenville. No one had power, or heat. At my apartment, the lights had come on just long enough for me to get ready to type a paper for my intro to catechetics class. The lights went out at around 7pm and stayed out all night. Plus there was no heat. And it was freezing cold outside, in the teens or twenties. It was also extremely windy. I pretty much spent the night freezing in my apartment. I even wore two sets of PJ's. At around 5:30am, I said enough is enough. I got dressed, and drove over to Christ the King for the 6:30am mass. I figured that they would at least have heat, and they did. I was at the point that if the power did not come back on in my apartment by the time I got back home, then I would spend the night in the Holiday Inn on University Blvd. But the power did come back on, so I didn't have to check into a hotel. I just hope it does not happen again.

So tomorrow I head back to NJ for winter break. It's supposed to be in the twenties tomorrow in Steubenville. Too cold for me! I'll see you all in NJ.

Scratch the video

Well, after several attempts to add the video of Stella's lip synch, I eventually gave up. But those of you who are friends with me on Facebook can see the video there. Sorry I couldn't get the video up here.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm going to the winter formal. It's this Friday in Pittsburgh. I'm going with a bunch of girls from Stella. So that should be fun.

Update once again

So as you can tell, Lip Sinc took place last night. Stella Mariae household won first place.

Other things that have been happening...

Registration for Spring 2010: I registered for the spring 2010 semester. I'm taking 12 credits. I think I mentioned this the last time I posted. But anyway, I'm taking PBS II with Bergsma, Christian moral Principles with Gentile, Catechetics with Sr Johanna, and intermediate French II. It seems like a really good semester. So I hope I will do better.

Household: As you can tell from the video, I've been spending a lot of time with Stella. And as the semester draws closer to a close, the closer I come to being able to intent Stella. I am pretty sure I am going to intent Stella. I just don't know what day. All of the girls pretty much know that I'm going to intent, but they don't know the day. I have an idea when I'm going to intent. I'm just trying to work out how I'm going to do it. Certainly I will be their oldest intent, since I'm older than their founding sisters (not by much though). I'll have winter break to work out the details.

My car: This week, I brought my car in to Team Ford on Bradly Ave to get my car fixed. So I had a rental this week. I had a 2010 Chevy Impala. It had the new car smell and everything. The headlights even came on automatically. I had to get a temporary parking permit though. There's one thing I learned from this: it is very easy to get a parking ticket if you don't have a parking permit. I had been away from the car for less than five minutes, and already the lady was writing a parking ticket. They don't waste any time, don't they? Anyway, I had this car for the week. And my car was finished on Friday. So in between my foundations class and my French class, I went to get my car. I dropped the rental off at enterprise, and then went over to Team Ford to pick up my car. And my car is now good as new. Now in about two weeks I get to drive it back to NJ for Thanksgiving. I just hope I-70 and I-76 aren't covered in snow and ice. I don't want to get into another accident in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, and I retook my PBS midterm. I did much better, and passed with flying colors. Now I just have to do just as good for the final...because I won't get a second chance for that.

Fall Break

So fall break started today. This is something that is completely foreign to me. This is the first school that I went to that had a fall break. But we have the next four days off. So I will be able to get a lot of work done. A lot of people are going home for the weekend. But I couldn't see going home for a weekend, especially since it wasn't a holiday. Besides, my car still needs to get fixed. Hopefully it will be fixed by the time Thanksgiving break comes. New Jersey is a little too far to walk from Steubenville. In other news...

More midterms stuff: I got my Intro to Catechetics midterm back, and I got a B-. I was quite surprised. After my PBS and Foundations midterms, I was expecting another bad midterm. So I was happy.

French class: We've been studying about ordering in restaurants. We had to come up with a dialog like the ones used in the textbook. We were grouped in groups of 3 or 4, and had to have at least 10 lines. Everything was in French, and had to be memorized. So I had to memorize lines such as "Bienvenu. Moi aussi. Je suis l'autre serveuse." and "Nous n'avons pas de carrots." I had a hard time remembering the line"Qu'est-ce que vous desirez comme viande?". But I managed alright, along with the rest of the class. If you're wondering about my lines, I am one of the servers along with another guy. The plot of the story is that everything that the two girls order in the restaurant is something that the restaurant doesn't have. For example, the restaurant doesn't have carrots and peas, but has green vegetables; and they have lemon cake rather than chocolate cake. The restaurant also doesn't have cheese. Needless to say, the skit got a good laugh.

Registration for spring 2010: I get to register for the spring semester on Monday. I am planning on taking a more manageable 12 credits. I'm planning to take Christian Moral Principles, PBS II (with Bergsma again), Catechetics, and Intermediate French II. I won't have morning classes, especially 8am classes. During the spring semester, I always plan to have later classes in the event of snow early in the morning. Of course, driving to school for 6:30am mass on Tuesdays shouldn't be that much of a problem since there aren't many cars on the road at that time. And since I get to register on the first day (and they're sophomore level classes), I should get into all of them. I showed my possible schedule to my adviser, Prof Bolster, and he said that it looked good. Oh, and one more thing: I've decided that I'm not going to go to Austria. I just feel that I'm not meant to go. Plus I can't afford it. I'm alright about not going. I mean, my life won't be made worse because I didn't go. Besides, I can always see Austria on a postcard.

Time to update again

So I figured I'd update, and I wanted to upload some photos. The photos should be in reverse order. But I'll deal with it.

My Car: As you can see from the photo, I got into a fender bender. It wasn't my fault though. I was heading to school on Monday morning, and I was at the intersection of Brady Blvd and Oregon Ave. I was heading straight and a green pick up truck was making a left turn. So I have a busted headlight, a cracked fender, and a dented hood. The car runs fine though, it's mostly cosmetic. It looks worse than it actually is. I'm waiting to hear from the insurance so I can then go and get it fixed. Thank goodness Fall break is coming up. I can get it fixed during that time.



Franciscan sign: The sign at the main entrance of Franciscan is being replaced with a new sign. I'm sad to see this sign go because it matches all of the other signs on campus. We'll see what happens though. It did get me to see what Bonaventure and Heavenly Grounds looks like. BTW, I was born on St Bonaventure's feast day.



This was from a while back. It was an open house at the new Friary.









Midterm results: I've been getting my midterms back. As you may remember, I had four midterms in one week. Well, I haven't received my Intro to Catechetics midterm back yet. But I did alright with my Philosophy midterm with a C+. I didn't do quite well on my Fondations and my PBS I midterms, failing them both. I had to retake the PBS midterm, hoping I did better. But I went to Rose Klein to see how I can better prepare for my exams. It turns out that I was trying to memorize way too much information. What I should have done was consolidate the information rather than memorize 20+ terms and definitions. It also doesn't help that I'm taking fifteen credits. I may have to start using the language lab because I'm struggling in my intermediate French class. I know I am capable of at least passing the class. I just need extra help. So I'm going to get help.

Advising and possible Spring 2010 schedule: I meet with my adviser to discuss my schedule for next semester. I've come up with a preliminary schedule, and I wanted to show it to my adviser to see what he thinks. Clearly I am not taking 15 credits again. I've come up with a schedule with a more manageable 12 credits. I'm planning on taking Catechetics, Intermediate French (FRN 202), Christian Moral Principles, and PBS II with Bergsma. I would have two Tuesday-Thursday classes, and two Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes.

Household: Stella Mariae is on retreat this weekend. So I had an opportunity to go to another household's Lord's Day. So I went to Carae Donine. They also have a devotion the Immaculate Heart and the Sacred Heart. They are a really nice group of girls, but it didn't seem like home to me the way that Stella feels to me. So I think I am going to intent Stella Mariae come the start of next semester. I feel that this is the household that the Lord is calling me to.

Midterms and stuff

I figured I'd update.

Midterms: I had four this week. Insane, I know. I had midterms in Intro to Catechetics, Foundations of Catholicism, Philosophy of the Human Person, and PBS I. I'll tell you one thing: exams at Franciscan are totally different than exams at Rutgers. When I would take my midterms at Rutgers, they were all scantrons, multiple choice with 50+ questions. At Franciscan, all blue books with short answer/ essay. Everything that I learned about taking exams at Rutgers went right out the window after the first midterm. After the first midterm, I pretty much had to adjust how I study for an exam, since I can't rely on multiple choice anymore. Hopefully I didn't do too bad. Oh, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I had a second test in Intermediate French. I did better than the first test, though not as good as I liked. But it is an improvement. So I have to keep improving my test grades so that I will do well once the final comes around.

Households: So as I mentioned before, I've been spending a lot of time with Stella Mariae household. Well, I was told by a few of the members that I needed to visit at least three households. At that point, I had only visited two: Warriors of the Word, and Stella Mariae. So I needed to visit one more household. I decided to visit Totus Tuus Maria, since I had also considered them as well. They're located in Elizabeth hall, the newest women's dorm (where the tennis and basketball courts used to be). They had evening prayer and rosary. So I went on a Wednesday night. The girls are nice, but it just didn't seem like home for me. So I definitely feel that Stella Mariae is the household for me. Although I did make a friend in TTM, she's in my philosophy class.

Parents Weekend/ FOP: So last weekend was parents weekend. My parents couldn't make it because my father had to work. But in a way I'm glad they didn't come because then I wouldn't have studied for my midterms. My family is always a phone call away, as long as they answer the phone. But anyway, the masses were in the field house all last weekend, starting with the household life mass. For that mass, I sat with Stella Mariae household (since I will probably intent that household come next semester). Each household cheered when they saw their household banner. The following day had mass in the field house, and the St Francis Festival later that day. A Eucharistic FOP was held later that night. I had done some studying while waiting for the start of FOP. I figured I might as well be productive since I had about an hour of free time between dinner and FOP. So I sat in the JC Williams Center and studied for about an hour before it was time for FOP. There was adoration at this FOP, which I liked (though my knees didn't). I don't know how often they have a Eucharistic FOP. The next FOP is on November 7th.

So the semester is about half over. I can't believe how fast it's going. It's also getting colder in Steubenville. We had frost one day a little more than a week ago. I have to make sure that next semester I don't have an 8am class, since the chance of having frost will probably be higher. But this was only the third time I've had an 8am class. Since I am a senior by credits (though I'm definitely not graduating this year), I'll be able to register for classes pretty early. So I have a really good chance of getting into the classes I want.

This Saturday is the celebration of Fr Michael Scanlon's 50th anniversary as a professed Franciscan. That's pretty awesome! :-)

Time to update

Well, I figured I procrastinated long enough. A lot has happened since the last time I updated. So where should I begin...

Stella Mariae: I mentioned this household before. As a mentioned previously, I've been spending a lot of time with this household. I've been going to their commitments. When I was at Holy Hour with them in the Eucharistic Chapel in Christ the King Chapel, I felt like I was at home. I feel that this is the household I should join. I have to wait until next semester to intent though. But that's OK. I'll get to meet the 15 girls who are in Austria this semester.

Antonian Hall...otherwise known as the cafe: I've come to find out how their food is like after orientation...OK but not great. I'll never understand why the food was great during University Day and Orientation, and not so great after the start of school. You would think that the quality of the food wouldn't change. I guess that's wishful thinking. But, I do like their breakfasts. So it's not a total loss. But I think that they should publish the menus in advance so people can know when to go to the cafe and when to avoid it like the plague.

Classes: Extremely busy with a lot of work, especially in Dr Bergsma's class, PBS I. You have to make sure that you have the reading and the journaling done by class. I'm usually almost completely done by class time. I do love his lectures, and his dramatics and chalkboard drawings (like Moses with the horns). But I don't like that he stuck me almost completely in the back of the class (we have arranged seating, and I'm near the back). I don't know if that's a good sign that he thinks I can do well in the class or whether he just doesn't like me. Who knows. But overall, I like my classes. Prof. Solom is really nice in my Intro to Catechetics class. Dr Healy of Philosophy of the Human Person definitely knows his stuff, and starts the class with an Our Father followed by attendance. In my Foundations of Catholicism class, you have to make sure you have completed the reading, otherwise Dr Donohue will start giving quizes. And I really like my Intermediate French teacher, Prof. Zori. She doesn't go too fast, and I'm able to keep up. Although I didn't do as well as I would have liked on my first test, I'm hoping to do better this time. We're studying about food and about things in France like different industries and different cities in France. I'm glad I didn't retake Elementary French because it would have been too basic for me.

So next weekend is homecoming. That means that the masses will be in the field house. I keep a cushion in my car so I don't have to kneel on the hard floor. I tried one time during orientation, and my knees hurt like crazy. So this makes it easier for me to kneel at mass. Oh, and the next FOP is this coming Saturday. I really enjoyed the last one. I just hope that I don't get knocked over by someone who's slain in the spirit. But I'll probably bring my bible, since I saw people bring their bibles the last time.

St. Francis' feast day is coming up pretty soon. (that was my paternal grandfather's full name, btw) I was born on the feast of St. Bonaventure. It was the 700th anniversary of his death. He died on July 15, 1274, and I was born on July 15, 1974. How freaky is that? And he's a doctor of the Church too. Cool! :-)

Forgot to mention something

I forgot to mention something. Perpetual adoration started in the Port yesterday. I was there last night...it's a beautiful monstrance. I like that I can go to adoration more often. When I was home, I couldn't go to adoration that much. I usually went to adoration at St Joseph's on Thursdays. I couldn't always make it to Spirit and Truth though, since they have adoration as well.

I have to tell you something. I really like being here at Franciscan. I like the fact that I'm not the only person whom people would consider a "Jesus Freak". Here, everyone's a Jesus Freak! :-) It's inspiring for me to see how devout a lot of people are. And the Friars are great too.

Yesterday there were American flags placed all over campus yesterday in honor of 9-11. I thought that was really nice. There were flags by a lot of the academic buildings and around the rosary circle. I think more schools should follow in their example.

Well, I have to go. Happy Lord's Day! :-)

Been busy

As you can tell from the title, I've been pretty busy. Last week, my parents stopped by Steubenville to bring down some things that I couldn't fit my my Ford Taurus, like my winter clothes and my printer. Plus I had to get a desk for the apartment so I'd have a place to do my homework while at home. So I got one from Walmart, plus a task chair. So now I've got my own mini office. My parents stayed in Steubenville for a few days. This was the first time my mother got to see the campus and the town. She really liked the Rosary Circle. And my parents took me downtown (during the day, of course) to see what it looks like, since I had heard of rumours of downtown Steubenville being really bad and that I should avoid it at all costs. But anyway, we went downtown. We went to visit St Peter's Church on 4th street (I think. Is it 4th Claire?), right across the street from Steubenville High School. It's a beautiful church. There's so much artwork. I'd have to try to venture downtown more often, just during the day. My parents left on Sunday. They went down to the Tampa area for vacation, and to look for a house (they've been house hunting in Florida for as long as I can remember, what makes this trip any different?). My mother has always said that she wants to move down to Florida and to get away from the NJ winter cold. I have a funny feeling she'll stay in NJ. I feel that if they were meant to move down to Florida, they would have been there by now. But anyway, I digress...

Last Friday was the Household open house. It was in the JC Williams Center. All of the households were there. Some of the guy households can get pretty crazy.

I've been spending time with the Stella Mariae household. They have a devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart. And they're a really nice group of girls too. I really feel comfortable with them.

Oh, I wanted to update on the music ministry. I didn't make it into the music ministry. I think one problem was that I didn't know a lot of the new songs that they sing, considering that I grew up with songs like "Sing to the Mountains" and "Be Not Afraid". I'm slowly learning the new songs. Hopefully by the end of the semester, I'll know the newer songs better.

A lot of people on campus have been sick with colds, myself included. And my mother caught my cold before she left Steubenville.

I have a quiz in Intermediate French on Monday. I've been revieving like mad the last few days trying to make sure I know what I'm doing. I think I've finally got Passe Compose down, and were were going over some of the verbs and countries. I think as long as I practice, I should do fine. I've been praying that St Therese would help me with my French, since she's a fluent French speaker...and a native at that. I have her picture on my desk. Just wish me good luck (ou bonne chance en francais).

Bonne weekend mes amis! (see, I still remember) :-)

OK, off to mass. See you later! God Bless!

Household Olympics and FOP

So yesterday was the household olympics. Before I went to mass and the household olympics, I took a picture of the steel cross and the new friary.




Mass was at 9:30am in the fieldhouse, followed by brunch. The household olympics was later that afternoon. It was in the intramural fields. I didn't compete with any team. But I did take lots of pictures. Here are some pictures.











So as you can see, there were lots of events. The household olympics lasted for over two hours. It seemed that everyone enjoyed it. Following the olympics, it was time for Lord's day. This time I went to Stella Mariae's Lord's Day in "Tommy" Moore (I feel funny calling St Thomas Moore Tommy). I really liked it, and the girls were really nice. I may go to some more of their commitments.

Later that night was the first Festival of Praise, or FOP. I loved the music. But there was one thing that I had never seen before. During the FOP, a few people would appear to black out. There was one girl not too far from me that had collapsed, and was out for over a half hour. I learned later that she was "slain in the spirit" (I hope I have the right words for it). I had never seen anything like that before. Now mind you, I'm not really charismatic. I did like the music though, and I had almost no voice left by the time it was over. Overall I did like the FOP. Afterall, when you sing, you pray twice.

Oh, my parents are coming down to Steubenville this week to bring down my winter clothes and other stuff I couldn't fit in my car when I moved down to Steubenville. They're supposed to arrive tomorrow. It'll be good to see them. Hopefully they'll stay a couple days.

End of the first week

Well, the first week just wrapped up. So far things are going good. There's a lot of reading. But that's OK. I've been spending a lot of time in the library, getting my reading done. Oh, and I had signed up for a holy hour shift in the Port, but I have to change it because I'm still in class when it starts. I'll fix it tomorrow.

Today was the Household life mass. it was held in the feildhouse. I could see all of the banners for the different households. I noticed some new students (clearly not freshmen) have already intented households as they wore shirts with the word intent on it. It seems the majority of the households have their own tshirts and sweatshirts. Although I noticed that members of the Little Flowers would wear a white sweater. Tomorrow is the household olympics. That should be fun to watch.

Later on, there was a mini retreat in Christ the King Chapel. It was given by Fr Dominic. I found out the Fr Dominic is the same age as me, 35. But the retreat was really good and very informative.

Classes started

Well, classes started yesterday. My first class was an 8am class, Intro to Catechetics (Sollom). Following that was Philosophy of the Human Person (Healey). Later in the day, I had Principles of Biblical studies (Bergsma). All of the professors are really good. Although I really like Bergsma (thanks Claire...I told Bergsma that you recommended me take his class). Today I had Foundations of Catholicism (Donahue) and Intermediate French (Zori). Surprisingly enough, I remembered more French than I thought I would. The professor introduced herself in French, and I understood most of it. She's really nice too. If I find that I need help, I can always go to the language lab. Plus I got a French / English dictionary. So hopefully this will be a good semester. Just keep me in your prayers, especially I'm technically old enough to be my classmates' mother (I was a sophomore at Mother Seton when the freshmen were born).

This Saturday is the first Festival of Praise (FOP for short). I want to go to at least one. And on Friday they have the Household life mass in the Feildhouse. I know I want to join a household. I just don't know which one. I was thinking of checking out Stella Mariae. They have a devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart, and I have a similar devotion. They're located in Thomas Moore Hall, I forget what room though. So we'll see what happens.

Job fair, convocation, and ministry fair

As you can see from the title, the job fair, convocation, and ministry fair was today. The job fair was early in the morning around 9am. I filled out a lot of applications. And I was able to get a job with the physical plant department. It's an office job, and if I remember correctly...it pays $7.50 an hour. They're supposed to call me back about the job. That'll make my parents happy.

Later on that day was the convocation. It was in the Finnegan Feildhouse. During the convocation, we learned that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Fr Mike's profession with the TOR's. Everyone cheered when we heard this. Fr. Mike is so friendly...and he's from New York. But then again, all of the friars are really friendly.

Finally, the ministry fair. I signed up to audition for the music ministry. That will be tomorrow. I don't expect to be a cantor. But I would like to sing in a group. I've always preferred singing in a group rather than singing alone. That's just me. Oh, and I might do one of the missionary trips during spring break. There's one that's going to the Bronx. So it's almost like going home...though not quite. There's a meeting for that next Wednesday.

So I have an 8am class tomorrow. I have three classes tomorrow, all in Egan (reminds me of Mrs Egan, my gym teacher at Mother Seton). I got a locker for the year so I can keep some of my books there rather than lugging all of my books from one class to another. Plus I'd have a place to hang up my coat, once winter arrives.

Well, I'm in Steubenville...and it's orientation time!

As you can see from the title, I made it to Steubenville. I left NJ early last Sunday. It took me about 8 hours to get there. Once I got to Steubenville, I spent the night in the Holiday Inn. Why, you may ask? Because once I arrived at the apartment, I found out that the landlord didn't live there. The landlord owns a tanning and hair salon, which is located on the first floor. My apartment is on the second floor. The place was closed on Sundays, so I'd have to come back the next day to get my keys and move in. So I spent the night at the Holiday Inn on University Blvd (it's right next to Padua Hall). The following day, I went back to the "house" (which this building technically is), and got my keys to move in. The move in was pretty smooth. The apartment is pretty much a converted attic. It has a kitchen/dining area, a living room space, bathroom, and a wide open space in the back. I've made one part of this space into a bedroom (I have a raised aerobed right now), and I'm planning on making the other part of this space into a study area. There's a door where there used to be a window (I supposed that's what it was when this was a single family house), with wooden steps leading up to the "front door". The "back door", as I call it, leads downstairs to the first floor (the tanning salon). And there's a parking lot in the back. So the apartment is about five minutes from campus, roughly about 1.5 miles away. It's not perfect, but it's home...at least for the next year.

So this week was orientation. Orientation began on Thursday. I got to set up my Franciscan email. And I got to eat my first meal in Antonian Hall. I found out that different places on campus have nicknames. Antonian Hall is called the Caf. St Thomas Moore Hall is called Tommy. And the JC Williams Center is called the JC. I already knew that the Porticula Chapel was called the Port. One interesting thing that happened on the first night is that it began to pour down rain during the grand opening in the Finnegan Fieldhouse. At one point, the power went out...almost on cue. You could hear the rain pour down on the roof, and the loud clashes of thunder. Perhaps heaven was making some noise for the new students (like me), and the rain was tears of joy. All of this happened while Fr Terry was addressing us. Only at Franciscan would something like this happen. Anyway, the students were put in different groups during the weekend. The commuters were in one group, and there were groups for those living in the dorms and Assisi Heights (which was the apartments next to campus that housed low income people). The group I was placed into was the graduate/ non traditional group, or GNT for short. This is the group for grad students and non traditional undergrads (those people who are 23 and older). I'll tell you, the GNT's were so friendly. And I made a lot of new friends. During the weekend, mass was celebrated in the feildhouse. For some reason, their incense smells better than the incense used at St Joseph's church in Carteret (don't tell Monsignor Endebrock). Oh, and I also went to a Lord's Day. The household I visited was Warriors of the Word, which was in Marian. It was really nice. I want to check some of the households out, because I'd like to join a household...I just don't know which one. I'll have to pray on it. Well, I have pretty much have seen the entire campus by now. The only map I'll need by now is the map of the parking lots. Oh, the friars got a new friary. There is a new friary right next the the steel cross. I heard that the old friary was falling apart, and that the friars were using duct tape to fix some things. So what are they going to do with the old friary, you may ask? Well, it will be torn down and made into another parking lot. At least I got to see the old friary before it's torn down. There was a dumpster next to the old friary that was filled with garbage. The new friary is really nice, and the bells ring on the hour and half hour.

So classes start on Tuesday. Let the fun begin! :-)

Tomorrow, off to Steubenville

As you can tell from the title, I leave for Steubenville tomorrow. I've been getting the car packed. I have just a few more things to pack away. I'm hoping to leave tomorrow morning. I figured if I leave early, I can get to Steubenville before nightfall. So I'm off to Steubenville come tomorrow morning. Just pray that I get to Steubenville safely.

Oh, by the way, I ordered my books earlier this week. I forgot how expensive books were. I was just surprised that my french books were so expensive. The textbook is probably hard cover. It's a good thing I'm not taking any sciences. They're really expensive, and go out of date quickly.

Well, see you in Steubenville! :-)

Almost time to move to Steubenville!

As you can tell from the title, it's getting close to that time where I move from central NJ to Steubenville, OH. I sent the deposit and first month's rent already. And I let the landlord know that I would move in around August 15. The only thing I have to get for the apartment is a bed. I've been looking all over the internet trying to find a twin sized bed that I liked that didn't cost an arm and a leg. Through my searching, I've realized that I have expensive tastes. Of course my mother has known that for years. But I think I've narrowed the choices down. It's just a matter of figuring out whether I should order the bed before I leave for Ohio, or after I get there. I'll figure something out. So stay tuned.

Oh, and I now have an advisor. I got Professor Bolster as my advisor. And I am officially a Theology/Catechetics double major. Yay.

Change in housing

Remember last week when I mentioned that I had sent in the lease for the apartment on Oregon Ave? Well, scratch that. The landlord decided to rent the apartment to someone else. I was really upset about that because I had the impression that I had the apartment. So I had to go back to places4students.com to find another apartment. And I found a one bedroom loft apartment on Sunset Boulevard. The rent includes utilities except for cable, internet, and phone. I found that it is cheaper in the long run compared to the apartment on Oregon Ave, since that apartment didn't include utilities. So I was able to get the apartment on Sunset Boulevard. I faxed the lease over to the landlord today, and I have to send her the deposit within five days. So the lease begins on August first. The apartment is furnished with the exception of a bed. I would have to get a bed once I get down to Steubenville. The apartment is a little more than a mile away from campus. I'll have my car, so I can drive to school. So everything should be fine. I'm just happy I was able to find another place. I was afraid I would have been homeless come August. Thankfully I won't be. :-)

Update on school and housing

I figured I'd update everyone on what has been happening.

So you all remember when I told you about my schedule for the fall semester. Well, my friend Claire was telling me about Dr. Bergsma, and how wonderful his is. He is teaching a few sections of Principles of Biblical Studies I. I had been registered for Principles, but with Dr. Minto. After hearing from Claire how great Dr. Bergsma is, I really wanted to be in his class. But it had been full for weeks. But this past week, one of his sections opened up. And it was at a better time for me. So I called up the registrar, and registered that class and dropped Dr. Minto's class. I can't wait! :-)

Also, the day before my birthday (July 15) is the day students have to cover their remaining balance. So I had that taken care of today. I can now relax for a little bit now that I know that the tuition will be paid. Now just pray I can find a job on campus so I can pay the SWOP award (or whatever it's called).

Finally, I finally found housing. It's not the one I was telling you about earlier. That one fell through. But I found a one bedroom furnished apartment on Oregon Ave, and it's in a really nice neighborhood. And it's a half mile from campus. So I mailed the lease today by express mail, and I will move in in August. It's a 12 month lease. I'll be back home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, the festival of choirs, and the festival at St Joseph Church. But this will be my home for the coming year.

So that's my update for now. I'll let you know what happens.

Home again in NJ

Well, I just got back from Steubenville last night. As you could tell from my last post, my father was able to come with me to University Day. But anyway, I was originally supposed to head back home on Saturday, but decided to stay another day. So on Saturday and Sunday, I went to mass in Christ the King chapel (I have to make sure I don't get used to parking in the staff parking lots). I really liked the music at the masses. But I wish the Tabernacle wasn't hidden off to the side of the chapel. I happen to prefer to be able to see the Tabernacle. That's just my two cents.
Oh, I forgot to mention the other day that I saw the room I was considering renting. It's on Williams Place, not too far from Oregon Ave and Brady Ave. It's a really nice neighborhood. The landlady is really nice, as is her dog. I saw the room, and it's a good size. The bathroom is across the hall from the room. Plus the house is about a mile from campus. So I told her that I would take the room. She's supposed to contact me in a couple of weeks concerning the room.
So the other day I mentioned that I was advised to take Intro to Catechetics. The only section that fit in my schedule meets Tuesday and Thursday at 8am. Good thing I won't live too far from campus. But anyway, that gives me a total of 15 credits for the semester. That's a bit of a full load for me. But they're mostly theology and catechetics classes anyway. So it shouldn't be that bad. Plus I'm hoping to (hopefully) spend fall 2010 in Austria. I've always wanted to go overseas. Plus they go to Rome and Assisi. So I would love to go. I'd probably be the oldest Franciscan student in Gaming. But I feel that fall 2010 would be the perfect time to go, since it wouldn't be too cold in Austria while I'm there. Plus I wouldn't graduate until 2012 anyway. So fall 2010 would be the best time for me. My dad once went to Rome when he was in the Navy back in the mid 1960's. He was hoping to see the pope (then was John XXIII), but he was out of town. But he really liked Rome. So I'm looking forward to that. I'm also looking forward to seeing Assisi, since St. Francis is one of my favorite saints. So we'll see what happens.
So we left for home shortly after going to church. My dad decided to take the cheap way home...via I-80. Bad mistake. We hit construction at least four times while driving through Pennsylvania on I-80. When we had taken the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the way to Ohio, there was no construction at all. I'll tell you one thing...when I move to Steubenville for the fall semester, I'm taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It may cost more, but at least I won't have to worry about construction. Plus now I know how to pump gas (I pumped gas for the first time yesterday). So I'm good to go. Although the gas cap on my Ford Taurus is a pain to take on and off. And I've learned that you can't just tell the gas station cashier that you're going to fill up the tank. You have to give a certain amount, like $20 or $30. That means you have to know how much gas you really need. It's really easy to take that for granted when you live in NJ, and don't have to pump your own gas. I just hope I don't forget how to pump gas before August.

University Day

So here I am in Steubenville for university day. It's been a very busy day. The day started with mass at Christ the King chapel. Fr Scanlan said the mass...his enthusiasm is contagious. I loved the music in the mass. And everyone sang so loudly. It was great.

After mass, we had a quick breakfast in JC Willliams Center. Afterwards, we went back to the chapel. There we were greeted by the Franciscan faculty. Then we went to the various session for career planning, financial aid, and other logistics that need to be taken care of. During these sessions, I got my ID picture taken, meal plan taken care of (I got the Commuter Plus plan), parking permit taken care of, and even discussed with the theology department concerning academics. I will be a double major in Catechetics and Theology, with a Franciscan Studies minor. Plus I will spend fall 2010 in Austria. So I was advised to add Intro to Catachetics to my schedule, plus to take a class in the summer of 2010 (the name escapes me at the moment). So I should graduate in 3 years, which was my plan to begin with. I will be busy, that's for sure. But I'm happy. I just pray I can pay for this all. You know something, Rutgers was never this involved with my academics as Franciscan is. I don't feel like I'm just a number at Franciscan. That's how it was at Rutgers...there were so many people there that there was no way the faculty could remember who you were. I'm almost tempted to demand my money back from Rutgers, since they did me no good at all. All I can say is thank God that Franciscan has given me a chance to make a new start.

So in between the sessions, we had lunch. The lunch was meatless in respect to human life. I don't usually have meat on Fridays anyway. So the menu included pasta salad, tossed salad, personal pizza, and fish sandwiches. I had the fish, and it was delicious. My father enjoyed the food too. He walked all over the campus, up the hills and down the hills. We even went over to the Portacuna chapel and tomb of the unborn child. Some of those children would have been born in the late 1980s...they'd be in college by now. We really need to pray to end abortion.

Changing the subject, here are some photos from the day.

Housing update

Remember when I mentioned about the housing the other day? Well, I may not get that listing. Right now it's between the landlord's good friend and myself. And the good friend is the front runner for the room. So I've had to look at other options, since I probably will not get this room. I found one room for rent on the FUS off campus housing site, places4students.com. It's $300 a month, and it includes utilities. And the house is less than a mile from the campus, and in a nice neighborhood. So I told this landlady that I would stop by to see the room while I'm in Steubenville next week for University day. I am hoping that I secure housing pretty soon so I won't have the spend the upcoming school year in my car.

Oh, by the way, I found instructions online for pumping gas. It was at this website www.wikihow.com/Pump-Gas

Now if I lived in any other state besides NJ or Oregon, this 

wouldn't be an issue. Next week I get to pump gas for the first 

time. Pray that I don't mess up! :-)

God bless!

My father now knows that I am going to Franciscan

My mother told my father a couple of weeks ago that I am going to Franciscan University. I've been putting off telling him because I was afraid he would get mad at me for going back to school again at the age of 34. But, he didn't get mad...though I sometimes get the feeling he would rather me get a job than to go to school. So now everyone knows that I'm going to Franciscan University in the Fall. I just pray I'll be able to pay for it, God willing.

University day is next Friday. And as of this moment, it is just me going. Why, you may ask? Because of the fact that University day starts with mass at 8am, I would have to leave home on the 11th. My father's long weekend doesn't start until the afternoon of the 11th, and I would have had to have left by then. So my father can't come. And I don't think my mother will be able to go either. So I will have to make the trek by myself. It shouldn't be that bad, though I will have to learn how to pump my own gas (people in NJ aren't allowed to pump their own gas). I know that regular gas is 87 octane, and that most gas stations want you to pay before you pump the gas. Maybe, since I live across the river from Staten Island, I should take a trip over there to practice pumping my own gas. But then again, I'd have to pay to drive across the Outer Bridge to get to Staten Island. Plus gas in NY is more expensive than in NJ. Oh well, it was just a thought.

As for housing, there is one listing that looks promising. I've been in contact with the landlord, and right now it looks good. The house is in a nice area of Steubenville, and it's really close to campus. So I'm hoping this will be the one for the year. Plus it's a nine month lease. So I would move in right before orientation, and then move out when the school year is out. Plus it's furnished. So I really hope I get it. Just keep praying for me. And I thank you all for your prayers. 

:-)

God Bless!

Housing

Well, my options concerning housing just got a little clearer. I found out yesterday that I probably will not live at Assisi Heights. This is because all of the spots for Assisi Heights are full, and there's a waiting list for the returning students. So I will have to live off campus. I've been looking at the Off Campus Housing website looking for places to live, and there's a few that might be good. So we'll see what happens. Just keep me in your prayers as I look for housing.

Oh, and congratulations to Franciscan University class of 2009. I pray that I will join them as a fellow Franciscan alumna in about three years.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

I got my schedule for next semester!

As you can tell from the title, I got my schedule for the fall semester at Franciscan University. I am registered for 12 credits. This is my fall 2009 schedule:

FRN 201 Intermediate French I Prof. Barbara Ann Zori MWF 3-3:50pm

PHL 113 Philosophy of the Human Person Dr. Michael J. Healy TTH 9:30-10:45am

THE 101 Foundations of Catholicism Dr. Patricia C. Donohue MWF 12-12:50pm

THE 211 Principles of Biblical Study I Dr. Andrew L. Minto TTH 11am-12:15pm

So originally I thought I would have registered in June. But I'm happy with my schedule. I like that the classes aren't too early or too late. Plus I have no more than two classes a day. So I think they did a good job. I normally take between 12 to 13 credits a semester, so I'm glad they didn't have me take 15 credits. I tried to take 15 credits once at Rutgers, and it was too much for me.  I tend to do better with 12 to 13 credits. I'm sure I'll do pretty well in in the theology and philosophy  classes. I'm hoping that I won't do that badly in the intermediate French, since it's been ten years since I took elementary French. But I remember most of what I learned, so I shouldn't do that bad. And if I need help, I can always go to the professor and ask for help. That's what office hours are for. So we will see what will happen next semester. I am hoping I do much better than I did when I was at Rutgers. With God's help, I will.

God Bless! :-)

Things starting to fall into place

So time is going by, and things are starting to fall into place. I will register for classes at Franciscan University on June 12 (though I was hoping for June 5). And I'm finalizing the financial aid for the next year. Since I am seeking a second bachelor's, I am ineligible for grants. So right now I have a Stafford loan. I will have to get another loan to cover the rest of the balance. I'm hoping this will be the only year I will have to get a second loan. If I can get a part time job on campus, and do well enough in my classes to (perhaps) get a scholarship for next year...then hopefully I won't have to borrow as much money next year.

So University Day will be on June 12. Since I am way over 22, I can't stay on campus for the night. Fortunately there are some hotels close by, so that won't be a problem. I will let you all know how that goes, and will have pictures from the weekend. So stay tuned!

One thing that hasn't been resolved yet is housing. I've been discussing with my admissions counselor about this. Since I'm over 22, I can't live in the dorms. But I'm single. So where do I go? He's told me about a housing option called Assisi Heights. It's for upperclassmen and grad students. So I am waiting to hear if there is a spot open for me for next year. Otherwise I will have to live off campus. I would like to live close to the campus, and I've lived on campus before when I went to Rutgers. So I'm praying that a spot will open up for me for next year.

I hope everyone had a good Easter Triduum. I spent it singing with the choir at St Joseph Church in Carteret, NJ. We sang for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday. So it was very busy. During the weekend, I realized that next year I will be at Franciscan. I'm looking forward to seeing how their Easter Triduum is like. I'll be sad leaving everyone in Carteret, but it won't be for too long. Plus I'll come home for the summer, so I won't be gone forever.

God Bless, and happy Easter!

Oh, one last thing...please pray for the repose of my uncle Al Abramo. He was married to my aunt (my mother's sister) for over 54 years.

Who am I, you may ask?

My name is Dorothy Sewing, and I'm from Carteret, NJ. I will be transferring to Franciscan University this fall to pursue a second BA. I am planning on majoring in Catechetics, and minoring in Franciscan Studies. I hope to become a high school religion teacher.

A little info about me: I am 34 years old (will be 35 by the time I get to Franciscan). I graduated from Mother Seton Regional High School in 1993. I hold two associate degrees from Middlesex County College: an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts, and an Associate of Applied Science in Education Practitioner. And I hold a BA from Rutgers University: with a Psychology major, and Music minor.

So why am I going for another BA if I already hold one? The answer's simple: I feel that God is calling me to study to become a religion teacher. Since I started at Rutgers, I knew I wanted to go into education. But I always had trouble trying to figure out just where in education to go. So after a few years, and after much prayerful consideration, I felt that God wanted me to go to Franciscan University to study catechetics. I wasn't sure, however, that I would get admitted...since I did fairly well at Middlesex, and mediocre at Rutgers. So I am so greatful that Franciscan wanted to give a chance. Now I just have to pray that I will be able to pay for it. I pray everyday that if it is God's will for me to go to Franciscan University, that He will help me find a way to pay for it. Nothing is impossible to God.

I am looking forward to starting at Franciscan University. I haven't seen the campus yet, but I already begun collecting Franciscan University stuff. I have a couple of tshirts, a couple of hoodies, a cap, ect. I'm looking forward to going there in June for University day. There I can see the campus, meet the faculty, and meet my future classmates. So I am really looking forward to that.

I will be using this blog to record my experiences while at Franciscan University. So I am happy that you could join me on this journey. It's going to be great!

God Bless! :-)