Rider University > Student Blog

Things are Coming to an End

2008-04-23T10:50:00.008-04:00

posted by: Russ

Today starts my last week of classes as a Rider Universit college student. This is very exciting and emotional for me all at the same time. I do not know where these last 4 years of my life have gone; they went by way to fast. This Rider experience has been life changing in many ways.
Saturday night was when I realized that I am graduating in 3 weeks and my life is changing completely. It was 2 AM and I just left my friends pod. For some reason I wasn't tired and just wanted to walk around campus. So I started to walk by myself just thinking about my life, what’s changing, Rider, the friends I have made here, all of the fun I have had and all the amazing times with my friends I have experienced. I walked all over campus for about 2 hours just looking at buildings and remembering things that I have done. I sat on a bench and just thought about the last 4 years of my life. I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I have had. Not forgetting the hard times and struggles too. I can't believe that this part of my life is coming to an end. Sitting outside on the campus green knowing that I would be graduating from that same spot in 3 weeks was hard for me. I didn't want to come to college, I was scared, and now I'm scared to leave. Rider has become my home and all of the people I have met have impacted my life significantly. Rider isn't just a place to go to college; it’s a place to shape the person that you are going to be. You will "find yourself" while being here. The conversations you will have with your friends dig so far into who you are, it’s amazing. Staying up until 4 AM with your roommate, talking about Music or what you want to do when you graduate, when you have to be up at 7 AM, is PRICELESS. These are the times that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

I have made so many amazing friendships that I am going to have for the rest of my life. So many people have helped shape me as a person as well as grow as an individual.

I just want to thank some of my friends. Elizabeth, you have been the most amazing person throughout these last four years. The things we have gone through have made me realize how important you are to me. If I did not have you, I do not know where I would be. You have been the best girlfriend a guy could ask for, I LOVE YOU.

Kenny, you have been the best roommate. Living with you has been rockin, there will never be bad music coming from our room. Julie the conversations we have had over the last 3 years have been amazing. We see eye to eye on so many things. To all the guys that live in the B2nd and 3rd Pod. Jeremey, Joe, Dave, Weber, Simon, and Payton it has been the time of my life living with you this year. The guys upstairs, we have rocked it every weekend and I won't forget it.

Last but not least; Kate, Cher and Kerrie. The three of you girls have helped me through so much. Who would have thought meeting you freshman year would lead to the amazing, unique, and wild friendship we have today.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT I HAVE MET WHILE BEING AT RIDER. YOU HAVE ALL HELPED SHAPE THE PERSON I AM TODAY. I AM GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH.

I just want everyone to know how important your friends are while you are at Rider. This is the time to find who you are, in which Rider helps you do that. I graduate in 3 weeks and my life is going to change dramatically. I have a job, I am moving back home for a few months, I am leaving everything I have known for the last 4 years and starting over again. I am scared but ready for the challenge (I think and hope). I am going to write one last time after graduation, to let you know what it feels like to be a RIDER GRADUATE. I hope you look at my experiences and realize that you should live every day, hour, minute, second to the fullest. Don’t ever forget that.

Rock On
Russ

Looking back

2008-04-23T10:41:00.003-04:00

posted by: Georgina

It's amazing how 4 years can really pass by so quickly. My senior year is almost through. Looking back over my time at Rider, I have had a lot of great times. I have met some really amazing faculty and made some amazing friends.

Although I am extremely excited for December to get here so that I can graduate, I am going to miss Rider. It's really the kind people which make Rider stand out in my mind. And all of the basketball games, Bronc buffets, and trips that I've experienced.

I am going to miss being involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. It's full of such a great group of people which love Jesus. I am going to miss the French table talks that I had so that I could keep practicing the beautiful language. I am going to miss tutoring Math and giving tours at Rider. Two of the BEST JOBS that Rider has to offer.

But Rider has really prepared me for life after college. I am going to become a great Math teacher because I have gone to a great school. Now, it's time to continue to make more great memories.

-Georgina

Student Support Services

2008-03-27T09:58:00.004-04:00

posted by: Georgina

The Trio Program is making a difference all across New Jersey. It helps middle school and high school students acheive success in their educations. On a third level, the program aids students obtaining a bachelors through graduate school. I am proud to announce that I am apart of the Trio Program on the college level called "Student Support Services". SSS helps financially disadvantaged, disabled, and first generation students obtain a college degree. They also provide counseling and tutoring services.
SSS has left a mark on my life. I am paying for my own education. My family cannot afford to offer me any assistance. SSS, has helped take the burden of financing a private education, off my shoulders. The SSS staff of Rider are sweethearts. They are also professionally commited to student success. Recently, I took a trip to Washinton, DC with SSS.

I absolutely love History, politics, and DC. The trip was amazing. SSS went to Washington in order to lobby for an increase of funding of the Trio Program. We spoke personally to Senator Menendez and also communicated our cause to Senator Lautenburg's chief assistant Apryl. Our goal is to have a senators vote on increasing the Federal grant money to Trio. Every year the cost of living increases. However, for almost three years the amount of money awarded to Trio has remained the same. Therefore, it was time for Rider SSS students to pay the capitol a visit. Everything was paid for in full for those students who volunteered to go to DC and speak with the senators. There was no way that I was going to miss that opportunity!

Full Time Job

2008-03-13T14:04:00.004-04:00

posted by: Russ

Hey everyone. Long time not talk. I hope everyone is doing well. So I have a good story this week. I GOT A FULL TIME JOB WITH JOHNSON AND JOHNSON. How crazy is that? So I received an e-mail from a recruiter at J & J asking if I was interested in the SLDP Program. That stands for Sales Leadership and Development Program. So I went for the interview at one of the J & J locations and it went amazing. I left feeling really good about what just happened. He told me he was interviewing for 2 days and about 40 people. He also said there was one spot left in the program. Long story short, he called me 2 days later and offered me the position. I was shocked and so excited. I can’t believe all my hard work paid off. I will say that Rider prepared me so well and I would not have gotten this job if it were not for the things I learned here. Being able to answer questions quickly and efficiently really helped me in the interview. I attended an interview training session at our career service office, which really prepared me for my interview. It is a two year contract that I signed in which I am going to work in sales, marketing and logistics. I still can’t believe that I have a full time job. The sense of job security from now until I graduate is amazing. All right well I have to run because I am leaving tonight to go to Tennessee for 4 days to watch a NASCAR race. I am going with my dad and best friend from home. We have a 10-hour ride ahead of us and I am going on 4 hours of sleep so this should be interesting. All of that make it even more fun. Talk to you soon.

Rock on.
Russ

Christmas in February

2008-02-14T14:15:00.006-05:00

posted by: Georgina
What comes to mind when you hear the word February? Most people think of Valentine's Day, roses, and spending time on a romantic date with the one you love. February 2008 will be a year that I'll never forget.

Christmas breaks in college are phenomenal. You get a month and a half off to do whatever you want. Last Christmas was fun, I spent it with friends. But, there's nothing like spending Christmas with family. I'm originally from Baltimore, so all of my family live there. I jumped up and down at the excitement of celebrating Christmas in February with my beautiful family. That's exactly what I did this month. On February 3rd we celebrated each other and gift giving. My family came up from Maryland to my new house in Mullica Hill. It was Christmas, Valentine's Day, and a birthday celebration all rolled in one.
Anna, Aunt Darlene, Mom, Aunt Cynthia, and Granny, I love you!!! I thank God for my family. They have helped me excel in obtaining an higher education. They support me in traveling and helping the world. I wouldn't trade my big, loud, and African-American family for the world! They are always cheering and rooting for my twin sister and me. I promise that you will be able to hear them out of all the families when I graduate from Rider : )
Toodles,

Georgina

Philly Auto Show/ Johnson and Johnson/ Words of Advice

2008-02-13T13:12:00.004-05:00

posted by: Russ

How is everyone doing today? I hope you are staying warm because I am freezing right now. So this weekend I went to the Auto Show in Philadelphia. This show is something that I look forward to every year. When else are you going to be able to sit in very expensive cars that you don’t have to buy? Some of my favorite cars were the new Audi R8, Chevy Corvette R1, and the Dodge Challenger. Now if I could have all three of those cars, I would be a lot happier right now. In my dreams right?

So, it has been a full month since I started working at Johnson and Johnson and I am learning/experiencing a lot. Everyday I work with excel spreadsheets analyzing numbers and developing tables/charts to make comparisons for Senior Management in the Center of Excellence Department. Sounds scary right? Well it is, but I have adjusted well. I am treated like a full time employee, which is very challenging but beneficial at the same time. The material I work on deals with New Item Launches, Displays/promotions for Johnson and Johnson’s consumer department. I never thought I would be able to work hands on with actual displays that are in stores Nation wide. It’s a neat feeling.

All right well I have to run because I am doing a lot of work for J and J and it needs to be completed by 4:00. I will tell you this one last thing. Enjoy every minute of your time at Rider; you will learn it is the best four years of your life. Cherish every time you hang out with your friends, go to a basketball game or even to dinner. Get involved on campus and apply for an on campus job, working in the Admissions Office really helped me grow as an individual as well as shape me into the person that I am today. You don’t realize these things until you take a step back and see where and what you have done throughout your college career. Until next time keep studying, having fun, going to events on campus, and having the time of your life. You only get one chance to go to college, don’t forget that.

Rock On.
Russ

No Car, No Problem

2008-01-28T10:20:00.000-05:00

posted by: Georgina

Okay, so I'm 22 and dreaming and praying and hoping and wishing for a car to call my own. But, I just haven't got one yet! I would really love an Infiniti (because I'm a Math geek) or a LandRover (just like Eliza Thornberry on Nickelodeon) but a nice cute car will do.I really have no problem living on campus without one. I have lots of friends who love to drive. So, I have not missed out on exploring the neighboring towns (Ewing, Princeton, Trenton, Hamilton) around Rider. Rider really has scored major points with me because of the SHUTTLE. Every Saturday the shuttle takes students to Princeton, to the movies, mall, WalMart, and a whole bunch of other places. Who doesn't love to shop? If shopping were a major at Rider, I would have a 4.0 GPA.

So, if you're thinking about Rider and don't have a license or a car. No worries, as a student, you can take the Rider shuttle for free.

C ya later

: )Georgina

Break recap

2008-01-22T15:44:00.000-05:00

posted by: Russ

Hey Everyone,
I feel like it’s been forever since I wrote last, so let’s do a little recap. My birthday happened in December. I turned 22 which was a lot of fun. I celebrated for 4 straight days by going out to dinner and such with my friends and family.

Christmas was great, I saw a lot of family I never see and had a great time relaxing and eating way to much food. I had so many Christmas cookies and was eating left over for weeks. The new years eve celebration was very fun even though I had to work at the Black Bull serving tables. My girlfriend Elizabeth and our friend Julie came in and sat in my section for 3 hours until I was done. Good times. The best part of my vacation was started January 4th.

I went on a 9 day cruise to the Caribbean with 22 of my closest friends. WE HAD THE TIME OF OUR LIFE. I went to St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Hati. The cruise ship was amazing. There were 4 swimming pools, 7 hot tubs, a mini golf course, a rock climbing wall, an ice skating rink and a theater. I could have stayed on that ship longer than the 9 days I was on in a heart beat. I went snorkeling and on 2 speed boat rides. We went shopping and toured the towns. I ate at a restaurant in Dominican Republic and the woman did not speak any English. It was very hard to order and pay the bill. HAHAHAHA. The food was amazing as well, and we were able to order as much as we wanted at once. I ate 4 lobster tails the one night.

I got back from the cruise last Sunday and the next day I started working at Johnson and Johnson. I worked 44 hours this week and have been swamped with work as well as trying to learn everything as I go along. I am going to talk about my new job a lot more in the next blog because my brain hurts right now from all of the thinking I have done in the last week at J n J. HAHAHA. I also have to wake up at 6:45 every morning now so I need to get my sleep. The real world has begun and it’s very scary. I will say that this is going to be a great learning experience for myself. Alright until next time, good luck this semester and I will talk to you soon.
Rock and Roll
Russ

Working at Rider

2008-01-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

posted by: Georgina
Well, I've always wanted to be born into a millionaire family. However, that didn't quite happen! So, until I make my first million, I have to keep working. Rider is full of neat on-campus job opportunities. And what's great about it is that anyone can have a job, even if he/she is not receiving Financial Aid from the Federal Government (some schools have this rule).

I have had an on-campus job ever since my freshmen year at Rider. Working has helped keep me focused on finishing homework and managing my time. There are a variety of jobs to find at Rider. I suggest working in the library or one of the computer labs, if you like to do homework as you work. If you are great at tutoring you could choose from a list of subjects to tutor at the Student Success Center.

Among the great jobs that I have worked while at Rider, I have enjoyed working the most in the Center for Reading and Writing (as a teaching aide), the Math Skills Lab (as a Math tutor), and Admissions (as a tour guide). All of my on-campus jobs have helped prepare me for teaching Mathematics.

So, one day when I become a millionaire I will owe part of my gratitude to my education at Rider University.

Dealing with stress

2007-11-27T10:47:00.000-05:00

posted by: Georgina

Okay, life is great but sometimes you get some lemons. So as the saying goes make lemonade : ) You can make it through anything that you set your mind to accomplish.

Just in case no one ever told you, college is hard. But don't worry, building a great support system helps keep you alive. It is so important to keep in touch with your family while in college. They care about you a lot. And if you are independent from your family, it's crucial that you find great friends to just hang out with.

Sometimes there is a lot of pressure for students to do well in college. Rider just wants to prepare you. It is not crucial for you to get all A's. However, it is essential for you to try your hardest, network, and graduate with a degree.

Getting involved on campus helps keep stress levels down. I love working out at our new gym. My faith keeps me strong and I have some great friends to call on when I need them. So, although I have a bad case of "senioritis," I am preparing myself to finish my last year and become a successful math teacher.

If I can do it you can too : )

Thanksgiving can't come soon enough

2007-11-27T10:39:00.000-05:00

posted by: Russ
Alright so ever since I have been writing these blogs of mine, I have realized that I am a very busy person. Who knew? Hahahah. So Thanksgiving is coming up in two days or so and I CAN NOT WAIT. I need a mental and physical break from school. Last week I worked 5 nights in a row on an International Management project until 3 AM. Long nights but I had to do it to get everything done. It was a 35 slide PowerPoint presentation as well as a half hour in class presentation. Wow that was fun. But the fun never stops for me because all weekend I have been finishing up another project, Retail Management. We had to create a store and put together a business plan, sales objectives, target market, store atmosphere etc. This has been a fun project but very time consuming. I think it’s up to about 15 to 20 pages already. So I told all of you that work at the admissions office, well yesterday was a big day. It was our second open house on the semester and it went AWESOME. We had over 1,300 people show up and we took it on well, even though it was rainy and cold. I was giving tours in the rain all day but you know what, it’s worth it when you can possibly make someone’s decision about college it little easier. Alright well I have to run because I have class, class, work, class, project, and some more class. I LOVE BEING A SENIOR. HAHAHAHAHHA. O yea and a little side note for everyone, MONICA, the woman that I send my blogs to every week, SHE ROCKS and is an AMAZING person to work for.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE BE SAFE AND EAT A LOT OF TURKEY.

Rock and roll
Russ

Twenty-one And Having Fun

2007-11-09T07:13:00.000-05:00

posted by: Georgina
Okay. Stop. Pause right there. This is the kind of memory that will last a lifetime. Last December my twin sister and I spent our twenty-first birthday in Paris, France. What an unbelievable and beautiful place! In the fall of my junior year, I studied abroad in Paris in order to complete my French minor. The whole thing is really a miracle. I won a full scholarship to go. I spent four and a half glorious months in the fashion capital of the world studying at one of the best schools in Europe, l'Université de la Sorbonne. Boy, do I miss being there!!!! One day I am going to live there for twenty years. Who knows, I may even meet my husband there.

French culture is so much different from American culture. I love it! People take pride in eating together and enjoying each other's company. Meals, especially dinner, could last hours as people converse about French history, fashion, or international news. One thing I learned quickly while I was there: was to stay away from political issues. But besides that, everything was fun.
My twin sister Anna came to visit me for three weeks. She helped make my homesickness go away. We went up the Eiffel Tower together. We went out to eat, SHOPPING, and to the movies. We even went to DISNEYLAND PARIS together : ) What an awesome trip. My 21st birthday was a blast.

Job Interview and Halloween

2007-11-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

posted by: Russ

So ,a lot has happened in the last two weeks. I had my resume edited,yet again, by the career services office and after the woman looked at my resume, she forwarded it to Johnson and Johnson for a co-op opportunity. I met with the recruiters 3 times over the last two weeks. I did a mock interview training session and brushed up on my people skills. I had the interview on Monday; I had to wear a suit which was very scary. The interview went amazing. I feel I answered all their questions in the correct way and gave good examples of my prior work experience. That was the first job interview I have been on, even though it was scary and intimidating, it was a great learning experience. This is all in preparation to hopefully obtain a full time job in the “Real World.” Scary isn’t it?

Now for some fun stuff, Halloween was a blast. I didn’t have a costume until very last minute. As you can see I was “Dead.” HAHAHAHAA. I went to a couple Halloween parties and the Student Recreation Center costume contest, unfortunately I didn’t win. Darn. Haha. I ate way to much candy but had a lot of fun.

Wish me luck with Johnson and Johnson and let’s hope I am 1 of the 9 that they select for this sales and logistics position.

Cross your fingers for me.

Talk to you soon.

Russ

Semester in Full Swing

2007-10-23T09:36:00.000-04:00

posted by: Russ

So, I thought I was busy two weeks ago. YEA RIGHT! The semester is finally in full swing and I am experiencing it first hand. I am doing three semester long group projects this year. I have been working on them every other day in order to keep up with deadlines for each section that is due weekly. I have been working in the Admissions Office every Tuesday and Thursday in addition to working at a restaurant called Black Bull in Holland, Pennsylvania on Wednesday’s. Busy, Busy, Busy.

Not to mention that I have been back and forth to the Career Service Office having my resume critiqued and finalized so I can start applying for a full-time job. Talking about a real job is very scary but I feel that I am ready and that Rider has prepared me for everything I am about to face in the real world. I have been trying to relax a little as well because things get busy and stressful real easy. I went toMAACness which was a blast. Got my free t-shirt like always. I have also beenplaying a lot of guitar, learning new songs and trying to write a few songs as well. Speaking of guitar, I think I am going to go play now since I have been sitting at my desk doing work for about four hours now. I deserve it.

Until next time.

Rock on.

Russ

Rider is full of opportunities....

2007-10-19T15:19:00.000-04:00

posted by: Georgina

Courses here are so diverse. As a mathematics and secondary ed major I have taken a variety of fun classes. Who ever thought class could be fun!!!! Can you imagine it? Okay, trigonometry and calculus may not be your cup of tea. But, there's also World History, Black American Literature, Shakespearean Literature, language classes, and a whole lot more. Although, I enjoyed going to class in high school, classes in college are on a whole new level. In college you dig deeper in to subjects and you talk about a lot of debatable issues. I never studied world religions until college classes at Rider. My politics class devoted class time to debating issues they were directly affecting Americans and the world.

If you think courses are diverse at Rider, check out the student population. Some of my closest friends are international students. I have friends from Shanghai, China, and Belarus, and Haiti. I have made close connections with them so that one day I'll be able to travel to visit them.

It's always nice to have a friend when you're in a foreign country. Not to mention free food and a place to stay!!!!!!

Georgina's introduction

2007-10-19T15:07:00.000-04:00

posted by: Georgina

Rider is a place full of experiences just waiting to happen. High school has its exciting moments but nothing to be compared to COLLEGE. When I fist came to Rider, I was a little scared. I had no idea what to expect. I thought that it would be just like high school only you had to stay in a smelly dorm room with a disgusting bathroom. I come from a long line of women who like things neat and clean. But Rider came to the rescue. We have cleaning crews which clean the halls and bathrooms everyday. Everything is virtually spotless. One could become pretty lazy at college (lol).Okay, I'm not your average young adult. I am a clean "fanatic," bubbly, spontaneous, a book worm, and a Christian. But, I can tell you that I absolutely love being a college student at Rider. There are so many fun things to do! So many creative people to meet. And the campus is gorgeous.

I'm a Mathematics and Secondary Ed major and I have a minor in French. Hence, academics keep me really busy. But in my fun time: I spend time with friends, shop, go to the movies, do hair, and eat out at near-by restaurants. College is no sweat. All it takes is determination, hard work, and lots of coffee (well in my case, lots and lots of hot chocolates) and success in college is bound to happen.

Until the next time,
Georgina

A Busy Start to the Semester

2007-10-03T08:50:00.000-04:00

posted by: Russ

So, I can’t believe that we are in week four of the semester already. I feel like we just moved in. These last couple weeks have been crazy busy for me. Starting all new classes, working two jobs, the fun never stops. All of my classes are going very well so far. I am taking a full five class load this semester. I can’t believe that this is my senior year. I seems like I just got to Rider, how can I been moving on in less than a year already? So, in the last four days I have had three exams. It was so hard to get back into the "Study" mode again. It was five months since I turned my brain on to school work, but when I need to work hard, I can get the job done......I did because on my first exam in retail management I got a "B." Woooo ... a good start. HAHAHAHA. The other two exams were a little harder though. I am kind of scared to see what I got on them but we will see.

So, I went to Bronc Bingo last weekand I was barely getting any numbers. I was saying "this is rigged," but it clearly wasn’t. HAHAHAH. It was a lot of fun...I almost won Starbucks gift cards but I don’t like coffee so good thing I didn’t win them. Alright well I better go be studious and start studying for my next exam in a couple days as well as do all my homework. Don’t forget to go to the Hockey games because they give out free hot chocolate. It’s awesome...and they sell soft pretzels which I'm obsessed with.

Talk to you soon.

Russ

Introduction: Russ

2007-09-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone my name is Russ, and I'm a Senior Marketing Major from Newtown, Pennsylvania. Before I get into everything about Rider, let me tell you a little about myself.

I am 21 years old and love to play music. I have played guitar for eight years and have been in three bands. I played guitar on the radio and came in second place in a contest to perform on stage at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. As you can see, I LOVE MUSIC. I am also obsessed with cars. I have worked on two race car teams and I just built a race car with my Dad. Going to the racetrack is something I enjoy doing when racing my own car or going to a NascarNextel Cup Race. I played football, basketball, soccer, and baseball growing up and still play these sports for fun in my free time. I am a very easy going person. I enjoy meeting new people. I will talk to anyone that can hold an interesting conversation. I am always up for new things and also a good listener. Alright enough of my rambling.

I chose to attend Rider University for many reasons. When I visited campus as a senior in high school, I immediately realized that the faculty and staff wanted to get to know me as a student and on a more personal level as well. This surprised me because my first thought about college was that I was on my own, and no one was going to help me with anything. This is not the case at Rider. I also love the feeling you get when you come to campus. To me it's a very "Home" feeling. I feel like I am part of a second family, the Rider Community. There are so many clubs and activities on campus that I knew were going to keep me occupied on the weekends. To sum all this up for you, I chose Rider because of the personal interaction between the student and faculty/staff, the atmosphere on campus, the activities/events on campus, and our competitiveness of our Division 1 Athletic sports teams.

As I said earlier my major is Marketing and I couldn't be happier withmy career direction. The Business department is top notch and I can’t even list how much I have learned since I have been here. Some of the things I do on campus are Emerging leaders, Student Entertainment Council, MASA(Marketing club),CREWW(Business Program), tour guide, student ambassador, intramural basketball and football, and REVVD(Car Club). There are so many things to do on campus and if anyone is interested in any of these clubs or activities I would be more than happyto inform you about them. I hope that you have an a little insight about my life so far, I promise you there is much much more to come. I look forward to meeting new people and helping anyone with get adjusted on campus.

Talk to you soon.
Russ

Break

2007-06-01T10:41:00.000-04:00

posted by: Zuri

So, break is wrapping up. I had a good time. My boyfriend came to visit for the week, which was exciting because w e haven't seen each other in two long months. So, as a good hostess, I took him to see a couple of tourist attractions. All in one day, we went to see the changing of the guards, again, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Big Ben, and the London Eye. He had a great time, as this was his first trip to Europe. During the week we also saw the London Bridge, The Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. The rest of the days were spent shopping and visiting museums. Also, today is St. Patrick's Day and supposedly, it's a big deal here, so I can't wait to experience that tonight. Until next time.

2007-04-02T11:10:00.010-04:00

posted by: Zuri

So, I've actually just started being quite busy here. I have two new projects due in the upcoming week. Fortunately, I've finished one yesterday and I'm almost done with the other. Besides, that school is good. The trips are better though. In addition, to attending museums for my History of London class, I've gotten to attend my first installation for my Art in Context class. The artist made a replica of a hotel in an abandoned building. The work is actually called "Hotel" and it's located in eastern London where a lot of immigrants reside. He basically wanted to depict the time when the immigrants first migrated over and were too poor to afford their own housing. Unfortunately, you weren't allowed to take pictures, but it was quite interesting because some of the rooms included secret tunnels in the walls and floors.

I also got a chance to attend London's Fashion Weekend. It was located in the Natural History Museum and it had over 100 designers selling their merchandise at what they considered a discounted price. I only managed to afford a t-shirt and a necklace though. Spring break is right around the corner as well, so I'm pretty excited for that. My boyfriend's coming to visit London for the first time so I have to a be a tour guide for a week. Until next time.

Zuri

2007-04-02T11:10:00.008-04:00

posted by: Nick
The past couple weeks have been pretty busy. About two weeks ago, there was an event held called the Rider Rumba, which was a dance-a-thon to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters. It was a lot of fun. There were dance contests, lots of cool prizes, and lots of food. My fraternity had a team for this event and we raised $200. The entire event raised over $5,000, so it was very successful.

My fraternity also attended a Superbowl party in the Student Recreation Center. It was a lot of fun. There were a lot of food and lots of chairs setup in front of the big screen TV for everyone to watch the game. I enjoyed the event, although I must say that I was disappointed with the commercials this year!

This past weekend, I went to Salisbury, Maryland with my brother and sister to visit a friend that attends Salisbury University. It was fun because we celebrated her birthday, and I haven’t seen her since I left for school in September. While I was in Maryland, the executive board of my fraternity attended a regional leadership conference in Washington, DC that was run by our fraternity’s national headquarters. Once we all returned to Rider, I was surprised to learn that I received an Outstanding Senior Award at the conference. I was the only one selected out of all the chapters in my district, so it’s pretty exciting.

Well, I’m off to do some homework and studying. Talk to you again soon!

-Nick

Spring Break

2007-04-02T11:10:00.007-04:00

posted by: Nikki

Almost spring break!

Well it is just about spring break and I cannot wait! I am going on a little vacation to Disney World and it should be a lot of fun. As for the weeks that have passed since I last wrote, things have been picking up. I went to see Gross Indecency… BRAVO to all of the actors and actresses in it! They did an awesome job! Also, The Vagina Monologues was great! All the girls did an amazing job! BRAVO to them too! Also, my work has finally gotten started haha. I had to do an oral presentation that went very well. Now I have to write a paper and prepare for my first midterm! Aside from all of that, a bunch of my friends are pledging sororities right now. I am thinking about doing it next semester because they seem to be having a great time! Oh, and I cannot wait for summer to come! I am so sick of the cold and everything that winter brings! Although I will miss being here…. Well that is about it for this week. Hope everyone is doing well!

-Nikki

Random Monday Night :-)

2007-04-02T11:10:00.006-04:00

posted by: Katie

And so the busy-ness of senior year continues! I've been working on a package for the television studio with students' opinions about the "Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary on the Discovery Channel last Sunday. I was around campus interviewing people and what they thought of the matter. At one point, some credible people refused to comment, which made me feel like a real journalist after a story, even if I just wanted opinions. But the package turned out great, and I did a stand up in the end, where I am in front of the camera at a location relating to the story. I have to practice this kind of stuff if I want to become a broadcast journalist one day, and practicing as a correspondent, where I would commonly start off, is helpful.

I've also been working on a documentary that my sorority sister and I are putting together for our classes about international adoption, and assimilating the children into mainstream American culture. Since we are the producers, directors, writers , ect, we've been doing research on the matter, contacting families that we know relate to this topic and searching for authorities with knowledge on the topic for an interview. Since spring break is coming up soon, I will most likely be working on school work and this documentary, than go on a vacation. Sometimes spring break is a good way to catch up on work, and just a much needed calm, slow week.

But there is the occasional fun thrown in there! My chapter had a sisterhood event last Friday, and we went ice skating. We got a group rate, and only paid 5 dollars for a whole night of ice skating. I had a blast, skating with sisters, and I can proudly say I did not fall. I might have crashed into sisters though to stop me.... But overall, I was a good skater. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to go again! We're planning more events, and we might go for laser tag in Princeton Junction, where there is a huge arena for it. I can't wait for that!

I will admit though that I was a little bit of a slacker this week. I was supposed to finish a paper, which I always make sure is done earlier than crunch time, and instead, I had a bunch of my sisters in my room last night. It started watching Deal or No Deal, and then by midnight, we must have had 10 people in my room laughing and telling jokes. That's what I love about college, about Rider, that something unexpected and fun can happen on a Monday night at random. I will miss t hat most of all when I graduate.

~Katie

Preparing for Spring Break

2007-04-02T11:10:00.005-04:00

posted by: Nick

Things sure have been busy lately! I've had a lot of exams and midterms in the past week, and I have more this week. But, I'm managing. So far, I've done well on all the tests I got back, which is good. Mom and dad will be happy. I just need to get through this week and then it will be Spring Break! For Spring Break, I'm flying down to Florida with my mom, dad, brother, and sister to visit my Grandma, and of course hit the beaches for a nice tan! Some of my friends are going to be staying in another part of Florida, so I may take a road trip to see them while I'm there as well. I'm tired of winter, so I'm ready for some sun and warm weather, although it’s starting to warm up here too. Rider is more enjoyable in the warm weather because the campus seems much more active. A lot more people hang outside. You'll find a lot of students playing volleyball on one of the outdoor volleyball courts, BBQing on the grills outside the residence halls, or playing frisbee on the campus mall.

A couple weekends ago we had Bid Day, which is when bids (invitations for membership) are given out by the fraternities and sororities to people that they want to join. My fraternity had a very successful recruitment this year. We had 18 people accept our bids, which is the largest new member class we have ever had! My fraternity has a continuous recruitment strategy, so we continue to recruit after Bid Day, but 18 is a great start! All of the new guys seem really great too, so I'm looking forward to getting to know them in the coming weeks. It's good to know that I'll be leaving my chapter in good hands when I graduate in May.

Well, I have some more homework and studying to do, so that’s all for now. Talk to you soon!

-Nick

Luncheon

2007-04-02T11:10:00.004-04:00

posted by: Katie

Usually my weeks are very busy, and this past week was no exception, but it was all busy fun! Last week, when I was in New York for my internship, I attended a luncheon at the Princeton Club with featured speaker Anchor Soledad O'Brien from American Morning from CNN. My aunt, who lives in New York, found out about the luncheon since she is an alumni of the college that helped organize the event. So I took a taxi to the Princeton Club, ate a really nice lunch, and spoke to people that were involved in the media. I sat with a woman from the Bravo Network and talked with her a lot during the luncheon, trying to network and talk to women in the business already. But when Soledad came on, I was so surprised at how funny and interesting she was. I almost expected the speaker to talk about how she juggles her career and her huge family, which she did discuss, but she was a great speaker that entertained me while I learned something. I got advice from her during her speech, because I want to become an anchor as well, and I learned how she got her foot in the door in a business that's tough.

Another super fun event this weekend was Bid Day! It's the day that all the fraternities and sororites find out who their new members are, and they run up onto the balcony of the student center, and all the members of each chapter scream and yell below. Everybody screams their chapter songs and chants. It's a huge tradition here at Rider, and it's one of my favorites. It was my last Bid Day too, so it was a little depressing. After the balcony, each chapter goes back to their house on campus, and has a little dance party, or at least we do. We have music and pizza and we give our new members gifts, like picture frames with our mascot on them. We also took a great picture of all the girls in the house that are lettered - meaning that they are able to wear their boyfriend's fraternity letters, which is a huge deal. Even though it was my last Bid Day, I still went to work back home, but came back as soon as I could that night. I'll definetly miss this event when I graduate, along with everything else that I've done here at Rider.

~Katie