Fun Times @ Clarion!

A lot has happened since the last time I blogged. Last Wednesday classes were cancelled due to the snow. (Hoorah! Finally a snow day!) I thought for sure they would cancel classes 3 weeks ago because of the freezing cold temperatures, but they didn’t. That’s okay. Valentine’s day off was a nice break. Other than that, I have been pretty busy with school. I have had a lot of tests, which have required a lot of memorization, and therefore have been bogged down with studying.

I thought I would share a couple of fun things that my roommates and I did this week. On Tuesday, my roommate Nicole had a marvelous idea to go play tennis. We all thought it was a great idea and would be a fun way to get some exercise. So, we moseyed on over to campus. We knew the outdoor tennis courts would be covered with snow, so we went inside the recreation center to see if we could find one in there. Now mind you, this was the second time that we had been in the rec. center. On that note, I realized that living at Reinhard as a freshman, and not having a car, puts you at a great disadvantage to enjoy some of the things on campus, like the rec. center. Considering this had only been the second time we had been there, we had some difficulty finding out were things were. No worries though, we found our way! Upstairs you will find an indoor track and a nice little area where the exercise machines are located. Downstairs you will find the weight room, 3 basketball/recreation courts, an aerobic room, etc. Now, back to my original topic – TA DUH! – we found the tennis net on one of the courts. Although, there were some girls playing basketball and instead of disturbing them, we went upstairs to talk to the girls at the information desk. They were very helpful and told us if we wanted to play tennis indoors, we would have to reserve a court a couple days ahead of time. So, for a tip to anyone who is wishing to play tennis in the winter, reserve a court before you come to play.

Needless to say, that was kind of a bummer of a trip because we didn’t get to play tennis, but we did get to explore the rec. center. So, we came back to our apartment and Nicole and Anna, one of my other roommates, have the idea of going to shoot pool. Sounded like fun! =) So, for our Tuesday night we ended up at the Clarion Bowling Arena and Pool Hall. We each played a couple games of pool and then decided to bowl a game. All in all, it was a fun night of exploration and games!

Home Sweet Home!

It’s nice to be at college and spend the weekend here, but it’s also great to go home and spend some time with your friends and family. This weekend I went home to celebrate my birthday and had a great one!

Friday afternoon I left Clarion to travel home. My boyfriend came down to pick my roommate and I up. That night I went back to my high school to attend our annual Red and White Ceremony and the Varsity Boys Basketball game. I had a great time! I got to see a lot of my old friends and teachers. At that time, memories of high school came back. When I think of the good times in high school, I miss them, but I realize that at this point in our lives it’s time to move on and make even more memories.

On Saturday, my family and I went out to dinner for my birthday. We had a great meal! Then of course, we had a delicious Dairy Queen ice cream cake (they are so great!)

So, that was pretty much my weekend at home. Like I said, it’s nice to stay at college for weeks on end, but it’s also nice to go back to your hometown and visit. As a freshman, it’s sometimes difficult to transition from being with your close-knit family and then coming to college and not knowing anyone. Eventually, though, you form new friendships with great people and begin to make long-lasting memories at college!

Gemmel or Chandler?

So, we’re in college and we all need to eat, right? Where on Clarion’s campus can we eat? Well, we have two main options. We can go to Chandler Dining Hall or the Gemmel Food Court. For me, the choice isn’t very difficult - I choose Gemmel hands down.

Gemmel has a lot to offer and is more of a restaurant-type eatery. Inside the Gemmel Food Court you will find a variety of food to choose from: Mondo Subs, Big Smash Burgers Grille, Mama Leone’s Pizza, Outakes Food to Go, and a selection of daily soups.

Mondo Subs will build a sub or salad to your liking. Personally, I love their chicken caesar wraps - warm marinated chicken with cheese and your choice of toppings. At the Big Smash Burgers Grille you will find hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, and fries. Mama Leone’s Pizza has stromboli, a daily pizza, breadsticks, and spaghetti. You can choose a daily soup or grab a salad or sandwich from the Outakes Food to go.

As for Chandler, I have only been there a few times, but wasn’t too impressed with the taste of the food. They do have a wide variety of food to choose from, a nice salad bar, and delicious Edy’s ice cream. Here you can eat as much as you want for only $4.00, which is equivalent to your meal option (board.)

The Gemmel Food Court prices are a little more expensive and are priced a la carte. Here, though, you are able to use your board, flex dollars, eagle dollars, cash, debit, or credit. Usually you can get a main entrée for the price of $4.00. You just have to look around to find a deal that will fit your price range.

Whether you choose Gemmel or Chandler, you are sure to find something to your liking. At either place you have the convenience of sitting down, relaxing, and enjoying a meal with friends.

Also, around campus you will find a few Ritazza cafés where you can buy an assortment of pastries, coffees, cappuccinos, and teas. On these cold winter days it’s nice to stop by and pick up something warm to drink.

One Busy Week!

In a nutshell, my week has been pretty busy. Most of my time has been consumed with doing homework and/or studying. So, today I thought I would share with you a couple highlights of my week.

On Tuesday, I went and spoke with my advisor, Dr. Lisbeth Brown, about the new state education certification regulations that will be implemented in the next few years and also about slightly changing my major. Dr. Brown told me everything she currently knew about the possible regulations. The state has not made anything official yet, so we’re all waiting to hear from them. If you haven’t heard about these regulations, here’s the scoop on what I know. Currently you can be certified in grades Pre-K-3rd grade with an Early Childhood certificate, K-6th grade with an Elementary Ed. certificate, and K-12 with a Special Ed. certificate. With the new regulations, Pre-K-3rd will be Early Childhood with Special Education and 3rd grade-6th grade will be Elementary Ed. with Special Education. There would no longer be a Special Education major by itself, only in a concentrated area. I was so confused about this new stuff, but Dr. Brown made her explanation clear and reassured me that I shouldn’t be worried. As for changing my major, I am considering Early Childhood/Special Education. I’ve always wanted to teach younger grades, such as Kindergarten or 1st, so ECH may be the way to go.

Tuesday night, I attended Dr. Marie Hilliard’s speech on Stem Cell Research: Myths and Moralities. Dr. Keth, my awesome Biology professor, recommended that our class attend. She spoke on campus at Hart Chapel about the current stem cell research debate. She had some very interesting points to make about this controversial topic and explained in further detail about stem cells. Overall, I felt that her speech was a little biased, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Finally, I thought I would include some pictures of Reinhard Villages in the wintertime. The roads may be slippery outside, but the snow sure is beautiful!

I hope everyone has a good weekend and enjoys the Super Bowl on Sunday! And hey – maybe Spring will be here soon; that’s what the Groundhog said!!

Reinhard Villages Today

Reinhard Villages 1 week ago