I'm Off To Another Adventure!

Hello, avid readers! As you could have guessed, I'm off to another adventure this upcoming Spring Break! I'll be going to the Bitterroot Valley area in Montana to help at a Catholic Worker farm. We still don't have much information about the things we'll be doing there, however, we'll be stopping at Yellowstone on the way there so I'm content. Wish me luck and I'll see you in a week!

The Stress of Finals

I usually am able to hold my own with everything school related. But when midterms and finals come around, I'm like any other college student. Downing every coffee I see, I don't even like coffee. Woke up at 4 am last night and couldn't fall back asleep because I was making lists of things I needed to do in my head (I feel like my mother does that?). Woke up early to get a jumpstart on the two huge things I have due tomorow (5 page Spanish paper and oral exam hellooooo!). 

But I had to drop a quick line with all my favorite bloggers! I hope everyone is having a great December and staying warm! 

Getting Pumped For Italy

I know, I know, it's still over 3 months away, but I am getting so pumped about my J-term class in Italy. The class is titled "Pilgrimage in Italy: The Christian Experience from the Early Church to the Catholic Reformation". We will travel to Rome, Assisi, Florence, Siena, and Greccio/Rieti. According to the course description, "the course will pay careful attention to the monuments and art that reflect the spirituality of each period of the history of Italy. Students will be introduced to the major works of Christian literature written at these various places. The focus will be on the lives of individual people from the different phases of history (Peter and Paul, Francis and Clare of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, Ignatius of Loyola, Caravaggio, Giotto, Pope Innocent III, etc.) A special focus will be on St. Francis and the Franciscan movement."


SERIOUSLY I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!


I can't wait to go to mass by the Pope. I can't wait to see Assisi's village town. I can't wait to visit Florence and the other weekend destinations. I can't wait to meet new people and have adventures. We have an orientation at the beginning of November and I'm excited to see who is in my program and get to know the other aspects of the trip. I'm going to get my passport tomorrow afternoon.

I'll for sure keep you updated on everything else :)

My Moral Compass

I think you can justify a lot... if not everything. Maybe its the lawyer thing, my lack of a moral compass, but justification comes quickly to me. Sometimes, I may even agree with a person, though I argue for another point just for arguments sake. Call me a devil's advocate.

You can justify a lot.

Whether it is fortunate (for those of you who think I am on par with some of the infamous and evil people of the world) or unfortunate (which is my belief), I just had my first Business Ethics course at St. Thomas. This course is designed to pomote the ethical thinking within the business world and our lives.

After the first class, I'm fairly certain my teacher thinks I am a malignant drain on the goodness of society and that my moral compass points due south to Hades.

Have you read the Parable of the Sadhu? If not: long story short, there is a group of businessmen on a six month sabbatical in which they are climbing a mountain. These men are confronted with the precarious situation in which, while climbing the mountain they meet a naked Sadhu man struggling with hypothermia. Do the men leave the man behind for potential death or do they backtrack their once-in-a-lifetime journey to potentially save his life.

We, as students, laid out the criteria of which a person is responsible for another human. After a scant number of comments generally stating what the men did was wrong, leaving the man behind for, what was now exaggerated as certain death, was wrong. I was the person who raised their hand and asserted, according to the criteria (that I didn't even necessarily agree with -- it seemed too liberal), there was no obligation to save the man and that, while not only being a risk to the businessmen, to help the Sadhu could be doing him a disservice as he was on a spiritual journey and experienced in what he was doing. I reasoned that I was talking a utilitarian approach in maximizing the overall utility within the group.

My professor stared at me with shock and even mild concern (whether it was concern for my future or the well being of his students trapped in the room with a person like me, I don't think I'll ever know). Following, he addressed the class and asked if someone had a counter-view or comment about what I said.

Crickets. No one countered or commented. Does that redeem my classmates in my eyes? I don't know. They could have been silent out of fear of confrontation or, perhaps I persuaded them to see my side. Either way, I don't know their overall opinions and that seems like the ultimate form of ineffective discussion and communication.

Even if I am a moral-less student soon to be banished to the dark unknown, at least I can go out with enough honesty and backbone to assert my opinion.

I can't wait to start the group project for that class... seems fun. Right.

Even Jesus Hates the Yankees

Twins fans, brace yourselves... you are going to be irate. A Recent NY Daily News magazine cover:

"Bad News: Yanks must go on the road for playoffs," the cover reads and continues with, "Good News: They play the Twins".

Get a clue. The blasted New York Yankees come to town for the opening series against the Twins for the American League Division Series. Mind you, the Yankees LOST (LOST!!) the American League Championship and are only in the playoffs as a Wild Card, in contrast to the Twins, who have known for over a week that the they gained a post-season berth. But hey, who is counting. Jerks.

Our ace, Liariano will have a showdown against the Yank's workhorse, C.C. Sabathia. Let us collectively cross our fingers that this post season matchup will mirror neither the Twins' stumble to the finish line this season, nor the 2009 season playoff result. Seriously, I have had enough of the Yankees... and that is the best way I can describe it without falling off the wagon.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate those of you who will be attending the games this week while I will be watching the game in the comfort of my own home pouring over marketing and economics texts to study for a Friday test. Thanks UST, thanks.

I Salute You, Tommie Football

Who was a part of the largest crowd, 16,421 in MIAC history on Saturday... this girl. On October 3rd, I experienced the most epic Tommie/Johnnie game ever, with an overtime win in the bag for my Toms. Quickly, Facebook blew up clever statuses pertaining to the win, youtube videos went up to network SJU's defeat, and UST students stormed the field in a thundering and, somewhat, belligerent manner. TOMMIES! TOMMIES! TOMMIES! Please read on for my first attempt at a rendition dedicated to the University of St. Thomas Tommie football team.

Channel "Real Men of Genius":
(Real Men of Genius)

Today, I salute you Tommie Football Extrodinaires.
(Tommie Football Extrodinaires)
Any football player can score with a Bennie, but it takes real skill to beat the Johnnies with hefty Bennies oggling you in your sleek grey pants.
(Oddly disturbing!)
Bred to perfection, men of the pigskin, you tirelessy scored touchdown after touchdown to appease your belligerent fans.
(Johnnies Suck!)
Time out? You don't need a stinking time out.
(No!)
No one knows the guts it takes to step in to Clemens Stadium and play a pack of frustrated Johnnies.
(Purple and Red!)
So crack open an ice-cold beverage, Tommy Toms, because the way you pounded that ball in to the red zone impressed even the most experienced Johnnies.
(Whoa whoa whoa!)

That is pretty much all I have to say about my day on Saturday, which, mind you, is much more than people could ACTUALLY say on Saturday... weird. I suppose I need some sort of disclaimer here... I am in no way affiliated with Budweiser, yet I do find myself hanging around Budweiser often.

And sorry if you found this inappropriate, but I find Johnnies/Bennies to be highly inappropriate so, please, excuse yourself.

Coming up this weekend: Auggie/Tommie. Sharing a duplex and yard domain with 5 Auggie baseball players... this weekend could get real interesting real fast.