Parent/ Alummni Weekend

This past weekend was Parent and Alumni Weekend at Rockhurst. My mom, sister, niece, and boyfriend all got to come up for a few days to hang out and see everything. It was also really convenient that my mom's birthday happened to fall on Friday because it just gave them all an even bigger excuse to come visit.

Before they arrived I went to “Rockfest” with some of my friends. “Rockfest” is a carnival of sorts that Rockhurst put on for the students and their families. I skinned my knee while doing an inflatable obstacle course, got my face painted, shoved 4 girls into a tiny photo booth, and did the ChaCha Slide with a bunch of little kids. It was tons of fun. The carnival was going on at the same time as the soccer game. We won by a whopping 2 points. I used to be a referee and if you ask my professional opinion, the refs were being pretty easy on us but who am I to judge. Plus, we won!

My family got in super late on Friday so all the girls went to their hotel while my boyfriend and I watched “Easy A” in the basement of Corcoran with some of my friends. It was a nice chance for him to actually start to know my new friends. I obviously talk about them all the time, but that doesn’t mean he has faces to put with the names I mention. It was also pretty funny because everyone knew who he was the second he walked in the door so he was always met with funny faces and hollering.

Over Saturday and Sunday my family and I spent about half of our time on and off campus. We ate in the Cafeteria, went to Legoland, sat in the secret garden, and almost soiled our pants at the Beast (a local haunted house). If you have any younger siblings or cousins that come to visit, I would highly recommend a visit to Legoland. You must have a child with you to get in but it is fun any and all ages. It is also connected to a mall with a candy shop that sells some killer chocolate covered strawberries. All-in-all the weekend was a hit and I can’t wait to have them come back again for next year.

Frosh Get-Away

All of us getting ready to board the bus

      This past weekend was Frosh Get-Away. It is essentially a nondenominational retreat for freshman. It is an amazing opportunity to get closer to God, start fostering deeper relationships with friends, and make new friends. I walked in with no real expectations because the last retreat I went on was in 8th grade. I know there is a terrible stereotype attached with college students that says they do not keep in touch with their faith life, and after being at Rockhurst for a month I can see how that is a possibility if you don't surround yourself with the right people. Through going to Frosh Get-Away I was able to find three types of people that are essential for a healthy faith life. First, I was able to judge the people who were a bit deeper than me in their relationship with God so that I could look up to them and mirror them. If you don't have anyone who is ahead of you, how do you learn? Second, I was able to connect with people who were in the same or similar situations as me. That was awesome because now I have people to relate to and share my faith struggles with. Third, a girl in my small group reached out and said that my faith had inspired her to grow in hers.  I was really touched when she said that, and I believe it is important to have people that look up to you because then you have to hold yourself responsible to them.

My group after we finished an obstacle course

      The weekend was emotionally draining. I admit that there were more than a few tears, but I could not be happier with my experience. Many of my friend relationships changed for the better. They went from being based on shallow conversations like "where are you from?" and "what is your major?" to understanding each other and our real needs. Simply talking with someone is so different than praying with and for them. I can honestly say, without hesitation, that Frosh Get-Away was the best $60 I have ever spent. I wish everyone could have gone and had the same experience as me.

Our weekends candle
Each bow represents a Freshman on the retreat

Feed Your Spirituality

      Rockhurst's campus is the perfect place to explore your spirituality and challenge your beliefs. There are all sorts of things to get involved in such as Pasta and Prayer, CLCs (Christian Life Communities), choral groups, service trips, student mass at 6:00 on Sunday, and many other things run by Campus Ministry. None of these are forced upon you by any means but they are all open to anyone who is ready and willing. If you decide you want to jump in and try something you need only show up. I was amazed by how many people I already knew and how many new friends I began to  make right away when I started to get involved.

Iggy!

      If you are not up for something so organized and you prefer to meditate or pray alone, there are a few reflection spots placed around the campus. Just to name a few; there is one in front of the library and Conway hall next to a statue of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, one next to a statue of the Blessed Mary in front of Conway Hall and Massman Hall, and the Secret Garden nuzzled between Van Ackeren Hall and Sedgwick Hall. The latter one is my personal favorite because it is tucked away so you cannot see anyone unless they are there with you and it is quite beautiful. There are benches and wooden lawn chairs, beautiful plants, and a cute little stone path. It is quite an inspiring, peaceful place.
      It is so easy to walk right by these places and pay them no mind but I believe it is good to choose a block of time (maybe only five minutes a week) where you can simply go and reflect on the day, the week, your successes, your failures, your insecurities, your aspirations, or anything else at all that comes to mind. Just let your thoughts wander and take a break from the stresses of college life. You may find that you walk out of the garden a little more relaxed and ready to take on the challenges you face. I personally believe that God dwells in all things, but I believe that he has a special way of speaking to us through these reflection areas because we are most ready to listen when he speaks.

Steak and Sinatra night

      My friends, Andrew, Greg, and Austin came up with the fantastic idea to have a steak night. It sounded good because although the food on campus is delicious, it isn't steak. Since all of us are poor college kids we decided to cook (well... have the guys cook) on the grills just outside our building instead of going to a restaurant while we listen to some classy music because we are all very classy people. The poor grills also looked like they hadn't felt any love in a while so we thought we could show them a little TLC.

      Steak and Sinatra night was planned for Labor Day so on Monday afternoon everyone bought themselves a steak and came out front around dinner time. The boys were kind enough to season and grill all the steaks while all of us hung out at the picnic tables, listened to Frank Sinatra (provided so kindly by Mr. Andrew), and cheered them on. It was so much fun and it took practically no planning. Everyone threw it all together at the last minute. Not to mention, the steaks were delicious and totally worth all the hard work I did slaving over the grill.... I make jokes [:

      I was one of the many people who went home that weekend and it was a bit stressful because I was racing to try and see everyone back in Saint Louis. This steak night was a perfect conclusion to the weekend because I was able to relax with friends and enjoy good food. I am constantly amazed by all the opportunities like this one at Rockhurst. There is never a shortage of things to do or awesome people to hang out with. If you are looking for another example of cool things that happen, I am watching Jonah and the Whale Veggie Tales style in the basement as I type this blog. 

Men at work

Final product