Townhouse Living

Possibly the best and most different thing about being a senior on campus is getting to live in a Townhouse.  Yes, sometimes juniors are lucky and get to live in a Townhouse during their junior year, but for seniors, this is the place to be.  A Townhouse is pretty much exactly what its name says it is: a little house.  Townhouses on campus typically have 2 levels, complete with bedrooms for at least 4-6 people, a living area, a kitchen, and a bathroom.  While living in a Townhouse, students have a limited meal plan (unless otherwise arranged) of 40 meals per semester because they are expected to be able to cook meals for themselves in their kitchens.  On campus, there are four areas of townhouses: the 100's, 200's, 300's and 400's.  I live in the 200's on one of the farthest points of campus.

I share my townhouse with three other girls, and it is awesome so far! Two of the three girls I lived with last year, so we already knew what to expect when living with each other.  Our fourth roommate is a junior transfer who got randomly placed with us when our other fourth roommate was given a Resident Assistant position in a freshman dorm.  We were all a little nervous that she would feel left out when my two friends and I were already so tight, but it turned out that she was a perfect fit for our house!  We also got a house next to another group of our friends, so we have had a barbecue, a potluck dinner, and several hang-outs and gatherings already!

Check out my townhouse!!

So far, everything is going smoothly with our living situation. We had to collaboratively create a roommate contract and sign it at the beginning of the year, so we all know what is expected from our other roommates while living together.  Communication and respect are key when living in any situation on campus.

The most interesting part of living in a townhouse is the cooking.  I've never cooked many things for myself beyond pasta, so this is a very different experience for me.  My roommate Jill is the chef of the house, and we have cooked many of the meals so far.  We've tried to be creative and healthy, while at the same time not breaking our budget when grocery shopping.  I've actually really enjoyed cooking and have found it to be a pretty relaxing study break (especially when I have the time to spare).  Alliot trips are also more exciting because they happen less often, and when we do go, we feel like we're seeing everyone for the first time in months!  (Yeah, the two's are a little far away from everything...)  So far though, I haven't burned down the Townhouse or killed anyone with my cooking! I successfully made chicken twice, and the first time I did so by myself!  I'm excited for what culinary adventures are in store for the rest of the semester.

Two of my three roommates (Leah, left, and Jill) join me for a roomie dinner!  My third roommate buys a lot of her own groceries since she lives close-by, but she joins us for dinner too sometimes!

Italian sausage, green beans, and Annie's white cheddar mac and cheese. Yum! 

Honey mustard chicken (done on the stove), green beans and potatoes. Mine was a purple potato!

If you have any questions about my senior year or student life in general at St. Michael's, please do not hesitate to email me (emurray@mail.smcvt.edu), Tweet me (LittleLizzie33) or ask me a question on formspring (lizmurray3).  I will do my best to answer whatever questions are asked.
Ciao!

Back to School: Senior Edition

I apologize that it's been so long since I've blogged! After ending my internship in Boston, I moved back home for a few weeks, and then moved back up to school, so it's been a whirlwind for the past month or so!
ANYWAYS... I just wanted to give an update on my current life right now.  There will be pictures and things later, but here are the top five things I have been up to lately.

1. Classes have begun! I am taking Concepts of Chemistry, Europe during WWII, History Senior Seminar and Media Studies, Journalism and Digital Arts Seminar.

2. Speaking of senior seminar.... I've been working on researching for a 40+ page thesis essay I'll have to write for the end of the semester and brainstorming ideas for a journalism senior seminar topic to write a book by the end of the spring semester with my friend Gabbi Hall (also a blogger).  My topic for history is media evolution and how it has affected presidential elections and my topic for journalism is redefining media events with the new media technologies existant today.

3. Since I'm a senior, I get to live in the townhouses (some of the best housing on campus).  I'm living in the 2's, which are the farthest away from everything... but at least I'm getting my exercise! This year, I'm living with my friends Jill and Leah and a junior transfer named Hannah.  I was a little worried that Hannah would be overwhelmed by me, Jill and Leah since we are all so close, but she's actually fit right into our group of friends! A perfect match!

4. Townhouse living means lots of cooking! Jill and I have been doing a lot of the cooking for the last few weeks, but it's really fun! Before this year, I was very much a pasta girl.  I've now learned how to prepare and make breaded chicken, sausages, garlic bread and more!  I'm hoping my cooking skills will be awesome by the end of this year.

5. Tap club is back! While the co-president and I were abroad last year, we left the tap club in the hands of some of our newer members.  They did a great job of keeping it going, but the participation rate dropped quite a bit toward the end of the year.  This year we're back, and we have a lot of interested new members! Our rehearsal last Wednesday was AWESOME! Everyone was so excited to be there and spread the tappiness.  I hope this week goes just as well!

Well, that's just about everything! I will blog more in-depth about the beginning of school soon and post some pictures of my townhouse! If you have any questions about my experience as a student at Saint Michael's, do not hesitate to email me (emurray@mail.smcvt.edu), Tweet me (LittleLizzie33) or ask me a question on formspring (lizmurray3).
Ciao ciao for now!