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!

Study Abroad Re-Cap: Tuesdays with the (Italian) Beatles

Probably one of my favorite activities in (and now memories of) Florence was attending the Beatles cover band night every Tuesday.  As many of my friends know, I have always been a huge Beatles fan, so I was really excited when I heard about this weekly event from my roommates.  Unfortunately, I did not get around to actually going to the concerts until around mid-semester since it was held at 11 p.m. on a school night each week. But after a while, I figured I could sleep when I was not in Italy anymore.

The first night I went to Beatles night was with Liz and her boyfriend Mike, who was visiting Florence at the time, and our friend Ryan.  Beatles night is held in this little, literally underground bar called "Be Bop" just past the Duomo.  We had to walk at least 20-30 minutes across the city just to get there, but it was always so worth it. Upon arrival, we walked down a set of stairs into this tiny, dark room crammed with tables and people craning to see the four men on the little stage.  On that first night, we entered in the middle of one of their songs, and I immediately was impressed (and really excited) because the cover band sounded almost just like the Beatles! Even though the looks were not exactly right on, they even dressed up in character!  The four of us were shuffled into another room past where the performance was taking place since there was no seating in the first room – and thus no good view of the performance – so we just stood and listened for a while.

I was familiar with most of the songs, as were Liz and Mike, but Ryan was not a die-hard Beatles fan and was just along for the fun.  In the middle of each song, one of the Beatles (usually the men who played Paul or John) would speak to the audience in English in a British accent to try to get the crowd excited.  It was difficult to figure out if the Beatles were actually British or Italian that night, but I eventually figured out on a later occasion that they were Italian (since they talk to each other onstage in Italian). Even though we didn't get to see much of the show that first night, it was still a ton of fun to bob to the beat of familiar songs and see what the Italian take on The Beatles was.

The Be Bop sign onstage! Photo courtesy of Carly Cummins.

Looks just like the real drum!!! Photo courtesy of Carly Cummins.

The second time I went back to Beatles night, it was just Ryan and me.  Everyone else was either too tired, too lazy or had too much homework.  This time, the show was not as crowded and we were able to snag ourselves some front-row seats. Now, when I say front-row, I mean practically onstage since the room was so tiny! I was practically sitting on top of the speaker at the very front of the stage.  As the show went on, more people trickled in, but it was not nearly as crowded as the first night.

The Beatles, whose collective stage name is Vox Power, played everything from classic oldies to drug-induced hippie songs from The Beatles' repertoire.  It was about a two-hour show with a set break in the middle, where the band members would often visit with audience members.  (This was how I was eventually able to meet the young man who played George, and he recognized me on other occasions when I attended the show.  He was my age and we became friends and still keep in touch, which I hope will continue until the next time I visit Italy. I was very happy to have made an Italian friend!) People would get up to dance during "Twist and Shout" and sing along to other popular songs.  The whole night was a blast, and I was always sad when it had to end.

Vox Power on stage! From left, Paul, George, Ringo and John.  Photo courtesy of Liz Salois.

George, who switches to the keyboard halfway through the show, shares a reaction with Paul! Photo courtesy of Carly Cummins. 

I only had to skip a few Beatles nights during the rest of the semester, but I tried to make it a weekly activity.  At first, it was just Ryan and me who attended each week, but we eventually persuaded our other friends to come too. Unfortunately, it was near the end of the semester, and they left wondering "Why didn't I start coming sooner?"

Beatles Night, though not a traditional Italian activity, is one of the things I miss most about Florence.  I loved the quirkiness of four Italian men speaking in British accents and singing Beatles songs, and the shows were always a ton of fun.  It was also an interesting way to meet native Italians since half their audience members were Italians while the other half were tourists.  Since I've come back to America, every Tuesday at 5 p.m. I long to be back in Florence (since there is a 6-hour time difference, 5 p.m. in America = 11 p.m. in Italy) to see the beginning of the show and dance and sing along to my favorite tunes.  I fully intend to go back to Florence sometime in the future, and when I do, I will aim for a Tuesday so I can spend it with my favorite Italian Beatles.

If you have any questions regarding my study abroad experience or my life at St. Michael's College, 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 question you may have.
Ciao!

More Articles from my Internship!

Hello everyone!
Sorry for being incommunicado for the last few weeks! I've been really focused on my internship and have been writing a lot of stories! Here are the newest ones since the last post:

- Dorchester Schools Win Awards for Healthy Initiatives 

- Best Educators of the Year 

- Mayor Chooses Members of Fairmount Advisory Board 

- Dot Talent Fuels Baseball Team's Winning Ways  (This was my first story above the fold on the front page - with my own original picture too!)

- Dot Descendants Celebrations

- Fairmount Group's First Meeting (Second story on the front page above the fold!)

- Dot Native a Soccer Missionary (Front page below the fold!)

- St. Mark's Episcopal one step closer to National Register listing

- Sheriff's Deputies Cited for 'Heroic Actions' 

- School Committee Takes Hard Look at K-8 Model

I've been learning a lot from all my internships and meeting a lot of really cool people! That's what I really love about the internship – writing so many feature stories and getting to meet so many interesting people in both Dorchester and Boston.  I'm learning how to handle myself as a journalist in professional environments, think on my feet, ask the tough questions, and be as thorough, but as concise, as possible with my writing.  I'm experiencing some situations – like school committee hearings and mayoral-elected board meetings – that are completely new to me, so they are really learning experiences.

Finally, I've learned to dress for any kind of assignment since I never know from day to day what I will be covering (aka I covered a baseball game wearing a dress and low heels, but heels nonetheless and my feet were not happy afterward) and how to work with media relations people to get the information needed.  Media relations employees seemed to become the bane of my existence during the past few weeks as I felt like I was constantly chasing them down, but I tried to be as polite and accommodating as possible so I could get the information needed for my stories.

I hope you enjoy my stories! If you have any questions about my internship or my life at St. Michael's College, 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 any question!
Ciao for now!

Cooking in Cape Cod

Since I'm interning in Boston for the summer, I have been staying with my Uncle at his house in Somerville.  It just so happens he also has a house in Cape Cod, so we will be spending most of the weekends there.

Uncle Rick got his shellfishing license in Cape Cod this summer, so we are able to go get fresh shellfish on Saturday, Sunday or Wednesday (but only once a week so we don't overfish).  We tried our hand at collecting mussels yesterday.  It was raining all day yesterday, so the first time we went out, we were not able to find any and it started to rain on us while we were looking.  We did not stay very long, and we did not quite know what we were looking for either.  I decided to stay in while Uncle Rick went shopping for plants for his garden that afternoon. He came back at around 3 p.m. with a half bucket of mussels!  He had gone without me! (I didn't have the proper gear anyways.)

Today we cooked our mussels for lunch, and they were delicious! We cooked them in a curry butter sauce on the grill. Since my uncle was working in his garden for most of the afternoon, I was in charge of preparing the mussels.  I do not have very much practice with cooking, so it was a slow process, but I think they came out pretty well in the end! Here are some pictures of the finished product:

Checking to see if the mussels opened on the grill! 

Peek-a-boo! 

The finished product!

Mussels in my bowl.

YUM.

Study Abroad Re-Cap: Classes

Since I've mainly written about the adventure side of study abroad, I thought I might write about the "study" part since part of the experience is taking classes.  Every study abroad program is different.  Some offer a greater variety of classes than others, and some even teach the classes in the language of the country.  Your experience all depends on which program you pick - and believe me, there are plenty of programs to choose from.

I decided upon AIFS in Florence for a few reasons:

1. The excursions included looked awesome.

2. The meal tickets seemed like they would help finances a lot.

3. Though there was not a terribly wide range of classes, the classes that Richmond University did have looked very interesting and appealed to my history major.

I ended up taking 4 classes as well as volunteering for an English newspaper throughout the semester.  The classes I ended up taking were History of the Italian Mafia, History of Italian Cinema and Society, High and Late Renaissance Art and Basic Spoken Italian.

Saint Mike's made it a pretty painless process to choose classes abroad and fill out paperwork to get credit for the classes.  I started out by making myself a 4-year plan, laying out what requirements I had already fulfilled and which requirements I still needed to fulfill.  With the requirements I still needed to fulfill, I figured out which classes should be taken in which semester.  Many of the classes I still had to take were electives in my majors, so it was fairly easy to choose classes.  History of the Italian Mafia fulfilled an upper level history class, History of Italian Cinema fulfilled a journalism elective, and I was required by my program to take Italian so I would be able to survive in the culture.  I took High and Late Renaissance Art as my first ever art history class just for fun.  I figured it would help me see some of the sites.  I also took a two-week language intensive in Siena, which everyone else had to take as well.

The classes themselves were difficult enough that they were college classes, but they were not extremely demanding.  I would not say I took a semester off (as many claim a study abroad semester is a vacation), but the program and professors made sure to leave enough wiggle room for traveling and cultural experiences.  The most difficult part of the semester was mid-semester when we had midterms followed almost immediately by mid-semester research papers.  At that point as well, homesickness is the most prominent, so it was a tough time all-around. My friends and I made sure to support each other through our academics (my friend Molly was especially great since she let Liz and me come over her house almost every night because our internet was terrible) but we also looked out for each other socially and took breaks and adventures when necessary.

Katherine and Lindsey work on their mid-semester papers during our excursion to Venice.

None of my classes were taught by Americans, which made the experience that much more enriching.  Three of my classes were taught by native Italians and the fourth class was taught by a native Czech.  I really liked all of my classes and felt like I got a lot out of them.  By the end of the semester, I knew how to speak enough Italian to survive daily life, I knew all the places to find awesome Renaissance art (and the history behind the art pieces as well as how to analyze them) and I knew lots of facts about Italian history through the lens of the cinema and the mafia.  It definitely helped to be right in the country (or even the city) when learning about certain things because you could then go out and experience the things after learning about them.  I don't think the classes are supposed to be challenging as much as they are supposed to be culturally enriching.  It was a great semester.

If you have any questions about my study abroad experience or my life at Saint Michael's College, do not hesitate to email me (emurray@mail.smcvt.edu), Tweet me (LittleLizzie33) or ask me a question on Formspring (lizmurray3).
Ciao!

I'm a published writer!

During the two weeks I've been working at The Dorchester Reporter, I've already had about 6 articles published (only 5 of which are online) and 2 original pictures published.  Check out the work I've done so far:

Cash Mobs in Dorchester
Biking from the Bean to the Big Apple 
Dorchester Day Parade Chief Marshal Bio
Little Miss/Young Miss Dorchester Represent Dot With Confidence, Poise
Boston Valedictorians' Luncheon with Mayor Menino

If you have any questions about my internship or life at St. Michael's College, do not hesitate to email me (emurray@mail.smcvt.edu), Tweet me (LittleLizzie33) or send me a question on Formspring (lizmurray3).  I will do my best to answer whatever question you might have!
Ciao!