52 Things to do at ODU

So my friend Rufio recently received an ODU deck of playing cards of which I a extremely jealous, because I have been searching for these cards for forever.  Some upperclassmen had decks of the ODU playing cards back when I was a freshman here, but I guess they stopped producing them sadly.  This is something I would love to see ODU bring back though.  They were really cool (in my own humble opinion at least).  These cards were a regular deck of playing cards,but they had a panther on them (our mascot) and each card had a different thing to do at ODU for a total of 52 things to do at ODU.  Basically, they are super awesome and Rufio better appreciate the rare treasure he has just been gifted.

Many of the things listed on these cards can't be done anymore based on changes in the university, so I would like to make my very own list here for all who are interested :).

1. Visit every building on campus (even Guzman, Las Casas, and the Public Safety house)
2. Visit the sisters at Saint Mary of the Springs
3. Go on a walk near the baseball fields
4. Ride the elevator in Wehrle
5. Try on costumes in the theater
6. Take a Sister Fatula class
7. Read a book from the library for leisure
8. Buy yourself an item of clothing from the Bookstore
9. Go to Mass in Christ the King Chapel
10. Play a game of pool in the Student Center
11. Play sand volleyball
12. Take a picture with Saint Dominick
13. Jump around on the cushioned stairs in Panther Plaza
14. Go on a retreat with Campus Ministry
15. Have a dance party in the Dance and Fitness Room
16. Play the arcade video games in the Griff
17. Run up the baseball stairs as fast as you can without taking a break
18. Make sweet videos to show people how awesome ODU is :)
19. Have lunch or coffee with a staff or faculty member
20. Go to sporting events on campus
21. Lay on the oval and look at the clouds with a friend
22. Do your homework outside
23. Have breakfast in Hamilton Hall
24. Have lunch at Zest
25. Shower in one of the community showers (Sansbury or Fitzpatrick)
26. Watch a movie on a projection screen in the Student Center
27. Play basketball (outdoor court or in the gym)
28. Have a game night (there are board games in most of the residence halls and the student center)
29. Pull an all-nighter with a good friend
30. Go on a moonlit walk around campus with a friend and have a deep conversation
31. Go to a free fitness class
32. Travel with ODU (mission trip, study abroad, sports trips, etc.)
33. Join a club
34. Join a sports team
35. Dress Up on Wednesdays!
36. Start your own ODU tradition
37. Workout in the fitness center
38. Try out for a play or musical
39. Get an on-campus job
40. If you are 21 or older, buy an alcoholic beverage from the Panther Grill
41. Help out at Panther Pride Pitch-In (and clean up the campus whenever else you can as well)
42. Attend ODU Day
43. Go to Homecoming events (pep rally, football game, parade, dance, tail gating)
44. Submit something to Gesture (essays, poems, stories, pictures, etc.)
45. Enjoy the unlimited yogurt and granola in Hamilton Hall.. yum :)
46. Have a coffee date in the student center (the fireside lounge is a fantastic place for this!)
47. Bring your little siblings to Little Sibs Weekend
48. Make a sincere effort to get to know as many people as possible
49. Walk to Dairy Queen for 15% off a cold treat :)
50. Take the shuttle to Easton (go grab food, shop, go ice skating, see a movie, wander around, etc.!)
51. Start your own club
52. Attend ODU events and programs on campus (there's usually free food and ODU stuff and new people to meet)

Mkay, coming up with 52 things was a little harder than I imagined it would be.  Kudos to the people who made those playing cards!  I realize some of these are kind of lame, but it's hard to think up 52 things on the spot!  I will add/remove things if I come up with some better ideas.  Basically, ODU is really awesome though and has a lot to offer, so check out MyODU and find events and programs that interest you.  Make your four years here really count.  They can be really amazing if you let them be :)

Beginning of a New Year

It is the official first day of classes for most full time students at ODU.  My roommate and I are taking a Saturday class this year though which started a few days ago, so we had class before many of our fellow peers.  This is the first weekend class I have taken, so it's a very new experience for me especially going from class only 4 days a week to 6.  The class is about 4 hours long and meets every Saturday for the first 8 or 9 weeks of the semester, so it's a long class, but it is a fast way to get four of the credits I need for my major.  In the long run, I think it'll be a smart decision on my part.  In the short run, I am going to regret this decision every Saturday I have to wake up at 6am.
To be honest, I am not as excited about this semester as I would like to be.  On top of taking classes 6 days a week, I also work 3 days a week and I am applying for a second job as well since the blogger job has been eliminated, and I might even consider a third job depending on how the beginning of the semester goes.  I really want to be more involved and improve on my work ethic and time management though and I think that I can handle a lot on my plate right now.  I don't want to waste my time at ODU.  I really want to let this time prepare me for life after college in every way.  Ohio Dominican is all about guiding and helping students in every aspect of their lives (spiritually, mentally, physically, socially, academically, etc.) and I have slowly come to the realization that I need to take full advantage of all this school has to offer!
So this semester is definitely going to be tough, but if I can make it through and accomplish all the goals, I know I will come out a better person for it and that will be worth it!  I just pray that I have the motivation to stick with it and give this semester my all!
Some pseudo-goals I have for this semester are:
to get my temps and eventually my driver's license and a car
to get at least 2 As and nothing lower than a B in my classes
to blog, journal, or write down my thoughts in some way shape or form at least once a week
to go to the school chapel for quiet prayer and reflection time at least once a week
to get confirmed
to have my siblings attend Little Sibs weekend
to be ambassador of the month at least once
to start working out on a regular basis (I haven't decided how often it's going to be and how it will fit in my schedule)
I am sure there are more goals to come which I may add later.  For now though, those will be my main focus for the semester to help me in all aspects of my life at ODU.
Hopefully, this will be a good semester! :)
For those of you who have not read my blog before, or would simply like to read more about me and ODU from my old school blog, the link is here.  I don't know how long those blogs will be up though before the website is completely re-vamped, so I will probably post those on here later just for some background and to help you all get to know me and the school better.
I hope everyone is enjoying the New Year so far and let's all pray 2011 is a good year for everyone!