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Pompeii!!

April 4, 2012 in Savannah, Student Blogs by smiller5 | Permalink

Even though Pompeii was amazing, the whole travelling thing to get there was HORRIBLE. We had to take a train to Sorrento, Italy because we were staying in a bed and breakfast there. We had 2 different addresses for the bed and breakfast so of course we ended up going to the wrong address first…. Oh and of course it had to be raining. It wasn’t just a sprinkle of rain, it was POURING down rain, with lightning, and thunder….Oh yeah and HAIL. 2 hours later we finally made it to our bed and breakfast, soaking wet with our soaking wet backpacks and we finally checked into our room. The hostel was really nice, but our trip was not off to a good start. We took out our clothes from our backpacks only to find that they were soaked as well!! Not good when you only have 3 shirts for the weekend!! The next day, we went to Pompeii and had a blast! The sun was shining, and there was not a cloud in the sky!! We could have spent an entire day there, because there was so much to explore! When we saw the body casts of the people who suffered the eruption of the infamous Mt. Vesuvius, it broke my heart. These poor people did not know what was happening, what to do, or where to go. We went to some other ruins around Pompeii, but they were not nearly as cool. Pompeii was one of the coolest places that I have ever seen. It amazes me how there are still columns standing, that they have been there since 79 AD and survived through one of the most violent volcano eruptions the world has ever seen! That is unbelievable to me! All in all, Pompeii was awesome and I loved it. And now it just makes me laugh to think about our experiences walking through the streets of Sorrento for 2 hours in the rain. :]

Me Tebow-ing in Pompeii!

Some awesome ruins!

A body cast of someone trying to protect their face from the ash and debris.

so sad

More ruins

Decisions

April 4, 2012 in Heather, Student Blogs by hdiaz | Permalink

It’s been a busy busy time for me lately, so I apologize for not posting sooner!

I came into Gonzaga last year as a first-year English major interested in education, set on becoming a high school teacher. However, my views on other careers have broadened since last semester.

I’ve always been interested in psychology and the way people work as individuals. You know those silly quizzes in teen magazines that you could take and figure out your clothing style or your ideal celebrity best friend? (This might be more familiar to girls, so boys, I’m sorry!) Yep, as a 13-year-old I loved those quizzes!

The Myers-Briggs test is a bit like those quizzes, only this test is used to give people a general idea of careers they might be interested in pursuing. It’s a personality inventory-you answer a series of questions and you can find out what your personality type is.

I took this test twice, once last summer from a book called Please Understand Me.  At the time, I had an INFJ personality, or Introverted-Intuitive-Feeling-Judging. I’m basically a reserved person who can easily pick up on others’ emotions and works well with having a structure to her day.

I had the opportunity to take it again through The Harry Potter Club of Gonzaga, and the results were used to “Sort” us into Houses. (I was sorted into Gryffindor, booyah!) My results were almost the same, except for one letter (INFP). I’m pretty much the same, only I’ve become less disorganized!

It’s always a good idea to have some sort of idea as to what you want to do in your life career-wise. However, it’s not a bad thing to consider and even change your plans. It takes a lot of maneuvering and a little paperwork (such as changing your major).

And don’t feel like you need to choose something right now, before entering college-keep an open mind and know what you would like in a career!

Until next time! Here’s another peaceful tune I stumbled across.

Heather, Class of 2015
English and Music Education double-major

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Studying abroad through GIF (Gonzaga in Florence)

April 4, 2012 in Elizabeth, Student Blogs by Elizabeth | Permalink

Hello Everyone! My apologies for not posting for the last couple of weeks (more like months) but being abroad makes it harder for me to find the time. Anyway, I wanted to write about this for quite a while now so here it is! I know there are a lot of you who might not be considering studying abroad or might think it’s financially impossible to do so. Well that was me three years ago. When I was looking into colleges, studying abroad was probably one of the last things I was considering during my selection process. I remember taking a campus tour and one of the ambassadors said “One of the greatest things about Gonzaga is that there are over 40% of the students who study abroad before graduating, and most importantly that your financial aid transfers to most of the programs.” Little did I know I would end up being one of those students who luckily got the opportunity to study abroad! As a first generation student attending college was already overwhelming enough that I never thought/considered going abroad. So I basically never bothered to even think about it. Long story short, I fell in love with the campus and everything that it had to offer that I chose GU! Sophomore year came a long and I met this amazing Junior, Monicka M.(who would later be my supervisor). She had just studied abroad and constantly talked about her great, unforgettable adventures abroad. I started looking more in to it and when I started creating my four year plan I saved some of my core classes “just in case” I was able to study abroad that way I would have something to take while abroad that would count towards my degree and not just take random elective classes. The more I looked in to it the more I wanted to go abroad! But the one thing that obviously made it seem impossible was the financial component. I went to the Financial Aid office and made some visits to the Study Abroad office not knowing what I was supposed to do (obviously), but as always they were more than happy to help! (side note: before coming to GU the first thing I noticed was how people in general are so generous and helpful!) They provided me with the resources and information about the various programs that would offer the courses I could take, and they also gave me names of scholarships that students had received in the past and those that would most likely apply to my major and interests. Needless to say, after all the hard work and help from both students and staff I am here! Living in Florence and having the time of my life. I never thought I would actually be studying/living abroad that I feel blessed!!

Some things to keep in mind:
-Gonzaga Financial Aid Transfers to most of the abroad programs like GIF (Gonzaga in Florence)! There are students from other schools that literally receive no financial help from their schools.
-Most abroad programs offer core classes or classes designed for special majors, so if you are considering going abroad look at programs that would work around your schedule!
-Engineers are the only exception for studying abroad second semester of sophomore year.
-I LOVE LOVE LOVE Florence and if there is one thing I highly recommend is looking in to study abroad programs and applying for SCHOLARSHIPS!
-Talk to upperclassmen! they always have tips or “must knows” about the campus and programs in general.

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Beautiful view of Florence, Italy

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Waiting for the sunset

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Outside the Pitti Palace

Elizabeth Class of ’13
International Studies of Latin America, Art & Spanish

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Horseback Riding in Tuscany!

March 29, 2012 in Student Blogs by smiller5 | Permalink

So one weekend we decided to go horseback riding in Tuscany! Another fantastic decision! Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of me actually riding the horse because we were riding our horses all in a line and it was snowy and icy. Even though it was freezing outside and a little scary at times because the horses would slide on the icy roads, we still had a blast! The name of my horse was “Big Boy,” which made me laugh. Let’s just say that “big” is an understatement. This was the biggest horse I have ever seen in my life. He was HUGE!!! I had to use a ladder to climb up to sit on the saddle! After we went horseback riding, we went to this old castle where they fed us our authentic Tuscan lunch inside a little restaurant. It was delicious! They first brought us bread, olive oil and balsalmic vinegar and parmesan cheese! Then they came and brought us bruschetta and crustini. They also brought some weird crustinis with ground up duck liver on it, and another one had truffles on it. I am not very fond of eating liver, but I had to try it! The fresh bruschetta was soo good! After that they brought us some different kinds of dried meats like salami, and prosciutto accompanied with a bunch of freshly made cheeses. Then they brought us two different kinds of pastas! After our HUGE lunch, we went to explore around the ancient castle and also to do our wine tasting. We tasted 3 different types of wine. I ended up buying the white wine because it was pretty good! After the wine tasting, our tour guide drove us back to Florence and we went home. It was a great day and was full of a lot of memories! I really want to go horseback riding again but when it is warmer outside!

food!

delicious!

interesting...

cheese!!

Helping My Hmong Community

March 29, 2012 in Nikky, Student Blogs by nxiongxtoyed | Permalink

Over spring break I had the oppertunity to help my cousin with a class project about Hmong by Hmong dancing for his presentation. Here’s a clip of the performance. This Hmong dance team is called Nkauj Hmoob Spokane, which in English translates to Young Spokane Hmong Ladies. I am the dance team captain and this team consists of all Hmong girls living in Spokane with ages in the range of 10-20. This performance is only a portion of our whole team and we perform at events where we can spread the awareness of Hmong in Spokane and we also for the Spokane Hmong events like the Spokane Hmong New Years and Spokane Hmong graduation. Coming into Gonzaga University, I hope to also find a place to spread Hmong awareness and show my culture and traditions off. ^_^

Piazza Michelangelo!

March 20, 2012 in Savannah, Student Blogs by smiller5 | Permalink

On a random day in Florence, a group of us decided to go hike up to the famous Piazza Michelangelo. We had heard that it has the best view of Florence from the top of the hill, so we thought we would go check it out. In order to get to there, we had to cross the Ponte Vecchio and hike up a bunch of stairs. Even though it was a lot of work to get up there, it was completely worth it! We got there right as the sun was setting and we were able to witness the most beautiful sunset that I have ever seen. I literally could not stop taking pictures because every few minutes, the sunset would look different. It was so beautiful! I would have to say that Piazza Michelangelo is one of my favorite places in Florence, and I plan on going back one more time before I leave! Being in Florence makes me realize just how lucky I really am to be able to study abroad! Florence makes me appreciate the little things so much more! Here are some pictures of Italian sunsets!

<img src=”IMG_1248” alt=”Piazza Michelangelo” />

<img src=”IMG_1228” alt=”So pretty! ” />

<img src=”IMG_1206” alt=”The Duomo” />

<img src=”Best view of Florence i have encountered thus far.” alt=”Ponte Vecchio!” />

<img src=”ohhhh i live here?!?!?! WHAT??!?!?! sooooo beautiful.” alt=”Gorgeous! ” />

Day Trip to Siena!

March 20, 2012 in Savannah, Student Blogs by smiller5 | Permalink

For my first day trip, a few of us went to Siena to explore for a day. It cost us about 6 Euros and 40 cents to take a train there, and the same on the way back. It was about an hour and half train ride there. For being pretty close to Florence, Siena seems so much different! The people seem a little bit more relaxed and friendly compared to the people in Florence. It is not as busy, and everyone seems to enjoy every second of life. It was a relaxing atmosphere for a change! Siena was a beautiful place, and has THE BEST GELATO I have ever had. I have had gelato in a bunch of different places throughout Italy, but I would still say that Siena knows how to make the best gelato!! With a little help from the famous Mr. Rick Steves we were able to navigate through Siena without any problems! It was a fun little day trip, and I am really glad I was able to go!!

Day trip to Siena!

March 13, 2012 in Sierra, Student Blogs by smiller5 | Permalink

For my first weekend trip, a few of us went to Siena to explore for a day. It cost us about 6 Euros and 40 cents to take a train there, and about the same to get back. It was about an hour and half train ride there. For being pretty close to Florence, Siena seems so much different! The people seem a little bit more relaxed and friendly compared to the people in Florence. It was a relaxing atmosphere for a change! Florence is always so busy, and everyone is always on the move! Siena was a beautiful place, and has THE BEST GELATO I have ever had. I have had gelato in different places throughout Italy and Siena definitely had my vote! It was a fun little day trip and I am so glad that I was able to go! It is crazy to see how different each city is, no matter how close they are. Every city has a different vibe that sets it apart from the others!

Talk to you guys later!

Savannah 🙂
Class of 2013
Criminal Justice Major

Arriba!

March 13, 2012 in Heather, Student Blogs by hdiaz | Permalink

La Raza Latina, Gonzaga’s Latino club, is having their Festival on March 31st this year!

Last semester, I signed up to dance in the festival. I’ve been practicing since November 2011 for two routines: folklórico and a tango-salsa-merengue medley.

Folklórico is traditional dancing from Mexico, and the dances we’re doing originate from different areas. We also wear special shoes that have nails in the heel and tip, so when we stomp it’s extra loud! The women wear colorful dresses festooned with ribbons (although in some areas, the women wear white dresses), and the men wear charros, a special kind of suit, and a hat. The suits the men wear can vary from state to state as well. I’ve never worn a traditional Mexican dress before, so I’m excited!

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^ The way she’s moving her skirt is called “faldeo.” It’s a little hard to put together with the actual footwork of the dance, but once you have it down it’s a lot of fun!

Salsa, tango, and merengue are completely new to me. The techniques are different from folklórico, which is a lot of footwork. There’s a lot more partner-requiring moves in salsa, tango, and merengue, so we have many humorous moments during practice.

Some of the other dances that other members are participating in include bachata, vallenato, and punta, so we’ll have a lot of variety!

I haven’t performed a dance routine in front of an audience since 3rd grade, so I’m a little nervous. I’ll just have to keep practicing!

Until next time! 🙂

Heather, Class of 2015
English and Music Education double-major

A Much-Needed Break

March 12, 2012 in Heather, Student Blogs by hdiaz | Permalink

Spring break for us GU students starts soon, and I’m actually pretty excited to go home!

I’m planning on spending a great deal of time with my family. My mother and my sister are moving to Texas in a few weeks, and I’m going to help them pack up our house and move things into storage. Despite this significant change, I feel it’ll be a good thing for them. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to see them often, so I’m definitely taking advantage of the break to be with them and the rest of my family, like my cousins and aunts.

I’m looking forward to seeing my old friends from high school as well! Some friends I haven’t seen since August, and many things came up and altered our plans in the past few months so now I’ll have a chance to finally see them. I can’t wait!

The past few weeks have been very busy for me, with choir rehearsals, LRL meetings, RHA meetings, work, classes, and homework. This break is a blessing for me, a great time to just sit down and breathe after a busy semester.

Here’s a peaceful tune I discovered a few days ago. Enjoy, and see you guys after break is over!

Heather, Class of 2015
English and Music Education double-major

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