More Pieces to the Puzzle

With great power comes great responsibility… a lesson that I will be learning fast as ever in the next year. Yes, the rumors are true, I am the Associated Student Body President for Montana State University and wow it does not seem real (yet).

What is ASMSU (Associated Students of Montana State University) ASMSU is the student government association serving as the elected voice of the students of Montana State University-Bozeman with the mission of enhancing the overall educational experience of students by providing leadership and employment opportunities for students and by providing diverse student oriented non-academic programs and services cost effectively through responsible fiscal management of student activity fees.

What doe this mean to a student? Well, this is one of the place that is going to make your time at MSU worth more than just an education, but a great experience that you will never forget and when you do recall it, you are overwhelmed by all of the positive experiences you have had at MSU. It is a place that offers opportunities to get out of your dorm rooms or get your head out of the books and get involved, network, making friends, be apart of the community, and just overall have a more valued experience. The Road to Presidency began with Jordan, my Vice President, coming to me at a track meet and asking me have I ever thought about joining ASMSU (applying for a position). We discussed this topic for a while and then she said, “Do you want to run for ASMSU President and Vice President?” Now this was an idea that I have considered before because I was Student Body President in my high school, but I never looked into fully, but the pure fact that Jordan came up to me and asked me to run with her told me that it was a sign that I should do this, but I did have to think deeply on this topic because it is a BIG responsibility to take this own – I said yes!

So with all that, I get sworn in on April 17th and then the turnover will begin and I am so excited to learn everything and gain even more knowledge about this wonderful place that I love and be able to represent my peers and voice their opinions to the Board of Regents, the President of MSU, and other important decision makers at this university!

Take Away Message: When faced with a great opportunity, say yes… even if it might seem scary or overwhelming, say yes because that opportunity will only be open for a limited amount of time and you don’t want it to pass you up because it might just be the key to your future, your destini 😉

Spring Break…Finally

Spring Break is the break that I do not necessarily look forward to because it is my favorite break, but rather because it comes at a almost perfect moment in the school year. Classes seems to drag out and everything seems over whelming, overloaded, and just over everything. But then all of sudden spring break is right around the corner. Most people go to really nice places where the weather is perfect, there are a lot of people, and they can just relax. I went to a place where I got a little bit of that, but also I got to shop and see other universities. Where did I go you may ask… OREGON! I got the chance to go to both Eugene and Portland with some of my sorority sisters and was super fun. We did everything from eat Voodoo donuts at 2:30 in the morning to check out other sorority houses on University of Oregon’s campus to go to Seaside, Oregon and enjoy a nice sunny week on the beach with the waters from the ocean creeping up on your toes to shopping for days and actually going into a two story Forever 21!! It just felt good to be back in a “city” and even though Portland is very different than Los Angeles, there are still certain vibes that are similar. Spring Break was just a fun packed weekend for me and my crew of beautiful women, but it had to come to an end and we prepared ourselves for the long 12 and a half hour drive back to Bozeman and even though spring break was over that does not mean the FUN is over. School is back in full swing and it is time to get things done and I am more motivated than ever to finish my junior year up and begin my last year of college!!

Take Away Message: Get things done, but take time off and take a break, relax, and re-energize – but then get back to work!! 🙂

Quote of the Week

Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.
– Mahatma Gandhi

I have decided to do a quote this week because we are nearing the end of the school year and one of the most busiest and packed month in my semester (April). This quote is so inspiring and so important to understand. The idea that your foundations will one day affect your future applies to everything from school to friendship to your core values to your work ethic etc. As the end of the school year approaches, remembering to stay positive because it will affect everything you do!! And I don’t believe in just going through the actions but rather taking action and making everything you do brilliant.

But I am guilty of letting all of the items on my “to do list” stress me out and in response to that, I forget or I do a poor job. So making sure you are on top of things and even getting little reminders from your managers or supervisors should encourage you to step up your game – I know it helps me out.

Over spring break, we went to Seaside, OR and stayed in a hotel right on the Oregon coast and it was absolutely beautiful. I was fortunate enough to see the sunset and all it’s beauty!! So I am going to share some of the photos and hopefully it can help you reflect and remember to stay positive and get things done!!

The “Li – Berry”

The Renne Library is probably one of the best libraries I have been to. They have everything from books, to DVD’s you can check out, online reserves to peer-reviewed journals, classes and workshops that can help you enhance your skills when it comes to Excel or Microsoft or any professional program that you might be using now or thirty years down the road. I have spent many nights, or mornings because I was there till 2am, in the Library with friends and a large cup of coffee just trying to get all of my assignments done and I am so thankful that we have a place that we can go and do homework, socialize, study, and also just relax and get a break from our crazy lives!!

Not only does the Library look amazing, but they have awesome services. My advice would be just to explore the Library website, ask questions, or even go on a Library tour (they are pretty awesome)

Fun Facts about the Library
MSU Library’s building, Renne Library, was named after Roland R. Renne (1905-1989), the president of Montana State College from 1943 to 1964. Renne Library is centrally located on campus between the Strand Union Building and Reid Hall.

MSU Library’s Heathcote Court on first floor features a Rudy Autio sculpture titled “Kosmos,” a new book area, comfortable seating, an art exhibit area, and The Brewed Awakening coffee bar—see the Collegian article (Fall 2004).

The third floor reading room is “tailored to accommodate the study needs of contemporary students” and displays 8 lithographs and 3 digital reproductions of oil paintings by Livingston artist, Russell Chatham. (See the article by Tracy Ellig)

In August 2002, Mark Stasz, a Bellevue, Idaho-based sculptor, installed a fountain of his own creation on the third-floor, as part of the state’s Percent for Art program. “Young Fancy Dancer,” a print by Native American artist Kevin Red Star is on display on the 2nd floor of Renne Library.

The second, third, and fourth floor lobbies of Renne Library have stained glass artwork by Virginia artist Maureen Melville. Subjects depicted in the artwork are William Shakespeare, Albert Einstein, and Florence Nightingale. These pieces were chosen via a national competition and were funded by the state’s Percent for Art program.

In May 2003, Renne Library “won the Montana Library of the Year award for its transformation from 1950s sterility to a pleasant, contemporary space” by the Montana Library Association at their annual conference in Butte. (more from the Collegian, Summer 2002)

 

Take away message: Utilize your resources, like the Library, people put a lot time, money, and effort into building these beautiful facilities and if we don’t take advantage of them, we are wasting our college dollar! (and that’s a lot of dollars)

A Weekend of Bonding

Friends! I can never get tired of talking about my friends. New or old, they are still AMAZING! This weekend I was able to bond with old friends and get to know new ones. For orientation we have a retreat that everyone comes to and we do many activities such that encourage and empower us to become closer and bond.
Take away message: Friendships!! Be open, be willing, and be able to create lasting relationships that you can rely on for a lifetime

Quote of the Week

Let your hopes be bigger than your fears

I love this quote. My big in my sorority gave this to me on a necklace when I was still a new member and I have fallen in love with it ever since.

This is my big just in case you forgot. Sometimes you need to remember certain quotes to keep you motivated because college is overwhelming and college is hard, but it is suppose to be and once we accept that, I believe that we will but the fear in our back pocket and let the hope and aspirations that we all have be the light that gives us light to our end goal — whether that be to finally get that college degree or to make a change on campus or and other goals we have in life. I think this quote is so inspiring for myself because I fear that I won’t be able to get everything I want to get accomplished that I want to while I’m in college and sometimes I am hesitant to experience new things, but then the glimmer of hope comes and I realize that these new experiences are only new opportunities that will probably help me later in life.

Take Away Message: “It’s all about balance” one of my professors said to me in a one on one conference and it’s so true. Balance doesn’t mean giving everything the same amount of time, instead a balance that you feel comfortable with. And I know that balance will take some time, but once we find it.. Life will be that much easier!!

When it comes to time… Family is the best way to spend it

Even though I miss Bozeman the good thing about being in St. Louis for Christmas break, is that I get to see my family. It was great to see family that I haven’t seen since last year. We shared presents, stories, memories, and just cherished the moments that we had together. I just loved being in the moment around loved ones, people who I know will always have my back through thick and thin. That’s what family is for right? All of my life I have lived away from my family not because we necessarily wanted to just because there was more opportunity other places – so I was never able to go to grandma’s after school or have my crazy auntie yelling at the basketball games. I always had to go visit them in St. Louis but when you are younger you don’t understand that you need that support system and how important it is to your well being. Now that I’m older, I get it – FAMILY IS MY BACKBONE and I wish I could spend everyday with them. But the short time I have with them – I will enjoy it and be thankful so snaps snaps for family !! 🙂

Take Away Message: Appreciate family, whether it is blood or not, life is easier when you have people to support you and be with you through the good and the bad.

The Beauty of Bozeman

The beauty of Bozeman is unbelievable! A lot of the times we don’t take the time to enjoy our environment and enjoy the wonders of nature. Often times we get too wrapped up in our daily lives and don’t think about actually taking a break from our stressful lives and begin to enjoy what God has blessed us to have on this Earth.

I think it’s really important for everyone but especially college students to remember to take a break from the stress and the craziness of school and enjoy the wonderful town of Bozeman. We are so lucky that not only do we have nice weather in the summer but even when it’s 40 degrees and snowing, the sun still shines and no matter what anyone is going through, I believe that nature can be a nice mental escape from everything.

Take away message: if it already hasn’t been clear what the take away message is, then I’ll reframe it. Remember to just stop, even if it’s only for a minute of your day, and smell the roses, enjoy the birds chirping in the trees, and the sun shinning in the sky because not everyone is blessed to live in such a great place like Bozeman.

It was just a Bobcat World

There are many reason why I love Montana State University and one of the big reason is because we are a COLLEGE TOWN!
This means that whenever we have an athletic event, the whole Bozeman community is out to support and as an EX-ATHLETE myself, it helps so much to have support from not only your friends, but your community.

If you don’t believe that I was an athlete here is some proof:

Yup that’s me ladies and gentlemen, #35, basketball phenomenon, just kidding but not really.

Any who, MSU is wonderful because admission to the games are FREE! Which you don’t hear too often!

Tip for the day: GET INVOLVED AND GO SUPPORT!