It’s hard to believe that this will be my very last issue working on Lumen. The last two years have gone by faster than I imagined they would and it’s hard to recall all the lessons and experiences I have learned. It’s also hard to believe that I will be graduating college in less than two weeks.
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As the school year comes to a close, it is time to start thinking about what to do for the summer. Many students will be working, some will be traveling, and others may be taking classes. But there is still plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine.
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This past semester, I have had the opportunity to travel a number of times. Some of these trips were for school while others were just for fun. From Arizona to Montana and Colorado to New York, I’ve been all over. All of these adventures have provided me with the chance to see some very different parts of the country and meet some very different people.
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As another school year begins to wind down, it’s easy to get lost in all the homework, projects, summer plans, etc. While I am grateful that this semester is almost over, I cannot believe how fast the days have gone by. While it is important for students to work hard all the way through the end of the semester, I think it is equally important for students to take time to sit back and relax every now and then.
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Dear Lumen, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude for the support Viterbo provides to those students who are pursuing a college degree while training to be Army Officers in the ROTC program. Jessica Russell’s article (“Student balances classes, training,” March 22, 2010) on ROTC students at Viterbo University provided insight into the balance between academic studies and military obligations these cadets must face prior to graduation and joining the army as officers.
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I was a bit surprised and overwhelmingly pleased to hear that the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) support the federal health care reform bill. FSPA Sister Marlene Weisenbeck, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, was quoted as saying that the FSPA “supports this legislation because it provides health care coverage for millions of people, therefore expanding justice - the right to health care - for all.
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We’ve all seen them: the bubble sheets that mean that it’s time to evaluate our courses and professors. They can be tedious and they’re certainly time consuming, but what many don’t seem to realize is how valuable the information gathered from them can be.
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With the recent death of another college male in La Crosse resulting from drowning in the Mississippi River, it really made me wonder what more the city of La Crosse could be doing to try and prevent this from happening yet again. The La Crosse police recently released a report stating that more than 20 people have fallen or jumped into the river and survived since 1997.
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Countdown: T-minus three days. Destination: Spring Break 2010. Goal: To have an awesome vacation. With Spring break approaching, I’m sure most of us are thinking of all the ways we can party in a week. However, there’s also something to be said for moderation during a period of time that generally spells trouble for many college students.
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Dear Beth Dolder-Zieke, Help! Graduation is just around the corner and I need to get a job so I don’t end up living in my parents’ basement. I’ve been hearing a lot lately about getting a job with the federal government.
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On Tuesday, Feb. 23, one class at Viterbo raised enough food in donations and (some personal shopping) to help the Hunger Task Force in its everyday goal of assisting over 300 families in the La Crosse area to feed their families each day. We truly are in a blessed society, and I have known in many instances the help and grace of others while growing up.
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Over the last 60 years, Sports Illustrated has featured many popular, successful athletes. Every issue of Sports Illustrated features an athlete on the cover. However, in the last 60 years, only four percent of those featured athletes have been females.
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Even if this is a little late in coming, I wanted to touch briefly on the Humanities Symposium that Viterbo hosted two weeks ago. To me, this year’s symposium addressed an issue that the younger generation (mine) doesn’t seem to consider with the appropriate amount of importance.
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Dear Lumen, Viterbo Mission and Vision for the 21st century mentions the “interactions with diverse cultures that better prepare students for success in a global workforce.” To become culturally competent we need to value diversity, carry out a cultural self-assessment, increase our awareness of biases and stereotypes, broaden our knowledge, and become an advocate, so we may help others through the process of becoming culturally competent.
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Over the last week and a half, we’ve all heard a lot about the tragedy in Haiti. From heart-wrenching stories of children trapped in the rubble to striking visuals of homes and buildings that have been destroyed. I was amazed, but not altogether surprised at the outpouring of support that came from all over the country.
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Hard work will pay off in the end
As my last semester starts, I can already feel the pressures of graduation and entering the “real world.” As I’ve tried to prepare myself as much as possible for life after college, I still cannot help but feel nervous and a bit overwhelmed for my own future.
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Many of the stories you’ve read in the Lumen over the past months were focused in one way or another on the expansion of Viterbo’s enrollment. This expansion will necessitate the growth of the campus itself, as well as the possibility of adding new programs, more faculty, and new sports.
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After living in La Crosse for the last three years, the thing that still seems to surprise me is the number of bad drivers on the road. I cannot count the times I have almost been hit by another car because they don’t see me in the lane right next to them, or they pull out right in front of me and I have to slam on my brakes so I don’t hit them.
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We seem to have made it; another semester down, halfway through with the school year and the holidays are upon us. I know we’re all thinking the same thing: Thank goodness. (Unless of course you’re one of those folks who dreads the holidays, which if that’s the case you’ll probably be dreading the festivities.
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La Crosse Mayor Matt Harter has a few more leadership skills to learn, it seems. La Crosse’s radio station 95.7 The Rock published its annual fundraising calendar, with Harter’s approval. Mayor Harter is pictured on the cover of the calendar in his office with the radio station’s on-air personalities.
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Since I am getting sick of using my column to complain about things, I believe that this week I’ll use my powers of persuasive writing for good. Over the past weekend, I was afforded the opportunity to present a paper I wrote at an academic conference in Dubuque, Iowa.
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How many of you have had to sit next to someone who looks like the incarnation of death in recent weeks? Sickness seems to be everywhere and with the scare of H1N1, everyone is waiting on tenterhooks for someone they know to get it. However, some sickies still feel the need to come to class or work and “share the wealth” of their illness with everyone else.
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Viterbo’s enrollment has been increasing each year since I’ve been here and with the new majors and sports offered, one wonders where all these students are actually living. The housing crunch has definitely set in the last two years and there still is not a clear answer to this problem.
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Eat locally grown meat
For the last five months or so, I have been trying to eat better. For me, “better” doesn’t totally pertain to “dieting,” but more along the lines of healthier and more local. I’ve decided to stop eating meat, unless it is organically or locally grown, or something that I’ve caught myself (or by my family).
Actions over prayer
When I first heard about the parents from Wisconsin who stood by and prayed while their daughter slowly died from untreated diabetes, I wasn’t sure what to think. I have had diabetes since I was three-years-old. I was shocked, saddened, and disgusted that these parents let this happen to their child.
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