Limited Days making Lasting Memories

Now that I have just about 2 weeks until I graduate from Susquehanna University, I am really starting to appreciate all of the people I have met over the past 4 years and the relationships I have made. It is really sad to think that we will all be dispersing after graduation into different towns and areas in the country and even out of the country. I know that I will still keep in touch with many of the people that I have met here at Susquehanna, but it will be sad not to see them everyday like we do here at school.

It is funny, before college everyone kept telling me that it is not "what I know" after graduating it is "who I know" that will prove to be most valuable. I took this quote as a networking plug when I first heard it but now I am realizing that it is much more than that. The things I have learned in the classroom and from text books can not even compare to the things that I have learned from the people I now call friends. I have had real life experiences with the people that I have met along the way that have shaped who I am as a person and the perspective in which I look at things.

I will miss everyone so much!

Above is a picture of me with some of the most important people I have met here at SU!

End of the Semester Blues

College is all about time management. Doing your work as soon as it is assigned is important in preventing the last minute scurry to finish papers and projects the night before or even the morning of. No matter how hard I try to time manage, the end of the semester creeps up on me way to quickly. I am now left with a ton of work that is keeping me indoors when I would rather be ut in the nice springtime weather!

This blog post is short because I have to get back to my 50 page paper! I should have been doing this weeks ago!

My current location: Deg Computer Lab until the end of time!

Where I would rather be: Outside by the Susquehanna River enjoying the warm weather!



I want to be apart of it... NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

During senior year at Susquehanna, many students begin to realize the importance of alumni relations. Whether it is to get a job, internship, or even just to be set-up with a job shadow; alumni of SU are a great resource in educating students about options after college.

This year, SU took a group of upper classmen to New York for the evening to connect with alumni and spend a couple hours enjoying the city! This bus trip, free of charge for anyone interested, included dinner and snacks. It was such a great opportunity to talk with season veterans about how they started their career path and to hear any tips they had about preparing for the next chapter.

Above is a quick snap-shot I took of Claire, a fellow senior, and I hanging out in a mall before our networking event!

The mall was absolutely huge! Shopping in the "big apple" is a very different experience in comparison to the Selinsgrove mall!

Hostess for the Day

I love when friends or family come to visit me at school. Having visitors gives me the oppurtunity to show my loved ones why I love Susquehanna so much and what I am up to while I am here. Recently, my sister Nicole came to visit me for the weekend. Nicole went to school at Penn State University; a college that is in many aspects night and day in comparison with Susquehanna. While Penn State is home to 42,000 students, Susquehanna boasts only a little over 2,000.

During Nicole's visit, I wanted to give her a taste of all aspects of my life at SU. We started the morning off by taking advantage of the nice weather and attending a home baseball double-header. I then toured her around campus; showing her Charlie's Coffeehouse, the sports complex, where I like to eat at school, and other important on-campus buildings. For dinner I treated her to Selinsgrove's Brew Pub, and we ended the night hanging out with friends then heading to the bars.

The most interesting part of hosting a visitor was seeing what Susquehanna looked like through the eyes of an outsider. Nicole pointed out things to me that I never really notice or do not take the time to appreciate. She reminded me of how quaint the town of Selinsgrove really is and was really impressed by my friends and the things that we do on the weekends. After Nicole's visit I felt really proud of Susquehanna and the life that I have built here.

Above is a picture of Nicole and I getting drinks at B.J.'s!



Mr. SU

One of the ways that I have gotten involved on campus in the past couple of years is by becoming a part of Susquehanna University's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. This club, comprised of student-athletes on campus, does many things for the university and the student body. Some of the specific things that S.A.A.C. does includes: host the All-Sports Banquet at the end of the year, host events to connect with the community, and put on fundraisers to raise money for different causes. 

This year the Landmark Conference decided to focus on raising money for the Special Olympics. Because Susquehanna is a part of the Landmark Conference, S.A.A.C. thought that Susquehanna should take part in raising money to help with this cause.

Being P.R. chair of S.A.A.C., I was given the oppurtunity to plan and host Mr. SU along with another member of the club. Mr. SU is a pageant for male students on campus where they are judged based on different categories. These categories include: school spirit, talent, formal wear, pick-up line, and how well they answer a random question. The winner of these categories is then crowned Mr. Susquehanna. Different well-known faculty members and coaches at SU are made judges to help in the scoring of the event.

This years Mr.SU had a great turn-out! We raised $500 for the Snyder County Special Olympics as well as brought the student body together for a fun evening!

Above is a picture of Kati Frantz and I. We were the MCs for the event!

Two of the contestants brought out their irish dancing skills for the talent portion!

Above is a picture of the guys dressed and ready for the formal wear portion of the pageant. 

SU Athletics

As we transition from winter to spring, students all over campus begin to spend more time outdoors to enjoy the newly warm weather. Going to an SU sporting event is one of the best excuses to spend time outside. This weekend, I took advantage of the 55 degree temps by attending Susquehanna Baseball's double-header against Haverford.

SU did not put on their best performance. They lost both games to Haverford; which was disappointing because I know the team can do better. None-the-less the game was a ton of fun and I look forward to more SU spring sports home competitions, and hopefully some more great weather!

Here is a self-portrait I took of my friend and I at the baseball game.

Front row seats right behind home plate, does not get much better than that!

Baby Steps to the Real World

Housing at SU for students is among the best I have seen at a college or university. The dorms for freshman are really nice with big rooms and common areas hosting microwaves, couches, and tables on every floor. For upperclassmen, SU has built brand new apartment style suits with their own kitchens and living rooms. Because every student is garunteed housing all four years, many students choose to take advantage of that and continue to enjoy the perks and ease of meal plans and cleaning staff throughout their entire time at SU.

Despite the awesome amenities SU offers for living, some students choose to enter the real world slowly by moving off-campus during their junior or senior year. This is a route that I chose to take because I was curious about what it would be like to live on my own. This choice has allowed me to slowly learn the responsibilities of taking care of myself. I now have to pay my own bills, buy my own groceries, clean my own kitchens and bathrooms, and even have had to learn to cook for myself. This has been a fun and enlightening experience. I enjoy the freedom but definitely have had my fair of stress due to all the new responsibilities. I love to live off-campus but I still get jealous of the students who have held on to their meal plans and easy on-campus living style!

Here is a picture I took of my first attempt at breaded chicken. Had to first buy all the ingredients, cook and make the chicken, then pay for the gas bill after using the stove. Who knew dinner could be such a process! 

Work Hard, Play Hard

There are a lot of opportunities at Susquehanna for students to get jobs on-campus. Working a steady job while taking classes looks great on a resume, can give you the chance to gain experience related to your major, and can fill your wallet with just enough spending money to go out to dinner or buy the cute clothes at the book-store. I am one of those students who was lucky enough to find a job on-campus that provided me with all of those benefits.

I work as a supervisor of Susquehanna University's Outreach Team. This is a team put together by the admissions office that connects current students with high school students interested in attending our university. We call prospective students and provide them with honest, real life experiences and testimonies of our lives on-campus as well as give them tips and information on everything from visiting to applying to getting ready to attend SU. I love my at the admissions office. It is really fun to be able to connect with students that are going through the same experiences that I did 4 years ago during my college search.

Here is a picture of me at work. Just because I love my job does not mean that it is easy. Coffee is my go-to when I start to get stressed or tired!

Ballin!

Participating in intramural leagues at school is one of my very favorite ways to stay active. With all the different sports and leagues offered through SU intramurals, it is really easy to get involved and have fun with different groups of people. I have played volleyball, floor hockey, basketball, and even softball all through SU's intramural league. I am not anywhere near a pro at any of these sports, but it is still a great time.

Currently, I am competing in a co-ed basketball league on a team called Bobby Scott's Allstars. We are undefeated and on our way to the championship game. I average around 1 to 2 baskets a game, but where I lack in skill I make up for by being intensely competitive. I recommend everyone to get involved in intramural sports as a way to de-stress, exercise, and have a great time being social!

Here is a photo of me playing defense during one of our games. 

Live Snakes at SU!

As spring break approaches, SU students struggle with finishing up last minute work. Preparing for midterms while completing last minute projects and papers is absolutely exhausting. There comes a point in time where enough is enough and even if you are only halfway down your "to do" list, you need a break. Charlie's Coffeehouse provided the perfect break for students with it's Snakes Alive show.

During the show, students were offered the chance to see some of the most gross, scary critters up close and even hold and touch some of them. The show brought a mini zoo; featuring: alligators, tarantulas, snakes, and more. The perfect distraction from the piles of work left behind in everyon'e dorm room. Who could possibly think about a history paper when a 5 foot snake is staring them in the eyes?

The show was really crowded. It did not matter to me though; I wanted to keep as far away from the tarantula as I could!



Free Food!

Every so often, I will walk through the lounge outside of SU's cafeteria and am surrounded by tables and tables of free food. No, this is not simply a mirage of a poor, hungry college student. It is real. It is delicious.

Since my freshman year, I never knew the reason for all the free food, who brought it, and when they were going to bring it again. Frankly, I did not care. I would fill up my plate with pasta, chicken fingers, fresh fruit, and multiple desserts and would continue on my merry way.

This year, as I filled up on fried haddock, scallops, and shrimp; I finally inquired what this wonderful day was all about. What I heard made the food taste even better. Aramark, the company behind all of the food at Susquehanna, buys food from different companies to serve at the university. These companies come and make free food for the university and welcome comments and judgments on the food that they bring. They then bring these evaluations to Aramark to help them decide what kind of food SU would like to eat.

It is really cool that the university food providers care what students and faculty enjoy eating, and it is even cooler that they do this by having my favorite day of the year: Mellon-Lounge-Food-Tasting-Day!

My personal favorite of the day: fried scallops!

100 Days!!

Last Friday marked the countdown for 100 days until graduation. As a senior at Susquehanna, this means that I only have 100 days until I have to actually start a life in the real world. To celebrate this scary yet exciting day, the university held a senior convocation dinner for the class of 2011.

For me, the night started at B.J.’s Steakhouse, a resturant and bar only 10 minute walk from campus. Here, I and a group of fellow seniors met to kick off the evening with happy hour. It was nice to be surrounded by people that I have spent my time with at SU. All people that felt the same fear that I did the first day of school, and all people that are now feeling some of that fear again now that we must leave the comfort zone that SU has become. After some drinks and some story telling we headed to campus for the convocation dinner.

For those of us who live off-campus without meal plans, this dinner seemed like the perfect opportunity to get free food. Eating in the cafeteria is something that I never thought I would miss as much as I do. However, as good as the chicken parmesan and cheesecake were, it was not the food that my senior class will remember from the night. The dinner turned out to be a special evening of reminiscing with friends and peers about the fun that we have had at SU and the adventures we are about to embark on.

The agenda for the evening included student speakers, speeches from professors, and even a live web chat with our dear president who sadly had to miss the dinner due to commitments in other, warmer, locations. As the night wrapped up, I couldn’t help but feel the bitter sweetness of moving forward in life but leaving behind a school that has truly impacted my life for the better. I am lucky to have attended a school that cares enough to host such events for the students. I am excited to make my own way in life, but SU will always have a special place in my heart.

Here is a picture of and my friends and I at the dinner!

Beer Education

It is no secret that many college students love beer. So when founder and CEO of the Boston Beer Company, home to Samuel Adams, came to Susquehanna's campus, students gladly gave up their Wednesday night to hear how this entrepreneur became so successful.

Not a chair in the house was empty when James Koch took the podium and he did not disappoint. Koch was both hilarious and inspiring as he recounted the ups and downs of starting a new business. Downing four beers, obviously Samuel Adams, during the balance of his lecture, Koch had the ability to make each attendee feel like they were conversing with an old friend at a pub somewhere; not in a fluorescently lit lecture hall with hundreds of people.

Another pleasant surprise of the night was the story told by Koch’s wife, Cynthia Fisher. Fisher is founder of Viacord, a blood bank that helps to use baby’s umbilical cords to cure disease and sickness later in their life (Talk about a power couple!). Cynthia, while perhaps not as famous to college students as the creator of their favorite beer, is none-the-less a hometown celebrity. Born and raised in Selinsgrove, Cynthia was no stranger to SU. This was evident as she was familiar with a number of people in the crowd.

Both of these entrepreneurs managed to make a 2 hour lecture feel like 20 minutes with their stories, anecdotes, and advice. Ending the night with cookies and punch, college students left the lecture with signed Sam Adams cases and brains buzzing with the idea that anything is possible in life and business.

James Koch is in the blue and Cynthia is behind is right shoulder.

James Koch.

Work it out!

Whenever I need a break from studying, have a lot on my mind, or have a problem to solve I like to work out. Susquehanna has a lot of places on campus to"escape" using exercise.

When the weather is nice, my personal favorite work out is a river run. The beautiful Susquehanna river is only an 8 minute run from campus. Once you are there you can run up and down the banks of the river enjoying the sounds of nature and the beautiful sights of the river.

Here is the river in warmer weather!

Unfortunately it is way to cold to run outside right now but there are indoor options at Susquehanna to workout without the risk of frostbite. The Garrett Sports Complex is the hub of fitness at SU. The complex is home to the univeristy's indoor track, field house, gymnasium, weight room, cardio room, and indoor pool. Gatherings of student-athletes as well as non-athletes take advantage of the sports complex everyday. It is especially busy right now as students fulfill new years resolutions to get in shape or try to rapidly prepare for their spring break beach bodies. My personal motivation for going the gym is to avoid doing my homework.

When students at SU are not studying.... they could be working out!

Winter Fun at SU

One of the great things about going to school in Pennsylvania is enjoying the seasons. We have really hot summers, really cold winters, and beautiful autumn and spring. Currently we are enjoying the cold cold cold weather of PA winter. Since returning to school from winter vacation, Selinsgrove has been hit with multiple snow storms. This is the time of the year where I find indoor activities to escape from the cold.

One of my favorite things to do on-campus during the winter is see movies at Charlie's Coffeehouse. Charlie's is Susquehanna's on-campus coffeehouse; home to cheap wing nights, club events, free sundaes and my very favorite: movie nights. Movies that are out of theaters but not yet on DVD can be seen for free at Charlie's twice a week. Currently, Charlie's is featuring The Social Network.

 Last week I went to see Life as We Know It. Seeing a movie at Charlie's is the perfect activity for poor college students. With movie prices sky rocketing to almost 10 bucks a ticket in some places, many students do not have the money to go. At Charlie's, movies are completely free and the comfortable couches definitely beat the auditorium seating in the theaters. The Charlie’s menu features movie theater food at a much cheaper price. With everything on the menu under $3.oo, I was able to afford as much food as I wanted. Overall, I would give Charlie’s movie night an A + for an activity to enjoy on campus! Especially during this winter weather, watching a free movie in a recliner is definitely my style!

Above is a picture of Susquehanna's campus in the winter. Snow seems to make everything a bit more magical.

More about me!

Instead of jumping right in to all of the fun activities I have been up to lately at SU, I want to use my second post to introduce myself a little better. I have played soccer since I was 5 years old and even went on to play for Susquehanna.  I chose Susquehanna because I loved the campus and because I wanted to play soccer for a DIII school. I was also impressed by the schools academics. In high school, I was not the most focused and driven student. The teacher to student ratio at SU was important to me. I knew that I would learn better at a school where the professors can provide help and individual attention to students if they need help. Susquehanna was the only school that I applied to when college searching, so luckily I was accepted.
I study Business Marketing at SU and am involved in many things on campus. I work for the on-campus Coffee House as the marketing manager and am involved with the Outreach Team at admissions. I also am a member of Students in Free Enterprise at SU and the Student-Athlete Activities Committee.

I am so glad that I came to SU and although I will be sad to graduate in May, I know that the school has prepared me to be successful in life after college.


Here is a picture of my two dogs: Paris is on the table, and Cash is the huge one.


Me and my sisters are really close. Nicole is on the left and Jess is in the middle.


The SU girls soccer team are my best friends on campus. We like to hang out and relax when we are not practicing.

First Post!

Hi Everyone! My name is Samantha Farina and I am a senior at Susquehanna University. SU is a small private school located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania; or as my friends from city schools would say "the middle of nowhere." There is a common misconception among college students that there is more to do at bigger schools or schools located closer to bigger cities. I am here to write about how untrue that is. For the past four years of my life I have been more than busy at Susquehanna experiencing everything that the University and surrounding town has to offer. I want to share my experiences at SU with anyone who will listen and that is the inspiration for this blog "SU: Put Down Your Books." Through this blog, you can get a better idea of what SU students are up to when they are not studying or in class. Stay tuned!




Here is a picture of me setting up my first blog!