Hand Held Movie Premiere

By Lucille Farrell Hello there Bloggers, So I know I usually keep things pretty lighthearted here, but I would like to turn to a more serious topic this week. I want to talk about awareness of the world around you and how documentaries can change your life. My entire life consists of research, writing, reading (for pleasure when I find the time) music, and movies. Movies are just magical. Give me a good foreign film, a drama, a comedy, an indie flick, or a psychological thriller and I am a happy girl. Not a big fan of horror movies because I always seem to ruin them for other people because I either laugh or point out the absurdities. “Honestly, why is there a butcher knife just sitting there?” Another genre that I am slowly growing more attached to are documentaries. Now I will be the first to admit that it wasn’t until about four or five years ago that I learned that not all documentaries make you want to fall asleep or gauge your eyes out. Some are actually quite excellent. Some Documentaries will move you to tears others will instill anger in you. Some other teach you a bit about something you’ve always wanted to learn about and give you a push to do your own research. I do have a few favorites of my own because of the beautiful way they were cut and made. Possibly my top two favorite documentaries are Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father and Jesus Camp. Both are well made and make your emotions jumble inside you. A forewarning for anyone who decides to watch Dear Zachary, keep tissues nearby. I do not make a point of crying during any movie. My own mother has lectured me and (jokingly) told me I didn’t have a heart because I did not cry during Brian’s Song. Bears fans around the country are cringing at that fact. Seriously though, I literally was crying for a good twenty minutes after I finished watching the documentary. Heart wrenching story and beautifully mastered. To the main point, this past weekend the Chicago premiere of Hand Held was held here on campus in McGuire hall. Producer Don Hahn and photographer Michael Carroll (who the documentary followed) came to campus to present the film to students and members of the community. The film’s tagline is "A guy with a camera, four hundred thousand orphans, a twenty-year odyssey that changed their lives forever." The film examines Carroll’s exploration of one of the most appalling scenes of the 20th century, the overcrowded Romanian orphanages discovered in the wake of the collapse of that nation’s communist regime. Even that little overview cannot give all the information this documentary shared. The trailer can give you a little better of an idea and I have included the link below: http://www.handheldthemovie.com/trailer/ We always talk about stories that touch our hearts and make us want to do something to help our world. All I ask is that you take some time to learn about the Romanian Children's Relief (RCR) and everything Mr. Carroll has done. As a student at Saint Xavier, I was just thrilled to have the chance to see a documentary and get to listen to the filmmakers speak. I originally was looking at this experience primarily from the artistic view. As I said before I am a fan of documentaries and love to hear about the process and all the behind the scenes details in putting the film together. On Friday, Mr. Carroll and Mr. Hahn spoke to students the day before the film was shown. Most of the students there were from business or nursing classes. Of course then I was there sitting in the back realizing (as far as I could see) I was the only communication student I recognized. It was during this talk I really started to understand what the documentary was about. Listening to these two gentlemen discuss the horrible conditions of the Romanian orphanages gave me chills. Getting back to my dorm later that night I asked my roommates to come with me the next day to see the film. They agreed decided it sounded like an interesting idea and it had been a while since we had all done something together. I don’t think there was a dry eye around us at the end of the film. I know my eyes were burning. I couldn’t get the tears out at that point. Whether it was because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to stop or because at this point crying would have made my contacts burn more than usual I am not too sure. (Yes, the second part was a bit of a joke, mostly) The one thing everyone in McGuire Hall can attest to was that every person would be seeing the faces of those children and go back to their homes and sit in silence for a few moments that night. I know when we got back to our dorm with two other friends we sat in silence for around five minutes, with hardly any words uttered. No one really knew what to say. We were just left to think. That is the mark of a wonderful documentary. It is one thing to praise it. It is another to be left speechless, not wanting to break the moment left behind. I do not want to go into too much detail; I ask you all to learn more about it on your own. While the documentary is not currently available on DVD Mr. Carroll and Mr. Hahn are both optimistic about a DVD appearance by fall and hope to have it available to stream on Netflix perhaps this summer. Read up on the RCR and see what you can do to help out. Take a second out of your day. Look at the charities you grew up hearing about. Learn a little bit more about them. Yes, we are all college students and many don’t have that much to give. Sometimes it’s not always about money. Sometimes it’s time and just a little bit of energy. Many times volunteers are needed and for some places just sending a letter to those that are aided by these organizations and charities are appreciated more than you can realize. See if you can do something within your school. I know that growing up our school participated in the Math-A-Thon where all proceeds when to St. Jude Children’s Research Center. St. Jude’s happens to be my favorite organization. I’m pretending right now as I’m typing that I’m not getting emotional just thinking about all that St. Jude has done for thousands of children and their families. So this is my blog this week. A few laughs, but a message asking you to do something. Research. Help. Learn. Do what you can to help those around you. Be thankful for every day you wake up and don’t have to worry about there being a roof over your head, food in your stomach, or if you will make it through the day. Be thankful and find a way to help your fellow human being. Peace, Love, and Cougars Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.

Luci’s Tips for Lovely Weather Focus

By Lucille Farrell
Dear Bloggers,

While spring may not be rearing its head with full force at the current moment, we’ve hit that point in the Spring semester. This time is when we are trapped inside staring out the window yearning for the green grass and a nap in the sun. Sadly there is no real way to enjoy both, unless you’re the lucky individual who sits by the window. Of course, you may also have the one professor that hate the indoors as much as you and moves the class outside. That’s always lovely, but depending on your teacher depends on your actual attention span. To keep focus during the lovely days ahead is always a challenge. I do have some pointers.

Luci’s Tips for Lovely Weather Focus

1. Do not stare out the window for the entire time you’re in class! This is a no-no for multiple reasons. First of all, you won’t listen to anything your professor says. This will just hurt your grade. It also will hurt you more when the class seems to drag on. They say a watched pot doesn’t boil. Well watching the weather outside doesn’t magically speed up time.

2. Continuously looking at the clock doesn’t help. Much like point number one, this doesn’t magically speed up time. This also irritates professors. Let’s be serious, when nice weather hits no one wants to be inside, including professors. Don’t break your heart or your professor’s patience .

3. Timing. Timing is an issue all the time, but it hits harder when the weather outside is lovely. Don’t put everything off until the last minute. Go outside, have your break, and get reading done if you can. Just remember how much work you have to do. Don’t panic about the three projects you have to finish by the time the sun has gone down. Get a head start on projects. Have a study picnic outside. Stay happy, but stay productive.

4. Dress accordingly. I’m not insulting anyone’s common sense, I am simply reminding you all to use your head. It may be fantastic, 75 degrees, and sunny when you walk to class. You’re dressed in a sundress and shed your light jacket. After all, why will you need it? Guess what Sunshine? Spring and Summer have the habit of suddenly changing. Your 75 degree weather had dropped to 50, the sun has vanished, and there’s about three inches of rain outside. I bet you’re regretting leaving the jacket behind, aren’t you? All I’m saying is your bag has enough room to stuff a hoodie inside, perhaps even an umbrella is you should choose.

5. Don’t be cruel. If your professor cancelled class, or you gave yourself a perfect schedule this semester, DO NOT continuously text your friends telling them to come outside. First of all, that just makes you a mean friend. Secondly, the time will come when roles will be reserved. Thirdly, when you play ultimate Frisbee or football later on, do not assume your friends won’t still take out their frustration on you. I have watched many students flying tackled by their own teammates because of the taunting. Be smart, don’t be cruel.

I hope you all enjoyed the little tips. Don’t worry friends. Good weather is coming. It will soon be here. Prepare the wardrobes and bring out the flip flops. Just remember not to burn those flashcards just yet.

Peace, Love, and Cougars

Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.

Work, Play and Limits

By Lucille Farrell

Hello Bloggers,

I’m sure many of you are currently entering your spring break, or have another week to go. I know ours is rather early out here, but if you’ve just finished yours, welcome back! If you’re heading out, I truly hope you’re going somewhere fantastic, or are catching up on sleep. I regret I didn’t get a chance to update last week. I have been in zombie mode for the last week and a half. This is what happens around midterms. Everyone decides it is the right time to get everything accomplished and turned in. Between classes, midterms, group meetings, meetings with professors, and remembering my actual homework, I have been exhausted.

I’ve spoken about this before, but I always feel the need to state it again: Know your limits. We are not all superheroes. If only we were. I’d love to have afternoon coffee with about 90% of the Marvel population. That’s a discussion for another day though. You’ll all hear about my fangirl side for Marvel. The point is, we all have limits. I have a tendency to push mine, but that’s just who I am. Plus, that’s my major. I believe in chaos. Chaos is fun; it keeps you on your toes. It isn’t, however, a lifestyle for everyone. I know people that literally need to be dragged out of their room or else they will never leave it for fear of getting nothing accomplished. That’s not exactly the healthiest way to live. Especially when they give you a lecture about going out when you should be studying. Like I said, know yourself. If I hadn’t gone out with friends on Saturday night I would have stayed in, studied for about twenty minutes and had a breakdown. Instead I went out with two of my best friends, one of whom was visiting from South Dakota, and had a wonderful time. I got up on Sunday to say goodbye to my friend before she drove back (at the ungodly hour of 8 am), slept for another three hours, and went into homework/study mode. That is how I work. I like my Saturdays, but I won’t lie. There are times I have a weekend of studying. The thing is to learn when you study too much. If you catch yourself staring at the same page for over five minutes, shut the book. Go eat a cookie. Seriously, go eat a cookie, replenish your blood sugar levels. You can thank me later. That statement also applies for when you’re feeling cranky. GO EAT A COOKIE.

I’m going to take a moment here to give myself a little pat on the back as well. I spoke in an earlier blog about getting involved on campus, both in clubs and on housing staff. Well, I just found out the other night I was invited to be a Resident Peer Minister on campus. This is wonderful for several reasons. First of all, I’ve had wonderful experiences with my past RPMs and really wanted to chance to be there for other students. Secondly, I was really worried about acceptance because I didn’t know how they would feel about adding a soon to be senior to their ranks, instead of completely new eyes. Thirdly, woo! Just a completely YAY moment for getting the opportunity to work with other housing staff on campus to make university life a little more enjoyable. I’ll find out in about two weeks where I will be living and working with. On campus there are seven RPMs that serve either in Regina Hall (freshmen), Pacelli Hall (freshmen and transfers), and the Quad Halls (for the upperclassmen). For me I would be happy to work anywhere, I’m just so excited for the opportunity to do so.

Just remember, be good to each other and be good to yourself. It’ll help you in the long run more than you may realize.

Peace, Love, and Cougars.

Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.

Classes and Time

By Lucille Farrell
Hello Bloggers,

Well I hope everyone is enjoying the slightly warmer weather lately. I know not many people like walking in the rain, but I find it to be a rather enjoyable experience…unless I need to walk in it for my 9 am classes. Not as enjoyable, but the calm rain and warmer weather are indicators that spring will soon be here.

Of course, with spring quickly approaching, so are midterms. Thankfully unlike others I do not have as many midterms because of my class structure. I will say that unfortunately having a midterm at 2pm on Friday might very well test my will. I don’t know how I will feel about taking a long history midterm at a time I was normally done with classes. With that in mind I also have to really look at my classes for next semester.

Scheduling is a big issue when it comes to college life. I know I have previously spoken about time management, but time management is honestly one of the most important topics when it comes to doing more than just getting by in college. When picking classes, you should be honest with yourself. Will you really be able to function at 8am? Is taking three night classes just so you don’t need to have early morning classes really a good idea? Will taking classes only on Tuesdays and Thursdays help or hinder you? Along with these questions one also needs to take into account the overall picture. Which classes do you have are only offered every other year? Some classes you need may only be offered during fall term or spring. Others may take place every other, or every two years. These are important things to talk to your advisor about and map out yourself. Sometimes we need to make sacrifices to keep ourselves on track, but after all in the end it will be worth it. You would not have decided to continue your education if you did not know you would have to make sacrifices.

This coming fall I will be entering my senior year, thus trying ton complete any core classes I have left and gathering everything together for my senior project. My preliminary class schedule (as of Sunday night), looks pretty decent. I juggled classes around so I would not have late afternoon classes again. While it was nice to have breaks in the day this semester, having later afternoon classes (from 2 to 3 pm) isn’t good for days when I just want to be finished. It also is a problem when it comes to breaks and making flight plans to go home. My Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I will start classes at 9am and finish at 12:50. This will leave me time to do my hours for SGA, work with my other clubs, and have a nice rest of the day to accomplish homework and relax. Tuesdays and Thursdays I start at 11 am and end at 1:50. Of course I also have my senior project class on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:50, but I am perfectly okay with that.
Like I have said, scheduling is something important. While you want to get classes out of the day, or do all you can to have a weekend you have to think about yourself. Know when you function best and what you can handle. Do not overload yourself just so you can finish early. If you want to be involved on campus give yourself enough time to play with. Most of all give yourself time to be able to make it from day to day. While college is a lot of work you need to allow yourself enough time to relax so you do not burn out.

For those of you taking midterms, good luck. For those who have finished, congratulations. For the rest of you, happy blogging!

Peace, Love, and Cougars
Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.

Valentine's Day Strategy

By Lucille Farrell

Hello Bloggers!

So February 14th means so much to so many people. For instance it is the birthday of one of my roommates, Michele. Yay for her 21st birthday!

For many others they clutch to their boyfriend and try to celebrate the best way they can,especially when it falls at the beginning of the week. Some celebrate Anna Howard Shaw Day with force. For those that don’t know of Ms. Shaw, or 30 Rock, she was a leader of the women's suffrage movement in the United States. Anna Howard Shaw Day is celebrated on her birthday, February 14, (or the nearest Sunday) by an act of the United Methodist Church. Many others celebrate it as an alternative to Valentine's Day. So others celebrate Single’s Awareness Day, those who are a bit bitter tend to use the tagline “Have You Ran Over/Into Your Ex Today?”

For many years I have held a deep seeded resentment to the 14th. Not really because I have never had a Valentine, that is mostly irrelevant to the situation. It was mostly because people used to make a big deal about my birthday being so close to V-Day. My birthday is the 12th and as a child people used to pinch my cheeks and tell me I was blessed to be a little cupid child. Yeah…that just made me angry. When I got older people were under the impression I was oh so lucky and that they were sure my boyfriend did something spectacular for my birthday. This increased my hatred about ten fold in my angsty teen days…and last year. No one said it to me this year so I’m okay. Also with living with Michele I know that she has gotten all of these comments tenfold. Ah, schadenfreude. I kid…sort of.

In reality, Valentine’s Day is at the root a holiday for cards, candy, and flowers. Well, I’m not a fan or cards or flowers. Although I will admit I have a bouquet on my counter, but that was a birthday delivery. The point is, if you get sad around Valentine’s Day there are so many things to do. Grab a best friend in the same position, each get a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, grab sappy movies, have a cry if you need it, and laugh. Enjoy your time together. Just because there is one day set aside of the year to congratulate people in romantic relationships doesn’t mean the world has to stop. Hold your head high and enjoy yourself.

I spent my V-Day with my friend Julie last year. We had Ben & Jerry’s, watched sappy movies, and read Love Gives Me Hope (an online collection of reasons other people still have hope about love). We had our little cry because we needed to get out all the frustration of our lives, both personal and academic, in order to function properly. So in honor of the way I have celebrated, February 14th is now Mental Health Awareness Day. Be good to yourself. If you want chocolates, surprise yourself with them. Buy yourself a card and remind yourself how special/beautiful/handsome you are and how lucky you are to be you. If you want flowers, go get them. They’ll look lovely in your living room. I know mind spruce up our little kitchen area with color. Do something for yourself to remember that you don’t need to have anyone else tell you why you’re loved. More importantly, when you realize you don’t need this, be good to others.
When I was in high school there was a man who waited by the stairs as people went down to catch their trains (yes, I took the train to school). Every Valentine’s day he would wait there with boxes. Every woman that went by, no matter her age, got a rose. My freshman year I was still a bit miffed around V-Day as I usually was and when I was handed my rose I had to stop.
“Thank you, but why?”

He smiled and tapped his nose, much like Santa Clause does in illustrations. “Everyone deserves to be happy. Sometimes they need a little reminder. You have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and just remember to keep showing that beautiful smile.”

Naturally I just smiled wider. I have the most awkward smile in the entire world, I say this with sincerity. Sometimes you just need to hear something nice though.

So my advice? Do something good for someone else who needs it too. I sometimes still wish I was at the train station watching the man with the roses. He never discriminated. Single women and even those that were with their significant other received roses. Two women walking hand in hand my senior year both received roses. They smiled and traded roses giving the other a kiss. Although my favorite was a little girl with her mother. She looked to be about 8 years old with wide eyes, frizzy hair, and thousands of freckles across her nose. The man bent down and gave her a rose. Without even thinking she just hugged him. Now her mother looked shocked for a second, but the man laughed, have her a pat on the head and handed a rose to the mother as well.

Now that I have gotten you all to smile at least once, remember to take care of each other. Be good to one another everyday, not just V-Day. Celebrate the idea of the Hallmark holiday for the rest of the week and watch to see how many people you make smile.

Peace, Love, and Cougars

Luci

Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.

Surviving the Blizzard

By Lucille Farrell
Hello bloggers!

I hope all of you have been safe and warm after the blizzard that hit. Coming from the east I am always excited for a big storm and have been keeping a running track of the snow that fell in Chicago to the amount that hit back home. I should mention, however, that the thunder snow was both amazing and terrifying. I’m not sure how good of an idea it was to go outside to take some pictures in the snow when lightning is flashing behind the sheets of white pouring from the sky.

On a similar note I had my first college snow day, which was rather fun. My roommates and I all stayed in watching movies, playing a ridiculous amount of UNO, and had a huge pasta night with some other friends down the hall. It’s amazing what creations you can make with a microwave, I promise all tasted good. My roommates were actually quite surprised with my pasta alfredo with some chopped up mushrooms. I was just as surprised that everything was good. The art of making a full blown meal is a skill anyone can learn and refine. It’s one of the ultimate college adventures.

So as a trudge by my classes I find that I’m battling a horrible bug that is coming on and the fact my birthday is coming up. My 21st birthday is this Saturday, the 12th. Two of my friends are suppose to take me out on an adventure to the North Side. We are thinking of a nice dress up dinner, lots of pictures, and then coming back to the dorms to be lazy and dressed up for the rest of the night. It may not sound all that exciting to most, but it’s the perfect way for me to spend my birthday. I’m not one of those people who tends to go out of their way to celebrate my birthday, I just like the average quite night with a few friends and maybe cake. Cake is a nice sign of a celebration.

Another important factor on campus right now is the process of new Student Leader positions. This is when students at SXU can apply to help out around campus. Positions include appointments as Resident Assistants (RAs), Resident Housing Assistants (RHA), Resident Peer Ministers (RPMs), Peer Ministers (PMs), Student Activity Board (SAB), and Student Government Association (SGA). The positions are set out to bring the campus community closer together and give students a chance to prove their leadership roles. I am actually applying to be a Resident Peer Minister for next year. Resident peer ministers are student ministry leaders selected to assist Hall Ministers in their ministry. The job is to accompany, encourage and support students in personal growth and spiritual development. RPM’s provide student with someone to listen to their personal problems and concerns, give support, and just be there when they are needed. While RPM’s are faith based one does not need to be Catholic to take the position. As long as they encourage others to live in their faith and be good to others, all are welcome to apply.

Looking into Student Leadership positions is, in my opinion, a huge part of getting into campus life. While clubs are important, these other leadership positions allow you to meet others you might not normally meet because of different interests, but still a common goal. I hope you all remember this as you look into your schools and decided to become more involved.

Happy Blogging!
Peace, Love, and Cougars!
Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.

New Semester, New Year

By Lucille Farrell

Hello Bloggers!

I hope everyone had an excellent break. My finals went well and I actually ended up staying in Chicago for a few extra days which is always a lot of fun. My friend put me up at his apartment where I was able to catch up on sleep and double check my schedule for the Spring semester. The snow kept me out here an extra day, but I was thrilled because one of my very good friends, Matt, is studying in Peru this semester and that extra day allowed me to see him before he left.
My former roommate, Amanda, is a dual international business and marketing major. She will be studying abroad in Germany this semester, but her program does not start until March so she is at home working to build up her bank account for her travels and adventure ahead! There are always a lot of opportunities to study abroad and the office on campus will work with you to find you a program that will best fit you. I chose not to study abroad while at SXU, but am always excited to here about those that do.

This semester my schedule is back to 5 days of classes a week, instead of my 2 days last semester. I do have to admit, however, that my schedule is still pretty awesome. I have nice breaks between my classes so I can grab food, get some homework done, and meet with my professors when I need to. I decided to take five classes again this semester to clear time for the meetings with professors I need and time to work with the clubs and organizations I belong to. I am currently in Honors Fieldwork (continuing my research for senior project), Small Group Communication, Training & Development, Introduction to Public Relations, and U.S. History to 1877. It’s a nice little mix of classes. I wanted to take as many of my communication courses as I could so I would make sure I wouldn’t overload myself my senior year with work and projects. My Senior Project with take up a lot of my time so I am hoping to finish as much of the courses for my major as I can and then finish up my general courses and those that won’t be as time consuming. Plus, finishing up my major courses allows me time to pick up courses I normally wouldn’t. I am thinking of picking up a psychology class because I have never taken one before am have always been interested. It will be nice to have a clear schedule to pick and choose timings that work best and have a more flexible schedule.

So I looking forward to this semester and really getting on top of things. Every start to the semester I look at as a completely new start. New professors, a new view on working, and I always try new ways of studying and note taking. Life really is trial and error. You cannot be scared to break the norm and shake things up. After all, we do learn the most from our mistakes.

I wish all of you luck on your new semester and new year!

Peace, Love, and Cougars
Luci
Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.

Finals Finish Line

By Lucille Farrell

Monday, 10:00 a.m.
The first strain of ‘The Downfall of us All’ by A Day to Remember blares from my phone, waking me from my sleep.
“WHAT?”
“Luci! Come get me. Wait, shouldn’t you be awake? Don’t you have finals?”
I bolt up in bed currently freaking out and I climb out of bed. I suddenly stop, feet on the floor ear still pressed against the phone. Realization hits me as I sigh. “Yeah I’ll come get you, and no. No finals today. Thanks for scaring me.”

Hello there Bloggers!

Yes, it is that time again. Finals are officially here upon us and everyone is locked away studying. Note cards are flying in the wind as people frantically run to their final hoping they could get in those precious, extra minutes of studying. Students mutter under their breath scientific names and diseases that sound like a dark, long forgotten language. Others are dressed up, cursing the snow and high heels they wish they had broken in before their presentations. This is finals week on campus.

Not all aspects of this final week happen to be back though. Monday night, SXU has their annual Midnight Breakfast, which is always wonderful to have. Many people are on the last few dollars of their meal plan and having the chance not to pay for food is always a plus. In the quad the RA’s are hosting food nights during the week. Tuesday, Nacho Night. Wednesday, Chi Tung. Thursday, Pizza. Then Friday everyone spirits away back home to their families for a month before coming back to school. I, however, will be here until Sunday to spend a few extra days with friends before heading back to the East Coast for the holidays. I am always thankful for my friends and the fact they are always willing to put me up for a day or two if I need it. As much as I know I’m excited to go home and see my family, not being able to see my Chicago friends for a month is always upsetting.

As for my finals week, it is not as bad as it is for others. Most of my classes I have already turned in my final papers or taken my finals. I have two finals left on Thursday. A presentation for Communication Research (which I know you all must be sick of hearing about) and a final in class essay for Russian Imperialism. I think I am ready for it all. At least I hope I am.
This is my last blog post for the year, which is so shocking and exciting as well. I am glad to have gotten the chance to share a little part of my life with all of you readers.

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I am here for you. If you have any questions, concerns, or just want an SXU student to talk to, shoot me an e-mail or leave me a comment. It is what I am here for after all. I will of course check my e-mail over break and I love having e-mail buddies to talk to.
Peace, Love, and Cougars!

Luci
Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.Consideration for the student bloggers is provided by Saint Xavier University.

Fight For Your Right To Concentrate

By Lucille Farrell

Friday: 5:00 pm....The Elusive Research Paper sits before me, word document blank. So, we meet again. My name you ask? Farrell. . My mission? To finish you. Let us begin…

Still Friday: 5:30....My roommate walks by eyebrows raised. I’m just staring at my screen.
“So. Do I want to know how far you’ve gotten?”

I tilt my laptop around showing her the pretty cover page I’ve just made.
“Well…at least it looks nice.”

I nod and close my laptop as she puts a movie on. Tonight is just not the night for productivity. My mind is in a million other places and no part is concentrated on Stonehenge and its mystery.

Well hello there fellow bloggers,

I’m sure this problem has happened to you before. Not necessarily a lack of motivation to write about Stonehenge, but a lack of concentration all together. This happens to everyone, no need to get too worried about it. There are ways to help conquer the parts of you that refuse to focus and I’m here to point a few out.

One thing that has worked for people who needs to stay awake, as well as those who try to quit smoking, can work for you as well. Chew gum. Funny, but true. Believe it or not some high schools were encouraging students to chew gum, specifically peppermint gum, as part of a study they were testing out. Apparently chewing the gum increased concentration rates. Now you might ask, why peppermint? Aromatherapy is a therapeutic use of aromatic plant extracts or essential oils. It has been used to help treat insomnia, depression, and anxiety disorders. Peppermint is one of the scents used to increase concentration and help with mental clarity. Now this isn’t to say you need to chew gum if you are opposed to do so, or having braces (let’s face it nothing is more annoying than chewing gum with braces on). Try lighting a candle or finding a body lotion. Bath & Body Works actually has an aromatherapy line I rather enjoy (My personal favorite is the mint and eucalyptus blend for stress relief). Also peppermint isn’t the only scent that can be used for concentration. There is also bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, and basil. Go my little bloggers and search!

Two: Know thyself. Funny, but true. There are so many little things you do for yourself to keep you going. We all have our little habits. I know friends that use one color highlighter when studying for one subject and another highlighter for another to keep their notes color-coded in their mind. When prepping for a big paper you can hear classical music blaring from my headphones to get me in the mood to overcome a giant task. For the record I’m usually listening to Wager’s Ride of the Valkyries. Judge if you must, but when getting ready to write a 15-page paper you need epic music. We all have little habits. Maybe you use a fun font to type up a paper or rap vocabulary words. I remember in high school hosting Jeopardy style study sessions after school ended at a coffee shop nearby. The point is to keep your work fun. Know thyself my friends, know thyself.

Three: Know when to walk away. This is one of my own rules. There are some points when you need to take a break and walk away from your paper. If you try doing a marathon of writing your words will start to blend together and you will hit a stone wall. Get up, move away from your computer, and get out of your room. If you’re the athletic type go for a short jog. If you’re the artistic type take a break and doodle. Surprisingly it has been shown that doodling is one of those little habits that can increase productivity. So if your teacher sees you doodling in your book just smile, your brain is actually helping you process information. Personally when I walk away I got outside for some fresh air, even if it’s raining. While my room isn’t stale, after a while you just need to feel a change of environment. You need to jump up and down and just get your body moving to wake yourself up. Grab a snack, dance to music, do whatever it takes to bring a smile to your face. I’ve been known to start cardboard tube sword fights to keep the creativity flowing. Of course I’m a writer in my spare time, so I’m just weird.

Fight the procrastination demons my friends!!!

If you’re looking for any more information of have any questions for me to answer, PLEASE e-mail me or leave me a comment! My inbox is so empty it’s quite sad. Seriously, I promise shout outs and my attempt to answer all questions.

Peace, Love, and Cougars!

Luci


Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.Consideration for the student bloggers is provided by Saint Xavier University.

Research, Papers, and Finals -- OH MY!!!

By Lucille Farrell

Hello, hello readers,

Some exciting news from SXU! This past Saturday, our football team beat Saint Francis of Indiana, previously undefeated, (30-6) finishing off our regular season and letting us take title as Mid-States Football Association Mideast League champs! The game was awesome as usual and it was also Senior Day making the win even more exciting for the football players. I’m sure Anthony might have more news for you later this week as well.

Today is another big day for me as finals and break approach at a somewhat alarming rate. I have two papers do on the 18th, which I am both excited and scared for. The first is my final paper for Communication Research. This semester I have been looking into learning about lies and deception in nonverbal communication. I’ll even give a little lesson right now about nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is the whole process of sending and receiving wordless messages. Think about those mornings walking to class when you’re too tired to open your mouth and your friend nods at you. You give a blink and nod right back. Nothing needs to be said because that little movement is all that is needed. That movement can give the message, “Hey, too tired to talk now. I’ll see you for lunch, don’t worry I’m fine.” Of course, it doesn’t even need to say that much. I just know that’s how it works for me sometimes. Most people when they think about nonverbal communication they think about body language, which includes kinesics, posture, gesture, and haptics. Yes, I have just introduced you, my dear reader, to some of the jargon used within the discipline of Communication.

Still discussion nonverbal, there are still nonverbal aspects of communication when an individual is speaking. This falls under paralanguage, something many of you are familiar with. Paralanguage includes tone, pitch, and accent of a voice. Think about a younger sibling or cousin. Do you notice their voice rises in pitch when they’re defensive or lying? You’ve just recognized aspects of paralanguage!
For my research I have been looking closer into the presence of certain gestures, facial movement, and the correlation between eye contact and lies. This current research I plan on expanding on for my senior project, which will look more closely at the actual facial movements and a special area called microexpressions. Microexpressions are involuntary facial expressions that show on the human face when a certain emotion is experienced. These expressions last only about 1/25 of a second. Most microexpressions appear when an individual is trying to conceal the emotion they are currently feeling.

As difficult and time consuming as research can be, when you find an area that you are very interested in, the time and energy is completely worth it.
My second paper is a shorter research paper (only 6 to 8 pages) on the theories that surround Stonehenge. This is for my archaeology class which is always fun. I happen to be an anthropology minor and I am glad I picked it up. It lets me research things that while important make me feel more relaxed and less on edge.

So readers I think I am coming to an end here, although I do have something else to tell you. While I write this blog for fun, I am here to speak to anyone that has questions. Part of writing this blog is to tell you what it is like to be here at Saint Xavier University, but the other part is to answer your specific questions. Don’t be afraid to shoot me an e-mail anytime! I’m always happy to talk and answer questions!

Happy blogging everyone!

Peace, Love, and Cougars

Luci


Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.Consideration for the student bloggers is provided by Saint Xavier University.

Free FALLing into Finals

By Lucille Farrell

Hello, hello readers and fellow bloggers!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween weekend. I know I took a break from all of my research for some Halloween adventures. Since I was little, Halloween has been my favorite holiday and I celebrate it as best I can. This year a few of my friends had gone home or went visiting friends at other schools. I spent my time with my roommate and other friend having a movie marathon. We decided on some classic ‘scary movies’ such as the original A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Amityville Horror. We also mixed it up with other fun movies such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show (always a favorite), Hocus Pocus, and Sleepy Hollow. There are a good number of places in the Chicago-land area that have Rocky Horror showings with full audience participation. One thing you should remember, however, is how big of a following there is so you should always get tickets ahead of time. My friends and I were too late to get tickets close by, but be sure that we will plan ahead for next year!

With November officially here my weekends of avoiding work in favor of movie marathons are over. I know that November is crunch time here as I am sure it is for many of you. These next three weeks are set for wrapping up final papers that need to be turned in before Thanksgiving break. I know the week before Thanksgiving I have two final papers due that have been in the works for a while now. It can seem like a lot of work at times, but everyone learns to manage. I enjoy writing papers and doing presentations so this works out well for me. I would prefer doing my presentations than sitting down and studying for a monstrous exam, but that’s just me. I have friends that would rather study seven chapters and have a test than ever have to present for a class. That’s the beauty of college, we find a major that fits us best.

There is also a good bit of activity on campus to help everyone relieve a little stress and relax after a long day of classes. This week the Improv Club is currently hosting their Comedy Festival, a week full of comedy events. I know that I’ll be at the Improv show tonight to have a few laughs after one of my busiest days of the week. I like to think I deserve a little downtime during the week as long as I get a chunk of my work done. Like most people train a puppy, I believe in rewards after good behavior!

Also another bit of advice for those of you in college and just applying, remember time management isn’t always about getting your work done. Scheduling your classes is also a huge factor. You should always allow yourself a decent amount of downtime so you do not overwork yourself, but you should also make sure that you don’t spread things so far out that you’re constantly on the move. This semester my major classes were all on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I decided to add my extra class on Thursday night. This works out well for me, although some people think I’m insane. Yes, my days are a bit long, but I have my Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to get a lot of my class work and club work done. In the end it is all about knowing yourself and knowing what you can (and cannot) handle.

On that note I’m going to get ready to go on a highlighting research spree! Happy blogging everyone.

Peace, Love, and Cougars

♠ Luci


Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.Consideration for the student bloggers is provided by Saint Xavier University.

Welcome!

By Lucille Farrell

Welcome to a little corner of the internet set aside for a group of students at Saint Xavier University to blog about their times in college! My name is Lucille Farrell, more commonly known as Luci. I am an Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology and am currently in my Junior year.

Those of you that have found this blog must know a little bit about Saint Xavier already and must know a bit about its location. SXU’s location is one of the reasons I decided this University was going toward the top of my list when I came to visit the summer before my senior year. Located in a close-knit community, SXU has the calm of a school far off from the city, but is only a short ‘L’ ride from the downtown area. While many of the students at this school are only from a few hours away, I happen to be one of the ‘super’ out of state students. Originally from New Haven, Connecticut, I decided I wanted to go out of state for school. I had always wanted to visit Chicago and thought the best way to get to visit would be to use college searching as an excuse. My mother and I packed up the car and began a weeklong road trip adventure to visit five of the eight schools of which I ended up applying. Yes, I do realize that sounds insane, but it was well worth it.
My first year at SXU seemed to hold a new adventure every weekend. Most of the time during the weekends was spent exploring the city or going to a show for a local band. Other weekends my friends and I would hang out on campus and in the dorms doing (or at least pretending) to do homework and watching movies. To be perfectly honest we still do the same things in my third year here and we’re perfectly happy. Although, since our first year there have been a few more spur of the moment road trips…like the time we decided we should go to Tennessee and ended up in Arkansas. Say what you will, but ended up visiting five states in twenty-four hours was well worth the story.

Aside from my major and everything that you normally take on as a student, I decided that I wanted to be involved in whatever I could handle while here. I am currently a Senator with the Student Government Association, a member of Anthropology club, a member of the Honors Student Advisory Council, and an Honors Student. It seems like a lot sometimes, but the key to going through college is time management. Time management is one of those funny words that basically means learning how to juggle your entire life and still manage to function. Many will tell you that you will have to pick sleep, fun or good grades. This isn’t true. The key is taking on what you can handle. You learn after the first two weeks how to get into the swing of things.
On those words of wisdom, I will leave you until next time. Happy blogging!

Peace, Love, and Cougars

-Luci



Lucille Farrell is a junior Organizational Communications major with a minor in Anthropology. She is originally from New Haven, CT and is involved with the Honors Student Advisory Council, Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club.Consideration for the student bloggers is provided by Saint Xavier University.