Road Trip!

         As part of our internship we have the opportunity to attend a “Send-Off” event with the class of 2012. Blake and I recently traveled to Hamburg, NY for an event at the home of Karen & Chris Kopp ’83 and their son Rob ’08. Our excursion had all the makings of a perfect road trip. Blake and I cranked some tunes and cruised to Western New York. Blake was even sweet enough to bake some chocolate chip cookies for the ride home. (And they were delicious!) Throughout our road trip we encountered lots of traffic, some road kill, and lots of sunshine. I even thought I was getting pulled over at one point, got nervous and just yelled “Blake! WHAT DO I DO?” After she laughed at me and explained to get in the right lane, I pulled to side, the cop sped by, and we were both very relieved!

The send off was a really fun event where we were able to mingle with incoming First-Years and their families. Also, the Kopp family was very hospitable and kind. They made a great chicken dinner with salad, rolls, pasta and more. It was a cool to be able to go to the Kopp’s house for the event because I attended the same event the summer before my freshman year. I liked being able to see the send-off from different perspectives. This year it was much less intimidating. As an incoming first year this can be one of the first opportunities to meet your new class. I remember being nervous to attend this event two years ago because I knew I had to set a great first impression. I ended up having a great time and now I am actually good friends with several people that I met at the send off.

I also remember when I first attended the event it was nice to see the familiar face of Danielle Weaver ’07, who was from my hometown area and participated in the same internship I am currently a part of. Danni and Michaela Stewart ’08 were able to give us a great student perspective at the send-off and give us hints on what to pack, ideas about campus life, classes and much more. I hope that Blake and I similarly were able to answer questions and resolve concerns for the class of 2012.

It was great to meet students from all over the region and hear about their FYP selections, dorms, roommates, etc. It was also nice to again see a familiar face; Sarah Soffel ’12 was a friend of mine from home and went to Maple Grove High School with me. I also really enjoyed meeting new faces in the crowd: Griffin, Thomas, Erin, Merrika, John, and Rachel, along with their families. Several of the students were actually in the same FYP called Global Questions, Local Activism. One of the professors for this FYP is Dr. John Collins, one of my favorite global studies professors. I am still involved in a blogging project called The Weave, which originated in the class I took Dr. Collins.

Furthermore, it was really nice to stop by home and see my family for a little bit. It was great to relax on Chautauqua Lake, go out to dinner and see some friends!

After only a few days Blake and I were ready to return to our SLU home. Since being back we had a fun get-together at Caitlin and Blake’s townhouse and we have been really busy with tours this week. Also, this weekend we are planning on catching the new Batman movie in Canton. I can’t wait, I think it looks awesome!

That’s it for now! Again, feel free to ask questions and post comments on my blog! I am really enjoying my summer at SLU!