Junior Year, time flies!

Me in my MSG gear!

My junior year at Mercyhurst was one of my most memorable academic years so far. In the fall I began working as the Public Relations Coordinator for Mercyhurst Student Government, and quickly realized how enjoyable this field could be. I helped generate open discussion on issues pertaining to students, and I lent a collaborative hand when planning events on campus. In November, I had the privilege of meeting MTVs reality television stars The Buried Life, who came to give a presentation in our Performing Arts Center.

Throughout the winter season, I was able to a lot of fun events both with MSG and my group of friends. We planned out annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony for the Mercyhurst community to participate in. My group of friends also celebrated our traditional Christmas Dinner Party where we got dressed up, went out to eat and even exchanged gifts. For once, the Erie winter was actually pretty mild, so I did not get too snowed in! The winter also brought about some big changes for Mercyhurst. While I started at Mercyhurst College in 2009, January introduced everyone to the brand new Mercyhurst University. This change will benefit students of Mercyhurst so much in the long run and is the right step for Mercyhurst, especially in the global market place. 

This summer I will be in Erie working for the admissions department. I cannot wait for a break from school work, but I of course cannot get away from the good old Hurst! I am sure that I will have wonderful summer adventures to report about and I cannot wait to share my senior year with all of you. Until August you will just have to anxiously await my return, but remember one thing!

Carpe Diem, everyday!

~Jeremy

50 Item Challenge

Bedroom with lots of clutter!

Closet with too many clothes!

So after living at Mercyhurst for three years now, it occurred  to me that I have acquired a lot (and I mean a TON) of stuff! While having more "stuff" always makes us feel better, sometimes having too much stuff begins to weigh us down. Some of you may have heard of the "100 Items Challenge", well I've decided to do a college version of it with the "50 Item Challenge".

I challenged myself with finding 50 items that I could give away to people that would make better use of them. Starting out on this journey, I assumed it would be easy to come-up with 50 items that I no longer needed...but after a while I quickly learned the truth. The first place I looked at for my items was my closet. We all have too many clothes, and there are people out there who could make way better use of those clothes. After finding seven or eight clothing items I no longer needed I made my way to my bedroom, which is so cluttered. Before I knew it I was finding unneeded items left and right! My pile quickly grew bigger and bigger, until I reached 38 items. This was the point at which I became stuck...I knew there had to be more to give away. Slowly but surely I managed to complete my challenge of finding 50 items to give away. It was difficult, but very worth it! Below you will find a picture of what I'm giving away, along with a list of some of the items!

Here are my items.

I managed to find things to give away like:

-Clothes

-Shoes

-Bags

-Books

-Stuffed Animals

-Coats

-Water Bottle

-2 Backpacks

-And Much More

So after doing this mini challenge, I challenge you to do the same. Are there 50 items laying around your house or dorm room that you no longer need? Are there items that someone else would make much better use of? Then why not let someone else have the items that you've been able to enjoy for a while. Not only will you be doing yourself a favor by de-stressing and de-cluttering your life, but you will be allowing others to have the things that you no longer need. I'd love to do this at least once a year, paying it forward never hurts.

Carpe Diem everyday, and help others while you do it!

~Jeremy 

It's the weekend, what to do?

So it's the weekend, and the weather is in that in-between stage where it's not really nice enough to do anything outside, but it's not too cold either. Much like any hard-working and busy college students, my friends and I love to spend the weekends having fun, but sometimes trying to think of things to do is not that easy.

I've spent the majority of the morning brainstorming different things to do in Erie, Pa., and I will list them below with a brief description, just incase you may be wondering about the happenings that you may participate in on the weekends.

The first thing that really comes to mind is the Erie Zoo. The Zoo itself is about 2 miles or so from campus. If you are feeling adventurous and there is nice weather, you can walk to the zoo. If you would rather not walk, you may take a bus or taxi. The bus is free, and admission to the zoo is pretty reasonable for college students. On Sundays, after 3:00 p.m., the zoo is open for free admission which is perfect for any student wanting to save a little money! Feel free to check-out the zoo's website here: The Erie Zoo.

If going to the zoo isn't something you're interested in, you can go to Presque Isle. Presque Isle is a nice place to visit on a sunny and warm day! It is about a 20 minute drive from campus (so no walking, unless you are adventurous). The bus can get you pretty close, but does not actually go the whole way to the Isle. This area is the equivalent to the beach, and the closes thing Erie has to one. At Presque Isle, you can have a cook-out, swim, play volleyball or even participate in many of the activities the park directors have. My friends and I make a point to visit Presque Isle at least a couple times a year, when the weather is nice. Also, if you go to Presque Isle, make sure you stay until sunset (on beach 6). This spot has the world's second best sunset and is seriously one of the best sunsets that I have ever seen! Here you can find all the information on the park: Presque Isle State Park

The last thing that is really fun to do, is just to explore Erie, itself. The town is historic and fun. There are tons of restaurants, theaters and shops that can really fill-up a weekend quite quickly! My group of friends is known by my family as the "restaurant club," because we have probably eaten at 90 percent of the restaurants in Erie. It's always nice trying new or ethnic food. Most of the restaurants are reasonable for college students, and as long as you're not eating out everyday, then you won't have to worry too much about the "freshman fifteen"! Erie is really a lovely city and there is always something happening downtown, near Perry Square. Like I said before, there are tiny shops, coffee shops and museums to keep you busy. Here is the website to find out all about Erie: Erie, PA

I hope that I have given you a taste of what types of activities you can do on weekends while at Mercyhurst University. The best piece of advice that I can give any student, is to just explore the city a little. Go-out with your group of friends and see just what there is to do. You will spend four years in Erie, so you might as well get used to its offerings as quickly as possible!

That's all for now, Carpe Diem everyday!

~Jeremy