During the summer, I usually spend a lot of time reading, especially because I don’t have much energy left for it while I’m working and going to class in the school year. However, I’ve spent this summer working and doing online classes, sadly limiting my reading time, so I thought I’d just reminisce on some of the books I recommend for anyone! I won’t give any spoilers, but I hope some of these books might appeal to you!

1. Native Son, Richard Wright

   This is one of the most intense books I’ve ever read. One of my professors, Beate Gilliar, had my African American Literature class read it last fall, and it does not disappoint. It’s frustrating, heartbreaking, and disturbing in an amazing way. I think it’s very artfully written, but it also touches on themes surrounding treatment and stereotypes forced upon African Americans, set in the 1930s in Chicago. It’s one of those books that you could analyze forever. The story Wright tells is very socially aware and gets to the root of society’s evils, intentional and unintentional alike, while avoiding judgment and creating realistic characters. In short, it’s not a book that feels like it’s trying to teach you any lessons—it just does, because of how packed full of emotion it is.

2. Maggot Moon, Sally Gardner

   This is one of the oddest novels I’ve ever come across, and it’s become one of my favorites. It’s a fictional dystopia involving young teenage boys, a wall, a secret, and an authoritarian government, among other random things. Again, this book is heartbreaking, but incredibly endearing, and weird enough to really make you think. People in the book routinely disappear, and violence and slavery are normal parts of their society. One artistic technique that Gardner uses is to make the plot and background very vague, allowing readers to fill in the gaps themselves. You may need some tissues by the time you finish this book.

3. An Untamed State, Roxane Gay

   This novel could be rather painful to read, but is beautiful in its pain nonetheless. The main character, Mireille, is kidnapped for ransom while visiting family in her native country of Haiti, and the novel follows her struggle as her father refuses to pay her ransom. This novel is cruel and graphic, discussing the resulting anger of social classes and lawless governments. The hatred from poor gang members taken out on the daughter of the rich, using her until she is broken in the worst kinds of ways, is something that stays with you long after you finish reading. But greater and more powerful than that, is a woman determined to reclaim herself and face the demons that continue to follow her.

4. Rebel of the Sands, Alwyn Hamilton

   This is the perfect, imaginary-escape book, immediately transporting readers into another world. I love this book not only because the main character is a strong-willed, fearless young woman, but also because I am a sucker for intriguing fantasy worlds. Unlike some other fantasy-based novels, this book is mature, very well-written, and avoids any clichés or overused themes. In the world that Hamilton creates, magic is used in a way that I’ve never experienced before. The book is powerful in its rhetoric, but also in the characters’ journeys to liberate those facing a horrible fate—but you’ll have to read it to find out more. This is also the first book in a series, and the second one came out this year (which I just found out two minutes ago, so the very next thing I’m doing is ordering the sequel. Seriously. It’s that good. I might even pay extra for 2-day shipping).

5. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

Yes, the classic. I just had to. I read this for the first time this past spring semester in my British Literature III class, for my advisor Dr. Watson, and I fell in love. If any of you don’t know the original Frankenstein story, this will totally blow the green, knob-headed monster out of your mind. Shelley wrote this when she was just a teenager, but the language, plot, and intellect woven into this novel is astounding, something that seasoned writers could only dream of imitating. It does involve a creation of a ‘creature,’ but the themes that Shelley touches on, like humanity, obsession, and emotion, are more real than you could imagine. It’s about a man and his creature, but there are layers upon layers that complicate the plot. This book is a classic for a reason, and I highly recommend it.

My list of favorite books could go on forever, but I tried to narrow it down. These are all books that I thoroughly enjoyed and could read over and over. Hopefully you’re able to find at least one that sounds interesting! These books mean a lot to me, and I hope that you can find something special within them, too. 

Ciara Knisely ’18 is an English-Creative Writing major and Journalism minor, and hopes to continue her writing career in the future. She spends her time working at the Writing Center on campus and is a Co-Editor of the Oak Leaves newspaper.

After working at the Writing Center on campus for a year, I think it’s a really underrated resource for students. That may sound biased, but it really is.

There are many struggles that students go through when trying to write papers, and I can promise you that neither my co-workers nor I are immune. We totally understand. Sometimes I’d rather do a 12-page Chemistry assignment full of equations that I don’t understand than write a paper, but unfortunately, college doesn’t let you pick and choose what assignments you want.

What that means is that you will always have some sort of paper or writing assignment coming up, especially at a liberal arts school. And even if your major seems at the opposite end of the spectrum from English or writing, I assure you that (proper) writing is more than relevant to our daily lives…

Which is why you should stop by the Writing Center! Even though I’m on the clock when I’m there, it’s still one of my favorite places on campus. The Success Center is usually quiet and peaceful, so it’s a great study place. I personally have my best, most-focused study sessions while I’m there.

One great reason to stop by and get some help is that it is run by students (unless we get too busy and my supervisor helps out). Since we’re students going through similar college experiences, we know what aspects of writing can be more challenging, and how to explain that in a way you’ll understand. One thing I love about my job is that, yes, I’m technically an employee, but I get to relate to anyone who comes in on a student-to-student basis. Professors often become our friends, but it can be a different experience getting feedback from students at the Writing Center, as well. I’ve even made some friends through helping them at the Writing Center!

Also, proper writing skills are becoming more and more necessary in the workplace. Sometimes it’s as simple as sending a formal email, but it still matters. It can be frustrating, but knowing the rules of Standard English will help you immensely. So many jobs, assignments, tasks, and interactions with others will require a decent understanding of Standard English, so it can be really useful to learn as much as possible while you still have the free resources. It may even be the icing on the cake for a potential employer at a job interview, which could earn you the position!

I know that classes are still several weeks away, but sometimes right at the start of the semester can be the best time to come by. That way, you can learn what mistakes are happening in your papers before you start submitting them, and you’ll have that knowledge for future papers!

At the Writing Center, we’re willing to help you with any writing problem you come across. Occasionally, we won’t know the answer to your question ourselves, and then we’ll be learning the answer right along with you. Coming in is simple and easy, and usually quick. During the school year, we’re open 9am to 10pm during most days of the week, and students can either walk-in or make an appointment with us via email.

Now I’m just hoping I didn’t make any mistakes in this post! :)

Here’s the webpage for more info: https://www.manchester.edu/academics/student-success-center/writing-center


Ciara Knisely ’18 is an English-Creative Writing major and Journalism minor, and hopes to continue her writing career in the future. She spends her time working at the Writing Center on campus and is a Co-Editor of the Oak Leaves newspaper.  

Many of those close to me know I am a very sarcastic person. I always have wise comebacks. I like to play with words in such a way so I am always right, or I try to make myself right. I also like to make comments that I personally find hilarious, even if absolutely nobody else even smirks. Apparently, according to all my friends, they’re “dad jokes.” Here recently, recently meaning within the past few months, dad jokes have become part of who I am and what I say in conversation; sometimes I strike a conversation with a dad joke. I wanted to drop a list of the famous dad jokes because, well, why not! I laugh at myself every time I say these, so hopefully I at least get a smirk out of you!

1. I like to guess the “discount” people get on their jeans. For instance, I would say the girl on the left got a 5% discount on her jeans, and the girl on the right got a 30% off. *These pictures were taken off of Google Images*
   
2. Person: "So I got to thinking-"
   Me: "I thought I smelled smoke."
3. *I drive past a graveyard* Wow, this place is just happenin'. People are just dying to get in here!
4. Person: "Hey, I'm going to run to the store. Need anything?"
   Me: "No, I'm good. But if I were you, I would drive."
5. Me: *Sees person wearing a camo shirt* "DUDE! A FLOATING HEAD!"
6. Person: "How do you spell it?"
   Me: "I-T."
7. Person: "Hey can you call my phone?"
   Me: "Sure. MY PHONE, MY PHONE!"
8. I've always wanted to try camping; everyone says it's in-tents.
9. Person: "You shouldn't brush your teeth wearing a tie.."
   Me: "... My toothbrush isn't wearing a tie.."
10. Person: "Did you cut your hair again?"
    Me: "No, I cut them all."
11. Person: "Dude, I'm hungry."
    Me: *extends hand* "Hi Hungry, I'm Nick."
12. 

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

Last night I ended up at the county fair in Warsaw with one of my childhood best friends. We didn’t ride any rides, just ate and looked at some of the 4-H show animals, and then left, but it reminded me of how different things are now.

As a child, going to the fair used to be one of the highlights of my summer, my brother and I riding all of the rides we could, winning as many games as possible, and throwing up in giant trash cans after eating too much overly-fried food. Sometimes we’d even win a goldfish from one of the games, and that made it even better.

Now my thoughts are so drastically different going to the fair and remembering my thoughts of the fair as a kid. It’s kind of sad, but of course, I see the world a lot differently now. A lot more realistically. It was much harder for me to actually enjoy the fair at all.

As a twenty-year-old, I did enjoy the fair this year, and maybe even in the same way I enjoyed it as a child. I held a baby duck in the petting barn, and it was so cute that I wanted to zip it into my purse and run (I actually could have done that because no one was paying attention to my friend and me when we tried to give the duckling back, so I really could’ve taken it and ran.. but I decided maybe I shouldn’t). We also met some really cute goats that licked/bit us, and I also got the attention of everyone in the barn when I screamed because one goat aggressively head-butted another goat in the pen right next to me. I told the goat to be nice, but I moved on quickly because the fence was wobbly and I didn’t want to be head-butted myself. We went through the next barn full of show rabbits, and I saw the biggest bunny of my life, probably the biggest rabbit in the world, I think, because that thing was bigger than my dog (but still very cute). I saw some veryyyyy adorable bunnies, and later that night I spent some time looking on Craigslist for bunnies up for adoption because I have a problem and I’m obsessed with animals.

But on a more serious note, everything about the fair brings back memories of my childhood. I saw the exact same rides that I rode as a kid, and the exact same games I played with my brother. I walked by dozens of people I went to school with. I was even there with one of my friends that I’ve known since the fifth grade. It was way too much consumerist, crowd anxiety-producing nostalgia for me to handle for very long. It felt like I was walking through my own personal haze of cotton candy and cynicism that I knew would make me sick later. But maybe most of all, it made me long for the days when I had no full-time job to show up to, and I actually enjoyed riding those sketchy carnival rides with friends that I don’t even talk to anymore, with the one exception.

However, the thought that is sticking with me the most is that I NEED more fried Oreos. 


Ciara Knisely ’18 is an English-Creative Writing major and Journalism minor, and hopes to continue her writing career in the future. She spends her time working at the Writing Center on campus and is a Co-Editor of the Oak Leaves newspaper.  

I’m not going to lie, this Fourth of July holiday week has been different for me. This time in previous years I was always practicing for football, excluding last year because I was working since I had graduated. Let me start from the beginning of the week.

As a Conference Assistant during the summer at MU, I help with camps that come here. We didn’t have any over the break so I was able to go home and spend it with family. Well, that’s what I thought I was going to do. Here is everything in a nutshell: from the 30^th until the 4^th I was in town spending time with my family and friends. I was with my family during the day, and I was with my friends at night. My parents and I just hung around the house or we went and worked out. My friends and I did mostly the same; we all went to a friend’s house. My sister and I recorded a video of her singing while I played the guitar, so that was kind of cool.

Here is the semi-interesting part. Instead of staying in town on the 4^th, I went to Muncie where my roommate and another friend were. Before I left for Muncie, I decided I was going to take a pitstop in Avon to have dinner with an old friend. After 3 hours of driving and stopping for dinner, I finally made it there. As soon as I got my stuff inside his house, we took off to our firework-watching destination. We met with my roommate’s old high school friend and just threw a football around until the fireworks started. Once they were over, we shot off fireworks of our own. I met some cool people, shot off some cool fireworks, and watched some all in the same night.

This is the most interesting part, which kind of contradicts my title – oops – my coworkers and I had to come back to work on the 6^th. However, we received an email saying the power will be off on the 6^th and no one is supposed to come to campus to work… except for us. We worked until the hallways were pitch black and you couldn’t see the face of someone 10 feet in front of you and the staircases were pitch black. The power in my room finally came back on around 10:45pm and my room almost instantly dropped five degrees. Working in the dark was definitely interesting to say the least.

Now it’s time to get back to the swing of things working various hours during the week and going to play baseball on the weekend. I will leave you with some news, by the time I post next I will no longer be 19 years old!!

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

As my final year of college, maybe my last year of school ever, approaches, both my excitement and anxiety are starting to set in. This time next year, I have no clue what my life will be like. I have no idea where I’ll be going, what I’ll be doing, or if I’ll have a job lined up. And that is pretty terrifying.

I was so excited about graduating early that I forgot that graduation would be creeping up on me a year sooner. I know that a lot can happen in a year and I’m sure I’ll be ready by then, or at least I hope so. Sometimes I still feel like the little girl walking single-file down the hallway in a line of second-grade classmates, with nervous eyes and wild blonde hair. Definitely not a college student soon to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree.

When we picture ourselves in the future, we never seem to imagine the person we are right now in that scenario. When I was a kid and I dreamed about this moment, being a twenty-year-old college student with a full-time job, I imagined so much more grandeur and sophistication. Life’s not really like that.

Sometimes it’s dirty, sometimes it’s painful, and it’s definitely not the life from my childhood dreamscape.

It’s not easy being a college student right now. Millennials are shoved into a box of corset-tight stereotypes that others can use to ignore our innovations and visions of change. I see the planet rapidly declining, species dying faster than ever before, race relations causing a divide in my home country, and terrorists exacting their anger on innocent civilians, while no one in charge seems to care.

What do you do in a world like this? I feel like I have no other option but to desperately advocate for changes that the world is seriously overdue for. There is no option of sitting still.

We are living through historical moments now. In fifty years, kids will be learning about what’s happening right now, the same way we learned about the Underground Railroad, suffragettes, and the freedom riders. It’s taken me a long time to realize that. There is no invisible force that makes history go the right way. Sometimes the bad guys win. It’s up to us, right now, to make sure that we take care of the world we live in, people and animals alike. Don’t we want to be heroes for the kids reading about us in history books in fifty years?

It can feel overwhelming to know that each of us are just trying to build a life, keep it going, and accomplish our own goals along the way, while everything else seems like it’s falling apart.

On a happier note, at least there are still good things left in the world. When I’m sad, usually ten minutes of googling “baby animals” or “puppy videos” cheers me right up… until I get sad about wanting another dog and/or all the animals in the world. 

Ciara Knisely ’18 is an English-Creative Writing major and Journalism minor, and hopes to continue her writing career in the future. She spends her time working at the Writing Center on campus and is a Co-Editor of the Oak Leaves newspaper.

Being a big sister is hard.

I have two younger brothers, one who’s 17 and another who’s 5, so I get the best of both worlds.

It’s been hard to balance between wanting to be their friend and wanting to shelter them from the world, while also trying not to bite their heads off because they drive me insane. It’s not easy and it’s not always fun. But it’s also the most incredible thing in the world, because I get to help them and watch them grow up. The best part is that by giving me brothers, life just automatically gave me two friends (who can never escape me even if they try).

My 17 year-old brother will be a senior in high school this fall, playing on the varsity football team. I remember being a kid and seeing the big football players, thinking they were so huge and old. Now, my brother is one of those kids, but he’s still little to me. Of course, he’s taller than me and probably has muscles twice my size, but he’s still my little brother. We fought so much when we were young; getting along was probably a rare occurrence. In fact, I remember being so mad at him as a child that I threw a hard, plastic toy at him, accidentally cutting his head open. But I also remember his scared voice in the bathroom as I looked at my bloody reflection in the mirror after crashing on my bike, and I remember watching movies in the car with him and giving him weird nicknames just for fun. Now he’s too old to hang out with me and I regret the constant fighting with him in our childhood.

My 5 year-old brother is the most chaotic thing in my life, but also the most fun. I stood next to my mom at around 4 in the morning while she gave birth to him. I was a freshman in high school and drowning in my depression. I didn’t realize that one little human could bring so much happiness into my family’s lives. He wasn’t planned, but I think he was meant to show up. It was like I had a brand-new best friend in my life. Now he’s five and demands constant attention, but he makes life more fun. We do lots of playing (and talking about Pokémon, which is the latest fad among five-year-olds). Because he has a teenage brother and twenty-year-old sister, he talks like he’s the boss and is old enough to do whatever he wants, which is hilarious and frustrating at the same time.

I have best memories with my brothers. Even if some of those memories were filled with anger or annoyance at the time, I wouldn’t trade them for anything, because now all of those memories revolve around the growing companionship that we have.

I’m still trying to figure out my life, but nothing would be the same without my brothers. I can only hope that I’ve been a good role model for them and that I will still be in the future. Being a big sister is hard, and sometimes the responsibilities that come with it are ones that I don’t want (like babysitting, picking a certain brother up at one in the morning, and trying to make the little one happy when nothing else seems to). But, I also know that they’ve made me who I am. I have two awesome little brothers who I wouldn’t be the same without. 

Ciara Knisely ’18 is an English-Creative Writing major and Journalism minor, and hopes to continue her writing career in the future. She spends her time working at the Writing Center on campus and is a Co-Editor of the Oak Leaves newspaper.

One thing that everyone has, whether it’s written down or not, is a bucket list. I have many, many things I want to accomplish, and some of them can be done while I am still in college; others will probably have to wait several years. Though these 15 are the only ones I can think of right now, I can guarantee my list will be ever-expanding. These are in no particular order; here we go!

 

1. Visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. Some can be done while still in college. I have visited four stadiums so far- Reds, Cardinals, White Sox, and Indians.
2. Visit the Northern Lights in Alaska. Fun fact: for one high school assignment, we had to make a PowerPoint where we had an unlimited budget to plan any vacation we wanted to anywhere we wanted. I planned a trip to Alaska to view the Lights, dog sled, zipline, and hike.
3. Go to Barcelona. I’ve wanted to go since middle school roughly, and I may be able to cross this one off during college. The fall of my junior year (2018) it is possible for me to study abroad at the University of Barcelona!
4. Visit a beach on the West Coast. I have no idea where I would want to go, but I just want to experience life out there. Though I don’t like hot weather, I’d still like to go to maybe San Fran or Los Angeles.
5. Go to a drive-in movie. There is drive-in about 15 minutes from campus, but I want to watch it while laying on a mattress and pillows in the bed of my truck. Seems pretty simple, right? Ehhh not so much considering my truck is three hours away back home.
6. Find a popular geocaching location. Geocaching is something I have wanted to do for a while, and every time I download the app and search, I end up not finding anything. This can really be done on any spare days that I have.
7. Go to a concert at Klipsch. I can only remember going to two concerts: Thomas Rhett and Joe Nichols. I like all kinds of music, so it doesn’t have to follow suit of a country concert. I would be down for anything ranging from Luke Bryan to Ed Sheeran to Ariana Grande.
8. Grow my knife collection to 100. I’ve collected knives for a little while, and they range from a mini one-inch knife to a butterfly knife to a huge sword. I think I’m sitting around 40 right now.
9. Vacation on a cruise. Everyone says those things are fun.
10. Attend a music festival. Ones I have in mind would be something like Lollapalooza, Freaky Deaky, or Tomorrowland.
11. Be a special guest at a ball game. Examples: throw the first pitch, shoot half court shots, do a coin toss.
12. Watch the sunset and sunrise on a beach. Have some friends down for the idea as well and go to the beach before the sunset and just hang out all night, maybe build a fire like in the movies, and watch the sunrise.
13. Drive a vehicle of my choice. I say vehicle because I’m not sure if I would pick a Lamborghini or some huge jacked up truck that is louder than thunder.
14. Play with a tiger. I don’t know why, but it would just be awesome.
15. Go to the mountains. Mountains mean amazing sites, skiing, and cold weather.

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

With one of my favorite Disney classics being remade and recently released, I thought I would review the new, live-action version of Beauty and the Beast from the eyes of a feminist college student.

As someone who works in a theatre and has seen the same, live musical version of the movie about twenty times, I had high expectations, especially with Emma Watson as Belle.

Overall, there were a few songs taken out and a few minor changes to the plot, but I think it stood by the original values of the movie while adding more values that we can appreciate in relation to current social conditions.

I loved Belle's role as an inventor in this movie. It added so much depth to her character, but also helped to envision her as a very inspirational role model for young girls. Her character is feminine, beautiful, kind, and caring, but also very clever, headstrong, and determined. I think that there has been such a rebellion recently against being too feminine or enjoying 'feminine' products such as makeup, dresses, jewelry, etc., and that those who wish to enjoy those things are inherently less of an advocate for women's equality. Belle never seems concerned about those things, but still embraces them, which I believed to show that she was comfortable in both her femininity and headstrong personality. I’m happy to see her show that being “girly” doesn’t make anyone, male or female, inferior.

Belle plays no damsel in distress. Throughout the whole movie, she takes action to accomplish her goals, whether it's taking her father's place in the Beast's prison, trying to escape the castle, or running to save her father from Gaston. She depends on no one, and her compassion towards others only makes her a stronger person.

As a result, Belle is an incredibly complex character. She demonstrates kindness and sympathy toward the Beast, who really deserves nothing from her, while still remaining true to her own values. I am incredibly happy to have this representation of Belle, but also even more happy with Emma Watson as an actress and simple human. She is a powerful feminist advocate and I hope that girls of any age can view her as a role model. I know that I do.


Ciara Knisely ’18 is an English-Creative Writing major and Journalism minor, and hopes to continue her writing career in the future. She spends her time working at the Writing Center on campus and is a Co-Editor of the Oak Leaves newspaper.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to write. I am fascinated by the construction of sentences, the sounds of words, and the art of written language.

And for what seems like forever, I’ve been in a total slump. My brain has no fictional stories to tell. After interviewing countless people for the Oak Leaves, it seems that now I only know how to tell stories about other people. I’ve hardly written anything just for fun throughout my two years at Manchester. Definitely nothing worth sharing.

Until now, of course, as I actively write to you all about my frustrations about writing. What a paradox, right?

So, I’ve decided this blog will be a sort of writing therapy for me. Writer’s Rehab. Maybe I can get that stream of wordswordswords flowing in my brain again.

As an English major with a writing concentration, I can assure you that my situation is quite maddening. The poems I wrote used to scream out at me, itching at me until I got the lines down on paper. Now, I desperately want to feel the excitement of beautiful words flowing from my fast-moving fingers on the keyboard and onto my virtual paper. Instead, the click-clacking of my typing is only driving me insane.

Can I even claim writing as a hobby anymore? I know I’m not a failure; I can write a darn good essay. But if it’s any more creative than this blog post, my brain just calls it quits. In fact, even this is a struggle to think of what to say. It’s like a switch turned off, and now my creative veins run dry. I need some sort of transfusion.

 How did great writers in history think of their ideas? How do they think of them now? Is there a way to make yourself have more ideas?

Seems unlikely. Maybe I am only meant to dream of having dreams, to write about writing.

This coming fall semester I’m taking Creative Writing with Beate, and I’m terrified. What if I can’t write enough content? What if I disappoint her?

I can only hope that the course forces my writer’s block to subside. I’m praying that whatever skills I had before come rushing back. I have two years of recreational writing to catch up on.

I’m slowly coming to terms with the idea that maybe I’m just not interested in writing fiction anymore, and I keep telling myself that it isn’t a bad thing, even though I spent my elementary, middle, and high school years dreaming of all the fictional stories I’d write one day.

Instead, I’m taking pride in the work I write about real life. Sadly, there are no dragons or ancient Irish myths involved, but I am starting to find the magic within this reality of mine. I’m inspired by the people I’ve met and their stories that I’ve told, and my dreams are shifting from novel writing to uncovering and reporting on the next Watergate scandal.

Maybe the truth is that the fictional world has started to bore me. I’m more enchanted by the magic I can find in the world around me. 

Ciara Knisely ’18 is an English-Creative Writing major and Journalism minor, and hopes to continue her writing career in the future. She spends her time working at the Writing Center on campus and is a Co-Editor of the Oak Leaves newspaper.

Out of all the things I could do after my first year in college – go back some and spend time with friends and family, take a couple of vacations, etc. – I decided to stay on campus to work and play baseball. Since few people do this, I figured I would say what I do weekly in case any of you consider it in the future!

I work through Conference Services as a Conference Assistant. This is a full-time job with some pretty odd hours at times. As a CA, I help set up for camps that come to campus for a few days. I make beds, sit at the front desk in case they need anything, drive golf carts, work tables, and really do anything that the campers need me to. These responsibilities are why I have odd hours. For example, these were my hours for one day: 8:30am-9:15am, 10am-12pm, 2pm-6:30pm, 8pm-8:45pm, and 11:30pm-1am. Sooo yeah, told you there are odd hours. Sometimes I may only get 3-4 hours per day, but on days like that I can get 10 hours. Us CA’s can work any day of the week at any time of day; I kind of like not having a set schedule because it makes things more interesting.

I do have the privilege of having the weekends off so I can play baseball, which is one of the reasons why I chose to get a summer job on campus. I play on the Summit City Sluggers college team that is based out of Fort Wayne. The team has 4 other players from MU and the rest vary from other colleges in the area. This past weekend was actually our first 4 games as a team, and the games last until the end of July!

All of that is the reason I decided to stay here for the summer. Aside from all that stuff, I’m helping Admissions as an Ambassador like I do during the school year, so I’m also helping give tours! During my free time I like to work out, play guitar, and I’ve been watching a lot of Law & Order SVU recently which has taken up much of my time. I will be on campus until the first or second week of August, until my CA job and baseball ends, then I will go back home to Terre Haute until school starts back up.

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

After loading several cars full of everything I had accumulated in my dorm room over the school year and then moving home, it felt weird returning to campus during the summer. It felt empty walking past the JYSC without groups of students walking by, like some sort of ghost town.

Now I am surrounded by “real adults”—all of the people working in the Admissions Office—instead of students. However, it’s a nice change. I find it relaxing to hear the friendly chatter throughout the office and the occasional groan of the coffee maker.

Again and again I am reminded of the opportunities that Manchester continually gives me. During my first semester here, I was unsure of what I was getting myself into. Halfway through the year, I was disheartened at the number of students I knew that had either transferred or dropped out, leaving the place that was supposed to be our home. I felt confused by what path I should take and if I would even succeed here. But, as I sit here typing this, I am incredibly glad I stayed. By the end of my first year I had published articles in the Oak Leaves and landed a job at the Writing Center.

As my sophomore year progressed, I became more and more grateful that I had an on-campus job, especially as I watched friends stress about money or complain about a job they hated. I had an awesome job with an awesome boss, gaining experience in a field directly related to my goals as an English major. I didn’t think it could get much better, and I felt myself falling into place here.

By the end of my second year at Manchester, I accepted an editorial role for the Oak Leaves for the next upcoming academic school year after writing for the paper for a second semester, and I won’t forget the ecstatic feeling I had, knowing that my hard work had been noticed and was worth something. I was not just another face in the crowd. I hadn’t realized that I didn’t want to be another face in the crowd, until I got here.

After that good news, I accepted two internships for the summer, one here at Manchester. Working with social media has been a change for me, but such a good change. I’ve heard the question, “What can you even do with an English major?” so many times that it became terrifying to think about my future. What would I do? Would I be just another daydreaming graduate with an English degree, competing for a chance at low-level jobs?

But I have to believe that I won’t, because of all these opportunities. Manchester has shown me what I am capable of. They have recognized my worth, and I know that by the end of my last year I will be prepared. My resume will full of amazing experiences that I can brag about to future employers, because that’s what Manchester has done for me.

It has been so fulfilling to feel like I have a place here. My job at the Writing Center, my internship, and my future role as an Editor for the Oak Leaves made me attached, and I knew I wouldn’t find these opportunities anywhere else. It felt easier and easier to ignore the voices saying, “Bigger schools are better!” because I knew I had made the right decision.

It feels so amazing to attend a school that recognizes my worth, accomplishments, and potential, instead of letting me blend into the crowd the way my introverted self wants to. My professors know my name and don’t forget it, and they help me achieve the things that I want to. I think that my future self will be even gladder that I chose Manchester by the time I graduate and begin my career. 

Ciara Knisely ’18 is an English-Creative Writing major and Journalism minor, and hopes to continue her writing career in the future. She spends her time working at the Writing Center on campus and is a Co-Editor of the Oak Leaves newspaper.

Probably not. Am I going to complain about American wine, bread, and cheese for the rest of my life because it’s just not the same as in France? Only about the cheese.

Zander E. Willoughby ’18 is a Political Science & French major & Peace Studies minor, and a former Multicultural Affairs Programmer, Student Senate Vice-President, Model U.N. Secretary-General and more. He is currently studying in Strasbourg, France at the Institut d'Études Politiques at Université de Strasbourg. His future plans include working in International Relations or International Law, hopefully within the U.N. system.

When I first started Manchester University, I was unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. After taking Interpersonal Communication, I fell in love with editing video. I ended up creating a funny skit about expectancy violations theory with an iPhone, three other friends, and Windows Movie Maker. Since then, I have learned how to use iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premiere. This semester, I had the pleasure of creating content for Spartan Stream. Spartan Stream is an online space where any students regardless of major can submit podcasts or video content from anything from sports to TV shows. I created a series short longboarding videos featuring students longboarding around campus. Please enjoy this series that features our friends at Manchester and relax! 

Bolanle Oladokun ’18 is a Communication Studies Major. Since she was a kid, she’s always loved to talk and frequently got into trouble at school for talking so much. She loves making people laugh, recording videos, and hanging out with friends. She’s happy to be able to use her gift to put a smile on people’s faces.

Here I am sitting in front of this screen wondering what words I can concoct to help summarize what I’ve learned after four years at Manchester. To me, words are everything. I’m the kind of guy that doesn’t really know what he thinks until he can verbalize it. As I continue to ponder the words to give to you to help best guide you as a Spartan, I realize those words don’t exist. You’re on your own. Just like I was. Just like everyone is. You’ve got a team in your corner (some call it friends, some call it family, some call it God), but eventually you will realize that you are on your own in this life. You, and not one other person, is responsible for your happiness. When everything falls apart and everyone has turned their back on you, you have to learn how to function with pain.

This whole post isn’t about the grim-ness of college or how lonely life is, but once you understand how unhappy you can become, and you will, it will help guide you to appreciate the little things throughout your college career, which, in the end, is what you’ll look back on and smile.

SO FOUR YEARS – HOW’D YA DO IT? Dude… I seriously have no flipping clue. Dropping out was never an option in my head, but quitting on everything was. I can’t give you the words to get you through everything, but I want to introduce you to the words that helped me get though what seemed like “everything” at the time.

Here are seven quotes that I believe encapsulated what I’ve learned at Manchester:

1. “So it goes.” – Kurt Vonnegut

   These are three words known by every fan of Kurt Vonnegut, and is the theme of his infamous novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. These three words are reiterated 106 times throughout his novel. After every death in the novel, whether the death of a person or the death of a moment, Vonnegut uses this satire as, perhaps, a philosophy to life. “So it goes,” to me, means having an understanding that nothing in life is permanent. Everything we love will more than likely die one day, but luckily everything that brings us pain and suffering will also breathe its last breath, even when it feels like it’ll be alive forever. Understanding that happiness is temporary makes you cling that much more to it.

2. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.” – Shakespeare

   I’m an English major so of course I have to give a shoutout to my main man, Will. I grew up hearing my mother tell me, “the world’s a stage,” but I never really knew the context. In Shakespeare I learned a lot, but one of the biggest lessons that I learned is that every hero of the story has something evil or wretched within them (no matter how good they may be), and every villain seems to shed, at least, a glimpse of light and goodness. Never forget that. Don’t be afraid to look yourself in the mirror and call yourself the villain. More importantly, don’t forget that even if you are the villain, there’s that shed of light in you that someone else will see. I’ve always had a heart for the villain.

3. “And when you're alone there's a very good chance you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.”

   I tear up EVERY. SINGLE. GOD FORSAKEN. TIME. after reading this line in Oh, The Places You’ll Go. As a kid, you have no idea what the words mean, but then when you grow up and you’re almost ashamed that you do. If you still don’t, we’re all completely envious of you. As someone who has had his fair share of trouble with his own mental health, Dr. Seuss reminds us that we’re not alone. We’re not the only ones who life has scared so cruelly that we didn’t want anything to do with it. And that… that just makes me feel a little less lonely.

4. “We didn't talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough.”  – Stephen Chbosky

   This is a line from my favorite book coming into Manchester, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I couldn’t think of a line from any other piece of literature that best describes what friendship means to me. Just having a friend that is there can make all the difference in the world. When I was hurting most, I never wanted to talk about it – most of the time I physically couldn’t. And I think that’s okay. There’s a time and a place, and my place is in my shower while blaring the Best Hits of Britney Spears CD. Some people want comfort when they’re hurting. Some people don’t want to talk at all. Me? I want everything to be back to normal again. A person who will treat and look at you exactly the same, whether agonizing or euphoric, is a friend to me. Thank you to all my friends for being my friends.

5. “We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.” – Stephen King, 11/22/63

   This line comes from one of my favorite books, 11/22/63. This story has layers on top of layers within it, but teaches “The Butterfly Effect” throughout the novel, considering this book is about a time traveler who visits the past on several occasions, but seems to have changed it after arriving back in the present. This taught me how big of an impact we have on others and that every action or sentence we utter has some kind of effect on everything around you. Never underestimate the power of a few words to a stranger, or the capability of a smile.

6. “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” – Ernest Hemingway

   Trust is a huge, huge, huge, HUGE part of college. Trusting professors and guidance counselors is already instilled within most students at Manchester because they really do have an amazing collection of intelligent, generous, and passionate educators, along with the best counselors and staff you could hope for in any small community. Giving trust to people you’ve barely just met is another story. Often, women in college won’t commit to relationship with guys (and vice versa) because their trust was previously broken by a member of that same sex. My advice, take it or leave it, is to just go for it. It’s really hard to punish and withhold potential feelings from someone because a member of their species hurt them. And it’s absolutely easier said than done. Trusting information is another story (don’t believe everything you hear), but when it comes to trusting humans, you’ll more-than-likely experience heartbreak through broken trust, but gosh, I gotta say, I believe not trusting someone withholds you from growing with that person. Trust men. Trust women. But never, by any means…. Trust a cat. Trust nothing with eight extra lives.
   
   These will be my final words of advice to you as a writer, but I hope some of you have grown to consider me a friend through my writing. Manchester has the best Marketing Department in the world in my eyes, and they gave me this amazing opportunity to have my voice by heard. Though it may be covered by sarcastic comments or anti-feline rhetoric, I hope my voice has reflected a compassion for humanity… because, more than anything, that is what Manchester has instilled within me. Here are the final, final words of advice before I end with a quote from my favorite book (which would be a GREAT addition to your summer reading lists): Laugh louder than you know you’re supposed to and be okay with it. Don’t be afraid to cry during the sad moments, but especially don’t be afraid to cry during the happy ones. Appreciate everything Manchester will teach you and guide you through, and know that they truly, in all cases, have your best interest in mind. Lastly, live life in college without guilt. I believe if we die with guilt in our hearts, we will forever by trapped in a Hell. If we die knowing we did our best and had no regrets in the life we’ve lived, then you’ll die in paradise.

7. “You have infinite time here, and there are infinite things to do, but you still don’t end up doing much of it. You do what you love most, over and over.” – BJ Novak, One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories

Stratton Smith ’17 is an English major, hailing from a small town just east of Indianapolis. Stratton is the captain of the tennis team, co-founder of Academic Probation, Manchester's improv troupe, and Vice President of the Theatre & Society club.

Since my freshman year is ending, I recently went back through all my pictures to relive my first year in college. I thought I would share some of my favorite memories with you guys!

For the last weekend on campus, my friends decided to make a spontaneous (like, we planned this is 15 minutes) trip to Chicago and the Dunes. We rode the train into the city and went to The Bean, Navy Pier, had lunch at Margaritaville, and the girls went shopping while the guys tagged along. We then rode the train back to the station and went to the Dunes. We stayed there until the sun set, where I ended up getting a time lapse, and we left.

I took this picture with my iPhone 7Plus camera and I just think it’s one of the best pictures I have taken. What you’re looking at is Navy Pier and the city of Chicago.

During May Day weekend, a Nearly Naked Mile was put on and my friends and I decided to participate in. It wasn’t quite a mile, but it definitely was cold. We wore clothes we wanted to donate, and before the race started we took them off and donated them! This is what everyone wore to run in.

Another spontaneous trip was going to see Thomas Rhett in Fort Wayne! My roommate Joe (on the left) and Grace (second from the left) decided they wanted to go see him. So, I said I would tag along if they decided to go, and within five minutes of me leaving the room I got a text saying we had the tickets… I asked Chloe, the blonde, if she wanted to come and she said yes, so we all went! Our tickets also were upgraded from the nosebleed 600 level to the second level 200’s; oh yeah, that was for free, too.

My friend in just his hood, no baseball hat on, is a huge Cleveland Indians fan. As baseball players, we all love watching baseball, so we decided to make spontaneous trip on a Sunday night to Cleveland, OH for a watch party at the Indians’ stadium. We went for Game 5, so if they would’ve won then we would’ve been in Cleveland when they won the series, but sadly they lost. It was still so packed and our view was great!

Finally, the picture on the left are some of my teammates and friends. This group has gotten closer because of baseball and just hanging out during downtime. The picture on the right is a team picture from early in the season. I am number 6. We started off rough and at the bottom of the conference, and by the end of our season we were ranked 2^nd in conference and ended 3^rd in the tournament.

I wanted to end this year’s blogging by sharing a mini photo gallery of some of the best people I have met and a small amount of my favorite memories from this year. Everyone you see in these pictures I see at least once a day, whether it’s because they are in my room daily/nightly, I eat with them at lunch, or we pass each other sometime during the day. It makes me happy knowing everyone is coming back next year, with an exception of one or two, so we can continue to make spontaneous trips and memories we’ll remember more than what we’ve learned in school. I always question my decision to stress myself out in college where I’ll be left in thousands of dollars in debt, but these memories and people make all that debt 100% worth it. Be looking for blogs from me again in Fall 2017!!

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

So, my semester abroad is over. On May 6, 2017, I got on my flight back to the United States, and 16 hours later I was sleeping in my own bed for the first time in almost 4 months. It was a very emotional day, to say the least. Even though I had only been there since January, I truly felt like Barcelona was my home. I had made friends, and I had a host family that made me feel so accepted in their lives. I spoke Spanish constantly, and to be honest I’m still not used to constantly speaking English again. It’s a wonderful life, and I only wish I could’ve stayed longer. 

I know that a lot of my blogs talk about how much study abroad can change a person’s life, but I never really thought about what would happen after the semester ended. I was always thinking about the next day, living in the moment. Now, when I’m back to living in the middle of nowhere, driving a car, spending time with my own family, it is starting to become more apparent that I’m not the same person anymore. Before this grand adventure, I was insecure, shy, and I was hung up on a guy that wasn’t even that nice to me to begin with. I couldn’t even stand up for myself. Now, after having to start all over and make new friends in a new place – and speaking a new language – I feel confident in saying that I’m not any of those things anymore. I’m a girl that knows what she wants out of life, and that isn’t afraid to work hard and fight for what she deserves. I want to be a teacher, and although it sometimes seems like the world is against me, I know that teaching is what I was meant to do. I want to travel and be independent, and I won’t let anyone stand in my way of being happy. I’m telling you, being on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean is a total confidence booster. 

Aside for all that my trip did for my mental health, I am here to say that my overall experience with studying abroad in Barcelona was too amazing to put into words. The relationships I made, the things I learned, and the places I visited were things that I will always cherish. I may not have been in Spain for all that long, but I got to do things and see things that some people will never get to experience. For that, among other things, I am grateful. I mean, how many people get to say that they lived a truly authentic European lifestyle, with minimum responsibilities, for months on end? I took a ten-day trip to Italy, and I visited La Sagrada Familia – my favorite piece of architecture ever – with one of my best friends from high school, and I swam in the Mediterranean Sea (it was freezing, by the way). I did all of these things and more, and I don’t regret a single thing. I’m twenty years old, and I’ve done more in my life than I ever thought possible. 

To the students and faculty at MU that followed me along on my travels: I hope you enjoyed seeing Europe through my eyes, and I hope that I could inspire at least one of you guys to travel somewhere new or at least try something different. 

To my amazing support system: you guys were there for me every step of the way. You helped me when I was going through the lows of culture shock, and you took care of the things I couldn’t while I was gone. I can never thank you enough for all that you have done and all that you continue to do for me. 

Well, my time as a Spartans Abroad blogger has come to an end. Enjoy the rest of your spring semester, Spartans! I’ll see you guys in the fall! – B. 

Becca Kaplan ’19, is a Spanish Secondary Education major with minors in TESOL and Business. As a commuter student, she spends most of her time on campus either studying, watching Netflix, or writing her next blog post. When classes are not in session, Becca usually travels, either visiting her parents in Florida, or her extended family in St. Louis.

Because I go to Manchester, I know that I have a future career waiting for me afterwards. I trust that I will have a future.

And that's worth staying for. That's why I still choose MU.

Katie Byers '18 is a biology-chemistry major & business minor. A member of the women's basketball team, she plans to study abroad in New Zealand in February 2017, and her dream job is to work at an orthopedic hospital. 

Although Spain itself chooses not to identify with a specific religion, La Semana Santa is still a big deal in this little corner of the world. Translated to English, the phrase means “The Holy Week,” and is used to describe the week leading up to Easter Sunday. Escuelas, colegios, y universidades (primary schools, high schools, and universities) are on Spring Break at this time, which means that most families take some sort of vacation, and almost every college student goes off to explore another one of the world’s treasures. For my two friends and me, La Semana Santa meant ten days traveling around Italy. For my friend Melissa and me, our trip consisted of four cities in ten days – Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome. Our friend Malika joined us in Rome, and even though there were some snags in road, it was overall the best trip I’ve ever taken in my life. 

La Semana Santa started, at least for those enrolled in BCA classes, on April 6^th. After class that day, I went back to my host parents’ house to pack and eat, and then I headed to Melissa’s house to prep for what would be an extremely long day. The next morning, we got on the metro heading towards the airport at 5:30am, and less than two hours later we were on our flight to Milan. Now, we only spent one day in Milan, but thanks to one of Melissa’s friends from back home – Lulu – we were able to see almost all of the hidden gems of the city. My favorite part would have to be the art district, which is home to several quirky and unique restaurants and art galleries. I also liked how everybody was out and about at night, just sipping a Spritz (champagne with flavored syrups, essentially) and laughing about who-knows-what. Milan itself is a super safe city, and is relatively small compared to places like Rome; if I had to guess, I would say that it is probably about the same size as Barcelona. After dinner (pizza and pasta, of course) along the river, Melissa and I said our goodbyes to Lulu and went to our Airbnb for the night. We fell asleep bonding over Orange is the New Black, which we both agreed is one of the best shows on Netflix, and the next day we headed to our second stop: Venezia. 

It took us three hours to get to Venezia (Venice) by train, including the time it took to get lost and our three connecting trains. When I walked out of the Venice train station, I almost cried it was so beautiful. The river was right in front of me, and I could see the hustle and bustle of the city all around me. You’d think that because the city is literally built on water that it would be a sleepy little town, but I quickly discovered that this wasn’t the case. Venice is crowded with tourist traps, and there are so many people there it drove me crazy at times. However, despite all of the crowds, the views and the food made it worth the hassle. The streets are small and winding, and getting lost was practically inevitable, but eventually you will be able to find your way back to wherever you are staying. Over the two days we spent on the island, my friend and I took a gondola ride (10/10 would recommend), ate gelato, and took entirely way too many pictures (one can never have too many photos of Venetian sunsets). We didn’t take any tours, but that’s okay; sometimes getting lost is the only way to really learn something. 

After spending the previous evening watching the sun set over the docks, Melissa and I woke up somewhat early and made our way to Florence. After a two-hour train ride, we walked the ten minutes to our gorgeous flat in the city center, where we dropped our bags, grabbed our cameras, and went exploring. Not even five minutes after we began walking, we were greeted by the Duomo, which is famously known as Brunelleschi’s Dome. The first time I saw it, it took my breath away. Maybe that’s because I’m a big art history nerd, or because I was ecstatic to be there, but it was so incredibly beautiful. Melissa and I were fortunate enough to be able to tour the inside of it, but sadly we didn’t plan ahead enough to get tickets to go up to the top of the Duomo. That first night, we splurged and sat down to a traditional Florentine meal, complete with Florentine steak, a glass of wine, rustic potatoes, and a sampler appetizer. It may have hurt my wallet, but it was so yummy that I didn’t even care. The next day, we went to an art museum and spent the rest of the day at the Boboli Gardens, where we found birds-eye views of the city everywhere we went. Before packing our belongings for the next day, we found a great little pasta place that served nothing but fresh, homemade goodness. If I got nothing else out of that city, at least I left with a full tummy and happy taste buds. 

Rome: the final leg of our ten-day excursion. After having some issues with our Airbnb, Melissa and I relocated to a 5-star hotel we found on Orbitz. Located not even five minutes from the Spanish steps, our hotel was really helpful, and we were even lucky enough to have breakfast brought to our room every morning during our 4-day stay in the Ancient City. There are so many things I could say about Roma, but for now I will just say this: Paris may be for lovers, but Rome is for those with a thirst for adventure, feet ready to walk over 25,000 steps a day, and an “anything is possible” attitude. Like the other cities, Rome had amazing food, super nice people, and views that were to die for. I am so blessed to be able to experience a place like this, and I highly recommend that everyone tries to visit one day. 

All in all, Semana Santa did a lot of good to me. I took over 1,000 pictures, and made so many memories I could write a book. When I come back to the USA next month, I will forever have this trip to remind me of how lucky I am. If I hadn’t chosen to study abroad, I never would have gone to Italy, and I wouldn’t be as confident in myself as I am now. How many other people my age can say that they went to a foreign country on their own, with no idea how to speak the native language, and only a very limited budget to work with? I’m pretty proud of myself for that. I think anybody that can travel should be proud of themselves. It’s not easy. Until next time. - B 

Becca Kaplan ’19, is a Spanish Secondary Education major with minors in TESOL and Business. As a commuter student, she spends most of her time on campus either studying, watching Netflix, or writing her next blog post. When classes are not in session, Becca usually travels, either visiting her parents in Florida, or her extended family in St. Louis.