I am especially looking forward to going to a Twins game and participating in a boat cruise with my fellow GAC friends.  Sign up for these activities took place this past week (online), and I was pleasantly surprised by the range of excellent activities seniors can choose to participate in during senior week.  Spa day, a valley fair trip, and a Johnny Holm concert are other activities available during senior week.

Some senior week activities do cost a bit of money. For example, the Twins game was fifteen dollars (including a ride to the game and a ticket). Nothing was too expensive, and it was nice that all of the activities were planned, so all I had to do was register for the events that sounded interesting.

I think senior week will provide good closure to my four years at Gustavus.  I can’t believe graduation is a mere few weeks away, and senior week will be a great time to relax with my close friends before departing for new adventures.

]]> http://admission.blog.gustavus.edu/2009/05/07/senior-week/feed/ 0 http://admission.blog.gustavus.edu/2009/05/07/student-orgs/ http://admission.blog.gustavus.edu/2009/05/07/student-orgs/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 04:31:53 +0000 Nathan http://admission.blog.gustavus.edu/?p=247 Gustavus has numerous on-campus student organizations, ranging from sororities to sports to academic clubs. As a freshman, I took a look at many of these clubs and selected a few that I wanted to be a part of. I chose to get involved with the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Club and the Gustavus Outdoor Enthusiasts (GOE).

A few weeks ago I went to a meeting that one member of each student run club needed to attend. I went to the meeting to represent GOE. In the meeting, members of student senate discussed the steps of how student organizations would become recognized as official organizations on campus for the following year. They also explained how to obtain funding and supplies from GAC.

The application for student organizations involves some online forms and a budget request, but the underlying message of the meeting was that Gustavus encourages the formations of student organizations and is willing to fund activities. I think that it is essential that GAC supports a variety of interests, and this support highlights the fact that Gustavus is a Liberal Arts College.

With so many organizations in place, many students are able to find a way to get involved on campus. But, if not, Gustavus says to you Mr. or Ms. Creative, “generate an idea for an organization, create some interest, become a recognized group, and enjoy the college experience!” My favorite new student organization is the sauna society. As the name implies, members use the Gustavus sauna to relax and chat.

Participating in or creating your own organization is a straightforward process at GAC, and the many organizations at Gustavus are nice supplements to an academic schedule.

The bookstore is open Monday through Saturday. They have a cheery and helpful staff that are proud to serve the Gustavus community. Every time I have shopped at the Bookmark, I have been treated with an almost motherly type care.

The Book Mark is especially convenient for Gustie students because it is on campus and close to all academic buildings. I especially appreciate that I can easily stop by the Book Mark and purchase shampoo, contact solution, or toothpaste if I run out.

The Book Mark sends out coupons to GAC students during the their birthday months for the bookstore. I have used my birthday coupons to purchase Gustavus sweatshirts and other clothing.

The Book Mark is the store that I purchase all of my course textbooks at. They have a great website, where I am able to purchase new or used books, and then pick them up once I arrive on the Gustavus Campus. Check out the Book Mark’s website here.

All in all, the Book Mark is a all purpose bookstore that is convenient, helpful, and just another unique part of Gustavus.

The weekend of Thrill on the Hill has historically received some pretty good Minnesota spring weather.  This weekend hopefully will be no different.  Partial sun and moderate winds are expected, which should make for a beautiful couple of days. The fields will be a bit moist, and if the grass is a little damp, I think players will be more keen to dive for discs, which is one of the true highlights of any ultimate match.

Most teams will play around six games in two days for Thrill on the Hill. I am sure that this will result in some sore bodies.  Nevertheless, I am truly excited for the weekend.  Gustavus is a fine campus for hosting a tournament.  Plenty of field space, an excellent cafeteria close by, and lots of interested fans makes thrill on the hill one of the best spring ultimate tournaments in the midwest.

With unlimited resources, study rooms, private desks, and an abundance of computers, the library is a great place to get work done. Gustavus is a part of an interlibrary loan system, meaning that the GAC library can borrow books from other prestigious library’s if a student needs them.

As a biology major, I have found that the amount of scientific journals that Gustavus subscribes to is helpful when writing research papers. The library even boasts an assortment of comfortable lounge chairs that can make taking a nap unavoidable.

I also appreciate the GAC library because it is continually purchasing new releases for students to enjoy. I recently picked up a copy of Michael Pollan’s new book, An Omnivore’s Dilemma, which thoroughly examines the facts and ethics behind the food that we eat. A good read.

The GAC library is a useful aspect of Gustavus that shouldn’t be overlooked.

After eating at the Market Place for over four years, I am proud to say that I am not sick of the food that is offered at Gustavus. Sure, I try to be creative so that I don’t get bored with what I am eating, but the Gustavus Food Service staff constantly improves upon its menu, and changes the foods that are offered.

This past Wednesday for example, I made my way to the Market Place without really knowing what I wanted. I got there, and walked to the soup section of the cafeteria. There, to my delight, I found that cream of mushroom soup was being served. I decided to pair this soup with a ham and cheese croissant sandwich and a bottle of ruby red grapefruit juice. The meal was excellent. Eating can be a really pleasurable thing in life, and The Market Place at Gustavus makes it possible and convenient for students to eat well.

A few of my favorite things about the Market Place are its extensive hours (7 A.M. to 11 P.M.), the fresh fruit bar, and the bakery. If you are interested in finding more about the Gustavus Market Place, click here. Check it out, because the food at Gustavus truly is extraordinary.

Also, be sure to check out the Kitchen Cabinet blog here.  Kitchen Cabinet serves as an advisory body to the dining services director, and they provide important direction for the dining service at Gustavus.

However, academics are usually pretty intense during the beginning of spring, as students face midterm tests and papers. That is why it is so nice to have the outdoor options that the spring season offers. Many students attempt to balance academics and the outdoors by studying and reading outside. While this is a fine option, I try to set aside about an hour a day during the spring season to spend outside. While this time spent outside doesn’t directly lessen my homework load, I do think that it relieves stress and contributes to a more focused mind.

One of the great outdoor areas at Gustavus is the Linnaeus Arboretum. This natural sanctuary has walking and running trails, flower gardens, ponds, coniferous and deciduous trees, prairie grasses and many benches to just sit and relax in nature. The arboretum is a wonderful resource, and having such a beautiful natural environment right on-campus provides another reason for Gustie student to take advantage of the weather and get outside.

I always feel a renewed sense of energy during the spring season. The Gustavus community offers a wide variety of ways to take advantage of this fresh and new feeling that begins to emerge on campus during spring time. The picture to the right has a few things that represent, to me, some of the best aspects of spring. Enjoy the weather friends!!

It is interesting to start thinking about the reality of graduating from Gustavus.  In less than two months from now my four years at Gustavus will come to a close, and I, along with the rest of the senior class, will face a new set of challenges.  Jobs, additional education, travel, volunteering are the sorts of things most of us will do.  Exciting and a bit overwhelming.

I am confident that Gustavus has prepared me for life after GAC.  But truthfully, the time right after graduation will be full of new, rather uncertain, steps and activities for me.  I could be in China teaching english or I could be in Alaska working on environmental issues.  Whatever I do after graduation, I want to make sure that the next two months at Gustavus are some of the best and memorable I have had here.

Luckily, on campus apartments are cleaned once a week by a cleaning staff. Can you believe it!! The cleaning staff wipes off counters in the kitchen, mops the floors, cleans bathroom toilets and showers, and takes out the trash. They do a wonderful job, and make our apartment a much nicer place to live.

Before the cleaning staff arrives every week, my roommates and I do our best to clean our impressive pile of dishes so the staff can do their work. This is important because it forces us to do our part to keep the apartment clean.

I feel fortunate to have a cleaning staff that helps keep my apartment clean. Additionally, on the several occasions that I have met the staff, they have been nothing but courteous and helpful. GAC students are lucky to have such a service on campus.

Setting up an individual appointment with the Admissions Office is a fantastic way to get to know Gustavus.  Prospective students can receive meaningful one on one attention with Admissions counselors, attend a college class, and even spend a night in a college dorm.

Spring is an excellent time to visit Gustavus.  The weather is friendly, the grass is green, and the whole campus is filled with excitement.

I think campus visits are really the best way to learn about an institution.  I encourage all students interested in Gustavus to consider visiting the campus, and I am confident you will be more informed about the special college experience at Gustavus.