Happy Halloween!!

Tonight was the Halloween Dance. After class, Justin and I headed down to the dance. I went as Justin, and he went as me. I only stayed for a few minutes because I have been sick for the past few days. I think it may have been from the flu shot that I received on Friday. I hope I will get better in a few days.

The other day I met with my advisor to discuss the classes that I am going to take next semester. So far, I am going to take 15 credits, but I may take another class to fill up my schedule. I am contemplating about taking another minor on top of the two that I am already trying to obtain.

I received a perfect score on my American National Government test today. I was so relieved when I found out that I did so well. I hope I continue to do well in all of my classes. Tomorrow I have my Honors class. I have a huge paper due, and I am not feeling to well, so I want to finish the project before I head to bed...

John

Posted by John Porter at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The weather this weekend was not normal. Yesterday, we had wind, rain, and thunder, all within an hour. This past Thursday, Mount Aloysius College students and staff performed Talking With..., a play, for the community. As play production students, Jenna, Justin, and I had to usher guests into Alumni Hall. Although I watched the play three times, I enjoyed it more and more with every performance. Today, we had to strike the stage to get ready for the next play in a few weeks.

Last night, Jenna and I watched Waiting, a movie that shows what goes on behind the scenes of a restaurant. It was interesting and disgusting at the same time. Tonight we are going to watch the Steelers play the Oakland Raiders. It should be a great game, and the Steelers should win tonight. I think we are going to order some take out from Mazz's, a pizzeria in Gallitzin. Their food is always delicious. After the game, we are going to the library to study.

Well, I must go!

John

Posted by John Porter at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This weekend was really exciting. The Judy Meisel presentation was really great. There was even some new information presented this year. The Open House and Health Quest were also successful. After work on Saturday, Justin, Jenna, and I went and saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show that was being performed at Cresson Lake Playhouse. It was a great performance. My roommate Owen was a lead character, and he did an awesome job portraying Brad. After the play, Jen, Danielle, Justin, and I watched The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks. We also watched the musical/movie Chicago. It really was a movie-filled weekend.

Tonight I attended the Presidential Appreciation Dinner. I really had a great time. It was a great opportunity to see and meet the faces that have helped financed my education. Without them, a lot of us would not be able to attend institutions like Mount Aloysius College. Sister Mary Ann Dillon (our College President) gave a remarkable speech, and it is exciting to be a part of such an advancing institution.

Well, it is getting late and I need to get some homework done...

John

Posted by John Porter at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday was my first day of class for the week. In our Journalism class we were assigned our last two articles for the final edition of the Belltower. I am going to co-author an article on Judy Meisel, a Holocaust survivor. She is going to be here this Friday. We are going to watch her video, Tak for Alt: Thank You for Everything. We also get to ask her questions after the video, and the Honors students get to have lunch with her. I met her two years ago during her last visit to Mount Aloysius College, so I am looking forward to hearing her presentation again. My other article is going to be a photography showcase featuring pictures taken by students.

In my Honors class, we are reading The Odyssey and are going to watch the movie as well. I have seen this video twice, and I am excited to see it again because it is one of my favorites. Today I had to take two exams. One was in my American National Government class and the other was in History and Politics of the Far East. I am confident that I did well. I also had a Children's Advocacy and Student Government meeting. If anyone wants to buy a Sheetz coupon, then come see me because I have some. We also had a Mercy Social, where all the Mercy Presidential Scholars get together and socialize. We discussed leadership qualities and what we feel leadership means. Sister Mary Ann Dillon, the Mount Aloysius College President, is coming to our next social in November.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Health Quest, an annual event that brings bus loads of high school students to the college, starts tomorrow at 8 a.m. Judy Meisel's presentation starts around 9:30. Afterwards, I have to figure out my course schedule for next semester. I also have to work tomorrow night from 8 until 11p.m. I think we are going to take my GameCube and play some games.

Until next time,

John

Posted by John Porter at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At Last! The Steelers are back to what they do best...winning! They have finally become organized and started to play the way the defending Super Bowl champions should.

On Thursday, the gang and I headed into Johsntown. We stopped at the mall and I bought some clothes and some gifts for my mom and brother's birthdays. We also stopped at Chili's and met up with our friend Melissa, who graduated from Mount Aloysius College last spring. The food was delicious and the laughs were hilarious.

This past weekend was our Fall midterm break. I sat back and relaxed for the couple of days that I had free. It was great, but I was ready to see my friends again. I have numerous papers and exams in the weeks ahead.

Tonight some members of the Children's Advocacy Association and I headed into Hollidaysburg to help with the annual Foster Family Dinner at the Zion Lutheran Church. The dinner brings in foster families from around the area, and while the parents eat a magnificent dinner accompanied with entertainment, we watch and do activities with the kids. I had to give a short speech tonight about our club and the activities that we do. Jenna and I watched over the teen room. Although they were great kids, it was very hectic.

I am going to get some homework done and get some sleep...

John

Posted by John Porter at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Although I had a great night last night, the Steelers still lost to the Chargers. I do not think they are going to make it to the playoffs this year, but there is still a chance to bounce back. Our Steelers party was great. We ordered pizza, wings, and fries from Mazz's in Gallitzin. The food was delicious, but I have a lot of leftovers to eat. I guess I can have pizza for dinner tonight. The weather was really nice yesterday, so Justin and I played a few games of tennis. We also took some pictures of the trees changing their colors. Some of my pictures were blurry, but a few turned out really great. I will include some in my next blog. I finished my laundry today and I also wrote two articles for the next issue of the The Belltower.

Today is going to be a busy day. I had to get up an extra hour earlier. I went to work early, so I could leave for play producation at 10. We had to move some platforms and locate their legs, so they could start constructing the set for the upcoming play. After my hour in Alumni Hall, I went back to work in Cosgrave. I had to call some people to inform them that they they won a prize at the Fantasy Casino that the College hosted a few weekends ago. I also filed some of Sue's paperwork. In a few minutes, I plan to meet a few friends for lunch at the Mountain Fountain, our College fast food grill. Later in the day, I also plan to finish some homework, and I might fit in a game of tennis later on this evening. I also need to start a few papers that are due next week.

Well, my stomach is starting to growl, so I will let my blog end now...

John

Posted by John Porter at 5:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cresson Heritage Days was a blast! The food was delicious and the entertainment was great. We had many children participate in our coloring contest. We are going to judge their masterpieces this Thursday. The blow up basketball/tug of war game was a huge hit with the little kids and the adults, as well. The event drew Mount Aloysius College Alumni from around the commonwealth.

My laundry was starting to pile up, so I decided to wash a load. I am going to do the other half tomorrow. My friend Laura went to New York state this weekend, but she may have broken her thumb this while playing soccer. I hope that it is not broken. She is going to bring some of her friends over to my room tomorrow. We are planning to have a Steelers party tomorrow night. The Steelers had better win tomorrow, or I am going to be mad. They have been playing poorly lately, and if they do not catch up to Cincinnati and Baltimore soon, they may not make the playoffs.

On the academic side of things, I have been doing pretty well. I have midterms this week, so I am going to be busy studying to keep my grades up. I am trying to get all A's for the semester, but I have some tough courses. Well, I need to get that laundry, so I will write more on Monday...

John

Posted by John Porter at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Tuesday, Laura, Rick and I headed to a college fair. We represented Mount Aloysius while we met and answered questions of prospective students. It was a great event, and I look forward to the next college fair that I get to participate in.

Yesterday, I competed in the Mountie Olympics trivia contest. The contest was really close, and I came in a respectable second place. The Mr. and Ms. Mountie pageant was also a great hit with the students. I hope our team wins. Later that night, a couple of us made popcorn and watched, I, Robot.

Today was also a busy day. I am now the President of the Children's Advocacy Association, so I had to take the reins at today's meeting. This weekend is the Cresson Area Heritage Days. It is an annual carnival that brings the surrounding community together. As a club, we are going to have a table and provide a coloring contest for children. We are also going to hand out information regarding bus safety and Halloween safety. I had to run to Wal-Mart in Ebensburg to pick up supplies for this weekend. While shopping, we ran into Dr. Dragani, one of our professors. I also bought the new X-Men movie. We are going to watch it in a few minutes, so I will write a little more later...

John

Posted by John Porter at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fantastic. If I had to find one work to describe my weekend, it would be "fantastic." I did not get as much sleep as I would prefer, but that did not hold back the amount of fun and excitement that I had.

On Saturday, at 6 a.m., about 40 Mount Aloysius College students and I volunteered for the Johnstown Salvation Army. We helped with their annual Project Bundle Up, which is a program that helps underprivileged children from the surrounding communities. Each child, ages 0-18, is allotted a certain amount of money that has been donated. Then a volunteer is assigned to them, and they help them find a coat and other winter needs. This all takes place before the mall is open to the public at the JCPenney store. It was great to hear everyone say "thank you" and to see all of the smiles on the children's and parents' faces.

After Project Bundle Up ended, I headed back to campus to assist with the Take a Kid to a Game Program. We had a successful program, and I would like to continue this program in the future. I also watched a couple of the games, and all of the teams performed well. John Rush, a singer, also came to Mount Aloysius. He was great, and I am thinking of purchasing one of his CDs. After I finished up at work, Jenna, Matt, Laura, Petey, Steve, Lucy, and I headed to Altoona. We ate dinner and had ice cream at Friendly's. After that, we went midnight bowling at Holiday Bowl. It was a blast, and I even broke 100, which is bad for most bowlers, but great for me. We did not get back to the residence halls until 3 a.m.

Yesterday comprised of sleeping, doing homework, and watching some of the football games on TV. I will write more soon...

John

Posted by John Porter at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)