Can you think of a better way to end the soccer season than with your fellow teammates, other fall athletes, faculty and staff involved with the Student Athletic Advisory Board? I certainly can't. :o) On Thursday, Mount Aloysius College honored its fall athletes with a beautiful banquet and awards ceremony. It was difficult to recognize several of my teammates because I'm used to seeing them in their soccer uniform, which is usually covered in mud. Everybody looked beautiful, and the guys looked very handsome in their dress shirts and ties. It was a nice and quiet evening spent with the students I love most.

Dr. Jane Grasadonia opened the evening with her thoughts on the Athletic program and how proud she is that the College is being represented so positively by the student-athletes. She is excited that the program is growing and generating a lot of interest ouside of our local area. Mount Aloysius is making a very strong name for itself and Dr. Grasadonia stated that she is honored to be a part of its atmosphere.

Sister Mary Ann Dillion, President of Mount Aloyius College, also gave an inspirational speech at the banquet. She discussed the important balance of the term "student-athlete" and the importance in maintaining that balance. She said that we, as students, are representing the College remarkably well and how proud she was that we are also making strong impacts in the classroom as well as in athletics.

After her closing remarks, the soccer team presented Coach Kelly with a picture I had taken of him and the three seniors, Jess Parzanese, Katy Hyland, and Ann Hospelhorn, at our last game of the season. We also gave him a card signed by the enitre team with a gift card to his favorite restaurant. We then presented the seniors with individual scrapbooks that several of us had created. They were small gestures of our appreciation for the leadership they possessed on and off the soccer field as well as little momentos of their last year with MAC. It was a memorable evening and we enjoyed a great night together as a team.

Well, I'm off to lunch with some of my friends...

Laura