Classes, Dances, and Adventures
Hello to everybody again! It’s been a crazy (crazy meaning “awesome”) past few weeks here at Ave. With classes, the Sock Hop, Fall Fest, and Saturday’s beach adventure, I’ve been quite a busy man.
First off – academics. I know that when I was looking into Ave Maria, I had a lot of concerns: “How hard are the classes? How difficult is the work load? How available are the teachers?” Regarding the classes and the homework: it’s challenging. Now, notice that I use the word “challenging” here instead of “hard” or “difficult;” this is because of the implications of the word. I would consider it “difficult” to swim against Michael Phelps, but “challenging” to swim against someone who could swim about as well as I could. The classes and the work load here will push you, but it’s never anything you can’t handle. Just keep up with the reading, do the homework, and ask questions when you’re confused; you’ll be fine.
Now about the teachers – they’re always happy to sit down with anyone who needs help. Every professor has office hours and is open to scheduling appointments. Often times when I have a question about a reading in Literary Tradition or a concept in Calculus, I’ll pop in during my professor’s office hours and he’ll sit with me until he’s answered all of my questions. The teachers here are all absolutely brilliant men and women who are happy to help their students when they’re struggling.
Onto the after-school events: firstly, the Sock Hop. “Michael, what the heck is a Sock Hop? Seriously, I have no idea” is what you might be saying to yourself. Don’t worry; I’m here to clear it up. In essence, a Sock Hops is a 50s themed swing-dance: girls in knee-length dresses and guys with jeans and slicked-back hair.
And then there’s the swing dancing. Even when I wasn’t dancing I was still just as entertained watching everyone else. The best part was that, even if someone walked in with two left feet, he left knowing at least some basic swing steps. From the people who just knew how to spin to the ones who could flip their partners over theirs backs, everyone had a blast (the root beer floats weren’t half-bad, either).
Fall Fest this past Friday was oodles of fun, too. In essence, Fall Fest is Ave’s way of saying, “The weather might not have changed, but it’s still technically Fall!” Campfires, s’mores, apple cider, live music, funnel cakes, flannel shirts, and blue jeans – that’s Fall Fest. The best part is that everything’s free (yes, even the funnel cakes)! It was great to sit down with my friends (some of whom I made that night) and listen to the bands and solo-artists that live right here on campus.
Lastly, Saturday’s beach adventure. A few of my friends and I decided to head out for the afternoon to a nearby beach. Some swam, some tanned, and some read; I’m actually editing most of this blog post with the ocean right in front of me! On the way, back we all decided to stop at a self-serve frozen yogurt place called Menchie’s and I had what could quite possibly be considered the greatest combination of chocolate and key-lime that the world has ever known.
So Far, I’ve loved it here at Ave. From the friends I’ve made to the things I’ve learned: it’s all been incredible. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store!
