December 3rd, 2009

 I choose to give thanks to God every day, Thanksgiving was one of those days I did that and more.  Thanksgiving is a day of reflection on what we are thankful for. It seems many families experience thanksgiving with different traditions. So in the spirit of being diverse and embracing different traditions my friend Emil (BFF) and I set out on a journey to 7 different houses to shake hands, hug friends, and of course EAT!

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Tagged As: Art, basketball, Community Service, Food, Friends, Jobs, Philadelphia, Philly, photos, thanksgiving, Visiting
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September 11th, 2009

College is like a tattoo. (Work with me for a minute.) Much like your degree, a tattoo is stuck with you for the rest of your life, for better or for worse. Tattoos are quite common; thousands of people may have the same design. (How many psychology majors do you know? That’s what I thought.) Often, it’s not the tattoo’s design that makes it unique, but where it’s located.

Here’s my point: you’ll find many things in common at every college, whether they be similar majors; esteemed faculty; fierce mascots; or Friday classes. So, what sets a college apart more than anything? Where it’s located. (Not impressed by my stellar tattoo analogy? Read on.)

No matter how large or small your college of choice is, you can’t stay on campus forever. Whether you’re looking for an internship, a part-time job, or just a way to spend Saturday evening, the city surrounding your campus makes all the difference.

With that in mind, my upcoming series (fittingly titled Why Philly?) will give you plenty of evidence proving that Philly is the ultimate college town. I’m going to dive into Philly’s affordable nightlife, fashion, music, internships, food, and more, plus how to access these amenities from CHC.

In the mean time, check out stories I’ve written for AroundPhilly.com (as an intern this fall, nonetheless) for a small sample of what Philly has to offer.

Tagged As: fashion, Food, Internship, Music, nightlife, Philly, SEPTA
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March 1st, 2009

As you’ve probably noticed by now, Chestnut Hill College is technically in Philadelphia, even though we’re removed from the hustle and bustle of Center City. Consequently, we’re able to take advantage of many city benefits without actually being an urban campus.

One great Philly event to take advantage of is Restaurant Week. Center City District organizes two Restaurant Weeks each year: one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. More than 100 restaurants in Center City (and the surrounding area) offer dinners consisting of a minimum of 3 courses for only $35 (before taxes, tip, and alcohol). While that might sound a little steep on a college budget, it’s actually a great deal. These aren’t restaurants like Applebee’s or Red Robin; they’re restaurants like The Melting Pot, Phillips Seafood, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and Swanky Bubbles Restaurant & Champagne Bar.

This year, my friends and I decided to participate in the “spring” Restaurant Week, which was the last week of January and then extended into the first week of February. We picked
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Tagged As: Chestnut Hill, Discount, Food, off campus, Philadelphia
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February 15th, 2009

I’m a bit of a night owl. I’m the kind of person who, when home from school for summer, Christmas, or even just a long weekend, gets onto a basically nocturnal schedule. Going to bed between 2:00 and 7:00 a.m. and waking between 12:00 and 4:00 p.m. is the norm, not the exception, in my world.Yet I always run into a problem: the world is designed around a “normal” schedule. That means most stores, restaurants, and even delivery food places close before I’m ready for my last meal of the day.

What’s a girl to do? Search for any late-night or 24-hour locales she can find within a reasonable distance, of course!

My personal favorites:

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Tagged As: all-nighters, Food, Late night, off campus, photos
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December 14th, 2008

Every finals week at CHC, in both the fall and spring semesters, the Academic Affairs committee of the Student Government Association hosts a pancake dinner. Since I’m the vice president for Academic Affairs, I was in charge of the whole shindig this semester, which we held on Wednesday, December 10, at 7:30 p.m. I’ll admit there was a little bit of stress involved, a combination of finals week and the event itself, but we pulled it off in the end. And it was a great success, if I do say so myself.

Faculty and staff cook and serve all the food—pancakes and bacon, sometimes sausage, too. They often pick a theme and wear corresponding hats and other festive gear. This year, they chose Harry Potter (perhaps inspired by our recent Quidditch events) and decked themselves out in wizarding hats, Harry glasses, and wands.

During the course of the dinner, we were even treated to an impromptu performance by Dr. Jessica Kahn, Fr. Rick Malloy, and Prof. Saul Senders!

For the Academic Affairs committee, the pancake dinner is an opportunity to check in with students each semester on academic issues. Because the event falls during finals week, when students are wrapping up their courses and filling out evaluations, it’s the perfect time to get a feel for their opinions on all things academic. We distributed surveys while students were eating to give them time to read the questions and respond honestly. It was a quick and painless survey, and thus almost everyone was willing to fill one out. I’ve been wading through the survey data and haven’t quite finished it yet, but I’m estimating there are at least 105 completed surveys. Not bad at all, considering our undergrad enrollment is somewhere around 800 students.

Just 5 more months ‘til the next batch of pancakes!

Tagged As: Annual, finals, Food, pancakes, professors
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November 14th, 2008

If as you are ever looking for some good food you need to try Nifty Fifty’s. Named the Best of Philly 9 times, there is nowhere in town where you can find a better cheese steak, fries, and milkshake. Nifty Fifty’s menu consists of 100 flavors of fountain soda ranging from Cherry Cheesecake to Vanilla Root beer. In addition there are a countless number of milkshakes, Chocolate Banana and Mint Oreo Cookies and Cream are just a couple of my favorites. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there are a wide variety of foods to choose from. Some Nifty Fifty favorites include: freshly squeezed lemonade, Egg McGlynn (choice western steer filet mignon, egg and cheese of an English muffin, roll, or toast), Texas Tommy (hot dog wrapped in bacon with melted cheddar), and homemade chili. As a Philly hot spot, Nifty Fifty’s was one of the most popular places to grab a bite after the World Series Parade. There was a line out the door of Philly fans eager for food to celebrate the win of their beloved team.

         

Tagged As: Best of Philly, Cheese steak, Food, milkshakes, Texas Tommy
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July 30th, 2008

It’s funny to think that so many students would actually volunteer to wait tables all night—since so many of us do toil away at the tables in the summer and whatnot—but with the chance to make a difference at the Empty Bowl Dinner, we’re more than happy to add an extra shift.

Every year, Chestnut Hill College hosts the Empty Bowl Dinner in the Arena to benefit the Northwest Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network (NPIHN), a non profit organization whose mission is to provide food and shelter to local homeless families. Empty Bowl brings in more than 1,000 volunteers, including Chestnut Hill College students, faculty and staff, people of the Chestnut Hill community at large—and even many formerly homeless people who have benefited from Empty Bowl and want to pay it forward.

Here’s how Empty Bowl works: Local businesses, schools, and potters donate clay bowls, while local restaurants donate soups, breads, and desserts. For a small fee, diners can select a hand-crafted bowl and enjoy fare from over 56 restaurants and bakeries in the Philadelphia area. At the end of the evening, diners take home their empty bowl as a reminder of those who face hunger every day (I don’t think the symbolism is lost on anybody.) All proceeds from the event are donated to NPIHN.

Last year’s Dinner attracted over 700 attendees and raised over $9,000. Not to mention, reminded a bunch of students that seemingly small good works can make a real difference in the lives of other people.

Tagged As: Annual, Community Service, Food
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