Snowboarding Season at Sugarbush

Charlie Merry

Marketing Blog

4/2/14

Blog #9

Snowboarding Season at Sugarbush

 

            One of the main reasons that I came to Saint Michael’s College was to have easy access to the mountains in the area. Saint Mike’s $60 student pass to Smuggler’s Notch is a great deal that many students take advantage of.  I grew up snowboarding frequently and it’s definitely one of my favorite wintertime activities. Growing up near mountains such as Sunday River and having parents who ski certainly helped get me into snowboarding. I can even remember coming to Smuggler’s Notch for skiing vacations when I was younger. However, this year I chose to buy a pass to Sugarbush in addition to Smuggs, which has turned out pretty well.

 

            The main reason that I bought a pass to Sugarbush was because many of my friends decided to get Sugarbush passes. I was a little skeptical buying the more expensive pass because I didn’t get the chance to ski very much last year. Playing a sport at school takes up a lot of free time, and sometimes you just need the weekend to rest and relax. However, I’ve been able to ski a decent amount this winter and justify spending the extra money on the pass. Skiing with friends on a day with good snow is a recipe for a great day. Also, my roommate has a ski house at the base of Sugarbush, so he’s a longtime skier of the mountain and knows it very well. My roommate also has his car at school, so getting the Sugarbush pass made sense because I’d always have a ride to the mountain.

 

            The ski season thus far has had its ups and downs. I couldn’t negotiate a schedule this semester that left me with weekdays on which I could go skiing. Also, it seems that whenever there’s a storm at the mountain I can’t find the time to make it there. For example, the one week we left for Spring Break the mountains got upwards of 20” inches of snow. I couldn’t complain because I was heading to Florida, but it still would have been nice to get to the mountain during that time. Despite these problems, I’ve still had a much better ski season so far compared with last year.

 

            I’ve been able to get to the mountain 16 times so far this winter. That’s not bad considering that I can’t go during weekdays and I can’t go sometimes due to scheduling conflicts with tennis. Hopefully I can finish the ski season strong and get out there another 10 times before the mountains close. Sugarbush has proven to be a great mountain and I’ve discovered some awesome terrain throughout the winter. I love winter and pray for snowstorms, which might seem crazy for those who despise the winter season. However, winter provides me with some of my favorite activities, mainly snowboarding and pond hockey. Overall, the ski season thus far has been good and I’m excited to finish out the year with some warm spring skiing.

Spring Break

Charlie Merry

Spring Break

Marketing

Prof. Popovich

Blog #9

 

            Every year college students around the country eagerly await spring break. This year spring break at Saint Michael’s College was from March 14^th to March 23^rd. This time allows students to relax and take a brief pause from their hectic lives. Some students simply go home while others choose to go on vacations with their friends. This year, I was fortunate enough to go on a training trip to Orlando, Florida with the tennis team. I had an amazing spring break this year and it was definitely nice getting away from the bitter Vermont winter.

            Both the men’s and the women’s tennis teams made the trip to Orlando this year. The men’s team was busy throughout the week with matches. We played five matches throughout the week and usually practiced afterward. The schools we played included Colorado College, Hobart, Hope, Hamilton, and Onondaga College. Each match began at 8 AM so we had an early start each day. However, this didn’t bother me because it allowed for time afterward to chill by the pool or play beach volleyball. Also, it was definitely good to play our matches in the morning, before the intense Florida sun reached the middle of the sky.

            I had a relatively productive training trip in Florida. First of all, it was great to finally get back outside and play on some real courts. Our indoor tennis facilities at Saint Mike’s are absolutely terrible. The surface is used for multiple sports, so it’s not built with tennis in mind. Tarrant center’s surface is rubbery, which makes the ball skid and explode on you faster than normal. Going back outside was one of my favorite parts of the training trip. I ended the trip with two wins, tied for the team lead. Also, I lost two 3 set matches during the trip. Losing is never fun, but going 3 sets proved I could play with these teams and I felt I should have won both of those matches. Overall, I felt that I got better, and I ended the trip with the most games won during the week.

            Another highlight of the trip was when both the women’s and men’s teams made a trip to Universal studios. Universal is an extremely entertaining theme park with cutting edge roller coasters and simulation rides. I especially enjoy the huge roller coasters such as The Hulk, and the Dueling Dragons. My favorite part of the park was probably the newly constructed Harry Potter world. I grew up reading all of the Harry Potter books and it was really cool to see this world brought to life through this part of the park. The park recreated the Hogwarts castle as well as the marketplace in the series, Hogsmeade. This part of the park also had extremely entertaining rollercoasters as well as simulation rides. After the park, the team ate a delicious dinner at the Hard Rock café. Ending what was a great day in Florida. Spring break this year was definitely one of the best I’ve ever had, and I hope the teams will choose to return to Florida again next year.

Studying Abroad

Charlie Merry

Blog #8

Marketing

Prof. Popovich

 

Study Abroad

 

Studying abroad is an extremely appealing option to plenty of college students throughout the country. Studying in a foreign country is a unique experience that could be very beneficial for anyone. More and more students are choosing to study abroad, realizing that it could help them increase their cultural awareness. Over 4 million students are now choosing to spend a semester or more abroad. I have plenty of friends who are currently studying abroad or are planning on studying abroad next year. Saint Michael’s has a very supportive staff who encourage studying abroad to everyone who has the chance. I went through the simple process of applying for study abroad and was recently accepted. I’ll be spending the fall semester of my junior year studying in Barcelona, Spain.

 

Students are choosing to study abroad for a number of reasons. For example, some just want to become a better speaker of a different language. I’ve taken Spanish courses since 7^th grade and consider myself to be an above average speaker of the language. However, living in Spain will undoubtedly help me become a better Spanish speaker. I’ll have no choice but to learn the language if I want to get around the city or ask for directions from a stranger. Learning another language is something that’s important to me. I think it could be extremely beneficial for job opportunities, and it would be something that’s just cool in general. Hopefully I can improve on my vocabulary this summer to ready myself for living in Spain.

 

Another reason that students are choosing to study abroad is for the cultural experience. Many people aren’t given the opportunity to experience a different country with different customs and norms. I truly believe that every country can offer a unique way of viewing things and this will be interesting to experience firsthand. For example, the Spanish have a very different way of viewing things such as time, sleep, and what time to eat meals. The Spanish notoriously eat dinner extremely late, and take midday naps during the work week. I’m extremely excited to see how different it can be living in a foreign country. Not to mention how excited I am to take regular naps throughout the week.

 

Furthermore, the program that I’m doing study abroad through offers classes that will help me meet major and minor requirements for graduation. This was extremely important to me because I needed a plan that would allow me to graduate on time. This comes out as a win/win situation. I’ll be able to study in Spain, while also fulfilling the regular amount of necessary credits. I can’t vouch for study abroad just yet, but I’m anticipating a great experience. I definitely believe that Study Abroad should be utilized by more students, as it could be viewed as a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity.

Big Bad Bruins are Back

Charlie Merry

Marketing

Prof. Popovich

Blog #7

Big Bad Bruins are Back

 

After an extended layoff due to the Olympic Games in Sochi, NHL hockey has finally returned. Olympic Hockey is certainly intriguing and special, but I’m happy that NHL hockey is back, especially in Boston. The Bruins are currently sitting at 37-17-5. For the non-hockey fan, that equates to 37 wins, 17 losses, and 5 losses that came in overtime. This is a phenomenal record at this point in the year, leaving the Bruins in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. Gaudy win totals are becoming the norm for Bruins fans, the Bruins are currently on an impressive streak of consecutive years making the playoffs. Bruins playoff hockey is one of the most intense atmospheres in sports. Bruins fans can rejoice in this, as they consider themselves one of the most diehard in the entire National Hockey League.

            The Bruins have been paced this season by David Krejci, Reilly Smith, Jarome Iginla, Milan Lucic, and Patrice Bergeron. Krejci is a center on the Bruins, leads the team in points, and just recently represented the Czech Republic in the Sochi Olympics. Smith is a newcomer on the team. Smith was acquired from the Dallas Stars in the controversial trade that sent fan favorite Tyler Seguin out of town. However, Smith is quickly proving that he is a valuable asset to have, lessening the sting of losing Seguin. Jarome Iginla is a burly winger who has been in the National Hockey League for many years. Iginla is respected throughout the league for his skills as well as his leadership and class. However, Iginla made waves in Boston last year when he spurned the Bruins to join their hated rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite this slight, Bruins fans have embraced Iginla as he’s become one of their top point producers. Also, the fact that the Bruins defeated the Penguins in last year’s playoffs certainly helps. Milan Lucic is a fan favorite in Boston for his physical style of play that embodies the hard working fan-base. Lucic is a physical winger who also puts up solid point totals. Patrice Bergeron is perhaps the most important player on the entire roster. Bergeron is a life-long Bruin who has a Stanley Cup, and two Gold Medals that he acquired while playing on Canada’s last two gold medal winning hockey teams. Bergeron is beloved in Boston for his hard work as well as his production. Bergeron is a renowned two way forward in the league, meaning that he’s a skilled defensive as well as offensive forward. Bergeron has won the Selke trophy before. This award is given to the player who best displays the defensive aspects of the game from a forward position.

            Overall, things are going very well for the Bruins thus far this season. The team is playing well and seems to be clicking as playoffs are quickly approaching. Despite the regular season success of the team this year, there’s a larger goal at hand. The Stanley Cup was won in Boston in 2011, but the team lost in the final last year to the Chicago Blackhawks. I’m sure that everyone on the team is eager to avenge their failure in last year’s playoffs. Their road to the Stanley Cup should be extremely entertaining to watch.