Siuwa Edomwande

Celebrating Father Joseph Schell

Unfortunately, I did not get to meet the great Fr. Schell, however, today I was in his presence and the testimonials I read online and the experiences those who knew him had shared, came to life. I'm glad I learned about him and, I was honored to get the opportunity to celebrate Fr. Schell with others.

During the mass, seeing the priests gathered around reminded me of the great community that I am in. In many of their faces I could see, not just scholars, but friends and teachers of life's great lessons. Not even a Catholic, I have found it very comfortable here. The Jesuits and our professors at John Carroll, just like many of the students here, love to be here. I'm not a nerd but I look forward to classes because they are interesting and fun. Learning here is a delight. One of the reasons why I chose John Carroll was because of the size. Not only are our classes small, our teachers are welcoming and inspiring. They are concerned and enthusiastic about everything. I am very grateful knowing that I am growing under great direction. Fr. Schell will continue to be a blessing to the community through the many lives that learned directly from him and through the many that emulate his saintly actions.

Embracing Opportunities

University may be the last chance you get to do a lot of things you will not be able to do when you're much older. Things like what you may ask? The way you spend your time helps you learn more the world around you, your interests and your talents. At John Carroll, we have over eighty student organizations, numerous service and volunteer opportunities, club sports, intramurals, academic clubs, days of activities, etc. and if none of these interest you, you have the support and necessary resources to start yours.

Two weekends ago, I was finally able to attend the Manresa retreat. Manresa was the place in Spain where St. Ignatius of Loyola (the great founder of the Jesuits) got an inspiration and a change of heart. So we can say that he found meaning in life there. A few weeks ago I was opportuned to go on the Guidance retreat. I know by now, you're probably thinking "Oh she's such a retreater!" That's okay, not the retreater :) Whatever you happen to think, my weekend away was an amazing experience. I have come to find retreats at JCU rewarding. Not just on a faith based level but on a social level. We had a lot of icebreaking activities and played a lot of games. There was also a lot to do at the retreat center such as swimming or just sleeping. I made so many new friends on the retreat as we reflected, shared and learned about Ignatian spirituality together. I was grateful to learn more about God’s love and how love is what we need. It truly is all that really matters. I heard that at some schools retreats are mandatory, another cool thing about John Carroll is that retreats are not mandatory. It’s great to know you have the opportunity to partake if you wish, I hope that many more people will come to embrace such opportunities.

Breaks and Changes...!

Most college students specialize in breaks. Blogging breaks, Facebook breaks, breaks off homework, and then comes a time we have to take breaks off procratinating :) 
I've missed sharing my experiences with you but the truth is the awesomness of the JCU community cannot really be put into a few words. It's Easter break and though most people will see it as  Spring Break (now that it's not snowing), I like that we have breaks here.

A lot of my friends will be graduating soon so this is their last JCU break before they leave (i'll miss them). Meanwhile, we're preparing for the class of 2012. Next semester, there will be a continuation of the changes that have begun on the campus. Here at John Carroll its easy to be an effective member of the community. Everyone is usually heard out. Not only are there so many ways to get involved, there are also many ways to implement ones ideas. During my time as a senator under the O'Malley Administration (Dan O'Malley is a great leader!)... i experienced first hand that the Faculty, Staff and entire administration of the University want the best for the body of the community especially the students. Next semester, there will be changes made to the dining and residence hall services. Fresh food will be served in the dining. Three floors will be dedicated to Greek housing. A new floor for the honors students in Campion Hall. (Meaning first year students can now live across the street :). There is a Master Plan. When you're a member of the community there will be much talk about it and even though it may take sometime, its wonderful to know that JCU is continually becoming a better place because we are all here working together.

New Year... New Beginnings

The first month of the New Year is over! 11 more to go. lol. How fast does time fly? This semester has been really great. It's nice to be back to see everyone and get busy again. I'm currently taking five classes and my favourite is Economics for the Non-Profit Sector. It was hard choosing which class I like best because I love them all. My Economics class is a graduate one and everyone there works. It's really interesting because they have real-life experiences to share. All of us in my French class share a special bond because most of us were in the same section last year. It's French for Business Majors (or anyone) with Madame Pereszlenyi-Pinter. It's a really fun class. We got to do dialogue recordings and we acted skits in groups. During our final exam last year, Madame P brought in cheese, wine (just kidding) and rolls of bread. We had apple juice instead of wine. She did this because one of our dossiers covered the different types of cheese and wine in France and their importance in French dining.

Next week a lot of us will have a couple of tests and papers to turn in and very soon it'll be spring break!!

Silence for a city girl :)

Hello Everyone!! Bonne Annee (i haven't said that yet, right?). I hope everyone had a lovely break because I did. I spent my holiday in Lagos and London- not quite the quiet places but I ended it with eight full days of silence at the Jesuit Retreat House in Parma, Ohio. No mobile phones or laptops, and I could only talk to my Spiritual Director and sing at Mass. Just like all those who know me well, I too could not comprehend why I jumped at such challenge and how I made it through. A number of us spent the last few weeks of the fall preparing for the 8-Day silent retreat, nothing could have fully prepared me for the wonderful experience that I had. I have been on a few retreats, but this was definitely the most life-changing. Retreats at JCU are usually organized by Paula, who is an amazing woman. Thanks to Fr. Ryan, Paula and all those who contributed to the retreat I was able to take life slowly and learn more about peace, life and love. Many times, my friends and I we were tempted to break the silence but we just smiled at each other. I had some hard days but I really can't remember those now. At the end of the retreat, we had the longest homily ever in which everyone got to talk about their week, at that point I felt like all the participants were my best friends... imagine, we did not even talk to each other for eight days but we shared a common peace. My friends have asked me a lot about the retreat but it's just not possible to explain, one has to go through it to really understand, I usually just end with... well it was silent. Silence is beautiful. JCU is really cool because we have so many ways of seeing the beauty of life and getting people together for great experiences!