Fall Finals 2012

Hello everyone!

It's that dreaded time of the year again, finals... Not much has been happening this past week at the 'Hurst. A lot of studious Lakers have been filling the library. Though the best part of this week is that we have three days of finals, and then we are on break for the Thanksgiving holiday!

My study material in the library computer lab

Most of my group papers are coming together, and I have been studying like crazy. I will be able to breathe so much easier once this term has ended.

I have a client in my Advertising Branding and Strategy class that we are presenting to, along with our final. We helped them create a name, logo, marketing campaign, and packaging design. I hope they'll love it! After the project is complete, and everything has been considered by the company, maybe I can show you what it is... but until then they've asked us to keep it on the down-low. That is something unique about the professors at Mercyhurst, they get random portfolio building projects like these for students to try and end up really exceeding.

Another monumental aspect of this past week is that I have completed my internship in the Marketing and PR Department. I finished my 200 hours, wrote my reflection paper, and had a wonderful experience. The department must have liked me too, because they offered me a part-time position to keep me around!

Well, that's all for now... Back to studying.
Thanks for reading :)
Jenna

Beer Sampling

Hello everyone and happy November!

This week I'm going to tell you about the beer sampling I put together for MSG. Sometimes organizations on campus get caught up in catching the younger crowd entering college to make the transition from home to college smoother. While that is awesome, and very important, MSG wanted to do something special for those upperclassmen who are 21+.

So what better thing to incorporate than beer? Now before you go off thinking that it was a kegger thrown by MSG, I must stress it was a SAMPLING, a small tasting of beers!

We opened up 50 spots for students who are 21+ to come out to taste a few of Erie's own local microbrews. We paired this sampling with the end of Oktoberfest and Alcohol Awareness Week. The Brewerie at Union Station, Lavery Brewing Company, and Erie Brewing Company were all in attendance for the sampling. They brought a variety of their unique and different beers that are brewed right here in Erie, Pa.

Beer Sampling with MSG in the Faculty Dining Room on campus

The students loved it and it was a blast, I am also planning a wine tasting in February in line with Valentine's Day!

Here's Drew and MU Professor

And here's a fun fact: Mercyhurst even has it's own brew! Senior Mercyhurst U. biology major Drew Spacht has brewed the first-ever Mercyhurst label – ‘Hurst Pale Ale, from hops grown at Mercyhurst's West campus farm. There are some videos on his process and a full article on Drew here. As a side note, it's even more interesting because as the marketing intern I saw his article get picked up by the AP News Wire, and Drew's story has been read all around the country, from New Jersey to San Fransisco!

That's all I have for now... have a wonderful week,
Jenna

Happy Halloween!

So, this past weekend was my big Halloween weekend!

Though Halloween isn't until this Wednesday, I had to get all of my holiday fun in now since I am on duty for Residence Life on the actual date.

My boyfriend, he's been mentioned in previous blogs, Matt was up for the weekend. We dressed up at Lucy and Ricky from I Love Lucy. Enjoy some of the pictures below...

The whole costume!

In black and white for the retro effect!

We had a blast, we went to Haunted Erie on Saturday night which is an event that allows people to view all of the historical and supposedly haunted spots of Erie. I was a really nice night, and was super fun. After Haunted Erie, we had a quick dinner at Molly Branigan's a local Irish pub (I definitely recommend the pretzel sticks if you're ever around!) and then went out for a night on the town as Lucy and Ricky.

On Sunday, I put together the Ambassador Club's Halloween Social. It was in our Student Union Great Room and was packed with current Ambassadors and those who are pledging. About 150 people showed up dressed in costume. There was a mummy race, donut eating contest, pumpkin painting, and a photo booth. It was a great way to get to know some of the new faces pledging and to socialize with current Ambassador friends.

This made me super excited to plan our annual "Chrisgiving" dinner. It's the cross between Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner we have with the entire club between our holiday breaks. I'll post more about that in December.

That's all for now, enjoy your Halloweens and talk to you next week!

Bingo and Breakfast

This past weekend was a fun one! On Friday, MSG sponsored Vera Bradley Bingo with the women's lacrosse (WLAX) team. It was a fundraiser for WLAX, but MSG bought 50 tickets to give away to students. It is a great event every year, and tons of winners walk away. This year there were 20 rounds, and over $2,000 of prizes to be given away.

On Saturday MSG hosted The Breakfast Place at Mercyhurst. The Breakfast Place is an Erie favorite, and is known for their amazing breakfast foods. They are always super busy on Saturday and Sunday morning, the lines is always long but it sure does go quick. And since it is a breakfast only type place, students were excited to see it after hours at the 'Hurst.

This upcoming week, MSG is hosting a beer sampling on Thursday, Oct. 25. Three of Erie's own microbreweries are attending to educate students about the art of beer making. The Brewerie at Union Station, Erie Brewing Co., and Lavery Brewing will all be there. It is a free event to students 21+ and I can't wait to share how it goes with you next week.

That's all for now! Thanks for reading :)

Marketing, MSG, and More!

Hello!

Example of a board on MU's Pinterest

So this past week at the 'Hurst flew by. Not much was going on events wise, but it sure did fly.

I've been busy at my internship. I intern in the Marketing and PR Department here at Mercyhurst. So far, I love it and I'm sad that I'm almost done. As the intern, I help with the university's social medias. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest are all applications that our marketing team utilizes to reach out. It's really cool that they let me have so much freedom to bring up new ideas and to run with them. And it's pretty cool that I get to tweet, sit on Facebook, and pin as a part of my internship! This all makes me so excited to enter the "real world" of marketing after graduation.

Other than classes and interning daily, MSG (Mercyhurst Student Government) for you first time readers) has been busy preparing for our Fall Retreat. We had an awesome speaker come in to talk to us about resetting goals, and how to achieve them realistically. I think both Senate and the Executive Board, as well as the Student Activities Council are all pumped to run full force for the rest of the year.

Patrick Keane

Speaking of the Student Activities Council (SAC), they had the hilarious comedian Patrick Keane on Friday night followed by The Hunger Games Saturday night. My favorite events are comedians and movies because you just have to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show... And that I can go in yoga pants and not feel guilty!

Also this past Saturday was the University's first fall open house. I gave tours to some wonderful families. If you're interested in visiting the 'Hurst, call for an individual tour (814-824-2202)... you can even request me, Jenna D! Or go online here to register for our next open house on Saturday, November 10th.

This is an ad created by the Marketing and PR Department where I intern!

Wow... I guess a lot did happen this past week!

Upcoming MSG bingo event

In this upcoming week MSG has its first Forum coming up. This one is entitled "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly." We are basically opening up to the student body to answer any questions they may have about student government, upcoming events, or procedures. Hopefully we have a great turn out, and give out some much needed answers to students who need them. 

Next weekend, MSG will be hosting a Vera Bradley Bingo to help the Women's Lacrosse team fund raise and a late night breakfast event, catered by an Erie exclusive The Breakfast Place. It's absolutely delicious and if you are ever in the area, I recommend you check it out... no matter what time of day it is!

Thanks for reading :)

Fall Break

Hello,

My beautiful city

This week was a short one at Mercyhurst. After classes came to an end on Wednesday, we went on Fall Break. Normal classes will start back up again on Tuesday. This was a much needed break, and I enjoyed mine at home in Pittsburgh, Pa.

While in Pittsburgh I enjoyed some shopping in the city and at the outlets. And it just isn't a trip to the 'Burgh unless you make a stop at one of the many best restaurants. If you've never experienced a Primanti sandwich at the original "dahntahn" (downtown) location on The Strip, you don't know what you're missing. Also, if you're ever in the area for breakfast, Pamela's Diner has some of the best morning meals. Even President Obama has special ordered her crepe pancakes to the White House. 

Another favorite of mine from good ol' Pittsburgh, Pa. is Soergel's Farm. I love honey crisp apples and they grow the best! There's lots to do at the farm besides buying apples and this time of year, it's always crowded with Pittsburghers getting ready for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Well, as I finish up this week's post, I have to admit, I'm watching the Steelers game. The score is 13-7 Pittsburgh, we're playing the Eagles.

I make my trip back to Erie tomorrow afternoon, but for the rest of my time at home I'm going to enjoy the Steelers and my family.

Thanks for reading!

:)

Whatta Week!

Can you believe it's already October? Tomorrow is the 1st, and this term is zooming by!

This past week was pretty uneventful in comparison to homecoming last week. This coming week is the mark of midterms for Mercyhurst, then this Thursday we go on Fall Break – which I'm super excited for.

So besides preparing for midterms let me give you a run down of what happened this week:

I had MSG meetings on Monday night. Monday at 8:30 p.m. are weekly MSG meetings, this is a great opportunity for any Mercyhurst student to voice concerns, issues, suggestions, or praises to student government. We swore in our new freshmen senators, so now we are working on a full senate for the year.

On Wednesday, I had a Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) meeting. This is a club that I am involved in that combines fun and practical professional experience in the field of PR and marketing. This year our big event is going to be the Frozen Putt-A-Thon. If you'd like to read up more, please read Joe's blog, he's the president of PRSSA and has blogged about the details, and I'm sure more are coming. I'll keep you posted too!

Also on Wednesday, I attended the Senior Gift Committee meeting. We've been hard at work narrowing down potential gift ideas for the senior class to vote on. Some of the ideas include: a green house/bio-dome, a breakfast bar in one of our dining venues, fire pit, a pavilion area by our athletic fields, or a concession stand in our athletic center. A senior gift is something that the outgoing senior class leaves as their mark at the 'Hurst.

Wednesdays are also my duty night as an RA, so I ended the night with the Res Life staff and rounds. 

On Friday I gave a big presentation in my Advertising Branding and Strategy class. It went well, it was a partner project and we had to analyze commercials, and apply theories and methods we have learned. It was actually pretty fun for a class project!

To end the week, there was the blessing of the new Mary Garden outside of Old Main. If you ever come for a visit, you can't miss it as you go up the drive. It was a wonderful way to bring the Mercyhurst community together on a Friday afternoon.

Thanks for reading and wish me luck on my midterms this week! I'll talk to you next week and tell ya what happened at the 'Hurst.

:)