The Woods

By Jade Scott
Managing Editor
jscott@smwc.edu

Photo by Jade Scott/ The Woods

Gargoyle on top of a water spout on the Notre Dame

My first day in Paris was a day for French food and rest to overcome the jet lag.
We got off an eight hour flight, got into the city, ate, and then slept.
We did manage to get our Metro tickets and ride it across town.
Day two started with a bang; we spent five hours walking around the Louvre.  We managed to make it over to the Eiffel tower and we took a boat ride on the Siene River through the heart of the city.
Day three was our day trip to the palace of Versailles and to the city of Giverny to see Monet’s house and garden.
For the rest of our trip we wandered the streets, went up the towers of the Notre Dame, and took advantage of open bus tours to see all of the city while not having to walk it.
Overall, I got to see the sights without having to feel like a tourist the entire time.

Photo by Jade Scott/ The Woods

Palace of Versailles

Popularity: 18% [?]

By Lacey Henson
Staff Writer

Photo provided by Annie Jones

Learning about evolution and the creation of the universe in a lecture in a biology class is normal anywhere else.
But only at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College can students receive the same lesson by walking a nature trail.
The Cosmic Walk nature trail was inaugurated in late August and is the newest nature trail.
The Cosmic Walk is “a walking meditation,” White Violet Center Associate Director, Robyn Morton, says. “Its purpose is to allow a new way of reflecting the origins, creation, and evolution of the universe.”
The trail is viewed as a unique teaching tool.
It is lined with facts, illustrations, and stories about evolution and creation.
The photos on the illustrations that line the trail were taken by Sr. Corlita Bonnarens, RSM of St. Louis. The illustrations act as a new way to tell the story of evolution.
The purpose is to be an eye opener to the evolution and creation of the world and to teach people that the world began many years before human existence
“The Cosmic Walk is a get away place of quiet reflection, a different way of praying,” said White Violet Center Director, Sr. Maureen Freeman. “It reminds us of our place in the universe.”
The trail and its message symbolize the philosophy of the White Violet Center.
It is intended as a humbling experience.
Students should get out of Le Fer during free time and check out not only the Cosmic Walk but other nature trails.
All are open to the public as well.
The Cosmic Walk trail veers off to the left at the entrance of the nature trails. Trails are located on the far North end of campus, past the horse barn and pastures.

Popularity: 20% [?]

By Anna Spydell
Staff Writer

Photo by Anna Spydell/ The Woods

Living in the hollows of trees, constructed bat houses or, more rarely, caves, they range in size from a few inches tall to over a foot, depending on the species. Black or brown in color, they have long, spindly wing bones with stretched membranes between them to help them fly. Their bodies are furry and their tiny faces are inquisitive. Nocturnal hunters, a single bat can eat thousands of insects a night and emits barely audible, high-pitched squeaks.
There may not be a more misunderstood animal than the bat.
Associated with vampires and Halloween, the winged mammal gets a bad rep in Western society. On Aug. 27, the creators of the Fifth Annual Bat Festival set out to change that.
With a team comprised of bat biologists, naturalists, conservationists, and volunteers, the event aimed to present the public with facts about the winged mammal, some species of which are now endangered.
“The main objective of the festivals are to educate kids, the general public and teachers about bats and why we should help them to survive, and dispel the myths about bats,” said Indiana State biology professor Dr. John Whitaker, one of the festival’s founders.
Indiana is no stranger to bats. We share the Wabash Valley with four different species of bats alone, with many more living within the state.
They eat irritating undesirables such as mosquitoes by the thousands each night, as well as rootworms that threaten our agriculture.
According to Bats Conservation International bat populations are declining almost everywhere. The loss of these mammals could have devestating consequences for local ecosystesms.
Focusing on outreach and conservation, the festival sought to teach people more about bats, the important role they play in the environment and why humans shouldn’t fear them.
From 10 a.m. till 5 p.m., the public packed into the Indiana State University’s Science Building for live and silent auctions, bat merchandise and demonstrations with both live bats and birds of prey, as well as face painting and an inflatable cave for little ones.
“We have produced six brochures about bats and they are free to the public. Each year at the festival, we introduce another booklet in our ‘Bats of…’ series.  In 2007, it was ‘Bats of Indiana’, then Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Kansas.  Next year it will be ‘Bats of Pennsylvania,’” Whitaker said.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Editor’s Note: This story was corrected from an earlier version.  In the print version of this story, which was published Sept. 12, the photos should have been credited to Amber Slaughterbeck.

By Annie Jones
Staff Writer

Photo provided by Amber Slaughterbeck

A year ago Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College student Amber Slaughterbeck was on a mission to save lives of the local community, the local turtle community that is. She scoured the sides of the highway connecting West Terre Haute with Terre Haute for lost or damaged turtles and ended up saving 1,104 lives last Aug.
As the spring returned, so did Slaughterbeck. Since April of 2011 she has been searching the area for turtles in distress. A total turtle count of 575 since the spring. “the most ever being 120 different turtles in one day,” said Slaughterbeck.
“The turtles will come as long as from April until mid-November, or as long as the weather stays 50 degrees of above,” said Slaughterbeck, “and you can bet I’m going to do it, until something gets done.”
With a previous year under her belt, Slaughterbeck, had been able to journal the habits, characteristics, times, dates, temperatures, and lengths of turtles.
“They are very unpredictable beings, they come out in the early mornings and change with the hottest parts of the season,” says Slaughterbeck.
Along with being a full time student, a mother, and working Slaughterbeck has taken it upon her to expand her turtle rescue. She is not only transporting turtles from either side of Wabashiki but also across the train tracks that cross St. Rd. 150.
“I hope to bring more awareness about what I’m doing and about the turtles,” exclaimed Slaughterbeck.
This expansion has caused problems for Slaughterbeck. The railroad company doesn’t enjoy her companionship with the turtles. “I wish they would stop posing an issue and just accept the fact that I will be out there,” Slaughterbeck remarked about the issue.
This new season has also allowed Slaughterbeck to make changes to her tactics for saving the turtles. Slaughterbeck has allowed for certain safety measures to be taken. An investment in heavy duty gloves and a yellow safety vest had to be made in order to keep Slaughterbeck protected.
Already Slaughterbeck has saved more than the previous year, with a rough estimate of over a 1,000 turtles by Nov. Since the Wabashiki clean-up the amount of dumping has plummeted, which in turn helps the turtles out. Slaughterbeck has also reported seeing more wildlife than in the previous year.
“Overall its been much easier this year…” said Slaughterbeck. “…because now that I know what to expect this time…and people haven’t been so mean.”
The next big step..
for Slaughterbeck will be to trying to start a fund to help the local population of turtles. A “Save the Turtles” campaign, “even if it’s just to build a fence…” said Slaughterbeck.

Popularity: 21% [?]

By Jessica Uchytil
Staff Writer

As the leaves begin to fall around the Wabash Valley Saint Mary of the Woods College, Indiana State University and the Vigo County Library will hosting a series of events featuring author Louisa May Alcott.
To make these events possible lots of steps were taken by faculty at SMWC.
Judy Tribble, library director applied for a grant with the idea of the Alcott events and received two grants to support the SMWC Alcott festival: one from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the other from the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC).
Tribble developed her idea with the help of Dr. Mandy Reid at Indiana State University, Sharon Ammen-Professor of Theater, John McIntyre -Associate Professor of Music, and Steve Prescott -Associate Professor of Music from SMWC, the staff of the Vigo County Historical Society and the Vigo County Library.
In addition to this grant Dee Reed, Executive Director of College Relations, received a grant from the Indiana Humanities Council to help fund the events.
Guest artist Danielle O’Connor, who graduated last spring with a B.A. in Women and Theatre, will be directing the SMWC fall play “Little Women” based on Alcott’s novel and will be directing it as well.
“I think that Louisa May Alcott, and all of her works are important to SMWC because she was a strong role model of what a woman should be,” O’Conner said.
Susan Dolle, director of grants development has provided The Woods with an itinerary of events spanning from Sept. to Nov. featuring Alcott.
Some are on campus and others at ISU and the Vigo Co. Library.  Take a break from homework and discover the life and philosophy of a true American feminist.
“She (Alcott) was a feminist and abolitionist who wrote more than children’s stories. She was daring and open-minded, yet incorrigible,” O’Conner said. “I think her fearlessness is something to be lauded and replicated; I think women, and all of humanity, should take the time to read one of her short stories and explore a little more.”

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Conservatory of Music
Louisa May Alcott: Through Her Eyes
The family-festival will illuminate Alcott’s period in American history through a screening of film clips from the award-winning biography, “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman behind Little Women,” live music of the period, artwork and textile displays, dramatic readings of works by Alcott and her contemporaries, folk art demonstration, historical re-enactors in period costume, architecture slideshow, games and activities of the period.
Mandy Reid, Ph.D., assistant professor of English at Indiana State University, will present a program on Alcott’s role as a woman author in the 19th Century.
September 29, 2011
Indiana State University
Library Events Area
7 p.m.
“Louisa May Alcott: Literary Phenomenon and Social Reformer”
Mandy Reid, Ph.D., will present “Louisa May Alcott: Literary Phenomenon and Social Reformer.”  The program focuses on Alcott as a self-trained and successful professional writer and how she used her writings to address social reforms including abolition and women’s rights.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Vigo County Public Library
Brown Bag
12:10 p.m.
“Louisa May Alcott Wrote That?”
In addition to “Little Women,” Louisa May Alcott authored many stories for adult audiences, including:
·     “Transcendental Wild Oats,” a satire on her family’s life in a nineteenth-century Utopian community,
·     “Hospital Sketches,” an account of Alcott’s time spent as an army nurse during the Civil War,
·     “Behind A Mask, or a Woman’s Power,” one of the best of Alcott’s recently discovered thrillers, and
·     “Work: A Story of Experience,” a novel about women’s rights and responsibilities beyond the family.
Mandy Reid, Ph.D., will facilitate a discussion exploring these short works, which together help display the range of Alcott’s writing and exemplify her strong and dynamic connections to the culture in which she lived.
The materials are available online, free of charge at:
·     “Transcendental Wild Oats”: www.classicauthors.net/Alcott/ transcendental
·     “Hospital Sketches”: alcott.classicauthors.net/hospital
·     “Behind a Mask, or a Woman’s Power”: alcott.classicauthors.net/mask and
·     “Work: A Story of Experience”: alcott.classicauthors.net/work
October 6-9, 2011
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Conservatory of Music
Cecilian Auditorium
“Little Women”, a theatrical adaptation
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College presents “Little Women”, a theatrical adaptation of Alcott’s biography, adapted and directed by 2011 SMWC graduate Danielle O’Connor.
October 26, 2011
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Conservatory of Music
Cecilian Auditorium
7 p.m.
Film Showing: “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women”
Showing of PBS American Masters film, “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women,” with discussion led by Mandy Reid, Ph.D.  This documentary received recognition from the American Library Association (ALA) as one of the 2011 Notable Videos for Adults.
November 2, 2011
Vigo County Public Library
1:30 p.m.
Book Discussion
Vigo County Public Library Book Club will discuss the biography, “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman behind Little Women,” by Harriet Reisen. The book was voted by the Wall Street Journal as one of the 10 best books of 2009.

Popularity: 19% [?]

By Emma Campbell
Editor-in-Chief
ecampbell3@smwc.edu

Ten years ago today, Americans were waking up, reeling from one of the worst attacks on U.S. soil. On Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the United States were carried out in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Excluding the hijackers, 2,977 people lost their lives as a result of these terrorist attacks.
I remember that day. I was 11 years old and in the 5th grade.  I remember our gym class being suddenly interrupted and we students rushed back to our homerooms. I remember several of my classmates being pulled out of school by worried parents who didn’t say much, but left clutching their child’s hand.
Most vividly, I remember my teacher, leaning forward on her elbows, trying to explain to us in a hushed, yet overwhelmingly emotional voice, that the United States was under attack.
An unusual and eerie silence followed as a classroom of 18 5th graders tried to understand what that meant. We were not allowed to view the attacks on TV and we were not required to finish our classes that day. We students who were not taken out early were left in free time for the remainder of the day. My teacher brought out some board games, and I remember that no one played.
Seeing the attacks on TV when I got home that night was one of the most surreal moments of my life. I honestly cannot say that I processed it then. How can you process the consequences of these events at 11 years old?
Ten years have passed and I believe that most Americans are still trying to process the consequences of Sept. 11, 2001. The emotional and political effects of this day still weight heavy on the hearts and minds of the American people. A country that was then united in a declaration of patriotism now stands seemingly divided by politics.
I debated with myself about whether or not to include a feature article about the anniversary in this issue of The Woods. The conclusion that I came to is that it would not serve the purpose I wanted it to. It could not fully represent what Sept. 11 means to the students or the campus community.
So I decided to let you speak for yourself. Share your stories with us. How did Sept. 11 affect you? What were you doing that day? What details can you remember? What does it mean to you now?  You can reply by sending us an email at newsroom@smwc.edu or by leaving a comment on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/page/The-Woods-Newspaper.
There will be a memorial service in front of Rooney Library Mon., Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. In the event of bad weather, it will be moved to the sacred heart chapel in Le Fer. All students, faculty, and staff are There will be a memorial service in front of Rooney Library Mon., Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. In the event of bad weather, it will be moved to the sacred heart chapel in Le Fer. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend.

Popularity: 14% [?]

By Amanda Compton
Staff Writer

Magan Hills was originally a campus student but eventually ended up switching to the WED program due to several problems outside of school.
“Between gas prices, missing out on my son’s school functions, and trying to get house and homework done, it just made more sense to do it all from home,” she said.
Non-traditional students are among a minority who face challenges and struggles that are unimaginable to most of the students.
These struggles and obstacles include scenarios that cannot be fixed by looking at a map, juggling responsibilities, or getting up an hour earlier to make it on time.
Daycare, sick children, work and family life is just a small amount of what has to be dealt with.
Combine all of those with the fact that they have been out of school longer than some of the campus students have lived on this third rock from the sun and the result could very well make or break the educational experience that one encounters.
Hills would hear the younger girls talk about their troubles and it would always make her wish that a fight with a best friend or significant other was all that she had to worry about.
Senior, Kristine McMasters, just turned 40 in April and is all too familiar with the struggles of raising a family alone and trying to obtain an education in order to better her life.
McMasters proudly mentioned the positive example that going to school and seeing it through to the end has had on her son. McMasters fondly recalled that when she graduated from Ivy Tech and was urged by her son to walk in the graduation ceremony because she had worked so hard to get there.
However, some of the non-traditional students that I had the opportunity to speak with have transferred in from other colleges and are facing quite unusual challenges at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
These students are having issues with the change in atmosphere. One such student is Ivy Tech transfer Jessica Bell, junior. Bell’s experiences have been mixed in these first weeks and she shared some experiences that she has faced when considering the age gap.
“My first week at SMWC was an easy flowing week. I did not have much trouble,” she said.  “However, as time has gone on, I am beginning to feel as though I am back in high school, with the only thing missing being pep rallies and the hourly bells.”
Bell went on to state, “I have been in college for more than three years and greatly enjoyed being a part of a professional group of adult scholars. Now, I am finding that I feel as though high school life has crept back into my life when it shouldn’t be present in any sense.”
I know that this writer has experienced the same feelings and has questioned my position at SMWC more than once this semester. There was even an afternoon that I left in tears to go talk to my boss at Ivy Tech. I proceeded to tell her that, after a nineteen-year journey down a long and winding road to finally become a student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, I feared I had made a huge mistake. I wanted to leave.
After the community college experience, I do not feel challenged in my coursework. This feeling was shared by Bell and Seward as well. It is less than minimal in comparison and the age diversity is not always properly addressed. I, along with several students interviewed, oftentimes feel silly, as if we are thirty-something-adults sitting in a high school classroom and learning on their level.
“I guess it will take some time to get to know the professors and for them to get to know us,” Seward said.  “I know that it didn’t happen overnight at Ivy Tech.”
I second this statement and agree that transition takes time. I am not willing to give up on my dream for a crude culture awakening. I wish to point out that the consensus of all students interviewed was that we are always greeted warmly and with a smile from the professors and students.
As Seward stated, “We have left a community college where the young kids were a minority and we are now in their shoes. I suppose we are in a new pond and it will take time.”
As a thirty something mother of three myself, it was a startling revelation to discover that, according to Susan Meier in the Records and Registration Department, there are 12 commuter students who are 30 years old or more.  That is 4 percent of the total population.
“I did not realize how few of “us” there really are!” said Tabytha Seward, junior.
The start was rocky but I am hanging in there. I have travelled this path for nineteen years to get here and I cannot let a few bumps in the road deter me now. I cannot thank Dr. Jennie Mitchell, director of woods online & professor of business and CIS, enough for bringing me here to work in her office years ago.
Of course, the year was 1992 and I was just a girl of seventeen. I vowed to be a Woodsie someday. I did not imagine that it would be in the year 2011, but alas, here I am!
“Remembering to be easy on yourself and knowing that we are bringing life experience into the classroom, which makes applying the textbook knowledge so much easier in the real world is essential,” McMasters said.  “We have an advantage and if we can continue on to make the sacrifices needed in order to make getting an education viable, we will succeed.”
The best advice that I have heard all semester came from McMasters when she stated that, “Some days are easier than others, so keep plugging along and before you know it, you will be graduating.”

Popularity: 24% [?]

By Jade Scott
Managing Editor
jscott@smwc.edu

Late in the evening of Aug. 25 the halls of Le Fer were alive with a wildfire of rumors:  money stolen, laptops gone, safes broken in to and room checks to be conducted by security.
But what evidence is there to back up this hearsay?
On Aug. 23 a report was made by a student that money had been taken from her room.
The report was filled out by security and filed into the system for tracking purposes.
“This student was missing around $40 and nothing more,” said security officer Albert Heramb.  “That was the one and only report for missing property that has been made to the security office this semester.”
Between the missing money report that was filed on Aug. 23 and the following Thursday night, theft rumors flourished out of control.
Text messages saying a total of three laptops had been taken out of dorm rooms spread from person to person in the matter of minutes.
The unfamiliar sound of doors being locked could be heard throughout the building.
“Up until these rumors were spread I never felt the need to lock my door when I went to class, meals, and even leaving campus,” said Katelyn Duke, junior.
Duke is not the only student on campus that has never bothered locking her dorm room when leaving.
All of the students that were surveyed admitted that their door was normally unlocked all the time.
After the rumors were spread all but two students discussed their frustration in feeling like they had to lock them now.
“We are a safe environment and community, more than most college campuses, but that does not mean students should leave their doors unlocked,” said Dean of Students, Jeff Malloy.
In the past 16 years that Vicki Kosowsky, vice president for student affairs,  has been a member of faculty at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College there have been only been five room searches conducted by a security officer.
Not one of those room searches conducted was done without the presence of the student.
The only case that would warrant immediate entering of a student’s room by security or Kosowsky would be in the case of an emergency.
“The only time we perform room searches with security is when we have very reliable information that there is concern for someone’s safety,” Kosowsky said.
On each and every student housing and food service agreement that is signed by students in the spring, all of the policies and procedures in regards to housing are listed.
This agreement covers topics ranging from personal property, entry by college personnel, residence hall regulations, etc.
This document specifically states, “SMWC respects each student’s right to the privacy of her room.  However, the College reserves the right to enter residence hall rooms for reasons of safety, health, maintenance or violation of College policies.  A Student Life staff member must be present when a room is entered without the student’s permission.”
“Students are responsible and highly encouraged to read the student handbook and the housing contract,” Kosowsky stated.
During freshman orientation the freshman class was given helpful safety tips when it comes to personal belongings and their dorm rooms.  They were encouraged to keep their room door locked when they leave and to not leave their belongings lying around.
The housing and food agreement also informs students that SMWC is not responsible nor does the college carry insurance for the loss of personal property even from private dorm rooms.
“If a door is unlocked and something is taken from the room it could have been taken by anyone and it makes it harder for the college to do anything about the theft,” Malloy said.  “Keeping doors locked when not in the room is the best way to prevent the loss of personal property.”
In regards to the numerous amounts of rumors that encompassed SMWC, these are the facts.
One report was made for missing property and filed out by security.  The report was made for money in the amount of $40.
No other factual reports have been made to security, Kosowsky, Malloy, or SMWC Resident Assistants.
If there were two to three plus reports made of stolen items the college is legally obligated by the Campus and Security Act that was created in 1990, to make a report to the students and community.
The Campus and Security Act also requires every college to report campus crime statistics and security measures to all students and employees by Oct. 1 of each year.
Up until this year this report was posted in all buildings of SMWC.  Now they are listed on the college website.
If a student believes they have had personal property stolen they are encouraged to make a report to security.
“If or when something does go missing that student should go to security,” Kosowsky said.  “The worst thing that could happen is that they have to rip up the report.”
The theft rumors may have alleviated but the constant reminder to lock dorm room doors is constantly present.
“All of the rumors go back to the one report that was actually made,” Malloy said.  “Students should not take locking their doors for granted.”

Popularity: 18% [?]

By Jade Scott
Managing Editor
jscott@smwc.edu

The room was jam packed to each wall.  Every chair was taken and tables covered in ivory linen held more chairs than normally necessary.
The lights were dimmed low with only a spotlight on the stage.  Voices started to become more hushed as the atmosphere became electrifying.
A single man took the stage, stepped in to the spotlight as every set of eyes followed.
“And the winner of two round-trip American Airline tickets is…. Jade Scott from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College!”
Wait.  Who?  Did he just say my name?!
It is nothing out of the normal to hear certain unfavorable qualities about this school.  It is too small.  It is too limiting.  There are not enough opportunities.
Well, every one of those statements is wrong.
Out of hundreds of people at last year’s Indiana Chamber of Commerce awards dinner I, a sophomore at SMWC, won those two tickets.
So how did I do it?  How was I able to put myself in the position to even get to that dinner?  Well I go to a small school, am a journalism major and, at the time, was editor-in-chief of The Woods.
Tom Brokaw just happened to be the guest speaker for that evening last November.
He is a man who has worked for 14 years as an American television journalist and managing editor for NBC Nightly News.  Plain and simple, Brokaw is a super hero to me and just being able to be in the same room with and listening to him speak made a few of my dreams come true.
That alone would have made the entire night memorable. I guess fate had other ideas for me.
Pre-dinner included a meet and greet session where local sponsors could showcase their business; American Airlines just happened to be one of those sponsors.  They had a raffle for every entry that got signatures from every sponsor.  The prize?  Yes, those two free airline tickets.
The ironic part is that I was not even going to take part in said raffle.
The room was filled with CEO’s, important business men in their important suits, accomplished and glamorous women with their flawless hair and suits with severe lines.  What chance did I possibly have at winning?
As luck would have it I was convinced by our former Vice President of Advancement, Chad Linzy, to take the chance.
Most in attendance were not bothered with the raffle.  They spent their time before dinner chatting enjoy a cocktail, and remaining gathered in clumps that made the space limited.  Each table was obscured by at least three to four people no matter which side of the room I was on.
Thirty minutes later I was exhausted, frustrated and to be quite honest a little deflated.  Each sponsor had no idea where I was from and even a couple didn’t know SMWC was a college.
But I turned in that paper anyway.
The American Airlines representative asked me where I would go if I were to win.  Without even taking a moment to think about the question I just blurted out Paris, France!
He smiled and chuckled along with me at my brazen answer, but it wasn’t as if he or I was taking the possibility of winning seriously.
Dinner was finally served. Those of us in attendance from SMWC were all seated at the same round table towards the back of the room.
I looked to my left and saw hundreds of people.  I looked to my right and saw hundreds of more people.
The place was packed and at the front of the room sat none other than Brokaw himself.  I couldn’t wait to hear his speech.
Each course was brought to our table by a frazzled looking server that appeared as if he wanted to be anywhere other than that room doing anything but serving a meal to a person he didn’t know.
The finale to dinner was whisked away from our table and we all sat awaiting the awards and speeches to begin.  But there was one thing that had to be taken care of before the night of applauses and clapping could commence.
The free tickets and we all know what happened.
That same American Airlines representative got upon the stage, pulled a piece of paper out of a large container, and said my name.
To be honest I just sat in my seat smiling and clapping along with the rest of the room thinking about how lucky that winner just became.
Everyone was looking around for someone to stand up to retrieve the prize, but no one was to be found.
Then I noticed the rest of my table and the shocked looks on their faces.
I stopped clapping, looked to my right and asked our President, Dr. Dottie King, “What did he just say?”
What felt like ice cold water flooded my veins as I was in complete shock.
It took me about three full minutes to comprehend the fact that I had won.  It took me another two to even consider getting out of my seat.
I stood on shaky legs cursing the fact that I had worn heels.  Each step felt like a mile.  My heart was pounding and my body felt too insignificant to even hold it.
The American Airlines representative shook my hand, posed in a picture with me, handed me my ticket vouchers and said, “Looks like you’re going to Paris!”
The rest of the night was nothing more than a haze. I came out of my daze long enough to take pictures and video of Brokaw giving his speech.
If someone had asked me a question about what he said, I wouldn’t have been able to answer it if my life depended on it.
The craziest thing about this story is that it is only half-over and the most amazing part is yet to come.
So here I am, sitting on two round-trip, free tickets that can take me just about anywhere in the world.  But where am I going to go, who am I going to take, and how do I pay for this trip once I get there?
Once those questions finally hit me it did put a damper on my excitement.
News of my fortunes traveled fast – mostly because I texted just about every single person I had ever met in my life.
The darkness of the drive from Indianapolis was pierced with light and sounds flooding from my cell phone.
Two days later I received a phone call from my aunt. She congratulated me on my winnings and then makes the most incredible proposition I had ever heard: If I give her my other ticket, she will pay all expenses on a trip to Paris.
I really was going on my dream trip – and it was going to be free! Well, almost.
I did pay for my passport, the taxes on the airline tickets, and then some souvenirs I picked up, but spent no more than $200.  In my opinion that was close enough to free.
We left from Indianapolis on May 16 and we were able to take an eight-day vacation.
We hit all of the major city sights: Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre. We even took a day trip out to the palace of Versailles and Claude Monet’s house in Giverny.
For the most part though, we were able to just walk around the streets of Paris, eat outside of little cafes, and see the city for what it really was.
We were not rushed, we were not on anyone’s schedule but our own, and we had the best possible weather we could have hoped for.
No, I did not tire of the sunshine and mild temperatures while abroad.
I left Paris behind me but I brought back with me more culture than I had experienced in my entire life, a new and strong love for bread, and enough memories and pictures to last four lifetimes.
So, who says we are limited as students at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College?  Who says we miss out on opportunities we would normally get at a larger state school?
I spent my summer vacation in France, and my small college got me there.

Popularity: 32% [?]

Popularity: 19% [?]