Knight Talk with Catie Watt '11 from Women's Swimming!

For this week's "Knight Talk", I interviewed my fellow teammate and friend Catie Watt. This weekend, the swim team competed in our last home meet of the season. For us senior swimmers, it was our "Senior Meet" and our last time racing at the St. Mike's pool. We've had a great season and we are looking forward to swimming fast at Championships in two weeks. :)

1. How long have you been swimming?

I have been swimming competitively since I was 8 years old, and I have been on the SMC swim team since freshman year!

2. What is the hardest thing about participating in a sport in college?

The hardest part about participating in a sport in college is definitely balancing both academics and the sport. Since we practice two hours a day every day with additional meets on the weekends, it can take up a lot of time so it's important to make sure you keep a good balance with both academics and athletics and make sure you manage your time really well.

3. What has been your favorite memory with the swim team?

My favorite memories with the swim team have been the training trips we have been on every year. My Freshman and Sophomore year, we went to Florida. My Junior year, we went to Puerto Rico and my Senior year, we went to Washington D.C. While the training trips are hard work, its so fun to be in a exotic location with your teammates working hard, exploring the sights and traveling somewhere outside of Vermont. The training trips are also a great time for the team to bond during the hardest part of our season.

4. What is your favorite race?

My favorite race is the 200 free. I love sprinting events and I especially love the 200 free because it's not a super short event but it's not considered a distance event either. It's the perfect amount of laps of sprinting!

5. Do you find it hard to balance academics and athletics?

Sometimes I do find it hard,especially when I have a lot of work, but swimming has taught me to manage my time really well. If I know I have a lot of work coming up, I get started on it early so I am still able to attend practices and get all of the work done. Our coach is very understanding though about making sure academics come first, so if you have to miss a practice or a meet because of class or school, it is not a problem.

6. How has being a senior differed from being a newbie on the team?

Being a senior, I have had four years of experience being on the swim team and I know the routine now. I also know what it takes and what needs to get done to swim better. Since this is my last year of swimming, I know I want to do my best and preform well in each meet, so I know I need to work hard in each practice to do my best.

7. Do you have any advice for students wondering if they should try out for a sport?

If you currently play a sport in high school and are interested or thinking about playing in college, I would definitely e-mail the coach of the sport that you want to play. Even if you aren't entirely sure if you want to play, the coach can let you know how the sport runs, what you need to do and give you more advice. Also, when you come to visit, if you can catch a game/ meet and watch the current team, you can also some insight on what the team is like.

Knight Talk with Katherine Hackett '11 from MOVE's Penguin Plunge Team

Think jumping into Lake Champlain in the middle of February sounds fun? Didn't think so. But Katherine Hackett '11 has been doing the Penguin Plunge for four years and loves getting freezing cold for a good cause.

1. First of all, What is the Penguin Plunge?

A fundraiser where all the proceeds go to the Special Olympics of Vermont. People come from all over Vermont to raise money and then jump into Lake Champlain in the freezing cold Vermont weather every February. The proceeds help support amazing Special Olympics athlete all over the state fulfill their dreams.

2. How did you get involved?

It sounded fun, and since a lot of people we meet from our Best Buddies program are also VTSO (Vermont Special Olympics) athletes, I thought why not?! So my friends and I made a team. We had so much fun I decided to spear head it through the MOVE (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts) office the following year to get a bigger presence at the plunge from our St. Mike's community.

3.How many students are usually involved?

Well, since I've been participating for the past four years it has gone from about 10 to close to 50 students! Right now, the SMC MOVE team is in 4th place for our amazing fundraising amount. That's AWESOME!

4.What is your favorite part of the event?

Being in the water is wild. It is ridiculously cold. I get so nervous right before we plunge but the feeling after is amazing. You feel so warm and so much adrenaline is pumping through your body and its all for a great cause.

5.What is most fun about the Plunge? Most rewarding?

Most rewarding for me would have to be that people who do Best Buddies through the MOVE program are also athletes. It's great to see the familiar faces that we're supporting. The first time I saw a few of them handing out towels, I really felt like I was doing something good. It was then that doing the plunge was more than putting on silly clothes and running into a lake in February. I was helping these people live their dreams through their various activities with Special Olympics.

6. How do you sign up? When is it?

You sign up online with firstgiving, and the Penguin Plunge is February 5th, next Saturday!

www.firstgiving.com/vtso and then contact me, Khackett@smcvt.edu for more directions and information!

7. What would you say to encourage other students to participate?

You will never do anything like this, it is SO. MUCH. FUN. Plus, it's an easy way to not only raise money for an inspiring group but also awareness. College is a time where you have a huge pool of friends and are in contact with a lot of people. When you do something crazy like the Penguin Plunge, people hear about it-and when more people hear about their friends supporting a good cause, they just might be inspired to join in too.

For more information about the Penguin Plunge please check out their website or contact Katherine :)

The Beginning of the End...

Welcome back everyone!

I'm happy to say after an extremely busy finals week, holiday season and break I'm so happy to be back to start my final semester here at St. Mike's!

Finals week went by so quickly and before I knew it I was helping my family plan for our Christmas eve party. I loved spending the holidays at home and it was so nice to see all of my family. Here's a picture of all the cousins at my house Christmas Eve :)

After Christmas, I packed up and headed to Washington DC for the swim team training trip. We usually have the luxury of training somewhere warmer than VT but this year we decided to train at the Georgetown University pool in Washington DC. The area of Georgetown was so cute, and although we did have to walk quite a ways to the pool, it was a nice change of scenery. AND I was able to visit the famous, most amazing place on EARTH... Georgetown Cupcakes, home of the TLC show, DC Cupcakes. Let me tell you that waiting in line for 30 minutes with a group of grumpy, hungry swimmers after practice was totally worth it for these cupcakes. Yes, they were that good.

I really enjoyed spending time with my 5 other senior swimmers. We've stuck it out for four years and it will be sad to see the season end in February. Here's a picture of the 5 of us senior girls and our lovable freshman friend, Maddie, in front of the Washington Monument. As a team, we also took a special tour of the capital and an extra special tour of VT Senator Leahy's office, an SMC Grad. We were so thankful for his office coordinating a tour for our team and it was such a cool experience. After D.C, I had a few days at home and then headed up to Vermont to train at school for about two weeks. We have a lot of swim meets coming up in the next few weeks and the team has been working so hard. I'm excited for the end of the season to come and see how every one's hard work has paid off at Championships. Coming back to the snow banks and trekking across the tundra that is the 300's field has been a lot to get used to. This weekend it was so nice to see familiar faces around campus and to reunite with my roommates and friends again.

Today marks the first day of classes for my 8th and final semester at Saint Michael's. Last semester was ridiculously busy, but I'm hoping to balance my activities a little more this semester and find some time for some last semester fun :). I'm taking my senior seminar for my English major, Global Communication, Digital Literacy (an awesome English class I'm really looking forward to), and I'm continuing my Social Media internship with the Marketing and Communication Department. I'll also hopefully be volunteering once a week at the Chittenden Valley Head Start pre-school program. This time last year, I'd be living the dream studying abroad in Galway. I miss Ireland so much and I'm counting down the days I can travel back there!

I'll be updating lots this semester with my upcoming job search (EEEK!), and all of my adventures. I'll also have some weekly interviews and event posts as well, so be sure to check back. Talk to you all soon!

Knight Talk with Sarah Silverman '11 from the Ski and Snowboard Club!

One of my favorite events on campus is jib fest sponsored by the ski and snowboard club. I was able to talk to a really cool skier chick, Sarah, all about the club and the awesome events they put on throughout the year!

1.What activities does the ski and snowboard club sponsor on campus?

The ski and snowboard club sponsors Jibfest, a big event on campus where skiers and snowboarders compete on the 300's field performing tricks and skills off of a snow mound, ramp and rail that we build ourselves. We hold bbqs at the base of the mountain which are free for all ShredMC members, and we host ski and snowboard movie premiers throughout the year. We also sponsor another "rail jam" during the spring semester.

2. What are some of the benefits of being part of such a large club on campus?

There is always a ride to the mountain, a few members are now van certified so vans will be available for those without rides to the mountains. You can always find someone to go skiing with.

3. What has been your favorite memory with the club?

Well one of my top memories with the club is winning 1st for girls at JibFest but thats tooting my first horn. Honestly, I love everything about the ski and snowboard club and some of my fondest memories were made freshman year when I met all the great shredders I am now friends with.

4. How do you balance school work and skiing in the winter?

I have to take responsibility for my work and time, planning my schedule solely around school work and skiing. If you arent responsible with your time, then you don't deserve the reward to hit the slopes.

5. What made you want to join the ski and snowboard club?

Well I love skiing, and I know most of the goofiest people come from the ski and snowboard club. I wouldn't wanna surround myself with anything less than the bunch of friends I met through the club.

Knight Talk with Ryan Magee '11 from the Varsity Tennis team!

Why did you choose to play a varsity sport at St. Michael's?

I chose to play tennis at St Mikes because I enjoy being part of a team and competing at a high level in athletics.

How do you balance doing your schoolwork and participating in tennis?

I balance my work and tennis by keeping my time somewhat organized and not doing many things that are not necessary to do in a day. I don’t have a lot of free time during the season.

What kind of team activities does your own team participate in?

My sophomore year my team went to Hilton Head, SC for a Spring Break training trip. During the season we do team dinners/movie nights with the girls tennis team and try and do a mixed doubles tournament once a year.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing a varsity athlete at St. Michael’s?

The biggest challenge facing me as an athlete is staying healthy for both of my seasons, the tennis team plays in the spring and fall. In general I feel that the biggest challenge is maintaining the balance of athletics, school and social life.

Knight Talk with Siobhan Lavery '11 about 'Not In Our Home' panel discussion

I've been attending some powerful and moving events this year. It amazes me how our SMC Community has been so involved and taking their own initiative to make changes in our world. Last week, I attended the Dear Hilary Campaign and last night I attended a discussion panel called "Not In Our Home", a campaign to stop bullying, hateful words and actions on our campus and in our own lives. The panel discussion, created by senior Siobhan Lavery in conjunction with Common Ground , came in light of the several tragic suicides of teens across our country due to hateful words and actions. The panel consisted of SMC faculty and student members talking about their own experiences with hurtful words and their ideas on how to stop them in our community. The event was incredibly informative and hopefully inspired many SMC students to take responsibility to stop bullying and hate on our own campus. I was able to ask a few questions to Siobhan about her opinions about the event.


Why did you decide to hold this panel?
After attending the common ground meeting the week of Tyler Clementi's death, I talked to my committee and decided that we wanted to do something. The idea for a panel discussion came in later in a discussion with my roommate. Originally the idea was to include speakers from off campus, but after more discussion we figured it would be more pertinent to have speakers who the community knew.


How did you decide who would be on the panel and who would be speaking?
We asked Dave Landers because of his expertise, and Mark Litchfield because of his association with Common Ground and his personal experiences. Sam was chosen because of her work with the OutRight association. Kasey and Mike were chosen because we wanted different gender perspectives from two people who were openly gay.


How did you personally feel connected to the recent tragedies and suicides due to bullying, hazing, and harmful words?
I think that when there are any teenagers that are committing suicide, we have to ask ourselves why. These deaths are preventable. I think about the students that could come into my classroom, and the struggles that they have. It is our responsibility to make their voices heard, to support them. This isn't about sexual orientation; its about people.


What was your favorite or most significant part of the night?
My favorite part was when Sam asked the straight allys to come out of the closet. I think it was just so powerful to see how many people really are in support of each other within our own community.


What was the main message that the event was trying to convey to our community and our students?
The point of the evening really was to show that we aren't immune. This could happen here. Because of that, it is up to all of us to act out, to protect each other and our community. This isn't something that we can push over to other people, but is something we have to take direct control of.

Knight Talk with Rachel Stone '12 with the Dear Hillary Campaign for the Congo

On Tuesday, I attended an extremely moving and powerful event. The Dear Hillary Campaign, is a campaign designed and initiated by St. Michael's College students to end the violence in East Congo. Student Global Aids Campaign along with the Peace and Justice Club and with many other students/faculty involved inspired this amazing campaign. Rachel Stone, a junior was involved in the planning of the event.

1. First of all, What is the “Dear Hillary” Campaign for the Congo?

The Dear Hillary Campaign for the Congo is a demand for action. There is a law in place, Public Law 109-456, that is being ignored by government officials and we are asking Hillary to enforce it. The law has several parts but the underlying idea of it is that the United States will no longer contribute to or support the violence in the Congo that is caused by Ugandan and Rwandan forces. Through the Dear Hillary Campaign, 56 chapters across the US and in the Philippines, UK, England and Canada, joined the movement. Each chapter participated in the campaign by watching Lisa Jackson’s documentary, “The Greatest Silence,” which exposed the issue of sexual violence in the Congo, and signing a postcard to be sent to Hillary. The postcard combined a birthday greeting, because we are contacting Hillary on her birthday, with a demand for enforcement of Public Law 109-456. Secretary Hillary Clinton will be receiving a total of 17,000 postcards signed by individuals around the world, all in support of this demand for justice for the women in the Congo.

2. What was the purpose of last night’s flagship event? How did it go?

The flagship event was the second part of the campaign, besides the postcard signing, and meant to spread awareness of the crisis in the Congo. Last night, all of the chapters of the Dear Hillary Campaign around the world held a similar event. Each chapter received a copy of the DVD, The Greatest Silence, along with their postcards, and they showed the documentary to their chapter last night. The documentary has shocking footage from Lisa Jackson’s trip to the Congo and her interactions and interviews with raped women as well as the soldiers committing the brutal crimes.

The event went very well, starting with Hillary’s “birthday party,” we sang happy birthday to her, lead by the Aca Bellas, and then watched the documentary. At the conclusion of the documentary, the audience was encouraged to ask Lisa Jackson questions about the film and her experience, and it was clear through the discussion afterwards that people were moved and upset because of what they just saw, but also inspired to help. That is all we could hope for.

3. Why is the St. Michael’s Chapter so important to this campaign?

The St. Michael’s chapter is important because this is where the whole campaign started. Leah Zieglar and Kate Bailey, two seniors at SMC worked with Professor Laurie Gagne over the summer to start the campaign. Through connections, word of mouth, and a strong presence in the media, the St. Michael’s chapter extended the campaign across the country and the world, creating a total of 56 chapters.

4. What made you decide to become involved in the Dear Hillary Campaign?

I heard about this campaign through a friend who became a part of the committee when we returned to school in the fall. I have been a member of the Student Global AIDS Campaign since freshman year, so I’ve worked on issues regarding the crisis in the Congo in the past, and this was just another effort I wanted to be a part of. The worst part about the genocide in the Congo is that very few people around the world know it is even happening. It is such a horrifying crime against humanity, and I feel it is my job to do what I can as a fortunate, privileged human being, to speak up for those who can’t. This campaign required a simple task that can cause a serious impact; it was easy to commit to it.


5. What do you think is the biggest thing we can do as students to stop the violence in the Congo?
The easiest thing for students to do is to spread awareness on the issue and speak up for the women in the Congo who cannot. The most effective thing, though, would be to go right to the top, contact the people who have authority in our country and are contributing to the violence, and relentlessly demand change. We have power as US citizens living under a democratic rule to contact and communicate with our leaders with extreme global power, and we must embrace that opportunity for control and use it to demand justice.