Semester Wrap Up: Highlights from Fall 2016

Well friends, I finished my exam and just submitted my English paper, so I can now say that my fall semester is over. Although this has been a tough semester for everyone on campus, there have been so many great memories that I want to share with you all.

Here are my favorite memories from each month this semester! 

September:
Moving back to school and going into Burlington was definitely one of my favorite parts of the semester. The entire summer I was counting down the days until I was back at SMC and in Vermont. The first night back, I went downtown with my friends to get late-night burritos at Boloco, which unfortunately just closed down :( However, nothing beats walking on Church Street, it's just so beautiful! 

October: 
QUIDDITCH! I'm the co-president of RHA (Residence Hall Association), a club at Saint Mike's that puts on different programming events throughout the year for students on campus. One of our biggest events is Quidditch! Yes, Quidditch, like in Harry Potter! RHA puts on a Quidditch tournament twice a year: once in the fall and once in the spring!

Keep an eye out for the Quidditch tournament happening next semester sometime in April!

November: 
The weather in Vermont is really, really, really weird. The weekend before Thanksgiving it was 60 degrees one day, and then 30 degrees the next day. However, my friends came up to visit on that Saturday when it was 60 degrees and sunny.

We went to the Skinny Pancake and the waterfront, which was a great way to get off campus and enjoy the nice weather! 

December:
I'm pretty sure every student can agree that Alliot Christmas Dinner is the most wonderful meal of the year. For those of you who don't know, Alliot Christmas Dinner happens once a year and is Alliot cooks a Christmas dinner for all the students! There is everything ranging from ham and mashed potatoes, to s'mores pizza and banana foster, to every type of bread you can imagine. 

And....there's eggnog.

And that's all I have! I hope everyone has a wonderful winter break! 

Until next time,

Katie :)

Contact me here!

Email: cbarry5@mail.smcvt.edu

Instagram: cbarry_28

The First Snowfall of Sophomore Year❄️⛄️❄️☃️❄️

Happy Wednesday Knights! It finally happened. I was studying in the academic buildings this past Sunday evening when my friend Dave came in and yelled, "KATIE IT'S SNOWING!" I immediately got out of my seat and pulled up the blinds on the third floor of Jeanmarie to reveal a winter wonderland. 

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture at that moment, but here's some photos I took on my way to class the next day!

 The past few weeks have been very busy, long, and stressful with all the work piling up as the semester is almost over, but nothing made me happier than walking around campus and feeling the stillness in the air, seeing the snow hanging off the tree branches and knowing that this was only the first of many snowfalls to come this year.

On my drive back home yesterday, I-89 was absolutely beautiful to drive on. The trees were covered in snow and the top of the mountains looked promising for ski season. Here's two photos to prove that Vermont finds a way to make highways look beautiful.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving break! 

Until next time,

Katie :)

P.S. check out the snowman outside the library "Roberta Frost"!

Contact me here!

Email: cbarry5@mail.smcvt.edu

Instagram: cbarry_28

Oh Canada

        
Long weekends call for adventure. Montreal is less than two hours from campus, which makes it nice and easy to visit for a weekend getaway. Saint Mike's has the perfect location, because it's a brief walk to restaurants in Winooski Circle, a quick drive to downtown Burlington and the waterfront, a half hour from the mountains, and only a short drive up to Canada.



Montreal is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Old Montreal in particular has a European feel. This area of the city is lined with delicious cafés, art galleries, and historic churches.

       

         

Notre-Dame Basilica (pictured below) is almost 200 years old and was one of my favorite places to visit. 

       

For brunch we went to Crêperie Chez Suzette. I had the délicieuse crepe, with bananas and almonds. I've been to this café every time I've gone to Canada, and I would recommend it to everyone! 



We didn't have any specific plans set when we decided we were going to Canada, and we had a fantastic time! I personally prefer being spontaneous and deciding on what to do once we get there.



Montreal is absolutely beautiful and you will find things to do just by walking around. Montreal is a great city to visit for the day or for a weekend. I've gone three times so far and hope to go again in the future!

        
Until next time,
Katie :)

Contact me here!

Email: cbarry5@mail.smcvt.edu

Instagram: cbarry_28

Saturday Adventures: Farmers Market and Farms

This past Saturday was the perfect temperature to get off campus and explore the area around Saint Mike's. 

The Burlington Summer Farmers' Market takes place every Saturday on City Hall Park & St Paul Street from the beginning of May to the end of October, and is from 8:30am-2:00pm. 

This farmers market has over 50 vendors selling all sorts of things! These items range from doughnuts and bread, to artwork and jewelery, to dumplings and burritos, to cheese and jam (my personal favorites). The farmers market is the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning/afternoon listening to live music while sampling different local foods!

I definitely recommend sampling the jam! This year so far, my roommates and I have collectively purchased eight jars of jam. :)

After the farmers market, my friends and I went to Shelburne Farms. Shelburne Farms is about 20 minutes from Saint Mike's, and is absolutely beautiful! They have walking trails, cheesemaking, a farmyard, and a gift shop. We decided to go to the farmyard for the afternoon.

These adorable animals are Brown Swiss Calves. Jericho is on the left and Birch is on the right.

The farmyard area also had goats, rabbits, and sheep! 

My friends and I rode the tractor wagon shuttle back which had fantastic views of the mountains! There's nothing better than a warm fall day spent with friends, petting calves and goats, and eating jam. :)

Until next time,

Katie :)

Contact me here!

Email: cbarry5@mail.smcvt.edu

Instagram: cbarry_28

First Post: How I fell in love with Saint Mike's

Hi there!

My name is Katie Barry, and I'm a psychology major with a business minor! Click here to learn more about me! 

I just moved back to Saint Mike's for my sophomore year, and I couldn't be happier. Choosing a college was a long process. I visited roughly 17 schools, and I had no idea how I would make a decision. 

I toured Saint Mike's for the first time in October of my senior year. I had a Monday off for Columbus Day weekend, and decided to use that Sunday and Monday to tour colleges further from home. I had never been to Vermont, but the brochures that Saint Mike's had sent me included beautiful scenery that I knew I had to visit in Vermont. 

On Sunday October 12, I pulled into the Saint Mike's parking lot and walked into McCarthy with little information about SMC. The open house began with an information session that included the basic facts about Saint Mike's such as the small class sizes, the student-faculty ratio, possible majors, and the student and faculty involvement with community service. One of the most used words in the presentation was community. I was itching to get out of my seat and walk around the campus, hoping to find out why the presenters used that word so frequently. 

As I was on my tour, I quickly noticed why the word community was used so frequently throughout the presentation. The Saint Mike's community was very much alive. I walked around as a stranger, but felt as if I was being welcomed by all members of the campus. Students held doors open for others, and the students and faculty I encountered were strangers, but acted as friends as they greeted and smiled at me as I walked around the campus for my first time. 

Touring Saint Michael's College in person was no doubt the greatest decision I've ever made. To all the prospective students, I strongly encourage that you tour the school in person. You will not get the same experience doing an online virtual tour that you receive when you tour Saint Michael's College in person. You will not see students pass you on your tour with a warm smile and hear them yell "Come to Saint Mike's!!!!". You will not hear the bells going off at 10:55 as students scurry to the academic buildings for their 11:00 class, who still manage to hold the door open for you. You will not get the same welcoming experience that prospective students receive when they tour Saint Michael's. 

Everyone's parents tell them not to talk to strangers, but at Saint Mikes it's different. Strangers become friends, friends become family. I toured 16 other schools, and did not experience a community and student body as warm (not weather wise, trust me it's can be pretty cold in Vermont)and welcoming as the one that I did when I was surrounded by purple knights. I toured many schools, but I could not stop thinking about Saint Mike's during those other tours. 

As I now enter my second year at Saint Michael's College, I could not be more thankful to have chosen a school where I feel more welcomed, loved, and happy everyday. Thank you to Saint Mike's, for attracting a community that has the kindest, supportive, and most humble people I have ever met. I fell in love with Saint Mike's on October 12 of my senior year, but I find more and more reasons to appreciate and love this place every single day.