Meghan's Blog

Senior Year Countdown: 1 week!

mskaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:33:00 PST

Spring quarter came and conquered—as always, feeling like the fastest one of the year. After weeks rainy afternoons, it is hard to believe that summer is finally here. Finals are wrapping up (I had 4 of the 5 this week) and the housemates are preparing to move out…and on.

Goodbyes are bittersweet and I’m going to miss living with such a fun group. At the same time, I cannot wait to hear about all of their amazing stories as they take on the world this summer as they enter the “real world.”

Graduation is in 7 days and I can’t help thinking that I’m living in a dream world: it feels like yesterday that I was on a plane back from Australia and a few weeks since I was sitting in my first college classroom.

Okay, not really, but you get the picture. I’m feeling nostalgic. And, I’m not even a senior!

Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to my adventures this summer, too. This is the first year I will be staying in Santa Clara. I hope I have the opportunity to take advantage of all the wonderful, cultural extravaganzas the Bay Area offers. I’m thrilled to begin my internship with Apple and improve upon the skills I have learned at SCU.

Hypothesis Testing: Free Hugs at Santa Clara!

mskarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:27:00 PST

My friend Nick and I hung out at the center of campus yesterday in hopes of one thing—to be hugged. We were conducting our statistic’s project and praying that our alternative hypothesis was going to be correct. But, what we found was that our parameter was not very cooperative! The testing was a complete fail of gathering sufficient statistical evidence to prove our results.

So, what did we do? We each held a sign with the words “Free Hugs” on it. Simple enough message, I thought. Couldn’t be too hard to understand, a direct signal. We were even smiling the whole time (okay, at the end of the hour, not so much, but still!). The purpose was to discover if the sample had a preference of who to hug. Then, we wanted to explain what parts of the sample tended to hug more. What we found was nothing we had expected—Santa Clara students don’t like to hug it out BUT faculty and staff DO! It was pretty awkward at first, but the tension melted throughout the testing period. After all, it was better being hugged by someone I didn’t know then getting passed by or laughed at. Seriously! We were asked if we had lost a bet…as if giving hugs was a punishment or something. Bizarre.

I’m nervous to present our findings to the class. I don’t think our professor will have expected this either…all I know is, the next time I see someone holding one of those signs, I am most definitely going to hug them—no questions asked!

AnchorSplash 2010

mskarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Sun, 23 May 2010 15:21:00 PST

The time is finally here for ANCHORSPLASH 2010! Each year my fraternity, Delta Gamma, fundraises for our national philanthropy, which created Service for Sight. Service for Sight donates money to children with vision loss; students have been aided with free state of the art eyeglasses, specialized computer monitor technology, braille books, and unlimited access to a new children’s Braille Library. I am thrilled the best event of the year is finally here!

AnchorSplash week starts with the 300 participants warring in our “Spike for Sight” event—a night of volleyball matches nearby campus behind the baseball stadium. The competition heats up as we make our way into the final round—last year an all out water balloon fight burst on the scene.

On Wednesday, we will hold the Date Auction at Olympus where each team auctions off a prize: four hours of manual labor, horseback riding in San Francisco, a candlelit dinner with a varsity team…that would be the Men’s Crew team. They just won the first-ever WCC trophy at WIRA's! I’m guessing they will be pulling a lot of money in for our cause.

We will gather the hordes of AnchorSplashers to travel to the Row for a fish taco fiesta on Thursday night. Wahoo’s was kind enough to offer SCU students discounts and donate to the Delta Gamma Foundation.

On Friday afternoon, Austin and the Pidgeons will rev the crowd up before AnchorMan kicks off at Paradise. AnchorMan is a series of skits inspired by Delta Gamma and performed by a member of the participating teams. The best ones involve songs about our philanthropy and dances where they throw up the “gamma.” Thankfully the weather should be nice and hot, perfect for our refreshments given by the generous sponsorship of our local fro-yo sponsor, Blondies!

Saturday is the big KAHUNA where we host AnchorSplash: the teams perform synchronized dancing in a 3 minute medley of hilarity. This year, the spectators will be able to enjoy cool drinks out of DG koozies and yummy cheeseburgers donated by Trader Joe’s.

It’s going to be a GOOD TIME!

Bay to Bronco: Break the Bay

mskarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:23:00 PST

It felt like Christmas Eve last night: the roomies and I were all on edge knowing that the next day would be one of the happiest days of the year—possibly of their college experience as they are all leaving me in June (but I won’t cry about that, yet).
We were preparing for the epic May 16, 2010 Bay to Breakers at 8:00 am, a USA Track & Field Certified 12K!!! Last year, a group of 50 of us dressed up as the smurfs. We had just missed the mark on the most creative theme award given in front of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Nick and George took the lead on making sure that didn’t happen again. They rallied the gang and created costumes for us to be the 101 Dalmatians!
So, when we were all packed at 5:30 a.m to wait for the CalTrain, it was easy to spot all of us! :) Good thing we had arrived early because the waiting area was packed with SCU kids. In fact, not all of us could fit on the first train so CalTrain had to send another one up for all of us. Since the train was at full capacity, we were blessed with a direct ride into San Francisco for the race!
It was awesome getting there before the festivities actually started and being able to countdown the first blast with all of the competitors. This year, not only did some of the gang run part of the race (along Alamo Square to the top of Hayes Street Hill), but we also finished it! A huge accomplishment in itself.
I can only dream of what next year’s festivities will bring!

Ichi...ni...san...SAKE BOMB!!!!

mskarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:18:00 PST

It was time to celebrate Jule’s 22nd birthday this Friday, and what better way to do it than sake bombing at Michi Japanese Restaurant?! We devoured the “Google’s I’m Feeling Lucky Roll” made of spicy tuna, unagi, yellow pickled radish, avocado—wrapped in cucumber and soy paper and topped with tobiko, Parmesan cheese, topped with ponzu sauce. But, then we were ready to get the good times rolling and start cheering “KANPAI!!!!” for our favorite girl. We prepared the two chopsticks on top of the glass to balance the shot of sake before we chanted "ichi...ni...san...SAKE BOMB!" and then slammed down the table as hard as we could to drop it in the glass and drink it as fast as humanly possible.
A night to remember…

S

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:11:00 PST

The warm spring nights mean perfect bonfire weather aka S’MORES TIME! Campfires are terrific for telling stories, especially the telephone kind where you make it up as you go around. I am dying to go down to Santa Cruz and make a bonfire on the beach—or, even camp out there for the night! I am definitely writing it on my to-do list for this summer.

Kelly's Visit

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:01:00 PST

My friend, Kelly, visited this weekend! We met abroad in Australia while we were studying at Bond University. She goes to school in Minnesota—but, after staying the weekend at SCU, she is considering transferring here! I can’t believe it…well, I mean, I can. It’s pretty hard to not want to go to school here when you visit!

Our Bondie friends helped me show her a fantabulous time in the Bay Area. One of my favorite things we did was hiking the Dish at Stanford Hills. The difficulty level was somewhere between brutal and a breeze (Sami and Kelly are pictured mid-jump!). I’ve always felt like athletic activities are prime bonding time for friends. I’m hoping that hike was the first of many to come!

Midterm Madness

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:35:00 PST

I’ve been struggling to stay focus. I live in a house of seniors! T-R-O-U-B-L-E! I have four midterms this week (the burden of overloading with five classes) and I am worried I’m not going to make it out alive!

Finance should go well since a) it’s my major and primary interest and b) we’re only focusing on the investment and follow-on period. My statistics class is going to be tough; I should memorize all of those awful hypothesis-testing formulas tonight. My international management test is going to be the most difficult to study for, since it is mainly essay questions. I always think I would do better on those but because they are answered subjectively, you never really know if the professor will agree with your opinion! I’m assuming Children’s Literature won’t be as tough as the rest—but that is when challenge will sneak attack against you! Part one of the grade is turning in a 10 pager and then presenting a ten-minute synopsis…I’m focusing on the fairytale story of Hansel and Gretel. Right now, my idea is to dress up as the adult version of Gretel and reflect on my life of leadership since rescuing Hansel from the evil witch’s cage (I definitely didn’t remember the story being so violent and cannibalistic!). I’m planning on bringing candy to the class and focusing on the word to help me get the point across in a fun way: e.g. The witch SNICKERed as she stared at Hansel dangling over the pot full of chocolate.

Here’s to hoping! Deep breathing and some proper sleep should be critical to the week’s success…let the praying begin!

Walk to create a world free of MS!

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Sat, 01 May 2010 13:29:00 PST

This weekend, my DG sisters and I raised money for the National MS Society with the Walk MScommunity in San Jose. We met in downtown San Jose with the greater community to raise awareness and support the more than 20,000 people living with MS in Northern California. We came together as a chapter to support our sister’s 23 year old brother who was diagnosed with it last year. For those of you who don’t know, multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system. In the past year, her brother has had to go through many medical treatments to try and help control this disease, as it will most likely impact him for the rest of his life. Walk MS is the rallying point of the MS movement, a community coming together to raise funds and celebrate hope for the future. The walk is one of many ways that the National MS Society funds cutting edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward.

10 Things I learned this week

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:25:00 PST

1. AMDG=All for the greater glory of God (Theology of Marriage class)

2. Prime Printing Hours=9:00am (Late printing my International Management homework)

3. Kiddie pool=Endlessly entertaining on hot Saturdays (We only left for otter pop breaks!)

4. 1^st Venture Capitalists=Treasure-hungry Pirates (New Venture Finance class)

5. Best chance at a job on-campus=Catering (looking for another job on Bronco Link)

6. Quietest Place to Study=NOT in the library…bike to SJS library (I am officially a patron with a book borrowing card!)

7. Campus Loop=1.67 miles (time-crunch ruled out run to HP)

8. Foster puppy=Easiest way to make a friend (Her name is Nalah and I don’t want to give her to her new family)

9. Trader Joe’s bread=Expires in 11 days (Excess of peanut butter and jelly)

10. Senioritis as a Junior=DANGER!!!!! (You will want to pretend you are one, too!)

Making an IMPACT to protect yourself

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:53:00 PST

My friend and I attended a self-defense workshop sponsored by the SCU student government’s judicial branch this week. I learned a slew of incredible tips of how to protect myself and feel empowered during an attack. Our coaches, Annabelle and Neidy, stressed the need to assert your personal boundaries. They broke the ice with quoting helpful advice from the popular blockbuster “Miss Congeniality”—emphasizing to “S-I-N-G!” In case you aren’t familiar, when attacked by an aggressor, you should elbow their solarplexus, punch their nose, dropkick their groin and finish with a strong poke to the eyes.

My favorite part of the workshop was when we practiced how to create witnesses to help you during an attack. You need to shout as loud as you can, “NO!” Annabelle and Neidy told us by hearing your own voice, you get a boost of confidence that you are taking control, which will catch your attacker off guard…not to mention, someone may hear you who can help you fight the attacker.

I’m happy I spent the extra hours learning about self-defense instead of procrastinating my homework and vegging out. Nothing like an awesome workout that is good for mind and body!

FUN in the SUN

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:34:00 PST

Delta Gammas had an early evening of FUN in the SUN with the chivalrous gentlemen of Sigma Chi. We gathered at their new house, Olympus, to be wooed by the crooning of Isaac Simmons. Isaac had driven up from LA to perform his catchy songs off his LP. It was obvious that everyone attending liked his low-key beats!

After a harmonious sing-a-long to Jack Johnson, we chowed down on what can only be described as a scrumptious feast of old-school BBQ cooking. Mm-Mm Good!

Scored with the ZipCar

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:14:00 PST

As a college student, I’m on a tight budget. As a college student who recently finished abroad, I’m balancing an even tighter one. Despite having two jobs at school, I still need to fandangle ways for me to be able to save enough money for the future but also have money to spend hanging out with friends.

One thing that has made my life easier is joining ZipCar. Santa Clara just adopted the program this year and I became a member a couple weeks ago. It’s awesome for me to be able to count on a car that I can use at a moment’s notice. Despite the popular belief that there are a steady flow of cars available through friends, I’ve learned that is not only the case…especially when people don’t fill up the car with gas after they borrow it or even get into a fender bender. And, no, I’m not talking about me!

I took the Toyota Prius out this weekend when I had to do all my errands: groceries, pharmacy, donations to AnchorSplash, doctor’s appointment—there was a lot to do! I was initially worried about using the Prius with all of the disasters Toyota has announced with their cars recently…but, everything worked out well! It was great to not bug my roommates for their car and not to go looking for extra cash to fill their tank up. I’m definitely planning on using ZipCar again. My bike can only get me so far!

Hollering about Henry's Hi-Life.

MSkarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:39:00 PST

It’s been raining in Santa Clara for over a week and I am crossing my fingers the sun will shine through soon! But, naturally, my DG roommates and I wanted to take action: we had to get out of the house. We decided to visit a popular haunt, Henry’s Hi-Life in San Jose, to get out of our rut of mac and cheese and movies during rain season.

We had all skipped lunch to go “all out” for dinner. Hi-Life has been garnering heaps of publicity because of the attention from Discovery Channel. Man vs. Food Adam Richman wandered into Hi-Life a couple of episodes ago to discover San Jose’s most appetizing restaurant and beer selection (15 on tap). According to the bartender, Hi-Life has been at full capacity ever since.

It’s not hard to see why everyone loves Hi-Life so much; their menu boasts of juicy ribs, steak or chicken grilled in their brick barbecue. Plus, word has it that the Mayor comes here to eat AND that the local sports team (kiddy-corner to HP Pavilion means Sharks roll in for a drink, if you are lucky).

By the time our main entrée was delivered, we were all stuffed from the food they gave us while waiting—salad, buttery baked potato and garlic bread. Needless to say, we all had extra food walking out the door to take home.

Let the food coma ensue…

Spring has Sprung!

MSkarzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skarzynski) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:12:00 PST

I’m finished with my first classes of the quarter and I couldn’t be more anxious to go right back to the classroom! The first one I have every week is International Management. It’s a shake-up from my “number crunching” ones in the business school—a great change! I really admire the professor, John Toppel, who has traveled around the world for international assignments in Hong Kong, Australia, Mexico, Switzerland and Korea. It’s easy to aspire to be as accomplished and well-traveled as him!

I’m also studying New Venture Finance this quarter. It’s silly that this is the first time I’ve been eligible for it—I think I should have taken the class freshmen year! It has given me incredible insight into the financial workings of start-up businesses using private equity a.k.a emphasized everything I have picked up during my internships while in college. Then again, you learn faster on the job than in a classroom! I’m looking forward to the group project where we evaluate a VC firm’s current and past portfolio.

In my Children’s Literature class we talked about “childhood, that precious, kingly possession, that treasure-house of memories.” I LOVE IT! It’s making me reconsider my major—should I have gone into liberal studies? I’ve thought about doing Teach for America after I graduate but now I’m seriously considering applying!

My last course this quarter is Theology of Marriage. The professor explained to us on the first day that we are sharing knowledge with each other rather than simply receiving a data transfer. Our opinions really count! I never imagined myself to be critically and creatively thinking of how marriage is interlaced into the Christian Tradition!

Farewell week one, hello Easter break!

Statistics of Winter Quarter

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:27:00 PST

75: Pages for papers written in 2 classes

12: Tests taken for 3 classes

6: Presentations given for 5 classes

150: Hours worked for 2 jobs

2: Friends came to visit!!!!

Despite the mountain of academia (and paying for academia) that has buried me in the library this quarter, there has been plenty of good, balanced fun, too. My friends, Cath and Lacy, came to visit last weekend. I remember how difficult it was adjusting to their disappearance at the beginning of the quarter—feeling like there was something missing in my SCU life.

It was AWESOME to see both of them and catch-up in person rather than just our go-to skype sessions. Now, I’m itching to visit them at their unis!

Problem is, the quarter system just does not want to cut you any slack! With the exception of the first two weeks, there is usually a major assignment each week of the term. I feel like I would be neglecting my primary focus in college—to be getting the best education possible.

Then again, the “great ones” stress the Pareto Principle, the 80/20 rule: “80 percent of the value you will receive will come from 20 percent of your activities.”

I propose that much more my happiness derives from riding my beach cruiser under the 70+ degree California sun than studying how bits and bytes have changed technology. I can only imagine the joy a road trip to Disneyland would give…

P.S. It is finals’ week… the reason this blog may be non-sensical to you=

4: Hours slept last night

A Lesson in Leadership

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:12:00 PST

During my SCU orientation so many years ago (it honestly feels like a decade ago), I enrolled in the Emerging Leaders Program. It is an introductory class during your freshmen year where you learn about different student organizations at Santa Clara and how to best get involved. It was one of the best classes I ever took during my three years! The class challenged me to overstep my boundaries—to be fearless of the opportunities ahead of me. I was encouraged to try a broad offering of classes, go to various club meetings and talk to people who (I thought) had nothing in common with me. The rewards from the ELP conversations have been endless and I honestly don’t think I would be the same person if I had not taken the class.

So, it is easy to understand my findings from ELP have stayed with me throughout the years. They prompted me to enroll in the business school’s final leadership class this winter. The course serves as a reflection for all the leadership lessons I have encountered over time. For the past 10 weeks, I thought about what it means to be a leader at SCU and beyond: how I am qualified and capable to mentor others and encourage their self-confidence to serve others.

In our last class, each of us made a declaration of our leadership…who we want to become as leaders. It took courage to make such a powerful statement but in the end, all of us had the same message.

Make a difference.

Hockey Heaven

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:09:00 PST

I LOVE THE OLYMPICS!!!!!!!!!

I’ve been watching the USA hockey team’s games on repeat for the last week. While screaming my lungs out at the TV (I believe they can hear me from Vancouver), I am now sporting the Team USA t-shirt as well. I think my passion for the team’s success is contagious—I somehow convinced my roommates to start The Bachelor fifteen minutes late so I could watch the top goals against Canada one more time. Bless the inventors of TiVo!

What I love about the Olympics is the sense of pride all people feel for their country. Everyone is stoked when their team succeeds. Since the USA teams are taking the gold in almost every event, it’s easy to be brimming with patriotism. My friends are slightly overwhelmed and confused how the games have taken over my life—but, I think by the gold medal round of the men’s hockey on Sunday, they will understand.

I’m in hockey heaven and it’s all about the love of the game!

Soft or Tough Tenderloin?

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:04:00 PST

After my thought-provoking experience in San Francisco last week, I decided to venture into the heart of the Tenderloin to give back to the greater community.

I participated in the Santa Clara Community Action Program’s (SCCAP) Project Open Hand (POH) on Friday night to support people with terminal illness by delivering hot and frozen dinners for the weekend. This particular trip up to SF was especially important to me because I was working alongside Maddie, Monica and Drew. Maddie and Monica have been close friends throughout my time at SCU and are both planning on volunteering in a leadership position for SCCAP our senior year. Drew, my Loyola resident last year, has flourished into a brilliant volunteer in SCAAP and was selected to be Program Coordinator of POH this year!

What I love about community service is that every time you volunteer, you gain a fresh perspective you hadn’t had before. A new feature of POH for 2009 is going on “sandwich loops.” Naturally, I wanted to try something I haven’t done before so I grabbed two bags full and began the trek down Ellis Avenue with the crew. As we passed Glide (recently garnering attention from the public eye with The Pursuit of Happyness), we stopped and handed out sandwiches to people in line. For the first time at POH, I was able to have quality conversations with people because it was a group of only four people. We were less intimidating. We met one man who called himself “I.AM.” He told us how he has lived in the Tenderloin for 30 years to act as a missionary for lost causes. “I’m teaching them to not steal, cheat or kill people every day. That there is more than that.” I wanted to jump up and down! Shout “Yes!! I believe in you.” I wish I had the decency to be like I.AM. To reach for the stars and do the impossible! With a click of a camera and a final goodbye, we left I.AM. Little did I know I would see him later that day. As I rounded the street corner ready to say hello again, he was making a drug deal. He looked up at us—then, immediately down at the sidewalk—walking furiously away from his “low-point” situation.

I felt betrayed and hurt. But then again, who am I to judge how you get through your day? I might have sympathy but I will never have empathy for living in poverty and the means you must go to in order to live another day.

The truth about three-day weekends=an opportunity to overstep your comfort zone

MSkaryzynski@scu.edu (Meghan Skaryzynski) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:59:00 PST

This weekend, I walked around the hill-filled city and people watched leading up to the infamous day of love. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping and the children were laughing and all felt right in the world. We boarded the modern, zero emissions bus and headed to Union Square.

At one of the stops in the Tenderloin, a man got on and sat next to me. He immediately began talking to me about men and how I needed to have patience to better understand them. Taken aback, I apologized, what exactly for I still do not know, and vowed to change. Allen, my new friend, pulled out a book from his plastic bag.

“Read this. It’s funny and will teach you a lot about us.”

Why Dogs are better then Men.

Getting to his feet, Allen asked me to pass the book on, and left the bus, me, forever.

Woahhhhhh!

It was a special day and I wanted to top it off perfectly. We headed to B*Star in Richmond. The fusion dishes are interesting twists on familiar bistro-style favorites of Asian fare. I loved the vegetarian samusa soup (a Burmese soup with falafals, lentils, cabbage and potatoes) and the tea leaf salad (a Burmese salade made with romaine lettuce, ginger, garlic, peanuts, sunflower and sesame seeds, tomatoes and tea leaves). Definitely going to return!

With the three-day weekend quickly wrapping up, I’m going to set some positive intentions…something modeled like ProjectRED has done with sending 14 million days of medicine to people with HIV or finally send off that check to Kiva’s microloan bank.