FORMAL

One of the best parts about Greek life....the dances!  My friends and I spent this past weekend in Big Bear, California for Beta Theta Pi's fall formal.  Hands down the BEST weekend of the semester.  

For one, I saw snow for the first time in my life.  Weird, I know.  But coming from Hawaii, I've just never had the opportunity.  So, it was so cool getting to play in the snow!  A bunch of my friends got to go skiing and tubing too.  

But, after playing in the snow and roaming around the little country town, we got to dance the night away in the hotel's ballroom.  A lot of the girls in my sorority were also there, so we had such a blast getting ready together and taking pictures.  It was such a fun weekend.

Christmas Spirit

Every year, San Diego hosts a weekend festival called December Nights in Balboa Park.  The park is covered in lights and filled with a ton of vendors serving different foods and products.  The museums are all opened to the public and guests are able to walk around and soak in the Christmas spirit.
However, this year, my friends and I started our night a little too late and weren't able to make it to the parking lot in time to check out the festivities.  Thinking on our feet, rather than head home, we decided to explore San Diego and we ended up at Seaport Village.

Seaport Village is a little shopping and eating area near downtown San Diego.  It has a quaint feel that makes for the perfect evening.  While there, my friends and I stopped into the food court that was filled with authentic eateries.  We had some greek food and pizza and were able to eat over looking the water.
We stopped by a mug shop owned by one of USD's accounting professors and even listened to a Beatles cover band in a book shop.
So, even though our night didn't go as planned.  We were able to discover a new gem within San Diego.  The spot was so beautiful that we can't wait to head back again.

TBIYTC

Coming to USD, I was a little nervous about the religious aspect of the school.  I'm not Catholic and I wondered if I'd be overwhelmed here.  Would they make me go to mass?  Why do I have to take three theology classes?
However, I quickly learned that USD focuses on the basic themes of religion that are a universal language.  Things like love and tolerance.  They stress the importance of community and service and I can really appreciate that.  I've never once felt pressured to follow Catholic practices, but instead, have felt welcomed into a community of caring individuals.
So, as I said before, even though I'm not Catholic, I found myself diving into all the programs that University Ministry has to offer.
This past weekend, I attended the SEARCH retreat.  Held in Julian, the retreat was everything I was missing in my life.  Everyone is searching for something and this weekend provided that opportunity for me to take a break from reality to find that something.  I'm so glad I was given this opportunity, because I was able to meet a lot of different people who I don't think I'd necessarily have gotten to connect with during my everyday life.  We were able to have deep conversations as well as belt out songs to the top of our lungs.  The experience was indescribable...  

my SEARCH family

Gavin DeGraw and David Cook

The Outdoor Adventure Program at USD has a ton of great opportunities for students to do things around the San Diego area that they normally would not be able to do.  This week, I had the opportunity to canoe to an area near Humphrey's By The Bay and watch Gavin DeGraw and David Cook.  Best part, the event was completely free.

Now, I'm NOT outdoor-sy at ALL.  I like to stay indoors, naturally.  So, the idea of this seemed a little out of my norm.  However, I have to say that this is probably going to be one of my best memories at USD.  Honestly, when else in your life are you going to use a canoe to paddle out across the bay.  From there, find yourself in a little cove where a live concert is happening right in front of you.  It was magical to say the least.

I'm hoping to go on another one soon!  To check out more of the other activities that Outdoor Adventures has, here's a link..
Outdoor Adventure Trips

Torero Spirit

USD may be a small school, but what we lack in size, we make up for in spirit.  This week was filled with crazy, spirit filled events to pump students up in anticipation for the Homecoming game against Davidson (who we destroyed!)  On Friday night, there was a sickkk, FREE concert by Eric Hutchinson and the White Panda.  Eric Hutchinson sand great acoustic music, but the White Panda absolutely dominated the night.  That was definitely one of the best concerts I've been to in my entire life.  The music was pumping and everyone was dancing.  It was amazing!  

Prior to the Homecoming game, there was also a Homecoming tailgate for alum, students, and parents.  Our sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, had a luau themed booth with tasty snow cones!  We also had a beautiful mural for people to take pictures in front of.  Through our booth, we were able to connect with past Alpha Chi's and hopefully future ones too.  We were also able to visit the booths of the other members of the Greek Community.  It was a nice event and a great way for everyone to be connected here at USD.

The ladies of Alpha Chi Omega with the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon

Barbie and Ken

This weekend, my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, along with Theta, had a double date dash!  This means that both our sororities brought the dates of our choice and spent the night dancing away.
The theme was game night so everybody dressed up as things like pacman, tic tac toe, mario, and more!   Double decker buses took us to the event that was held at the Double Tree in Hotel Circle.  It was such a blast!  My date and I dressed up as Hawaiian Vacation Barbie and Ken.  We really enjoyed ourselves and it was so nice to just dance and blow off some steam from a tough week of studying.

Just the beginning...

These first few weeks have been jam packed with exciting activities and adventures!  I have already been able to attend a Padres game thanks to RHA and the Torero Program Board.  The tickets included the seats, transportation, and food all for only $8.50!  Seriously, what a deal!

Torero Program Board has also put on other fun events including a comedy show with Craig Robinson, the guy who plays Darryl on The Office and GlowFest, a huge dance party with Nate, the DJ from Passion Pit!

But besides, attending all these crazy events, I was able to attend the Alcala Bazaar, a fair for student organizations and vendors held every semester on Marian Way!  I was there to promote my involvement in Alpha Chi Omega! 

 It was a ridiculously hot day, but my sisters and I beat the heat and were able to meet a lot of great girls, while sharing our love for Alpha Chi!  I'm so glad that so many people attended the Bazaar because it is the best place to learn about all the many organizations on campus.  There's no way students can't get involved!

WELCOME CLASS OF 2015

Although school didn't start until August 31, I have been back on campus since August 14th busily anticipating the arrival of the new freshman to campus with the rest of the Resident Assistants!  We have been training tirelessly, thinking of new and fun ways to welcome the new students in order to give them an easy transition into life as a Torero.

Torero Days orientation went off as a success!  It's a four day orientation that begins with move-in and is filled with activities including a night at sea world and a casino/dance!  It's a great way for students to get to know each other!

Overall, I look forward to the year ahead and am so happy to be working directly with the freshman and living back in Missions B (the best dorm on campus).  I love the other Resident Assistants and can't wait to begin planning fun floor events including movie nights, ice cream socials, and even laser tag?? Here in San Diego, the possibilities are endless!

Less than TWO MORE MONTHS

I'm home for summer vacation in HAWAII, but where is the one place I wish I was right now...of course, Sunny SAN DIEGO.
I miss my friends,
I miss late night Mexican food runs,
I miss Mission Beach,
I miss the perfect weather,
and I even miss the SLP.

But as you future Toreros begin to get information regarding your schedules, housing arrangements, etc., it can all seem a little overwhelming or just plain confusing.  So here's a few helpful hints..

1.  Check and understand your schedule
-Unfortunately, TR means tuesday AND thursday.
-Be sure you need the classes you are registered for.    For example, I took AP Calc in high school and passed the AP exam, which meant that because I'm a Communications and Spanish major, I never have to take math at USD, EVER.  But, for some reason, I was registered in Calc II.  I didn't realize that I did not need to take that class until the very last minute and by that time it was really hard to find another class to switch in to.  The early you resolve these problems, the better your chances of getting a good class to switch in to.
Below are links to USD's general requirements to graduate, as well as the scores needed to receive credit from USD.
USD General Requirements
AP/ CLEP/ IB Exam Credits

2.  You'll be happy regardless of where you live on campus.
Although I'm the biggest fan of the Valley, being a Missions B resident my freshman year and also an RA next year, I know that every living area has its pros and cons.  Regardless of where you end up, your freshman year will be amazing.  You'll most likely have friends that live in all the different buildings so you'll hang out all over the place!

3.  Attend your cities Summer Send-Off
Below is the link to the list of Summer Send-Off cities and dates, RSVP when available and attend to meet people from your area.  It never hurts to know more people coming into a new school.
Summer Send Off Dates

4.  Join the Class of 2015 Facebook Page
USD Class of 2015
Ask questions or simply connect with your future classmates!

5. GET EXCITED
Okay, seriously, you'll have the time of your life at USD.  The first couple weeks may feel a little crazy or a little overwhelming, but by the end of the year, you'll wonder where the time all went.  So get excited to become a Torero!

Just a small FORMALity

If Prom was your favorite thing about high school, then you will LOVE formal!
Every sorority and fraternity has a formal, which is basically a college version of prom filled with getting dressed up and taking lots of pictures and dancing the night away.  Friday night was my sorority's formal.  We got dressed up and took pictures in front of the Jenny Craig Pavilion.  As you can see, the setting and scenery was absolutely amazing!  Then we jumped on the buses and got taken down to the Bahia, which is a very nice hotel near Mission Beach.  Our dance was in a ballroom thats glass walls opened up to a view of the bay.  It was amazing.  We also had a sit down dinner before the dancing began.  My date and I had such a fun time and all of my sisters looked absolutely fabulousss!

Then on Saturday, I drove to Palm Springs for the Beta Theta Pi fraternity formal.  Fraternities at our school are allowed to have their formals at venues outside of the San Diego County area, which is so nice!  

We spent all day out at the pool just relaxing and having fun.  I definitely got very tan!  That night, the formal was at the hotel we were staying in which was very convenient.  The hotel was really nice and the DJ at the dance was awesome!  It was so awesome having a weekend away from campus and getting to relax and enjoy fun formals!

Photos are brilliant

and I enjoy taking them.  

I do it for fun and just discovered that our campus has a lot of great places to shoot photos.

Take a look...

Easter Break aka 2nd Spring Break

The beautiful thing about going to a Catholic University is that they celebrate Easter.  We were given an Easter vacation that lasted from Thursday (April 21) to Monday (April 25).  A lot of students went home, but I decided to stick around campus for a few days because I had a friend come down to visit me from Chapman University.  We hung out around campus and she was definitely impressed at how beautiful this school truly is.  

On Easter Sunday, we even had brunch at La Gran Terraza, the fine dining restaurant on campus.  It was delicious!  And the best part, they take dining dollars.  Meaning we can use our meal plans to pay for these fine dining meals!

On Monday, I went to Disneyland with my friend Dana, who also attends USD.  We had such a fun time and it was great since the lines were so short!  Our campus is located only about an hour south of Disneyland so the drive isn't bad at all and we're hoping to go again very soon, especially since we both have annual passes!

Kickin It Hawaiian Style

 My sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, along with the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon hosted our sixth annual "Kickin It" Soccer Tournament to raise money for Julian's House, a local center for victims of domestic violence.
The event was a huge success thanks to all the teams that participated.  It was a great day to host the event and reminded me of my favorite reason why I love San Diego...the weather, of course!

After the tournament, I rushed over to the UC Forums to the People of the Islands Luau.  Although I have never felt homesick during my time here at USD, I do appreciate Hawaii and the culture and unique place that I come from.  So, it was really nice to be able to dance hula and tahitian again and eat some delicious local food!

The luau ended with a concert by a reggae band called "The Green".  A lot of my friends from the mainland hadn't heard of them before, but they are EXTREMELY POPULAR in Hawaii, so it was a big deal that we got to hear them perform right in front of us.