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About Me:

My name is Steph, and I am a senior Marketing major with a Communication Studies minor. Since this is my last year at Butler, my main goal is to enjoy every moment that I have left, while doing as much as humanly possible. I am a marketing analyst at the Butler Business Accelerator, a Speakers Lab tutor, and a Butler blogger (obviously). I also am an Alpha Phi, the President of the Butler University Student Foundation, a member of Alpha Kappa Psi (a professional business fraternity), and a member of the Butler American Marketing Association. In the small amount of free time that I do have, I love crafting, watching large amounts of television, and enjoying my favorite comfort foods, like sweet tea.

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Posts Tagged “Indianapolis”

The winter that never really was…

Every year since I came to Butler, each winter has been rather similar.  We might get a little bit of snow before Christmas (usually the week before finals, or during finals), but the most snow and winter-y weather always comes after we return from Winter Break.  Each year it snows during Recruitment…so much that I am usually glad that I don’t have to go anywhere for the entire week, because then I don’t need to dig out my car.  Then after Recruitment we get at least one more big snow, whether it is a Snowpocalypse level snowstorm or a snowstorm that gives us about a foot of snow – that keeps me from carrying on my life like normal for a day or two.  And of course…in between the bigger amounts of snow we always have light dustings, or mini-snowstorms.

This year, however, has been completely different…and I don’t like it.  We haven’t had any large amounts of snow, I’ve only had to use my ice scraper twice, and I’ve never pulled out my de-icer.  I am extremely disappointed in this winter…and because of that, I am declaring that the winter isn’t officially over yet.  So, Mother Nature…this is your time to step it up and give Indiana what we love – crazy weather patterns.  I would prefer for us not to have a snow storm before/during Spring Break…because I couldn’t live with myself if I missed it.  I looked at my schedule, and decided that I could fit a snowstorm in on March 20, beginning at 8 p.m.  I also might be able to squeeze it in on March 6, at the same time.  I love the element of surprise though, so be sure, Mother Nature, to not listen too well.  Just try to keep these dates and my schedule in the back of your mind – because I would really appreciate it.  Thanks, Mother Nature!

Campus – after a light dusting of snow earlier this semester

 

From Freshman Year to Senior Year – Part I

One great thing about being a senior is that a lot of our professors love to use class as an excuse to give us advice about life.  In order to make this somewhat academic, they assign lots of papers or reflections about whatever topics we are going over in class at the time.  So, I’ve spent the last 5 weeks or so thinking about my college years…and how I have changed since I came to Butler.  Some aspects of my life are completely different now than I thought they would be, but most of these changes are all positive, and just a natural part of growing up.  Here we go…

My hair color…

If you didn’t know, I used to be blonde.  Really blonde.  But a few years ago I decided to go back to my roots…literally…to be a brunette again.  Do blondes really have more fun?  Nope.  They don’t.

Freshman Year….
Senior Year…

Leaving Butler…

When I first came to Butler, I thought that I would go home every 2 or 3 weeks.  For awhile, I kind of did because I visited friends at other schools and went home often.  Eventually, my life got so busy that I just couldn’t make this traveling all the time thing happen anymore, and now I barely have time to go home at all.  I wish I could visit my family and friends more, but it is also kind of nice that I love being here at Butler so much that I am fine with staying.

Instead of leaving, I try to get everyone to come visit me here, or I try to split my time between visiting others and them coming to see me.  This way, I can even share a little bit of my love for Butler and Indy with everyone who comes to visit.  I’ve even noticed a difference in how quickly I leave for breaks.  Freshman year, I couldn’t get of my last class on Fridays fast enough to get me on the road to go home.  Now, sometimes I will stay at Butler for an extra night just to hang out with my sorority sisters at Alpha Phi or to just relax on campus.

Check back soon for Part II!

Alpha Phi + Carrie Underwood + Steven Tyler = Unbelievable

A few weeks ago, all of the sororities at Butler got an email about a opportunity to get free front row tickets to a bunch of concerts during the week of the Super Bowl.  It sounded too good to be true, but we figured that it would at least be worth a shot…so we sent in our names anyway. After waiting a week or two and actually thinking that we didn’t get tickets…we found out that everyone was going to get to go.  We weren’t even sure who we were going to see, all that we knew was that it was a CMT Crossroads show…so we figured it would be some awesome country artist.  Then, we found out that it would be Sugar Ray, Steven Tyler, and Carrie Underwood….and we pretty much died.  Here is how the evening went….

  • 5:00 p.m. – We went to the State Fairgrounds to get in line…
  • 6:00 p.m. – We went into the Pepsi Coliseum and got in our spots….in the FRONT ROW.
  • 7:00 p.m. – We waited…
  • 8:00 p.m – A local band played…then Sugar Ray came on….and I felt like I was in the 5th grade again.  It was great.
  • 9:40 p.m. – Finally, Carrie and Steven came on…and they were absolutely amazing.  We basically all became best friends…it’s fine.

Killing some time by taking photos as usual....

The stage....

Carrie and Steven. Epic.

Going to this concert was by far my favorite thing that I did during the week of the Super Bowl.  We didn’t have to deal with downtown and tons of people….and we had the best time.  Even though we stood around for about 6 hours by the time it was all over, it was so worth it….and I wouldn’t have wanted to stand around with anyone other than my Alpha Phi sisters.  They’re pretty awesome too.  :)

Also – if you are watching this show when it comes on CMT – look for me!  The cameraman was right in front of me for awhile…so you can see me every once in awhile!

Dear Super Bowl, You’re great…but…

The last two weeks in Indianapolis have been amazing, busy, and slightly overwhelming with all of the Super Bowl excitement going on.  I ventured downtown on Thursday and Friday night…and had very different experiences.

Thursday

I went with over 10 of my sorority sisters and friends, and our plan was just to go and see what was going on and what it was like at Super Bowl Village.  It was a perfect night to be walking around outside, and we all had a great time.  We went to a little bit of the Darius Rucker concert, we wandered around, and we just people watched.  It was a very chill night, and I really loved the whole thing…so it was a success.

Friday

The second time around I went with only 3 other girls, and it was our plan to go to see Fitz & the Tantrums, and maybe stick around for LMFAO.  After stopping for some amazing photos at Monument Circle, we started toward the stage – along with everyone else in the city.  Meridian was just packed with people, and no one could move…literally.  After trying to nicely shove our way through for about 20 minutes, we finally made it to the area of the concert, where it was just as crowded.  To us it was kind of frustrating because we legitimately wanted to see the concert, and we couldn’t even get to a place where we could see the stage.  So eventually we just called it a night….and decided it would be best to head home.

After our not-so-positive night downtown, I decided that I was done with the Super Bowl…and that I was ready for Indy to go back to normal.  We’re pretty spoiled here with relatively cheap prices on everything, very little traffic, easy parking, and I like it that way.  If the Super Bowl comes back to Indy or some other big event comes to Indy anytime soon, I’ll be excited and I’ll be sure to experience as much as possible…but until then I am going to enjoy our city the way that I like it….normal, relaxing, and chill.  So thanks for coming to Indy, Super Bowl, our time together was real, but I’m glad that you’re over.  

One of my favorite parts of the Super Bowl decorations - Monument Circle

 

Fallon Phenomenon 2.0

This fall, Butler started a huge social media campaign to get Jimmy Fallon to come back to campus while he is here filming his show for the week of the Super Bowl.  Basically, it was outrageously successful.  First, Butler students were given the chance to get tickets to the taping of his show.  Then, they announced that Jimmy was going to be doing a special show just here at Butler, and students got first dibs on those tickets.  Finally, a couple of nights ago, Jimmy filmed spots for his show both in Schwitzer Hall and outside of Atherton.  So pretty much, Butler is in love with Jimmy Fallon….and Jimmy loves us back.  Or at least we think he does.

I had the chance to go to the show on Sunday – I was in the 3rd row…right smack dab in the middle….and it was amazing.  All of his writers did some stand-up, and then Jimmy did…and they were hilarious.  I was kind of worried/unsure of the whole situation – not going to lie – but it was actually funny.  My friends and I all made a pact with each other to not “fake laugh” like people sometimes do when they just feel like they should be laughing….and I really didn’t have to worry about it at all.

The view from our seats on Sunday night...waiting for the show to start.

I tried to get tickets to the show…but they had a lottery of some sort to determine who got those…and I was not one of them.  And on the night when Jimmy was just running around campus I didn’t have time to drop everything to go and creep on him…so that didn’t quite work out for me either.  I am excited to watch his show though to see my freshman dorm…and to see all of my friends that somehow made their way onto the show.  I’ll only be slightly jealous…I guess.

#SB46 – aka Super Bowl 46

This week is pretty intense here in Indy – since we are hosting the Super Bowl this weekend.  They’ve been preparing for months – and the time is finally here!  Tons of streets downtown have been closed off, they’ve turned entire buildings into tourist attractions, and there are people everywhere.  Or at least that is what I’ve heard.  Tonight I am venturing downtown for the first time to see Darius Rucker‘s free concert, and I’m planning to go tomorrow and Saturday as well.  Basically, the next three days of my life are going to be centered on one thing and one thing only – experiencing as much of downtown life as humanly possible.

Between the daily free concerts, the NFL Experience, Super Bowl Village, and Jimmy Fallon’s show tapings each day, there are more than enough things for us to do this week.  The only problem has been that we have class, meetings, and homework to do too….and that there just aren’t enough hours in the day.  So…as of this moment… I am finished with class for the week…and I am officially replacing my class/homework time with Super Bowl time.  I’ll post blogs about all my concert/gallivanting experiences – so check back soon for those!!!

 

It’s official…I have a big girl job!

Every college senior’s biggest fear is that they will graduate from college and not be able to find a job.  No matter how much you prepare for the real world, finding a job is pretty tough out there right now, especially for those of us that only have internships and part-time jobs under our belts.  So whenever people ask us about our plans for the future…we have a quick freak out on the inside…as we imagine what our lives could become if we never found a job.  For me, I always imagined moving home and crafting everything in my parents house, which I was kind of alright with…but I’m sure my parents would get tired of VERY quickly.

Don’t worry about my life becoming extremely sad and lazy though..because I officially have a post-grad job!

EXCITEMENT!!!

For the past few months, I have been applying for every job opportunity that was available…which really isn’t many, considering that it is December, and I won’t be able to start a job until at least May.  The application process for the job that I accepted was almost two months long, and I was fortunate enough to be one of the finalists selected.  So, this means that after graduation, I will be an Orr Fellow at BidPal Network, a company in Indianapolis.  I could not be more excited for this new chapter in my life, and that I will have the chance to stay in Indy following graduation.  I really do love the city, and I hope that I will actually have time to explore it when I’m not overcommited on campus anymore.  Stay tuned over the next few months though, as I give you all the perspective of college life from someone who is officially employed.  (Hopefully…it isn’t too different…I don’t want to get too lazy during spring semester.)

For more about the Orr Fellowship, check out their website!

The Dangers of Going to a Small School

Going to a school like Butler that is rather small has it’s pros and cons (as every school does)….but they are each pros and cons that I love.  So, I thought that I would share some…

At a small school…

  • You will be exposed to more diversity (personalities, values, hobbies, etc.) than you would be anywhere else.  For instance…at big schools, people most likely have a small group of close-knit friends…but at small schools…everyone knows everyone.  So you will be friends with a wider variety of people…which is really a cool thing when you think about it.

My roommates and I....we're all so different...but that is what makes us love each other so much!

  • Your professors always know you.  I personally love this, because I have really great relationships with a lot of my professors (beyond just knowing my name and major), but at the same time….this way they know when you slack off…and when you aren’t in class.
  • There aren’t a ton of food options on campus, etc.  This really stinks sometimes…like when it is snowing out and you don’t want to leave….or when you are lazy and don’t want to leave (this happens to me a lot)…but here…I think it is actually a positive.  If we had more on campus, we would stay here.  We would be comfortable….and nothing would ever force us outside of our Butler Bubble. But really…Indy is an awesome city with so many food, shopping, and entertainment options that I’m glad that I get to venture out a couple times a week at least.

So even though going to a school that is tiny compared to big state schools is kind of tough in the beginning…after awhile you actually start to appreciate those differences, like the things I just mentioned.

Senior Year Update: Part II

In my last post, I talked about some things that I’ve done this year already that I have really enjoyed.  So, in this post I am going to talk about everything that I am looking forward to in the Spring semester…  Here we go…

Bid Day

Bid Day is like Christmas…two weeks after Christmas.  After 4 hard days of recruitment, everything is over, and we have the chance to welcome usually around 40 new fabulous girls to our sorority.  It is usually cold and snowy, but we don’t mind at all…because we are just so excited to welcome our new girls home…and to be continuing on our sisterhood.  This year is going to be bittersweet, since it will be my last Bid Day…but I know that I will still love every moment.

My pledge class on our Bid Day....

Spring Break

I’ve never really done the full-on Spring Break trip….but this year…I’m determined to.  No sleeping on my couch, no just visiting friends at IU or Evansville…I’m going to leave the state of Indiana.  We don’t know where we’re going yet…but we know that it will be fun…which is all that matters…right?

Spring Break junior year in Chicago

CASE ASAP Network Convention Prep

This summer I had the chance to go to Network Convention with BUSF (Butler University Student Foundation) in Nashville…and next year the convention is coming to Indianapolis!  So, we are helping with preparations for it, and promoting the city itself…and I just can’t wait!  Indy is a great host city for events and conventions, mostly because we have an awesome downtown with tons of cool things to do. 

BUSF Exec just enjoying Downtown Indy....

So you’ve moved in…now what?

Once you arrive on campus and you move everything in, there is a point in time where you just aren’t sure what to do.  Either you haven’t unpacked much yet, and you aren’t sure how/what to unpack, or you don’t know where to go or what to do around campus, no matter what, it is an awkward and difficult time for knowing how to handle your first few days at Butler.  So, here are a few handy dandy tips for getting used to campus and getting settled in.

  • Bond with your roommate. Even though you have probably already spoken to your roommate, use your time of getting settled in as a time to really break the ice, and work together for the first time to find solutions that work for both of you.  For instance, you can brainstorm together about how to best set up your room, depending on your preferences, habits, and anything else important to you!
  • Get out of your room. Getting to know your roommate is important, but even more important is making the most of your experience.  So, get out of your room, and participate!  Go meet some new people at Starbucks, go to the Mall to hangout, or find something else to do.  I am definitely a homebody, but I love being social, so I have to sometimes remind myself that the best way to be social is just to be out and about on campus.
  • Go to every possible Welcome Week event. There are so many, and they are going to be so much fun.  So do EVERY one (but be sure to not drive yourself crazy…of course).
  • Explore Indy. This city is pretty great, so go check it out!  I did a series of blogs on what to do out and about in Indy….so give it a shot!  See what this place is all about, and what kind of awesome shopping, museums, and attractions there are all over the city.
  • Explore Holcomb Gardens. The gardens are one of the hidden gems of Butler University, so go check them out.  I didn’t really know that they existed until a few weeks into my Freshman year, so go down there right away, and marvel at the beauty and at the awesomeness, that is right here on campus.

Mostly, just make sure that you keep in mind that this week is for you, the new students.  The SOGs are all here to help with your transitions, so use us as resources as much as possible.  We just want you to have a safe and healthy transition, and mostly, to LOVE Butler University!