Candle Light Vigil

An act of respect 

Friday night saw an act of destruction and despair for the population of Paris, France. I was horrified when I first heard the news break about the devastation. I will never ever understand why human beings would want to physically hurt or even kill others.  

Paris is known world wide to be the city of 'Love' but what ISIS did Friday might was far from love. In fact I would say it was inhuman. Being from Europe and having friends who live in Paris, this news was even more upsetting. 

Last night in SRU as a way to show love and support for Paris, the French students here held a candle light vigil in the Quad. I immediately wanted to go to say prayers and join together with others to show my support to all those victims and their families. It lasted around 30 minutes in total which included prayers, lighting candles and designed lanterns, that are still on the sidewalk today. 


In an instant life can be taken away from you. Live every moment like it is your last!


Ár dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha! 

Icing on the cake

International Week 

Being an exchange student and an active member of the Internations Club here at SRU, last week was a very special one for me. It started out last Sunday with the International Sports Night which I was a subcommittee member in charge of collecting and setting up equipment etc. This was a perfect way for a Physical Education student to have some fun. We played loads of different sports like cricket, pickle ball, basketball and most importantly Hurling (Caroline and Gráinne's religion - almost). It was a very successful opening to the week and a great way to meet up and have some healthy fun!  



Next up was the Fashion Show, which I'm sure a few of you attended. This was a huge success with a lot of different countries and outfits represented. The performances were also a lovely addition to the night.

Tuesday at common hour we held a Coffee House with different snacks and most importantly different coffees from around the world. I was thrilled to see that our very own Irish coffee made an appearance and everyone I spoke to seemed to really like the taste. Instead of being biased, i'll be honest and say the Belgian White Chocolate Coffee was really really tasty and I'd defiantly recommend it to a friend. There was also artifacts from different countries spread out around the room, so if you got bored of talking and making conversation you could go and take a look at all that was on display (perfect for me). 

Something a bit educational (pardon the pun) took place on Thursday during common hour. Four different countries including Denmark, Australia, Korea and Kenya, discussed the differences in the Education Systems in their country. This was such an interesting topic and it was nice to be able to compare and contrast what happens in their school lives in comparisons to Ireland. The highlight of this event was the free Chinese food that was provided for everyone who attended, because who doesn't like free food right?!

Finally the big event. Something I have been looking forward to for weeks. At every Internations meeting while preparing for this event we would watch videos and discuss what was going to happen. This made me very excited to say the least. Everything about this event was stressful from the preparation of food (Shout out to Caroline for her little accident), to rehearsals and serving our own dish at the actual dinner. We could beef stew btw which was unreal, if i do say so myself haha! I got to carry the Irish flag into the event which I really enjoyed! This was our big night as exchange students. It has defiantly opened my eyes and shown me the vast amount of friends I have made on this journey who I hope to see again in the future.. maybe not in SRU this time!

This was 100% the best week i've had here in SRU. Delighted it happened, but i'm sad that it's over!  Here are some pictures from the dinner :) 

CRU in SRU

Religion from a different perspective

Last night, at 8.04pm, I stepped into a room in the Advanced Technology and Science Hall that I could have never imagined myself in before coming here. Every week a group of 150 or more students come together for an hour to meet up and have fun. This is all because they have one thing in common - GOD. 

I would be lying if I said I was a very religious person right now, but up until a couple of years ago I regularly attended Mass and prayed like any other Catholic school girl. I attended an all girls Catholic secondary/high school which I spent some of the best years of my life, Don't get me wrong, having a Nun/Sister teaching my class was a bit daunting but we were never forced to do anything majorly religious. On big events such as Ash Wednesday or St.Brigid's Day we went to Mass/Church. I was in the school choir and usually played the Organ during these special days but I still didn't call myself a huge religious person. I just did it because I was asked and I liked to perform during these big school events. 

Over the last couple of years I have fallen out of touch with Mass. I still go on big days like Christmas and Easter but I don't go every week like I used to. It just got too repetitive and somewhat boring for me. I have two uncles who are priest, two grand uncles and one grand aunt who is a Nun. It's still an important part of me and I definitely consider myself still religious just not as active. 

However, looking at last night and how the CRU members have build this community of worship and trust is amazing. At home being religious isn't considered 'cool' or 'normal' for a college student but now I ask myself why not? Everyone is entitled to be whoever they choose to be in life and who are we as a society to judge the decisions of others. This probably sounds a bit over the top but I have defiantly found something very interesting and lovable about this group. Don't get me wrong it was a bit daunting at the beginning, everything is at first, but once I saw some familiar faces(that you wouldn't expect to see at first) I felt calmer and less anxious. Everything from the band to the speakers and just the general vibe was refreshing and honestly really enjoyable. I even openly sang the songs which I had never heard before! That just shows how comfortable I felt in there.

One thing that I've realized is that maybe if Mass at home wasn't the same repetitive hour every week and more fun and open like CRU, I may have continued to practice my beliefs into my college years. This is a lovely group with amazing people who have incredible courage to share their beliefs in a society that isn't always encouraging. 

Don't be afraid to check it out, I'd highly recommend it! 

It's all fun and games being 4,000 miles away!

International Exchange 

I can't believe my time here at SRU is nearly up! Only 32 more days until us #irishontour fly to Boston for some Christmas shopping. On the 20th of December I will be back on Irish soil ready to eat all round me during the Christmas season. This is undoubtedly one of the best experiences of my life to date. I have learned so much during my time here and met the most amazing people. I can honestly say I have friends from nearly every part of the world now, which is pretty cool! 

College life is a lot different in Ireland. We do not get to pick/schedule our classes. Instead, we are given our timetables at the beginning of each semester. This could be a blessing or a curse in my opinion, depending if you like the class or not. However, I believe it is a good thing because I know I would be very stressed when it comes to scheduling :L 

We don't have continuous assessment either, we have around 3 assignments per class and one big test at the end of the semester (which is worth the majority of your final grade for that class). It can be up to 85% - YES it is STRESSFUL!!!  I do prefer the system here, even though it is a lot more work, I find the assignments easier and the final exam isn't all or nothing which is nice. The good thing about classes in Ireland is that we have no such thing as 8 am's. One thing I will not miss here I can tell you :P 

Going on International Exchange is such a great experience and I would highly recommend it. You learn about different cultures and how people in different parts of the world go about their daily lives. You also learn a lot about yourself. Don't know if anyone has noticed but i'm far from reserved (haha). At least I know I am very independent and have defiantly caught the travelling bug. I am determined to travel the world once I graduate. 

Just for a bit of fun here is some of the American lingo I have come across here and how we would say them back in Ireland:

 trashcan = bin

 vacuum = hoover

 period = full stop

 eraser = rubber

 E brake = handbrake 

 turd = poo

 po po = gardaí

 douchebag = eejit

 turn up or transfer = go hard or go home

 what's up = what's the craic