Crunch Time

If you've been following my blog, you will notice how my life has revolved around our Saint Michael's Production of Dead Man Walking. I am writing to you now to say we are finished! Crazy! Of course this is not without some technical difficulties along the way. As a stage manager you must be quick on your feet when things like these come your way. I have learned much about this process in our last week of shows with savings seats, filling in an ASM for an actor, and turning the projector on during the middle of the show (don't worry it was intermission!). 

Encouragement from Sister Helen!

A pretty full house!

All of my hard work with my great ASM team Shelby, Tina, and Lexi has paid off. I've been nominated for stage managing for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival! HOORAY! I am so honored and will make the most of this opportunity!

Congrats to Evyn and Zac, alternates Jordan and Dustin!

In other things, this week is the week of more craziness, only this time it's academic related. I'm finally able to focus on final projects and get these things out of the way!
Academics in the next two weeks:
- Rough Draft for Moliere to Modern Drama - handed in!
- Final Presentation for Deviant Women - presented!
- Final Draft for Moliere to Modern Drama
- Research Project for Stagecrafts
- Response Paper for Deviant Women
- 10-page Paper for Historian's Craft
- Presentation for Historian's Craft

Needless to say I made the smart choice to limit my social media usage. I'm using StayFocusd, an add-on for Google Chrome that will block certain websites from my view: i.e. reddit, facebook, twitter, tumblr, etc. I'm only 'allowed' 5 minutes a day and while I scramble to read messages and notifications, I know that if it's really important people who need me can get in contact with me. It's very freeing actually. 

So far so good...we'll see how the rest of the week goes! We've got the following events here at SMC:
Thursday - Spring Concert with MACKLEMORE!
Friday - Talent Show
Saturday - PDAY!
My friend Brittany is coming to visit us from Stonehill and I'm super excited! With all the work I've been doing, it'll be great to have a break but also focus on the work...fingers crossed.

Sending you some SMC love, 
Katelyn

So You're Gonna Be a Senior...

This phrase has been coming to mind more and more this week. Let me tell you why:

1. My senior friends are in the library writing theses, planning solo week for Student Teaching, and applying for jobs left and right. 
- I DON'T WANT THEM TO LEAVE!

2. My friend Katie and I went through housing a few weeks ago to get our townhouse for next year. We're in the 200s with our friends Kayley and Taylor and a few doors down from our friends Alex, Marci, Mary, and Megan! I'm so stoked!

3. I ran and was elected as the Drama Club Vice President! AHHHHH! I'm excited for next year and the possibilities and opportunities the Drama Club will have and we have a rockin' E-Board!

4. I've finished going through advising for my Fall Semester Senior Year. WHAT?! I've figured out my classes as follows:
   - History Senior Sem
   - Directing
   - Judaism 
   - Castles and Cathedrals

5. I'll also be doing my Theatre Senior Sem project over the summer for our Fall Mainstage: The Contrast. Updates to follow!


While all of this seems overwhelming, I know that there are some obstacles I've got to hurdle first. Meaning our last run of Dead Man, numerous presentations and projects, and final exams. It will be such a relief when those projects are completed!

Hope you're enjoying your Monday!
Katelyn :)

A Prelude to Dead Man Walking

If you didn't know, a show called Dead Man Walking has taken over my life since January. I'm currently stage managing the production with three ASMs, over 26 cast members, our wonderful production team, and more! 

We've sponsored a visit from Sister Helen herself. You'll hear more about this later. I'm actually doing a presentation on her for my Deviant Women class. I can't wait to see how it comes out!

Sister Helen and I! I was SUPER STOKED!

There was a faculty panel on the death penalty - featuring professors from the Sociology, Political Science, Philosophy, Global Studies, and Peace and Justice departments. While I was in class, luckily Saint Mike's recorded it and put it on Tegrity, one of the many awesome things that professors can use to record discussions, classes, and more. I'll be watching it for my presentation. 


Tomorrow we start Tech Week - be prepared for some ranting-type blogs about how things are going, a reflection of my sanity. I've been in McCarthy for the most of the day, prepping for Tech, doing a paper tech with the designers, getting cameras checked out by the local camera shop (thank you Jon's Darkroom!)


If you're going to be in the area for Accepted Students Day (Class of 2017), come check it out! Here's a link to the event!

So far, so good. 
Until next time, 
Katelyn: Stage Manager, Catch-all, and Unsung Hero. 

Apply and You Shall Receive!

There is so much good news that I have to share with you readers!

Hopefully you've seen my previous blog post about getting a summer internship. Most recently I've had two phone interviews that didn't really pan out but gave me a better understanding of how to present myself in that situation. It was great to have a chance to talk to my potential bosses and get their input. 

Yesterday, I received an e-mail from Chuck Tobin, the Producing Artistic Director of the Saint Michael's Playhouse. I applied for both production and administrative internships via the Playhouse and was anxious to hear about the results of my application. 

Well I have good news! I'VE BEEN OFFERED AN ADMINISTRATIVE INTERNSHIP! HOORAY! 

This will be my first US working-in-theatre experience and I'm excited! Although it means taking a pay cut with more hours, the knowledge and experience I will gain will benefit me in the long-run. 

So I guess this means I'll be living in Vermont again for the third summer in a row - CRAZY! 

I did wish that I would have the chance to go on vacation with my family since I miss hanging out with them ever since study abroad - with the time the internship is run I'll have time before and after to go home for a few weeks and enjoy it while I can. 

I'm so excited for this experience to begin! 




In other good news: I'm now an official Saint Michael's Tour Guide! Thanks to my best friend Alex - I got my butt into gear to apply! I've wanted to be a tour guide since sophomore year and finally one of my SMC dreams has come true! 

Definitely look out for me Class of 2017 at the Academic Preview Days April 13th and 20th! I'll be shadowing tours as well as being a member at the Theatre table! Come chat! 

Here's hoping that there's more auspicious events in the future!
Katelyn :)  

Are you MOVEd? My Spring Break in Kentucky

While I was abroad I applied to do an Extended Service Trip with MOVE, the Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts here at SMC. At my first year here at Saint Mike's I got accepted to go to Buffalo, NY with a great group of people and work in the Nativity Miguel schools. 

Some of the boys, my friend Allyson and I (we now live together!)

Our SMC group that finished 150 wings! BUFFALOVE '11

I was nervous about accepting the trip to Kentucky since I wasn't sure exactly where I would be handling the semester of stage-managing, two 300-level History classes and Stagecrafts. I was hoping for some down-time but after talking with people from home, I decided to go!

Coming back to SMC and meeting our group was great - we had a few meetings before we left where we discussed packing, our jobs, and getting to know each other. 

The night before we left we had a reflection with all the other service trips and then dinner at Carrie's house! SMC faculty and staff are so accepting - and Carrie made a delicious spaghetti dinner!

The next day we got up at 4 AM to meet in the MOVE office for our flight. Needless to say I got maybe four hours of sleep after double-checking I packed everything. 

Airport after airport, we arrived in Kentucky a day before registration for CAP (Christian Appalachian Project) where we napped and enjoyed dinner a Charley's - AMAZING ROLLS! 

Sunday, we met Antonio, the bus driver for the Tennessee Tech University baseball team. Turns out they were staying in our hotel and had a game that day against Eastern Kentucky University that was just down the street! We decided to go after Mass and make up 50-75% of their cheering section.

Before that we traveled to Mass at St. Mark's. There was a service group from their parish going to North Carolina for the week and they got a blessing.  This is relevant because we stood out like a sore thumb in our jeans and t-shirts. The priest saw us and invited us up after hearing that we were also going on a service trip. Our goal was to be subtle participants in the back...not so much. 

We then drove to the Laurel Lake Baptist Camp for registration and orientation. We met many different people from many colleges: University of South Florida, University of Notre Dame, College of Saint Mary, North Dakota State University, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, College of Mount St. Joseph, and Eastern Illinois University. This gave me the opportunity to meet other college students that I never would have!

SMC Girl Power!

We also found out our crews: check out THE PURPLE CREW!

Top row: Tristan (Mount St. Joe's), Matt (NDSU), Jake (Long-term Volunteer), Jake (UNC-CH),
Kaytlyn (Notre Dame), T (Volunteer), Jess (Long-term Volunteer), Simone (UNC-CH), ERROL (leader)
Bottom Row: Amanda (SMC), Me!, Alex (College of St. Mary), Victoria (Eastern Illinois) 

We worked on a house that had burned down a few years ago: we mostly did demo of front and back porches, the remaining siding and insulation, and parts of the roof. We then did sheathing (aka putting parts of OSB on the framing of the house). 

The owner checking out the final touches for our week!

We had a great time bonding as a crew as well as getting to know the owner of our house. I was so privileged to meet and work with all these wonderful people. I was not expecting this trip to affect me as much as it has and I think about it everyday! 

I definitely recommend to anyone in the SMC community to apply for an Extended Service Trip - you get to meet and bond with AWESOME people and work to better others' lives. I feel truly blessed to be able to have had this opportunity!


Carrie also blogged about her experience in Kentucky; check it out here! 
Check out the Christian Appalachian Project's Workfest blog here- with a video including yours truly!
While there is always more news to come, I've got to be getting on with my spring cleaning!
Until next time, 
Katelyn :)

Workin' on My Fitness: Quirks and Perks of SMC

One of the great things about Saint Mike's is the resources they offer, such as the library, technology, and more! 

This post is about the fitness resources here at Saint Mike's. Yesterday, my friend Alex and I went to the gym (Ross and Tarrant) to work out. Ross is the gym that houses the gym that hosts basketball and volleyball games, has a swimming pool, and offices for coaches. 


We made our way into Tarrant where on the second floor there's the exercise equipment and weight room (fitness center). Tarrant also has a dance studio, racquetball courts, an indoor track, and a large gym for intermural sports. 

What a great gym buddy!

A creeper picture from Alex!

What's great also about the Fitness Center is that you can find a time that works for you! You can also find a time that is practically deserted if you're not enthusiastic about working out with others (aka me). 

Monday-Thursday: 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Friday: 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Saturday: 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Sunday: 12:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

If you've got any questions feel free to ask! 

Hope your Sunday is enjoyable!

Katelyn :)

Music Mondays!

Happy Monday! 

While I had a pretty long day (I thought today was Tuesday...), music always helps me to unwind. Thus, I shall be updating my page What I'm Listening To every Monday to help both you and me to get through the week! Be sure to click on the link or page to check out my music selection :)

Let me know what you think! 
Katelyn :)