CU Live

Christmas Break Already??
<img hspace="10" height="48" width="40" vspace="5" align="left" src="/Portals/14/Blog/faces_sidemenu_button_white_micah.gif" alt="Micah White" />This semester has just flown by, but it is great to be done with finals! I had my last presentation at 1:00 today for Finance 425. We had to build a mutual fund for our class based on the investment philosophy that we had been learning all semester. Each group presented their strategy and then talked about the stocks that they picked. Then our professor asked us really tough questions about why we picked the stocks that we did. It was difficult, but I think we all took a lot out of the class. Also, I am almost officially done as the student body president. I learned a lot over this past year and met some great people, but I am glad to be passing the torch. It is quite a stressful job, and it has consumed my life for the past year. People keep asking me what I will do with all my free time. I tell them that I might eat, sleep, maybe do some homework. My professors might like me a lot more next semester! One thing I will be sad about when we get back: no more Christmas decorations! My favorite time of year is after the Christmas at Creighton ceremony when all of the lights are up on campus. It almost makes it fun to walk back from the library at midnight... Everyone enjoy your last week of Advent!!

Have a Merry Christmas!
<img hspace="10" height="48" width="40" vspace="5" align="left" src="/Portals/14/Blog/faces_sidemenu_button_lazure_linda.gif" alt="Dr. Linda Lazure" />Hope everyone is having a great end-of -semester. We are busy helping students finish up this semester and get ready for next semester. Have a great break.

Finals
<img hspace="10" height="48" width="40" vspace="5" align="left" src="/Portals/14/Blog/dawson_l.gif" alt="Liam Dawson" />Man...I can't believe the semester is only 2 weeks from completion. This semester has flew by. Finals are now right around the corner and I remember when I had to take my first finals as a Freshman last year and I was scared...I did not know what to expect or how to react to them. However, I came to realize that I worried way to much about the finals and if I just sat down and buckled down and managed my time wisely that I would be able to study for an adequate amount of time. This semester I have a busy schedule, but luckily they are spread out. I have a final on monday, two on wednsday, and one on friday. Besides finals creeping right around the corner we can not forget about what time of year it is. We are now in the Christmas and Holiday season and this is the perfect time to lend a helping hand in your community or to be grateful for your friends and family and cherish every moment you have with them, because family and friends are the building blocks of our lives and without them we would not be able to progress and develop into the person we are today. So this Holiday season I hope that everyone will have safe travels and will be able to enjoy the comfort of their family and friends. Good luck with finals and tests and I hope that all of you have a happy holiday and a very Merry Christmas. Lastly, I want to leave all of you with a quote that I think is perfect for this time of year seeing as it is one of the happiest times of the year. "Be helpful.When you see a person without a smile ,Give them yours."

Creighton Soccer is a Rollin!!!!
<img hspace="10" height="48" width="40" vspace="5" align="left" src="/Portals/14/Blog/faces_sidemenu_button_young_wayne.gif" alt="Dr. Wayne Young, Jr." />This past Turkey Week I was able to grab my three oldest kids (ages 11 and two 8 year olds) and go to both of the NCAA playoff soccer matches at Morrison Stadium. Both games were simply amazing. In the first game Tulsa came up and played extremely aggressive and physical soccer---and the students really came out and supported the Jays even though it was cold and the next day they were out for Thanksgiving break. Frankly, Creighton dominated the entire game, but we gave up a goal with 5 or so minutes left in the game which made the end of the game pretty exciting as we were up 2-1. In the next game Creighton took on Connecticut and we were again the stronger team throughout the match--we outshot UCONN 26-5 or something like that and we went tied into overtime....luckily our Jays had an amazing free kick with a header play that put us over the top. Again, it was simply AMAZING how the fans came out to Morrison Stadium--not only students, but alumni and friends of Creighton! It was a great crowd for soccer and I think it shows how Creighton is becoming the college soccer capital of the US. The stadium is amazing, the atmosphere is great, the students and fans are dedicated, and the team is headed to Maryland for a possible berth in the College Cup (soccer's final four). Here's to hoping our Jays can bring home 3 more wins this season! Go Jays!!!!!!! Wayne

fall into winter
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><img hspace="10" height="48" width="40" vspace="5" align="left" src="/Portals/14/Blog/ng_lianna.gif" alt="Lianna Ng" />I definitely feel that we've been falling into winter. it seems that Omaha plays little tricks on you. One day cold, and then next so gorgeous that you almost want to stay outside all day. Well ALMOST. Life for me is always speeding up and slowing down. I don’t know which one I like better! This past weekend the music scene in Omaha was “bumping” you could say. I got to see two of my favorite singers at The Slowdown, a music/bar/restaurant venue just 4 blocks from the east edge of campus. The two artists that I watched this weekend were Matt Nathanson and Ingrid Michaelson. I love the slowdown because besides the crowds of interesting people it draws, it also creates a kind of low key intimate setting with the musicians. No screaming teens here! I think that most of the crowd was college aged and above, which make it nice that my toes were still intact when the night was over. Also no silly girls that push and shove, which was a nice reprieve from other venues. I know I’ve said it before but music scene in Omaha is actually really great. Compared to the concerts that we get in Hawaii. Omaha is like heaven. I mean, just about a month ago Creighton brought in Third Eye Blind and that concert was great I heard! I was unable to make it, but I think my friends had enough fun for all of us. </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> Campus at Creighton is looking a little dull these days without all the beautiful flowers but I see that they have begun to decorate the campus for it’s annual Christmas lighting. I love when the whole campus is lit with beautiful glowing Christmas light! I cant wait for the holidays. With thanksgiving coming up- get a nice 4 day weekend. Hmmm. I’m so excited!</div>

Great Start to the Basketball Season
<img hspace="10" height="48" width="40" vspace="5" align="left" alt="Liam Dawson" src="/Portals/14/Blog/dawson_l.gif" />Basketball season is finally under way and campus is buzzing. Every game that I have gone to so far has been filled with excitement especially our come from behind win against New Mexico in which we trailed by 23 points. At this point in the game I was thinking to myself if they are going to play like this all season it is going to be a long year...but then things began to turn around and we went on a 17-0 scoring run in the last 3 minutes and 30 seconds of the game. The noise in the arena was the loudest I had ever heard, which was very exciting for me, because i felt we helped carry our team to victory through the support we showed for them in the final minutes of the game. Although basketball season has just begun, our mens soccer team is hosting a second round NCAA match with Tulsa tommorow night, which should be a very exciting match and our women's volleyball team is also traveling to witchita this weekend for the MVC Tournament. On top of all the excitement from recent sport activities this Thursday is Thanksgiving, which I am excited for, becasue I will be able to go home and enjoy the warmth of my house and getting to spend some quality time with my family. I will be able to go for a run with my younger siblings and go outside and play basketball with them, as well as, completing 3 projects this week.....yuck...so it will not be an all relaxing break as I was hoping for, but it will work out for the best. I just want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and if you our traveling in the next few days may you have safe travels to wherever your destination is. Until next time Go Bluejays and Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Message
<img height="48" hspace="10" width="40" align="left" vspace="5" alt="" src="/Portals/14/Blog/faces_sidemenu_button_schlegel_father.gif" /> Dear Friends and Colleagues: At this midpoint of November, our thoughts turn to preparation for our annual Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends. There is much to be grateful for this November. Each of you, in your own setting, is aware of the gifts and blessings you have in family and friends, neighbors and co-workers. At the same time, we are all acutely aware that the economic and political scenes have shifted like tectonic plates shaking our confidence, transforming our economic wellness and affecting each of us in our own circumstances. At the same time, we await a change in national leadership and global expectations. While Creighton has not been spared the economic trauma and stress being experienced across all of higher education, we did move in a preemptive manner to protect our financial footings. In spite of the numerous unknowns in the economy and the impact on higher education, Creighton has much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving season. The Creighton family is blessed with a healthy enrollment; a gifted student community; a creative, productive and generous faculty and staff; nationally recognized academic programs; a generosity of service to the Omaha community; our loyal and supportive alumni; a campaign with momentum; fiscal stability; and a renewed effort at strategic and campus planning to guide us in the years to come. We are thankful for this country, with its beauty and bounty, which allows us so many opportunities and protections. In these fragile times, we pray for peace, stability and goodwill among all peoples. As George Washington wrote in his first Presidential Proclamation of Thanksgiving: “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.” Let that be our prayer this Thanksgiving season, as individuals and as community. You, your family and friends are in my prayers and thoughts during this annual celebration of gratitude.   John P. Schlegel, S.J. President

Business Symposium
<img hspace="10" height="48" width="40" vspace="5" align="left" src="/Portals/14/Blog/lynch_sean.gif" alt="Sean Lynch" />I have been meaning to post for the past week and finally have found some time. This past week was one busy week with my time being occupied mainly with registration planning and another wave of tests. All went well in the test sector and as far as registration went, I was just struggling with that epic dilemma of whether or not to build a schedule that will allow me to sleep in or to start early giving me more free time in the afternoon. (The early starts won out) However, my original intention was to write about last Friday (11/7). Every year Creighton’s College of Business hosts an event called the Creighton Business Symposium. This event occurs every year in the beginning of November and the business school cancels all of its classes in order for students to attend. The event brings in business executives from all over the country to come talk to the students about leadership skills, personal experiences, and a variety of specific topics for the year. The symposium helps give students access to leaders for learning purposes as well as for networking and internship possibilities. The day is divided into blocks with a morning and an afternoon keynote speaker, as well as the opportunity to go to two panel discussions. This year’s morning keynote speaker was Ms. Mary Pat McCarthy, Vice Chair of KPMG. She talked to us about the accounting field and her successes in her career. She shared tips on how to succeed in any field and how to maintain a balance between your family and your career. She was also a Creighton alumna and she discussed how our Creighton education prepares us for the “real world.” The panel sessions focused on a variety of subjects including Legal Careers in Business, Economic Benefits of Going Green, Globalization, Sports Marketing, and tips on how to get noticed in a corporate environment. Our afternoon keynote speaker was a Creighton alumnus, Mr. Jayme Martin, Vice President and General Manager, Nike Inc. He talked to us about a variety of things, but first just to get our attention he showed us the first ad he ever made for Nike and with that the importance of taking risks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGIq1X7_RZk Beyond that, he talked about the ability for a corporation to affect change in the communities it operates in. For example, he talked about Nike’s backing of the LiveStrong bracelet campaign (they actually produced the bracelets with all the proceeds going to Lance’s foundation) and the organization of a run in Mexico City to protest the rampant child abductions in Mexico. He talked about Nike’s relationships with its athletes, its rise to the top in its field, and how following his dreams got him to where he is today. At the end of his presentation he called up one of the Accounting professors up to the stage and presented him with a pair of Nike Air Force 1’s that were engraved with “Dr. Lewis” on one heel and “Jays” on the other. This token was out of all that Dr. Lewis had done for him, not only at his time at Creighton, but past his undergraduate career through his time at Harvard earning his MBA to being an executive at Nike. I think this is one of the things that is extremely unique to Creighton: the ability for students to form lasting relationships with professors as mentors and friends that persist long after their time at Creighton. The office hours that Creighton professors are required to keep and the small class sizes (avg. size of 24) only encourages the professors and students to know one another. Below, I have included a variety of pictures from this fall that I have not written about (I will provide a caption beneath each one with a brief explanation); they show a couple aspects of student life and campus. Enjoy! <img height="240" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2909172378_38ef380420.jpg?v=0" alt="FLP @ Homecoming BBQ by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Members of Creighton's Freshman Leadership Program (FLP) before one of the men's soccer games. Creighton is ranked 2nd in the nation according to the latest coaches poll. <img height="240" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/2909172346_662cffb3b4.jpg?v=0" alt="Cortina Students at the Soccer Game by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Member's of the Cortina Living, Learning Community in front of Morrsion Stadium. Cortina is a program that is open to all sophomores. The community focuses on: Service, Faith, Justice and Community. <img height="240" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3129/2908325925_b1fa0e74c9.jpg?v=0" alt="East End of Campus by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> View of the East Side of campus. <img height="240" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3141/2909172330_bac1946f2d.jpg?v=0" alt="Morrison Stadium and Billy by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> The Billy Statue in front of Morrison Stadium. According to Creighton legend, it is good luck to rub his beak before walking into watch the game. <img height="240" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/2909172304_6b3b01e32c.jpg?v=0" alt="IRHG Execs at the Getting Blue BBQ by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> The Inter Residence Hall Government (IRHG) puts on tail gates before the men's home soccer games. <img height="240" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2909172280_5350cf2f4b.jpg?v=0" alt="Golf Cart Parade by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Creighton's annual golf cart parade during homecoming week. <img height="240" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/2908325873_eb2fa2765a.jpg?v=0" alt="Golf Cart with a Good Message by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> <img height="240" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/2909172248_95d0af53bb.jpg?v=0" alt="CU Students on the Mall by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Students hanging out on the mall. <img height="200" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/2909172240_6eaf1ca56c.jpg?v=0" alt="Drummer From the Pep Band by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Drummer from the pep band performing during homecoming week. <img height="219" width="330" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3110/2887964083_11f4054dde.jpg?v=0" alt="Billy the Bluejay crossing the finish line by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Creighton has an annual fun-run/race to raise money for scholarships for low-income families to Jesuit Middle School. Here is Billy crossing the finish line. <img height="221" width="334" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/2887963901_76dc6e668c.jpg?v=0" alt="Billy the Bluejay shaking the hands of a future bluejay by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Billy congratulating one of the run's youngest participants at the finish line. <img height="218" width="328" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2888797740_8d305d0731.jpg?v=0" alt="Father Schelegel in the JayWalk by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Creighton's president Fr. Schlegel during the race. <img height="211" width="316" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/2887963547_62ec7da7d4.jpg?v=0" alt="Girls Soccer Warm-up by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Women's soccer during warm ups. Around Campus: <img height="231" width="348" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2137/2887963435_20c37f0212.jpg?v=0" alt="East-Side of Campus by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> <img height="234" width="353" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/2888797274_2368ba41b2.jpg?v=0" alt="East-Side of Campus by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> <img height="235" width="354" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/2887962957_d18ccf75a2.jpg?v=0" alt="Students Studying on the Mall by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Creighton's mall is completely wireless and Creighton was ranked in the top 5 as a Wired Campus out of all universities by PC magazine. <img height="240" width="361" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/2887962853_3930d0d1ea.jpg?v=0" alt="Student Studying in the Jesuit Gardens by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> <img height="232" width="349" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2887962753_7b8e1b77b1.jpg?v=0" alt="Hixson-Lied Science Building by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> <img height="238" width="357" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/2888796572_d5a9ed9427.jpg?v=0" alt="View of Campus from the North by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> <img height="270" width="360" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/2887962573_9644279f46.jpg?v=0" alt="Creighton Students at the Soccer Game by S.P. Lynch." title="" onload="show_notes_initially();" class="reflect" /> Creighton Student's painted and ready for the game. 

Election Day Reflections
<img hspace="10" height="48" width="40" vspace="5" align="left" src="/Portals/14/Blog/faces_sidemenu_button_young_wayne.gif" alt="Wayne Young, Jr." />Good lord what a Presidential Race 2008 was....It was amazing to see the nation so involved in this election...and to see Creighton students register to vote (and then vote) in such huge numbers. It was great to see young people take the election seriously....and frankly I think we are seeing a resurgence in our country. Say what you want about party lines and bipartisanship, but I stand here today proud of my country. We had an outstanding turnout at the polls, our young people voted in record numbers, and we have our first person of color as president! Whether you are Democrat, Republican, or Independent...you have to be proud on some level today of your country. Meanwhile back here at Creighton--I am proud of the discussions, viewing parties, and ultimately--the fact the Creighton students went out and voted....it is good to see and once again renews my hope that the future is bright for our country! What a fun way to start a month of Thanksgiving....as today I am very thankful for this country in which I live.

Voting
<img hspace="10" height="48" width="40" vspace="5" align="left" src="/Portals/14/Blog/dawson_l.gif" alt="Liam Dawson" />Yesterday was a very exciting day for me as it was the first time I was allowed to complete my civic duty as an American citizen to vote for the first time. The past couple of months I had been reading the issues not only of the president, but of the local races as well, becasue the local races to me are important too. However the past week I felt myself on the fence in dealing with the presidential election and I was still undecided up until I darkened the oval on my ballot yesterday. I drove 30 minutes back to my hometown of Blair, NE to cast my vote and as I was driving I was thinking to myself I now get the chance to have my voice heard when it comes to electing the next president and that was an exciting thought to me. I walked in the doors to vote and luckily coming from a town of about 8,500 people everyone was at work at 9am so there was no line, however by the time I finished my ballot it was 925. I stood in the voting booth for 15 minutes making sure that my presidential selection was the right one for me and it ultimately game down to 3 major issues for me education, economy, and the war in Iraq. Voting was an excellent experience. Well I hope everyone has a great week and good luck to the Women's Soccer team this week as they compete in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament which starts today!!