Antlers Up!

Everywhere you go, t-shirts and hats are plastered with “T’s” to support the Texas Rangers in the World Series! Just yesterday, the Parks mall in Arlington was a sea of red in preparation for game three of the series. 

Before last year, I was never much of a baseball fan. Not because I disliked the sport, but simply because I did not have a solid understanding for the game. But, the most recent season of Northwood baseball changed that! I religiously went out to the diamond every weekend to soak up some sun and cheer on our Knights. It’s almost to the point where I miss that ritual! Yes, I am proud to say that I miss baseball season here at Northwood.

But, for the time being, I have been filling my baseball void with each series that has led up to this current pivotal point. Even if I can’t be in front of a television to watch the game, I am always sure to assign someone to be my updater via text! 

I will be the first to admit: I am not the most avid fan. (Although, in comparison to some of the die-hard fans, I’m not sure many could EVER measure up!!) However, I thank the Texas Rangers for giving me a team to support and players to follow as I wait for the first game of the Knight’s season. 

It’s amazing the sense of community one sports team can create for a city. Events such as a home team making it to the World Series can unite people from all walks of life. So, regardless of the series outcome, I am among the millions of Texas Rangers fans. And I proud to say that, too! 

~Melissa

Christopher Kennedy Lawford stops by Northwood!

New York Times best-seller and author of two books, Christopher Kennedy Lawford stopped by the Northwood campus last Wednesday, the 20^th of October. This speech was part of our new Values Emphasis program on campus.

I wasn’t sure what to expect out of his speech, and I was actually planning on working during the time he’d be on campus. At the last minute, one of my good friends Rosa asked if I wanted to attend. I decided to see what this guy was all about, so we both went to the Hopkins Building Rotunda.

A Santa Monica, California native, Mr. Lawford has traveled the country most of his life. He is the nephew of Ted Kennedy and John F. Kennedy… yes, John F. Kennedy.

(As in this man right here!)

Mr. Lawford's goals were to go to Harvard, write a book, and ultimately become the President. Unfortunately, that all went downhill after his first time doing drugs. This led to a 17-year addiction, with 10 of those years being a medicated addiction.

Now, I know what you’re thinking… “What is he preaching about? Who cares? That won’t ever happen to me.”

Mr. Lawford wasn’t preaching at us. He was telling us his story. We could either choose to learn from it, or just take it as another presentation. I chose to learn from it.

I got the chance to speak with Mr. Lawford after his presentation. (He was actually twenty-minutes late to his Luncheon on campus by this time, but he still stopped to talk to me!) I got some great advice, and an autograph. :P

After being in jail on three separate occasions and surviving being in hospital Intensive Care Units the same amount of times, he knows what it’s like to appreciate being alive even though he shouldn’t be. (These are his own words.)

I learned a lot from Mr. Lawford; the main thing being that life is too short to not enjoy it. It’s okay to have a hard time or to be sad, as long as you know you will get up at the end of the day and keep going. (Count that as my advice to you as well!)

The bookstore is now selling one of his books, and I can’t wait to go buy it. Miguel, who works in the bookstore, sent me this wonderful picture of their display!

I hope you all enjoyed the blog! I have a lot more fun stuff to talk about, so look for another update within the week! Have a great Halloween weekend! (And if you haven’t already… check out Melissa’s blog about Boo at the Zoo! Her Lego costume? Epic!)

*Erica

Boo at the Zoo!

     When I was a little kid, picking out your Halloween costume was always one of the most exciting things about the holiday. For weeks before October 31st, we would plan and scheme and create fabulous costumes. As I look back through pictures and memories, I think of all the various outfits I wore door-to-door in my neighborhood. From a Geisha to a cat, to a bunny and an Indian – even a princess! (For those of you who know me personally, this may come as a shock!) But perhaps my favorite costume – I am guessing it was my favorite, as I wore it three years in a row – was a Lego! Yes, a Lego…it was legit.

(Above: proof of the Princess costume; Below: the legendary Lego costume!)

     But, even now that I am too old to get away with trick-or-treating, I still LOVE to see all the kids’ costumes. Last year I saw dozens of Hannah Montanas, the various witches and wizards of Harry Potter, and all the different kinds of Transformers. So far this October, I have enjoyed it just as much! Friday, I worked at the 19th annual Boo at the Zoo in Fort Worth. Here, scary and cute costumes alike get to dress up alongside the wild animals that roam the zoo.

     Families come from all over to enjoy this event. For one weekend in October, regular admission to the zoo allows kids to not only tour the park, but also play games, win prizes and candy, watch shows, and be entertained by clowns! I and several other EXCEL participants went and helped out at this fun and lively event.

(Zahira Duarte and Sara Frederickson also helped out at Boo at the Zoo!)

      My station was called “Scardy Cat,” and it was so much harder than it looked! It was played with hollow Frisbees that were thrown at wooden cats. The goal was to get the middle of the Frisbee to land around the cat’s tail. But, did you know, most kids do NOT know how to throw a Frisbee?! I can’t tell you how many people were hit by wild discs flying every which way. The important thing though, is that the kids had a blast. We had several that came back over and over again…they just couldn’t stand the thought of not accomplishing the difficult task lassoing the statues!

      It came as no surprise though to see that there were several duplicates of costumes. Toy Story 3 has definitely made its mark on this generation, as I lost track of the number of Buzz Lightyears, and cowboys and cowgirls who called themselves Woody and Jessie. There were also several creative and homemade outfits…an adorable little girl dressed as a strawberry, the Cheshire cat and the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, a unicorn, and even a peacock! There were so many kids though, so I am sure I am forgetting several costumes worthy of recognition.

     Even though I was exhausted at the end of the afternoon, I had a blast. Seeing the kids excited to show off their new aliases for the day with their sticky, candy-coated fingers was priceless. It brought back many of my childhood memories of trips to the zoo, and made me feel like a kid as I experienced the excitement of Halloween once again. I hope you find your own fun way to enjoy this holiday!

(Martha Cano, Me, Zahira Duarte, and Ryan Schexnayder in our Boo at the Zoo t-shirts, all very tired from the event!)

~Melissa

Homecoming Week!

Hey everyone! I’m honored to be the first person to blog on the new Northwood University-Texas blog. If you want to know a little more about me, check out my tab at the top of the site. Just click “Erica Garcia” to read some more info about me!

Now, let’s get down to business! This past week was Homecoming Week on the Texas campus.

Each day, we got to dress up differently. The week included everything from Nerd Day to Pajama Day. Pajama Day was definitely my favorite! Any day that I can literally roll out of bed, put on shoes and a hoodie, and go to school- that’s what I call a good day!

On Friday, we had a carnival on campus. I actually brought my nephew, and he thoroughly enjoyed the free pizza and giant tricycle racing. :)

To wrap up Homecoming Week, we had our seventh annual Crossing Over ceremony on Saturday evening. I got to cross over for the third time, earning my Knights pin!

Unlike last year, it did NOT rain! On behalf of every single person at Crossing Over, I can say that we were so thankful for that. We were able to take our picture outside in our campus’ amphitheater… (Because of the rain, we were forced inside one of our buildings last year! That was certainly an adventure.)

I can’t believe I’m already a junior in college. These last couple years have just flown by, but I can’t wait for what’s next. I can tell that this year is going to be the busiest thus far, but it will probably be just as amazing. Oh, and can I just go ahead and mention how excited I am for you all to go through it with me? :)

*Erica