Spring is coming!

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Annie Brown

Spring break is close, but spring seems even closer! The weather on campus was beautiful this weekend. A small number of students made their way to the quad on both days for some sunbathing and studying and playing catch, and as the weather gets warmer, more students (including me) will join them.

Because the weather was so nice, nine and my friends and I walked to Baugher’s for dinner. This was a lot of fun and the food was delicious (I had a hot turkey sandwich with a chocolate peanut butter sundae for dessert), but next time, I would go with a smaller group or on a different day in order to get seated faster–ten people on a warm Sunday evening is a recipe for a long wait at Baugher’s.

I’m looking forward to the emergence of warmer weather because it means I’ll be able to get off campus by myself more. Though I have friends with cars, I only ride in them when we go on group outings. I don’t have a car on campus, so my only solo means of transportation is walking, and in though there are plenty of things within walking distance from campus, when the weather is freezing, walking off campus usually isn’t worth it for me. (I also don’t like to rely on others to drive me places.) But with spring weather, I’ll be able to allow myself to go on more errands and go get coffee off campus. And with only eight weeks in between spring break and summer, it will be those little things that will give me something to look forward to when spring break is over : )

A little networking

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Annie Brown

I’ve found that it’s possible meet some pretty interesting people with just a little talking. While your parents might have told you not to talk to strangers when you were a kid, it actually doesn’t hurt to talk to some of the people you encounter once you’re in college. You’ll never know when you’ll meet someone with similar interests or someone you have common experiences with. These are the types of connections that can help you get a job!–It’s called networking.

Though I didn’t get any new jobs this weekend, I did meet a couple of interesting people. The first was a waiter I met at a Cheesecake Factory restaurant. He struck up a conversation with my table and me, and we found out that he works as a blogger for his main job at an entertainment site called Mania.com, which earns him a lot of neat stuff for free, like movie posters and merchandise. Excited, my mom told him that I like to blog and write reviews and that I write for you guys here on Stories from the Hill before I had a chance to tell him myself. Impressed nonetheless, he asked me if I would be interested in writing about anime for his site. Unfortunately, anime’s not really my thing, but it’s cool to think that an entertainment site would be interested in my writing!

The second person I met was a little less interesting than the blogger but she shared with me a connection to McDaniel. I met this woman on a bus to New York City, and when she found out that I go to McDaniel, she got really excited! Apparently, her father went to McDaniel when it was known as Western Maryland College, and since a number of her high school friends went to WMC, she visited campus often. She and I both share a love for Baugher’s, a local restaurant in Westminster. Sometimes, it’s easy to think that McDaniel’s small, but I realize that the size of its student body doesn’t limit the number of people who have connections to the College. There’s more than you might think!

So don’t be afraid to converse with the people you meet. You’re bound to meet some interesting people and make some great connections!

Baugher’s Farm

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Kaitlyn Vadenais

Part of the fun of a new season is enjoying all the sights and sounds of it. One way that students can participate in fall festivities is by checking out Baugher’s Orchards and Farm Museum. Just ten minutes up the road, this farm is very accessible to students, especially if they utilize the shuttle service offered for free.

From now until the end of October, it is their Pumpkin Harvest festival. The market sells fresh apples, cider, pumpkins, gourds, fudge and more. There are also hayrides, food, music, pony rides, scarecrow making, face painting, apple picking, and a petting zoo.

Two minutes from McDaniel there is also Baugher’s Family restaurant, featuring a large country style menu with special fall favorites added to the menu, like apple cider, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin ice cream. Outside of the restaurant is a fruit market where students can pick their own fruit and vegetables and buy homemade favorites like apple sauce, jams, and bakery items.

I highly recommend everyone in the area check it out if you don’t already know about this hot spot for fall fun. Baugher’s is quintessential fall for anyone who loves the season and all that it brings.

My Fun Family Weekend

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Annie Brown

It’s been a pretty good week so far, but I can’t help but think back to how awesome this past weekend was for me. On Friday night, I went to the Family Weekend pep rally and watched six episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus with my friends.

My parents came on Saturday for Family Weekend, an annual weekend for family and friends to visit campus and have a good time.

The first half of my day with my parents was centered largely around the fact that I was getting inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta, a national honor society for first year students, in the afternoon. As a result, my time with them when they first got here was a little limited, but we were still able to squeeze in a trip to Panera Bread for lunch and a trip to Baugher’s, a local orchard store and restaurant in walking distance from campus, for some desserts to last me through the week.

The induction ceremony lasted around an hour, so we were able to go catch some of the football game. Because it rained though, we only stayed for half of the third quarter.

I had my parents take me to Target on 140 for some snacks and needed items before going to dinner at Full Moon Pub and Grill in nearby Reisterstown—my parents’ excellent choice of restaurant. Full Moon has some of the best cream of crab soup I’ve ever tasted. It’s not too sour, not too spicy, and full of chunky crab meat. I highly recommend it! (The chocolate cake was also pretty good!)

After dinner, we went to Westminster’s Town Mall to hang out some more and do some recreational shopping, before they brought me back to McDaniel to hang out some more before returning home.

After they left, I had one of the most memorable evenings with my friends and suitemates ever. One of my suite mate’s parents brought pizza for all of us, which was very kind and wonderful. Once they left, things got very fun. (Somehow, we managed to sing Christmas carols for at least 20 minutes.)

As you might imagine, on Sunday, I had to catch up on my homework since Saturday was devoted to Family Weekend. But it was still a good day, since I got a lot done and was in the company of my friends. And I have to tell you, the best part about the day after a visit from family is the leftovers!

I’d have to say that this was one of the best weekends I’ve had on campus for a long time. I was surrounded by great fun, great family, great friends, and great food! As I work through this week, thinking about this past weekend and the fun weekends to come is something that’s keeping me smiling!