Lewis University Navigator Blogs

Another week, another SOAR.

This past Wednesday, Lewis hosted yet another Transfer Student Orientation. The group met in the Sancta Alberta Chapel, and the event provided various information sessions for Transfer students. The presentations are truly beneficial because many transfer students may know college, but they don’t know Lewis!

I really liked this group! Not to put the other group down, but this group was full of energy, and the group as a whole seemed very interested in what Lewis has to offer! The information sessions went well, and advising and registering (where students receive their schedules) seemed to go off without a hitch! I personally enjoy working the Transfer SOAR’s because it gives me the opportunity to meet new Lewis students who are closer to my age group.

The Bridge to Success Program will be arriving this Sunday, but I’ll have to leave you in suspense on what Bridge is about until next week! I know. The suspense is killing me too.

And if anyone is interested, it would definitely be a great idea to come to the Philip Lynch Theatre to see Lewis’ summer production of “Hairspray.” I just saw the show about an hour ago, and I’ll let you know the show was to die for! The music was amazing (props to my girls, Jessica Luckett, Sabra Thomas, and Monisa Victrum), and it sure was non-stop entertainment! Let me put it this way: I have a constant urge to do a lot of 60′s dance moves right now. I really love watching the shows the theater department puts on here at Lewis!

Whew!

Well, that was a crazy two weeks! There truly is never a dull moment in the life of Tony Lyen.

In two weeks, the OGLs and I have successfully hosted not one or two…but THREE SOARs! Two were overnight First Year Orientations, and the other SOAR was a single day orientation for transfer students. Words cannot properly describe how much work and effort was put forth for these events. Everybody here was working harder than an Oompa Loompa in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

The Transfer SOAR went really well, and I’m excited to see new faces on campus that are closer to my age group! The First Year SOARs, on the other hand, are quite a lot of work. A two-day overnight orientation is not an easy thing to plan and set up for, but none of the other OGLs were willing to quit. I mean, we’re not LeBron James, am I right?

The work was totally worth it. I could tell by the look and comments I received from many students that we put on a great orientation! This upcoming class of 2015 looks like an amazing group of students. There’s a lot of maturity, intelligence, and fun in this group, and I can tell they will represent the Lewis community well! I’m hoping the next two First Year SOARs have just as many awesome future Flyers as the last two!

One more thing I’m incredibly excited about is the new elevator connected to the Learning Resource Center. I’m attending the dedication ceremony this Friday, and for some odd reason, I’m really excited. I want to be the first person on the elevator, but I think that honor may go to Brother James Gaffney, our school’s president. He’s pretty cool, though, so I guess I’m okay with being the SECOND person on the elevator. In all seriousness, I think it’s really great that the faculty here heard the needs of the students (in this case, a new elevator) and acted on it. It truly shows how Lewis cares about the students!

Well, I should probably split. Kenny, my fellow OGL who lives across the hall from me, is playing guitar, and I think I might belt out some Rebecca Black.

Seeing how it is 90 degrees out, perhaps I will post another blog to avoid the sweltering heat.
While at work this morning, I was asked to run some things over to the President’s Office over in Stritch Hall. As I walked from the Student Union, I was able to witness some of the construction taking place on the new Science Center. Then, as I went to lunch later on, I saw several bulldozers by the practice soccer field, where a new track and field/soccer complex is being constructed. It’s so cool to see how Lewis is willing to expand for the needs of the students!

As for OGL life, things have been getting more and more hectic. This Wednesday if Lewis’ first Transfer student SOAR, and next week we have not one…but TWO First Year Student Orientations! These next two weeks are going to be a ton of work, but the outcome will totally be worth it. All of us here are so excited to meet the hundreds of new students waiting to start class in the fall! If you’re a Flyer, then you’re good to me! (Except if it’s a Philadelphia Flyer. I’m a Blackhawks fan and don’t take kindly to the Broad Street Bullies.)

Well, I should skedaddle. We have to get ready for SOAR in the morning, and Dawn of the Dead is on SyFy. As you can tell, I am quite busy. Talk to ya’ll later!

So summer has officially begun! I’ve only been on summer break for roughly 2 weeks, and I must say it has been awesome so far. I moved into summer housing with both familiar faces and some not so familiar ones, and I have now begun training for my summer OGL (Orientation Group Leader) job. Oh, and I survived the Rapture, which was pretty good too.

Many people seem to sound pitiful when they find out I’m living here over the summer. In reality, I love it here! I get to enjoy the fun of dorm life without the worry of schoolwork! Sure, I have a job that requires a great amount of responsibility, but I’m confident I will do just fine!

I’m also growing close to the member on my OGL team. Last week, we all went to the Lewis University Dedication Day Mass & Picnic. The day commemorates the 79th anniversary of the dedication of Holy Name Technical School, the precursor to Lewis. The team and I went to the mass together, and we grabbed a bite (give or take a few plates) of food. We talked, laughed, and had a great time, and that’s why I love it here at Lewis: everyone is so friendly, diverse, and understanding.

Well, I should probably get some sleep. I have…you guessed it! More training! But I’m not upset about it at all! Anytime I can spend at Lewis with the OGLs is time well spent!

I would normally start this introductory blog with the typical “hi! my name is …”, but I’m going to try something different.

Salutations!

If you are still reading this, you have made a wise choice. You, good sir/ma’am, are reading a blog by Anthony “Tony” Lyen. That’s right! THE Tony Lyen!

Let me tell you a few things about myself. First of all, I am going to be a Junior in the Fall 2011 semester, and I am double majoring in Elementary Education and Multimedia Journalism. I attended St. Laurence High School, and I am from Chicago, Illinois (right near Midway Airport).

I first heard about Lewis from my older cousin, Tommy. He graduated here and liked it, so I decided to have a look. I loved the campus, and I felt there was enough distance from my house where I could feel close to home yet a little independent. I came in as an undecided major, but I felt confident the staff at Lewis could help me find not only a major but also a future.

I got involved fast at Lewis. I knew the best way to enjoy my next four years here was to join organizations and get to know as many people as possible. Although I have only been here 2 years now, I have been involved with quite a lot. I became an Orientation Group Leader (OGL for short) last summer, but we’ll get back to that in a minute. I got a job on campus as a Resident Assistant in Founders Hall, a freshman residence hall. I am currently a navigator, which is essentially a tour guide of the campus. I am also on Food Committee, and this fall, I will be the Associate Director for Koinonia 45, which is a retreat held by Lewis University Ministry where one gets to experience God, oneself, and others, and I will start my role as the Assistant Tempo Editor for Lewis’ newspaper, The Flyer.

I am currently living in South Hall over the summer. Why am I here you ask? Well, I am once again an OGL. As an Orientation Group Leader, I help lead the first-year and transfer student orientations. I work with 9 other OGLs, all composed of students. The job is a blast! I get to know the incoming students, and I become closer with the faculty and staff here!

Well, I think I may be rambling now. I am excited to write more, learn more, and share it all with you!