Madison Lichtmann

mlichtmann@bryant.edu

Hi I'm Madison Lichtmann, I am a sophomore marketing major from New Hampshire. Some of my involvements on campus include, Resident Assistant, Staff Coordinator for Orientation, Information Center Employee, Secretary & Fundraiser for Bryant Cheer, and of course student blogger!

DEADLINE DAY

May 1st, 2013

Today is the day that most of you high school seniors finally made a decision as to what University or College you will be attending next fall. I hope you realize what an amazing accomplishment that really is and shows that you have taken the initiative and next step in your life, your career, your education and your future. You did it! You have finally made it into the big leagues and only after a mere 14+ years of schooling. So take a huge sigh of relief because the next part is fun. Soon you will be receiving even more information for your future college regarding classes, roommates, meal plans, ORIENTATION and so much more. This is a fresh new page in your life story, you have the opportunity to recreate yourself become the person you always wanted or knew your were. You are no longer surrounded by those same 200 students you have attended school with these past 14 years. No one will remember that crazy nickname or embarrassing story from 5th grade. On the flip side all of your amazing accomplishments and hard work will follow along with you. And don't worry I know sometimes you think those go unnoticed but I can assure you they don't. So sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of your senior year because the year that follows is going to contain A LOT of firsts and a whole ton of amazing new experiences.

Some advice to take with you along the way;

-Be yourself, in every asset of life

-Be confident, you have done so much and come so far that you have a lot to offer and you should be proud of that

-Be open to new experiences, break away from the high school cliques, cliches and stereotypes, everyone and every situation has something valuable to offer you

-Break out of your comfort zone; college and life has so many amazing things to offer you, that being or feeling uncomfortable is natural and you should embrace the newness!

 Congratulations on your accomplishments and enjoy everything that is to come!

SPRING WEEKEND IS HERE

April 24th, 2013

Spring Weekend is finally here, the weekend everyone has waited the entire semester to enjoy. Normally all week there are students laying out on the lawn and enjoying the sun, but not so much this year. Unfortunately the nice weather is still yet to come, but that doesn't mean we can't all have a good time this weekend. SPB has set up so many fantastic events for all of us to enjoy regardless of the weather. Such as on Friday; there will be;

Field Events and Inflatables; which is awesome because last year they have 2-3 different bounce houses, a drunk goggles obstacle course and many more fun activities on the Bryant Center lawn. SPB also made the weekend theme "Spring Splash" so you can expect to see a lot of WATER FIGHTING FUN.

Festive Meal at Salmo; which is always something different, but they also usually have live music inside as well. Bryant dining does a really great job creating a fun and exciting atmosphere to start your weekend off right.

John Cassidy  (performer); will be performing in the Bryant center, rumor has it he is some kind of magician/balloon tying genius.

Big Bingo; of course Spring Weekend is THE BIG BINGO of the YEAR and SPB spends their time picking some fantastic prizes (they have even given away cruises)

Appetizers; after Big Bingo lets out they offer all of the students a variety of appetizers and food options, (who can say no to FREE and REALLY GOOD FOOD?)

Pasta Pig Out; and to top off the night, there is even more food!

After you wake up and start your next day you can enjoy all of the events that go along with Saturday!

Saturday:

Spring Weekend Concer; THE EVENT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR where Kap Slap, New Boyz and Timeflies will be performing on Bryant's very own campus.

Late Night Barbeque; come for hot dogs, hamburgers, snacks and drinks.

Bryant at Night Event Karaoke;; so test our your vocal cords, and ready yourself for this event as you sing your hearts out.

Outdoor Movie; TBD but the movie will be played under the stars (always a fun time)

Bryant's Best;the only event the entire weekend that costs anything, with a 5 dollar payment you can try a slice of pizza from all of the surrounding pizza places in the area.

So as you can see this weekend is a pretty big deal and a lot of time money and effort go into it, from the students, staff and university. And just look at everything provided there is always something going on and there is such a variety that it is impossible for someone not to enjoy something!

 

Cheer Grand Finale

April 17th, 2013

As we started off our season this August over 30 girls came together for the same love and passion of cheerleading, our first time all together was at camp, where we were shipped to Boston University to learn new skills, techniques and bond as a team. There is where we also earned a "bid" allowing us the opportunity to compete the following April in our National Competition. This bid allowed us the opportunity to go to campy, but did not provide the funding we needed, so from August until March our team fundraised, from working Gillette games to sponsorships, until each girl was able to pay their way to this National Competition.

After camp we moved into Bryant early and continued to learn more about each other, the commitment and dedication our team was going to require to do amazing things later on. We had our first football game together, and then another and as the season and practices went on you could see our team start to form. Unfortunately we lost some teammates along the way as they explored their different interests and passions around campus, but we made changes as necessary and kept on. Our football season came to an end as the weather started to get cold, and then began our basketball season. As we learned new cheers, we dedicated one of our 3 practices a week to games.

During our other practices we began to solidify stunt groups and sequences to use during competitions, we conditioned and worked out to ready ourselves for our routine. Our coach assessed each girl's skill and ability and formed a cohesive routine that included individual and team talent. From there we added in stunt, and pyramid sequences and began to "run" (do) the routine. The crazy part is that we do all of this for a routine that is only two and a half minutes long but consists of; tumbling (multiple times), jumping, stunts, pyramids, motions, and a dance.  Think about it, we have 2.5 minutes (less than the amount of time it takes to walk to classes in the morning) to prove to ourselves, the judges and the world that we can hit a flawless routine, filled with difficulty, and to top it all off have the endurance to make it all like a breeze, smiling the entire time. We spent hours and hours of practice time perfecting our skills, bettering ourselves and learning sequences that we would have to over and over until they were consistent.

Practice after practice we worked our skills and sequences, but that wasn't all on our off days we were to go to the gym and work out, in order to be in the best shape of our lives to be able to execute our routine, but we also cheered at every single men's home game, and sometimes even the women's. Our free time became more and more limited and again we lost some more teammates, but we made the necessary changes and used it as a building block to bring our team closer together.

As March approached our team  of 13 geared up to compete in local competitions in order to get the experience and understanding of what it was going to be like when we got down to Daytona for our National Competition. After receiving first place in both competitions we participated in, we knew we were ready to showcase our routine in Daytona, and hopefully make it to finals, for the first time ever!

As April 9th approached our team packed our bags and headed to Daytona for only the third time ever in Bryant Cheer history.  That Wednesday our team had three different practice times where we were able to test out the mats, clean up our routine and give it all we had. With 11 teams in our Division alone we had to score in the top half in order to make it to finals. Finals; consisted of competing outdoors on a giant bandshell, by the beach and is considered quite the accomplishment. If you didn't receive a score that allowed you a spot into finals you had to compete in what was called Challenge Cup, a second competition, later that same day where the bottom half of your division competes for one LAST spot in finals the next  day. Something we unfortunately had to compete in the past two years and were still unable to score high enough to win the bottom half of our division and make into to finals. So we felt this was our year, we had a solid routine and had competed and been successful with it so many times that we all had our fingers crossed that we would make. So that Thursday we decided to give our routine everything we had and wow the judges so we could make it to finals. And we did, for the first time ever, we scored high enough to make it straight into finals and have the opportunity to make it on the Bandshell.  That next day, Friday the 12th was a day our team will never forget. It was a day that we all came together as a united front one last time to perform our routine on the outdoor bandshell we had all longed to compete on. It was a first for everyone and the moment we stepped on those mats we had already considered ourselves winners. So when we stepped onto the stage to receive our sixth place trophy and find out that our score had improved since the first day, we were so excited and proud of ourselves.

Like every team we had our ups and downs. But to say the least it was the perfect way to end our season and it was completely worth it.

You May Not Have Known…

April 10th, 2013

Things you may not know about Bryant;

-Professors sometimes take their classes outside and teach on the lawn

-WJMF always plays great music, so your walks to class are that much more enjoyable

-You can't walk anywhere with out smiling at someone or something along the way

-As long as you have 10 people you can start your own club on campus

-The Geese literally only show up during Accepted Student days

-You know nice weather is coming when the muskrats start swimming in the pond again

-Your Professors will work extensively with you until you understand a concept or project

 -It is impossible to meet someone a Bryant faculty member who doesn't enjoy what they do

-Have no fear ZIP CAR is here, we have two cars on campus that students can rent out 24/7

-We are the number one most connected campus in the U.S.

- There is an underground tunnel from the Unistructure to Koffler

-The Bryant Center is being renovated this summer and is going to look amazing

-Our President lives on campus

-Campus is gorgeous all seasons of the year

-Facilities is amazing, & I can guarantee you will not find trash laying around anywhere on campus

-At Bryant you have the world at your fingertips

-You have the power to make change happen

DERBY DAYS

April 3rd, 2013

Derby Days is a week long fundraising event put on by Bryant's very own Sigma Chi. The fraternity has different groups of girls on campus come together to form a team that will compete against other teams in this week long fundraiser. Our team consisted of ORIENTATION LEADERS! We called ourselves OnLy the best (emphasizing the O and L for OL-hope you get it)!

The week consisted of different activities and events that required not only mental ability but physical as well. At the end of everyday points would be tallied and teams would be awarded a place on the point system. The goal of course being first place; since at the end of the week the winning team was able to chose a charity of their choice to  donate half of the winnings, while the other half went to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. So regardless of which team actually got the title of FIRST PLACE, we all were winners since we were able to donate to such an amazing cause.

Two things that happened all week long were; coin wars and online donations. Each team was assigned a water jug, to decorate and call their own. The object was to get as many coins as you could, dollar bills were lethal, they actually deducted points from your teams total. So you can see the strategy some teams also had regarding that. The other week long event was online donations were each team had a separate page and could have people donate to the fundraiser, in their name. This was another way to receive points. Along with daily winners of the two events there was a grand total and winner for each.

Day 1 Started at sunrise and consisted of signing as many sigma chi brothers shirts as possible; the point of the activity was to get the teams familiar with all the brothers in the fraternity and the more shirts you signed the more points your team would be awarded.

Day 2 Began a bit later and consisted of a two day scavenger hunt around campus. You and your teammates were to wait for clues, from there you all collectively had to find the answer and go take a picture with each clue. This event really made you think and come together as a team. It was a lot of fun, and really brought our team together. Especially since we got really competitive, started a group chat and probably had upwards of 100 messages of possible answers going at about a mile a minute.

Day 3 was a bit more physically demanding. There was a rock climbing wall, the fastest time up, from each team got recorded and from there the winner was announced. Our team won this! And technically also received the second fasted time, but unfortunately the rules stated the fastest time from each time!

Day 4 Was very hectic; it also started at sunrise and consisted of taking pictures with as many different brothers as you could. Creativity and the amount of brothers and teammates in each picture did make a difference. Unfortunately the brothers had off limits and were able to run away, but hey we were up for the challenge! There was also a catch you had to find out a fun fact about everyone you took a picture with! I really enjoyed this since we were really forced to take a minute and actually meet the person we had just probably attacked to take a picture!

Day 5:  Was the talent show! A hilarious and some what humiliating display of the teams skills or lack there of.

Day 6: The last day of the Derby Days challenge was a jeopardy type trivia game. Not only did you have to know trivia about Harry Potter (the theme of the entire Derby Days Challenge) but also about Sigma Chi! Talk about difficult.

 All in all our team had so much fun together and were able to become really close, not only with each other but a lot of the members of Sigma Chi. I am so happy we had the opportunity to be apart of such a great cause and can't wait to participate again next year.

Competition Season- Bryant Cheer

March 27th, 2013

March and April mark the start of the competition season for Bryant Cheerleaders. We have been working together as a team and perfecting our routines, stunts, and tumbling since August of last year. The team has worked hard at cheering on not on the football team, but the basketball team as well as we had the pleasure of watching them advance in every aspect of their sport. And now our time has come, it is our time to show everyone what we have been working on during our practices.

Competing, as stressful as it can be, is one of the most rewarding and uniting things a team can do. From the moment you get to the place of competition to the moment that you end your last motion of your routine you are completely united and involved in only the team. It is one of the few times that everyone lets go of literally everything- school work, home, meetings, exams, etc- and we all just focus on our routine.  On the other hand, it is also one of the most stressful things we take part in every year. Everyone's nerves and anxiety are heightened. People get fidgety and scared. Some people even psych themselves out so much that they start forgetting parts of the routine and sometimes we doubt our abilities to "hit" everything we are supposed to.

But then by some miracle we find that our routine is muscle memory and no matter what like some kind of puppet we start to perform. The music gets our adrenaline going and is the tell all of what portion of the routine is next. Taken in steps each portion of the routine is performed and then quickly we move on to the next having to put behind any problems or challenges that may have occurred before hand.

As soon as the final portion of the routine begins, the dance, everyone goes all out, motions, facials, attitude, it all comes out for the last 20-30 seconds of the routine. And the final sound effect goes off and its all over. 9 months of hard work, dedication, countless practices, and performances and it's all over in 2 and half minutes. Talk about a once in a lifetime opportunity.

But with that being said, Bryant cheer put on two of their best performances ever this Saturday and Sunday at the two competitions we attended. And received first place at both. These wins were such an amazing feat for our team and definitely brought our teams spirits up as we ready ourselves for the last competition of the season. The Cheerleading Nationals in Daytona Florida.

With that being said we are also performing our competition routine at Bryant, for Bryant on April 7th at 6pm for all of our friends, family, and fellow bulldogs to see!

Is Social Media really Social?

March 20th, 2013

I have been noticing more and more that people are attached to their devices; phones, laptops, ipads/kindles, etc. When you walk around no one is looking up anymore because they are constantly texting, tweeting, facebooking, snapchatting etc. Now don't get me wrong Bryant uses their social media very wisely and interactively with all of their current and incoming students. I think Bryant knows a nice balance and understands that social media has become the main way to connect with their students. Yet they also foster face to face communication and interactions between their peers, faculty, professors, staff etc.

This is something not a lot of colleges and schools do but it really is beneficial to their students. I also think Linkedin is a great site for college students and potential employees. So don't get me wrong, when used properly technology can be so helpful to everyone involved.

Sometimes it seems that people don't know how to effectively communicate anymore because their fingers do all the talking. Also they may be more or less apt to say something on a social media site. I think innovation is amazing and definitely something needed to accommodate our ever-changing world but there needs to be a balance since people are literally addicted to their devices.

I am sure we are all guilty of this, how many people have teachers and or professors that don't allow the use of phones in the classroom? Well do you ever hear or see your phone flash, blink, or vibrate telling you that there is a new notification, someone texted, tweeted or facebooked you, and you were so interested in finding out who it was that you sneak your phone to check really quick? It's become such a problem! We can't even sit for 45-90 minutes without checking them.

Students will never know how to properly interview, how to meet new people, or understand where someone is coming from, they may pick up on the wrong tone of voice, or hide behind their technology and never really show people their true selves. History has proven we are capable of living without technology and look at everything they used to accomplish. They were capable of independence, acquiring jobs, divorce was uncommon, you went outside and played with your friends and neighbors. Now look at us people are unsure how to communicate what they want or need, when there's a problem people would rather give up then talk about it, or fix it and kids and teens stay inside and text, tweet and facebook instead of enjoying the outdoors.

I think if people can give up their phones and devices for periods of time they will be much better off. People need to start disconnecting in order to reconnect with themselves, their friends, families and jobs. I honestly think if people could do this we could fix a lot of problems these amazing innovations have created. But again don't get me wrong like anything when used in moderation and for the right things I truly believe technology and devices are so helpful and almost necessary, but we all need to learn when and where these times are and kick this nasty addiction!

Second Semester Struggles

March 6th, 2013

Right around this time every year, the second semester struggle begin. The winter has been long, and frigidly cold. You start to wonder if spring will ever come, or at least spring break. Then to top it off your Professors throw midterms at you, the week before freedom, the week before potentially nice weather and relaxation. How rude! So instead of dreaming about a week off from classes and activities you are stuck in over drive, cram mode. You stop going out, taking naps, and probably don't spend as much time just hanging out. Midterms are your "half term finals" unfortunately they count just as much as your final exam, but on the bright side may ease the studying and stress of finals.

But don't worry there is an end in sight and there are some things you can do to get through these second semester struggles.  You can type your notes as you go, this way you have a typed study guide when midterms come around. You can cut back on the number of times you go out throughout the semester to catch up on work and maybe even GET AHEAD! Then there's always goal setting, if you finish a project, paper or exam, give yourself a treat, go shopping, take a nap, watch movies. Another proven method to keep calm and level headed during midterms and second semester is to get off campus, just drive, go somewhere, collect your thoughts!

 And don't stress too much! Your professors don't test you on material you don't know! So make sure you are going to classes, taking notes and keeping up. Second semester is almost over, Spring Break is almost here, you are so looking forward to spring concert, which is going to be TIMEFLIES, KAPSLAP and NEWBOYZ, and the warm weather is so close you can almost feel your skin start to tan.

 Don't let yourself get into a rut! And don't give up. And it definitley helps if you have the opportunity to go somewhere amazing next week. Unfortunately I will stuck in the cold, with yet another storm coming, but I will be dreaming of places like this!

STUDY ABROAD

February 27th, 2013

After six years of having a dream, next fall it is finally coming true. I have worked hard, made some sacrifices, and come out with a clear vision that going abroad is exactly what I want to pursue. Ever since I found out my Nana's twin sisters lived in England I have been interested in the way of life and different cultures it brings. So I have begun the process of applying and meeting with study abroad and academic advising to figure out the school I want to attend and the classes I want to be taking. So as of now I will be applying for the University of Westminster in the heart of London. I have also decided to pursue academic classes in my major or marketing. The best part is the classes the University offers are so much different then the courses at Bryant so it will be an amazing experience and I will really learn a lot. I also can't wait to visit my great aunts while I am over there and sight see. I also plan to travel all around Europe and hope to be able to visit GREECE at some point. I am also looking forward to living with students from across the world while I am there and gaining more culture experience from the entire trip. Not only that but I love listening to the different British accents and having tea and crumpets.

 I can't wait to embark on this next chapter of my life and explore a different part of the world since there is so much to see. I also am very interested in finding either a marketing internship or job while abroad that I can pursue after graduation.

So get ready to see an abundance of amazing pictures from my trip next semester and be sure to follow my journey because I will have so many interesting and helpful tips and tricks to share with all of you!

 

Suvivor Guide to College

February 19th, 2013

As the year comes to an end and the Class of 2017 gears up to come join our Bryant family next fall there's a few things you should all know.

 Class of 2017;

1. Don't forget, first and foremost, you are here for an education.

2. Get involved! We have over 150 clubs and organizations, I am sure one of them will interest you.

3. Don't be afraid to try something new. It may be uncomfortable at first, but I can guarantee you it will be well worth it.

4.  Remember you are not alone- there will be about 850 other students in the same boat as you

5. Upperclassmen can't actually tell if you are a first year or not! Regardless, everyone is very friendly and welcoming.

6.  There are so many resources available to you at Bryant -make sure you take advantage of them while you are here.

7. Show school spirit! We are officially D1 -and doing very well. We also just kicked off our 15oth anniversary and the celebrations will continue throughout 2013!

8. Don't forget to call and check in on your family when you leave, because believe it or not, it may be harder for them to let go then for you.

9. Be sure to budget your money, its crazy how fast you can lose track of your spending habits.

10. Go abroad, whether it be for SIE or for an entire semester, go somewhere you have never been before!

11. HAVE THE BEST 4 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.

You have no idea how lucky you all are to be embarking on your 4 year journey to Bryant. Bryant truly exemplifies the character of success and does everything in their power to help you succeed and reach your potential. So don't sit back and relax, get up and do something amazing, because at Bryant, we make it happen each and every day.