225 Things We Love About F&M

Today I came across the Winter 2012 Issue of the Franklin & Marshall Magazine and revisited an article I read several months ago - 225 Things We Love About F&M.  I enjoyed reading it again, thinking of things that I really enjoyed as a student here, and that I am privileged to continue reaping the benefits of as an alum and as a coach in our athletic department.  It's also fun to think of how many of the items listed span the various generations.  My teammates and I enjoyed them while students, and now our current and future players will do the same.  Below I picked out some of my favorites.  The whole article is online. 

15.  Being the only Diplomats in college sports

37.  The singing excellence of the many groups, from the Glee Club, to the Poor Richards to the Sweet Ophelia

54.  Good eats close by: Lancaster Dispensing Co., House of Pizza, Isaac's Deli

57. Professors who teach us to think (inside and outside the box)

58.  Professors who teach us to care about the world around us

59.  Professors who challenge us

61.  Professors who conduct research and co-write papers with us

71.  Playing Frisbee on the quad

78.  A founding Board of Trustees with four signers of the Declaration of Independence, three future governors of Pennsylvania, and two members of the Constitutional Convention

112.  Alumni who proudly wear F&M hats and sweatshirts to spread the word

131.  Hanging out in the Adirondack chairs

141.  The &. Who doesn't love an ampersand?

165.  A president's office with an ice cream freezer. 

197.  The ability to spout five to 10 Ben Franklin-isms by the time you graduate. 

221.  Running into alumni in the most amazing places

Quiet on Campus

It is pretty quiet on campus this week, which always seems a little strange after a busy school year.  Last week we had three days of Beginnings, when the incoming Class of 2016 comes to campus for a day.  They meet with their advisors, take language placement tests, get their F&M IDs, among other things.  It was great to see our Class of 2016 basketball players, which got me even more excited for next season.  

We also had Dipnic last week, the annual faculty & staff picnic.  It was inside due to the rain for the second year in a row, but still fun nonetheless.   Each year there is a pretty competitive wiffle ball tournament - last year, our team of coaches and other folks who report to the Dean of the College took home the championship, but this year we fell short.  The Facilities & Operations team won in the championship game.  It was a well deserved win, but don't be surprised if some of us coaches play a little extra wiffle ball this summer to prepare for next year! :)

End of the Year

The year is quickly winding down with exams set to begin tomorrow morning.  Our team got together last night for an end of the year dinner and a little rest from all the studying.  It is always special to see our whole team together in the off-season and yesterday was no different!

 

TeamWork 2012

Yesterday hundreds of student-athletes fanned out all over Lancaster to take part in the 9th annual TeamWork event, which also kicked off F&M's Sustainability Week.  Our team walked several blocks down College Ave. to help a neighbor clean up and beautify her yard.  We mowed the back lawn, pulled weeds, picked up trash, and had fun while we did it.  Check out our Facebook page for more pictures.

WBCA Convention & Final Four

I just returned from Denver where I attended the 2012 WBCA Convention and the Final Four.  The WBCA put together a great list of presenters.  I attended a number of on-court sessions, tons of round tables, and several sessions about off the court topics.  Each year I return from the convention excited about some new ideas to bring to our team.  I also had the chance to attend the Final Four - what great semi-final games on Sunday!  On Tuesday night, it really seemed like Notre Dame was going to keep the game close and they certainly did for the first 30 minutes or so, but Baylor dominated in the end - 40 and 0 is really impressive.  Below are a few snapshots I took during my time in Denver. 

National Anthem before the Championship Game

Championship Game Half-Time Ceremony Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Title IX

Celebrating 40th Anniversary of Title IX

Baylor Celebrates

National Champions and 40-0 - Impressive!

Player Spotlight: Elizabeth Snyder '13

What do you love about F&M?
Everyone is so friendly.

Who is your favorite professor and why?
Professor Kurland because she is so kind and understanding.  Dean DeKay because he supports our games.

If someone was going to portray you in a movie, who would it be and why?
Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf because I love Christmas.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
 Italy or anywhere tropical.

Who is your favorite athlete?
 Derek Jeter

NCAA Basketball

Last night we hosted first round games in the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Mayser was packed.  It was a fun night to be a Diplomat.  We are all looking forward to the second round game tonight when F&M will take on Western Connecticut State.  Go Dips!

The Dip Zone and the rest of the gym was full. 

 

 

Guess who were Ben and John last night?

The Benjamin Franklin Financial Services Honors Society

 Our own Colleen Bott was inducted into the Benjamin Franklin Financial Services Honors Society last week.  Check out Colleen's description of the society and of a recent event:

The Benjamin Franklin Financial Services Honors Society was established in November 2011. The purpose of the society is to recognize Franklin & Marshall students with high academic standing who are considering careers in the financial services industry. Additional objectives of the Society are to create a forum for its members to share work experiences, career plans, and internship opportunities in the financial services industry.  The Society has created an environment for open communication between its members, as well as F&M alumni, professors, and administration. The initial class includes approximately 30 students who were selected based on the criteria of coursework, academic performance, work experience, and leadership values. One of the more exciting events included a dinner the Society recently had with members of the Franklin & Marshall Board of Trustees. At this dinner we got to discuss potential career opportunities and current events in the financial services industry. What was especially exciting to me was the fact that many of the Trustees have been following the F&M Women’s Basketball Team this season and discussed some of the team’s accomplishments with me. To date, my experience with the Society has been very exciting and rewarding, and I look forward to my continued participation as an undergraduate and in the future as an alumna. 

Play 4Kay

On Wednesday, February 8, our team will be raising awareness for breast cancer by participating in Play 4Kay.  Play 4Kay, formerly known as the WBCA Pink Zone, is an initiative for coaches across the country to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for research – on the court, across campus, in the community and beyond. The official charity is the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in partnership with the WBCA and The V Foundation.  For more information about the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, go to KayYow.com.

Please join us in wearing pink tomorrow in Mayser for our 6pm tip-off against Gettysburg.  We will be selling pink ribbons for $1 with proceeds benefiting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.   

2012 Alumnae Game

We had a great turnout for our alumnae game and celebration this past Saturday.  We had about 20 alums return to campus including players from the first F&M team and our most recent graduates.  It was great to see the former Dips from various decades come together.  Thank you to everyone who made the day a huge success!  Check out our Facebook page for more pictures.