Tag Archives: NYU

Graduation (Round 2)

If you’re reading this and a bit confused as to why you’re reading yet another graduation post, let me explain. While, yes, I did technically graduate and finish all my classes in December, there was NO way I was going to pass up the opportunity to graduate from YANKEE STADIUM in May (yes you read that correctly, THE Yankee Stadium). But I digress…

In between my last trip to NYC for Dave’s NCAA Championship and graduation I secured a job at my dream company, FOX Networks, as Distribution Assistant. Luckily for me, I already had a flight booked to NYC for Graduation, so I just canceled my return flight to San Diego and began securing my apartment, and finalizing my graduation plans.

The weeks leading up to graduation were a complete whirlwind. I began my first day back in NY by saying goodbye to a close friend, Etan, at the airport as soon as I landed. The following night was an award ceremony, followed by Dave’s first summer volleyball tournament, and before I knew it, my parents were in town to celebrate graduation 2.0.

NYU is pretty big (about 50,000 students), so each school breaks up and does their own graduation ceremony prior to the big Yankee Stadium Commencement. Luckily for me (and my parents), I went to a somewhat small school and program ( less than 100 graduates and less than 8 girls in my program) which meant a pretty quick ceremony. Unfortunately my graduation fell on the same night as the Ranger’s playoffs game but we couldn’t score tickets to go. Some might find it ironic that a few of my sports management friends ditched the end of graduation and headed to the Garden – talk about truly studying what you love!

We had a day between graduating as a school and NYU’s commencement in the Bronx so I took my mom to Hoboken for the day and then later grad alley on campus. I love being able to show her a new part of the city every time she comes – that’s one of the best parts of New York – it’s somewhat limitless.

It was the perfect day for a baseball game graduation – the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and excitement in the air. A sea of students in purple robes flooded the gates into Yankee Stadium.  Truth be told, I have never seen Yankee stadium filled with so many non-sports fans in my life. No joke.  After venturing around the 100’s section, I found some sports management friends, then later my teammates and made my way to the 3rd baseline, where I would sit the rest of the ceremony. Though the ceremony was a bit longer than I wished, it was a pretty cool experience to graduate from my favorite ballpark. How many sports fans can say that they graduated from Yankee Stadium? Not many.

After commencement, we made it back to midtown for a lunch at an Irish Pub and a celebratory beer (Hey, I’m Irish!). I then showed my parents my new work HQ (News Corp), where we ran into my former intern boss, Chris Bellitti. He was a huge part of my post-graduation job success and it seemed only fitting to run into him just hours after officially “graduating”.

Graduation 2.0 was a huge success but I couldn’t have done it without the help of a few friends. A huge thank you goes out to my incredibly supportive parents and sister – thanks for putting up with me all these years. Thank you to all my friends, my teammates, and roommates for putting up with me the past four years – I could not have done it without you all!

 

 

Graduation

I can’t believe I’m officially done. I know that I’ve been saying that a lot recently, but the truth be told, a lot of things are officially coming to an end.  Mom and Dad flew out to NY to visit for a few days during to the first week of December to celebrate my impending graduation with the President of NYU, John Sexton. Earlier this Spring, I took a class with him titled Baseball As A Road to God, and upon hearing of my early graduation, he invited me to a private ceremony in his office.

It was so great to see my parents again and have them be present for this special moment. The best part of the weekend, however, was not actually “graduating”, rather celebrating with my friends and family  at my favorite restaurants including Arturo’s with Dave and Erin, Serafina and Morton’s Grille with Phebe and some local spots with my parents.

WE MADE IT!

WE MADE IT TO THE NCAA’S!  Today we found out that we got an at-large bid to the NCAA DIII Soccer tournament, one of 24 spots left. Six teams in our conference qualified, including: Chicago, Brandeis, Wash U, Emory and league champs, Carnegie Mellon. This is the first time in twelve years that NYU has made the tournament. The second in NYU Women’s Soccer history, and the first time that it has been done via “at-large” bid.

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I can’t put into words how an incredible of a feeling this is. Four years of blood, sweat, tears, broken bones, torn ligaments, bruises, and turf burns. I am so incredibly proud of all my teammates, past and present who have made this moment possible. This has not only been a personal goal of mine, but a program goal that was set four years ago and it is truly unreal to see how much everything has progressed in that time period.

I’m going to keep this short and sweet, because I’m so excited and there’s still a lot we have to do.We play Amherst this weekend at Nazareth College in Rochester at 1:30PM on Saturday.

You can read more information here!

Thanks Mom and Dad

My soccer career would not have been possible without the love and support from my mom and dad. They are responsible for nearly two decades of driving me to and from practices and games, flying me across country for camps, recruiting visits, and tournaments and years of cheering from the sidelines. Through the roller coaster of my soccer career, and let me tell you, it’s had it’s fair share of ups and downs, they’ve been there every step of the way, and I am eternally grateful for them.

This past weekend, we played Brandeis in our final home game of the season. The school honored us (seniors) with a pregame ceremony, but I couldn’t help but think that my parents should have been the ones honored. Behind the eight of us, stood parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters who all made sacrifices to help us reach our goals of playing college soccer for NYU. Sure, we battled injuries, balanced classwork with a demanding travel schedule, but our parents and families were the ones who reassured us at the end of every phone call, every text, every email. They believed in us when we didn’t believe in ourselves and pushed us when we didn’t think we could go any further.

So in honor of the end of my soccer career, I would like to thank my parents because without them, I would be nowhere close to where I am today.

THANKS MOM & DAD! YOU’RE THE BEST!

 

The End of an Era

As I sit here on my last bus ride to Gaelic, I find it surprising that I’m not overwhelmed by a flood of emotions. It is, after all, my last collegiate soccer game, the last game of my career.

Man, that’s depressing to write.

Today begin like any other day –  I got up, got ready, met up with Phebe and headed to Coles. Four years of waking my tired body, and forcing myself to get out of bed. Four years of carefully evaluating pregame and practice meals. Four years of walking to and from second home, Coles. Four years of taping my body up, of icing, of stretching, and foam rolling. Four years of hopping in vans and buses just to get to our “home” fields. And after four years, it’s all coming to an abrupt halt.

It still hasn’t hit me yet. I’ve been reflecting on it all week but I’m still at a loss for words. How can I describe my four-year career in a single word? Ineffable – I don’t expect you to understand because it’s simply been indescribable in so many positive and negative ways.

Come December I won’t have mandatory workouts, or meetings or lifts or events to attend. I won’t have to pass fitness tests or complete three-minute planks. I won’t have a stringent schedule to follow all summer and winter and I most definitely won’t have the last three weeks of summer planned out down to the last minute.

So, what comes next?  Retirement? If we win or tie today,  we might get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament next week. If we lose, there is the chance of ECAC’s, which would be great and terrible at the same time. Making the NCAA tournament has been a goal of mine for the past four years. This has been a long time coming and I can only hope that we continue to perform to the best of our abilities.

I’ve collected a series  of shots over the past four years. Looking back its crazy to see how much has changed.

 

 

Back at It (See what I did there?)

Frustration might not be the right word to describe what I was feeling going into this preseason. Frustrated doesn’t even begin to explain it. Upset, disheartened, and defeated don’t even get close to describing how I was feeling.

After a deadlifting accident last Fall,  my lower back was in a state of chaos – leaving L4/L5 and L5/S1 partially sacralized and the prospect of returning  100% was questionable. Numerous doctors appointments, x-rays, cortisone injections, and physical therapy appointments failed to get me where I wanted heading into my senior season. Nevertheless, I was determined to get back on the field.

August 13th rolled around and I still had back spasms during workouts and a numb sensation down my leg whenever I ran for more than a few minutes. In a word, debilitating. I might as well have had the word UNCLEARED tattooed across my forehead because that was the simple truth. Another cortisone injection, a cocktail of medications, ice baths and a daily back massages helped me get on the field again.  It was slow and excruciating learning how to dive again so that I didn’t further damage my spine. I believed that because I had done this twice before, why not a third time?

Nearly a month from that first day back on the field, just jogging for ten minutes, I am now back at it and fully cleared. There is still a painful jolt to my back every time my body slams into the ground, I have come to the realization that it is worth it. Every dive, every kick, every sprint. It is after all, my senior season.

 

 

Megventure

Sometimes there are just days that slip by and I find myself completely immersed in my own world. The past few days have embodied that free-flowing and adventurous spirit I have come to call, “the Megventure“. Usually characterized by a series of rash events and unpredictable story lines, these “Megventure’s” are typically filled with close friends, spontaneity, and of course, an unmatched sense of wanderlust.

My Megventure began on Thursday night at a small Italian restaurant, tucked in the far confines of the East Village. Surrounded by some of my newest and closest friends, as well as two professors from the Tisch Center, I indulged in a delicious Insalate de Spinaci (Baby spinach, roasted almonds, ricotta salata, strawberries and balsamic reduction) and Fettucine al ragu di Salsiccia (Buckwheat tagliatelle with broccoli rabe puree, Italian sausage ragu and pecorino) at Paprika – t’was delicious! The best part of the night, however, was not the food, but the company. I was introduced to people within the department I would not otherwise would have had the opportunity to interact with, and also strengthened my relationship with one of my favorite professors, David Hollander. Sitting in such an intimate setting with only ten other people gave us the opportunity to open up, in a way that is not normally afforded in a classroom. I am so lucky to have had this amazing opportunity to get to know my classmates and professors on a much deeper level.

Friday night was an adventure in itself. I ventured out to Brooklyn for the second time (ever) with a few other classmates (all guys of course) to cheer on the Nets as they battled against the Detroit Pistons. So maybe “battled” might not be the best word, because the Nets blew them out, but it was a hell of a time if I may so myself. It was my first ever professional basketball game, and I am so glad I was able to experience it at Barclay’s. There is an ineffable vibe that certainly draws in the young people to the game – it was a sporting experience unlike any other. Though I am not a huge fan of professional basketball and the game was less than entertaining, I had such a great night at Barclay’s.

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Saturday morning started with brunch at Veselka – days that start with brunch are usually ones worth remembering. And Saturday was no exception. I’m not one to complain, but after the horrendous winter that we had the past six months, it was so wonderful to finally break out the sandals and explore the city I have only begun to scratch the surface of. Saturday morning was the beginning of a day-long adventure throughout the city – one that resulted in a number of firsts. Following brunch with my best friends, Phebe and Ryan,and their two friends, we decided to go to the High Line in the West Village. For those of you who don’t know me very well, the High Line is a sanctuary of sorts of me, and one of my favorite places to take people when they visit the city.

Tori, Ryan, Phebe, and Graeme

Tori, Ryan, Phebe, and Graeme

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We walked, talked, and wandered down the mile and half path before deciding to venture up to Times Square to expose Ryan’s girlfriend to the circus that is New York City. Phebe, Ryan, and I  immediately decided to escape the mayhem and wander into yet another sanctuary – Central Park. Our tired legs yearned to rest, so we found some boulders and relaxed among their nooks and crannies. In the middle of relaxing, Ryan had an epiphany that we should go to the American Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaurs. My inner five-year-old self was excited beyond words – I had never been to a museum in NY and dinosaurs are so cool – what’s not to love?IMG_2395 IMG_2410The AMNH was amazing (and crowded) but so worth it! Though we wandered aimlessly through the dinosaur exhibits and probably didn’t learn as much as we could have, it was the perfect end to a perfect day spent with friends. My favorite dinosaur, besides the T-Rex (Duh!) was the Megaloceros (for obvious reasons).  The museum pulled at my child-like heart-strings and inspired me to get out and see more of my amazing city.

IMG_2418 IMG_2421The rest of Saturday was a blur, as I prepared myself for an early wakeup the next day. Sunday was warranted by a soccer session at Gaelic Park and a less than exciting evening filled with homework. Little did I know that my sense of adventure would get the best of me and I would be once again on the road with my roommate, Erin and her friend, Alyson, to a wonderful restaurant in Chelsea.  Don’t let the pictures of Co Pizza below deceive you – the restaurant was AMAZING. The wooden walls, dimmed lighting, and candles on the table made it feel like we were away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  We all ordered one pizza and split the three flavors between us. I ordered the Cuattro Cipolla (4 Onion) and it was divine. The Straciatella and the Popeye were also lovely – I felt like I could just nom on them forever!

IMG_2422 IMG_2423On the way home from Co, we encountered an abandoned subway car. I know what you’re thinking – DON’T ENTER, IT’S A TRAP! Don’t worry, we were fine (no creepy guys, no bad smells, you get the picture). My inner-child awoke and before I knew it, I began to swing from pole to pole until the train began it’s journey along 14th street.IMG_2430Though the weekend seemed to pass by in a single instant, I am so incredibly fortunate to have spent my Megventure of a weekend with my closest friends.

Until next time!

 

 

What is living the dream?

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I was once told that you know you’re living the dream when you find yourself  wearing six inch heels, rocking an all-black outfit and with a venti latte glued to your hand. According to that definition, it looks like I’m living the dream. My days are usually filled with back to back activities – rushing around lower Manhattan to get it all done. My mantra is currently, “up by seven, back home by eleven.”

Today was different.

I usually wake up, grab a cup of tea, and usually stuff all of my belongings for the day into a bag of some kind before heading out the door. Twelve + hours later, I’m back to the small, overpriced, but cute apartment, ready to crash into my bed, however usually find myself staying up to complete an assignment, finish some work, or just decompress from it all. Yes, I enjoy working more than anything, but my down days are the vitamins of my life that keep me going.

Today was different. An interview was rescheduled, work was canceled, and class was not held. IT WAS GLORIOUS. I had nothing to do all day.  Being the early bird that I am, I awoke and just sat in complete utter silence. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was at a loss for things to do, people to see, and places to go. I have never felt lazier in my life, but it was much-needed. I didn’t do homework, or my taxes, or even my laundry (like I promised myself I would do). Instead, I went to Trader Joes to get ingredients for my favorite Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread. I ended up not being able to find a grater to shred my zucchini, so I made brownies instead but that’s okay. Today was stress-free and beautiful. I lounged around and whimsically decided to get my nails done.

Today I woke up from living the dream. Today, I learned that I am one of those people that thrives under a busy schedule. A rest day, though needed, was hard for me. I didn’t know what to do myself.

Today I realized how incredibly lucky I am to be going to NYU, living in the greatest city, all while chasing my career aspirations. Though the days are long, the work monotonous, and the sleep limited, I am so incredibly thankful I can say I am living the dream. I would have it no other way.

 

Peace and Love – Meg 

 

 

Stacy and Parker Take NYC

A day after Molly and Kate left, one of my good friends from San Diego came to visit. Kayla and I have known each other since we were babies – our moms were in the same playgroup in Scripps Ranch before our family moved away for the next ten or so years. In middle school we “re-connected” but weren’t really close friends until senior year. Kayla and her family are some of the coolest people I know, and I am so blessed to have the Hayes family present in my life. Kayla, also known by her “river name” and alter ego, Parker, flew out to New York to come see the city and her family who resides in TriBeCa.

Central Park

Central Park

Kayla safely arrived in the city within reasonable time, just after a delay and the longest shuttle ever. We then ventured out into the frigid cold to grab some sushi at my favorite Sushi joint on 3rd and 11th, Kotobuki. Both of us are die-hard sushi fans, so you really can’t go wrong with a meal like that. We didn’t have much to do that night so we ventured to Dempsey’s for a drink (typical) and then returned to the humble abode to rest for the long day that awaited us.

First on the list, was get  a NY bagel and some Starbucks to wake ourselves up. We then made our way up to Grand Central, strolled around and then walked to Bryant Park and up 6th Ave before cutting into Rockefeller Plaza. Unfortunately the tree had just been taken down, but both of us made our first radio appearance on Sirius XM. Turns out we don’t know much about Pop Culture, but hey who does ?

Friends at Rockefeller

Friends at Rockefeller

We continued our path up 5th avenue, strolling by the numerous stores I had walked through just days before with my cousins. Before we knew it, we were in Central Park, but much to our surprise, the water was FROZEN! I was stunned that it was that cold outside, but it was beautiful. We waddled westward in our heavy coats to Columbus Circle and snapped a few photos there with these gigantic snails. I know it sounds strange, but they were really large and slippery and we couldn’t quite get on them, much to our disappointment. We left the snails behind and continued to walk back down the westside into times square for a brief second. Both of us wanted to avoid the tourist trap but we agreed to make a quick pit stop and grab the typical tourist photo.

Typical Touristy Times Square Photo

Typical Touristy Times Square Photo

After Times Square, I wanted to show her the West Village and NYU’s campus so we hopped on the subway to Christopher and Gay St. my new favorite Coffee Shop, “Why Not Coffee”. It’s a uniquely decorated, exposed brick, coffee shop with large floor to ceiling windows and a cool jazz bar underneath. The coffee isn’t bad either! Kayla had already seen NYU from the first time she visited me in New York, but we decided to walk home through WSP – what’s not to love about the village?

WSP/NYU

WSP/NYU

Our legs were exhausted by the time we returned to my apartment, so we just rested before heading to dinner at ElevenB – the family owned pizzeria on the corner of my block. It’s a wonderful Italian restaurant that has the coolest management team and it’s BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). We both ordered pizza and wine, saving a slice for later that night, knowing we would want a midnight (or 4am) snack. We still had a few hours before we were going to leave my apartment, so we called our parents, then began to get ready for our night in Meatpacking. Long story short, we danced the night away at two places, Catch, and Griffin, before retiring around 4am. Suffice to say that Parker and Stacy (my alter ego) had a GREAT TIME!

Stacy and Parker

Stacy and Parker

It was a dreary rainy morning when we woke up, so motivation to leave the apartment was fleeting. Once we equipped ourselves with some Starbucks, we were good to go. Kayla really wanted to go to the Brooklyn Bridge, and seeing as I had never been before, I was game! Unfortunately, it was extremely foggy and misty outside, which was unfortunate for my camera, but we survived. Later that afternoon, we met up with Kayla’s cousin, Alex, at none other, than Sweet Revenge. We enjoyed some coffee and cocktails before venturing outside again until we made our way to Rosa Mexicano. We had a fun night together venturing down Second Ave before we ended up with two full pizzas from Artichoke and saying our goodbyes.

Brooklyn Bridge Exploring

Brooklyn Bridge Exploring

Saturday morning we decided to go to Meatpacking and walk the High Line – one of my favorite places in all of New York. It’s my “quiet” spot when I need to just get away from the world. We strolled up the path and then back around before going into Chelsea Market (amazing!) and the Anthropologie. Being the tourists that we are, we decided that we needed to see Central Park once more, except this time, the lake and famous fountain. We walked up to the fountain in the middle of a gigantic marriage proposal which was exciting! I can only hope that my future husband is thoughtful enough to propose with all my friends and family around. A trip to the Upper East Side would not have been complete without a trip to Dylan’s Candy Bar, where we indulged on some sweet treats before retreating back to my apartment.

Central Park Round Two

Central Park Round Two

Parker – I had so much fun exploring the city with you! Can’t wait for you to move back here after nursing school! Much love – Stacy!

Live Blog to the Winter Meetings

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A few of the NYU Tisch Center students and I were recently chosen to represent NYU at the 2013 MLB Winter Meetings in Florida. After prepping for our trip, printing out resumes, ordering business cards, and my favorite part, shopping for suits and dresses, we were on our way to Orlando. As with most trips, I once again decided to live blog my trip, this time however, beginning with my shopping journey with Katie.

 

Saturday December 7th, 2013

12:43 PM – Leave apartment in yoga pants and Northface shell. Pick up a hot chocolate on 2nd and 9th and proceed to walk down to Houston and Broadway to meet Katie. I severely underestimated the wind as it whips across my face and flushes my cheeks.

1:00PM – Meet Katie on the corner of Houston and Broadway and begin our shopping adventure into SoHo. We were both a little crunched for time, so we map out our shopping adventure and plan to hit Zara, Mango, Gap and J. Crew.

1:37PM – In line at Zara to try on a number of dresses. Everything here looks so cute and comfortable, but I must resist the temptation and focus on the mission ahead of us.

1: 41PM – Realize that every dress is too short for my 5’10” and probably mildly inappropriate for the Winter Meetings. I pick out a cute black dress and proceed to check out.

3:11PM – Arrive at J. Crew after walking two blocks past it. I bask in the beauty of the preppy prints and

3:24 – Proceed to try on every business like dress. Decide on a cute grayish frock, content with my purchase.

3:42PM – Phone dies as I begin to walk back home. I enjoy the calmness that ensues in my walk home. As I type away, I realize that calmness and quietness are only relative. New York is never calm.

4:00PM – Home sweet home. Quickly charge phone, put my slippers on, make some tea and catch some of the Mizzou v. Auburn pregame show.

6:15PM – Leave apartment to print out resumes at Staples.

6:34PM – Arrive in Union Square and try to avoid getting trampled by tourists wandering through the Holiday Market.

7:03 PM – Leave Staples with resumes in hand and head to Anthropologie to see if they have any cute business dresses to finish out my wardrobe.

7:29PM – Head to J. Crew, buy a cute blue tank on sale. My bargain hunting skills are polished after a day in SoHo – I pay a third of the original price. Go me?!

7:31PM – Eye an adorable bluish-purple dress on my way out of the store. Try it on and decide that it’s the perfect pair to the rest of my outfits.

8:10PM – Leave J. Crew for the third and final time for the day. To say that I’m in love with their style would be an understatement.

8:39PM – Arrive back home at the apartment with resumes, some new make up, a Christmas gift, and my new purchases. There’s nothing like a shopping day.

10:24PM – Face Time my friend, Ryan, to catch up on all the latest. He offers to help pack (after about 20 minutes of begging) and promises to head over to the East Village.

11:33PM – Ryan arrives and laughs at my lack of packing ability.

11:40PM – Dance party with Erin and Ryan. Begin The Devil Wears Prada and continue to pack, drink tea, and finish some left over ice cream.

3:30AM – Ryan heads home after a night of giving heartfelt advice and being a great friend.

Sunday December 8th, 2013

10:00 AM – Wake up. Brush teeth. Get dressed. Repack bag and stuff running shoes into suitcase.  Realize that I probably won’t have time to run but stuff them in anyways.

10:51 AM – Leave apartment with my Ryan’s garment bag, backpack and purse in tote, and catch the nearest taxi. I get the sudden feeling that I’m growing up and realize I’m graduating in less than a year. YIKES.

11:09 AM – Arrive at Lafayette, where Katie lives, and head to the airport. Though we are hours early, I didn’t want to take any chances considering my tract record.

11:34AM – Arrive at JFK for our 3:30PM flight. Proceed to sit down and attempt to relax in the slightly uncomfortable vinyl airport seats.

1:17PM – Meet up with two other Tisch Center students, Mike and James. Mike is a huge Rangers fan and all-around superstar. James is a fellow NYU student-athlete who runs Cross Country. We went to Indianapolis for the NCAA Career in Sports Forum two years ago. Both guys are baseball studs and are on the NYU Diamond Dollars Championship winning team.

1:32PM – Meet up with Professor McDonnell and Dan (a grad student on the trip).  Check in; drop off our bags and head towards security.

2:25PM – After getting through security, we proceed to the food court for a quick lunch. It’s great to be meeting and hanging out with a completely different group of people than I’m used to.

3:01PM – Arrive at Gate 16 for our flight to Florida. After a few minutes, another grad student comes up and says hello to our professor. He’s attending the meetings as well. Truly shows how small of a world it is.

3:30PM – Depart from gate. I’m sitting next to Katie towards the back of the plane.

4:30PM – Explain to the 6’6” guy sitting next to me why Katie is clapping her hands and quietly screaming at the TV… Typical Pats -they’re down by 5. Let’s see if they make a comeback.

4:37PM – Katie has a (mini) freak out because the Pats just scored a touchdown. Pshh, Boston fans.  They won.

5:12PM – UCLA wins NCAA Soccer Championship.  It was a great game that went into OT. Quite honestly I think the better team won!

6:08PM – Land in Orlando 20 minutes early.

We’re here! I’ll continue to update the blog throughout the week – can’t wait to get started.