Spring has Sprung...

Hello Friends!

Well spring in upon us and for those of you in Student Affairs you know this time of year as Banquet Season. This week kicked it off for me with the Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards and our very own ACE Appreciation Banquet. Both were a huge success!

Alpha Delta Pi - Eta Alpha Chapter took home the Bradley Cup (Chapter of the Year)

ADPis with their Bradley Cup

The ACE awards were also a huge success recognizing an amazing year for an amazing organization.

Shannon, this year's ACE President

The Banquet Committee

Up next for banquets/receptions: RHA Awards, Student Org Appreciation Day, SGA Inauguration, Cornerstone Awards, Campus Life Extravaganza & Senior Luncheon. Thankfully, I have a slight dress addiction :)

It is strange to be wrapping up my first year at UNCW and it was bittersweet to review an amazing year at the ACE Banquet and realize how much has happened this year. As I told my ACErs the other night I have never been prouder than I am to be their advisor and I can't wait to see what's next. We still have three more programs to finish out the year so we are definitely not done but man we're close!

Yes, my facebook status did change this week,the truth is my status changed a while ago I just decided on a whim to change it on Monday night. Well, maybe not a whim, it was after spending a great weekend with the "new" boyfriend, Brian :) If I say much more, I know I'll embarrass him so... I'll just leave you with a picture from the weekend.

 

 

At the (rainy) Azalea Festival Downtown

I would be re missed if I did not give a shout out to my Hokies... I will be thinking of you all tomorrow <3

I also must give a shout out to two of my favorite people/brides-to-be who have birthdays tomorrow:

The first, Miss Caitlin Revene: Happy 23rd Birthday tomorrow! I love you so much and you have so much to be excited for in the next few months :)

And of course, my best friend in the whole world Miss Kelly Ann Shanley turns 26 tomorrow. She is this month's DGSC girl of the month:

At the Ocean View St. Patty's parade

DGSC weekend 2011

Baltimore, summer 2009

The top 5 reasons I love Kelly Shanley:

5. She always packs snacks wherever she goes
4. She sends about 10 cards a year, which always make me smile
3. She and I have shared wardrobes since 2001 and I we have vowed never to get too far apart in size that we can't share clothes when one visits the other
2. She will ALWAYS shake her head when I do something inappropriate but secretly I know she loves it (especially when I'm with Angela or KG)
1. She is the sister I never had, my best friend, the person who knows what I need when even I don't know and the person who has stood by me through everything for the last 10 years.

Shoutouts:

- Congrats to my Longwood turned Wilmington friend Katelyn Hackett on her engagement :)
- Good luck to the film committee this weekend with their annual program: Hawk-in
-Happy Birthday Tiff - hope that 90's party is rockin'
-Once again, thinking about those Hokies tomorrow <3
-Excited to see my family and friends next weekend in VB for Easter!
-To my friends interviewing and job searching... I'm cheering for all of you
-Yay! Glee returns this week :)
-Welcome back to freedom Shannon :)
-FYI seniors: less than a month, make it count!
-Go Caps! They are 1-0 with the Rangers right now. (Every relationship needs compromise, I have agreed to be a Caps fan for Mr. Gallagher as long as he roots for the Yankees) *with the caveat that he can root for his home team, the Orioles when they play each other*

A Quarter Century of Awesome :)

We did it! On Friday, April 1st ACE presented the spring concert, B.o.B. ft Playboy Tre & DJ Jason Smith. After months of surveying, planning, contracting and meetings we packed Trask with over 1400 people for this show. The day/night went well. Those of you in event planning/management know nothing is ever perfect but those hiccups are what make the stories that you laugh about later. For us there were a few that stood out:

- You will notice I am not wearing a red shirt in the above picture, that is because Bobby Simmons aka B.o.B loved our staff shirts so much that I promised him after the show that I would give mine to him. After he interrupted my "I'm so 'flippn' proud of you" speech I gave him my shirt... I offered an autograph... no go

-We were such worker bees on Friday that as soon as a truck pulled up to the loading dock with tables and chairs my students quickly unloaded and started to set them up when we realized, those weren't our tables and chairs :) It was from another company for another event...sweet life.

-Last and my favorite of course was the light breaking in the middle of the concert and dangling from the ceiling. After being made aware of the incident, we quickly had a "team huddle" on the main concourse and  

moved barricade to block off the area where the light would fall.

I can say I've never been more proud of a group of students for working so hard to make the event perfect. All positive attitudes, all smiles, all enthusiasm and of course the evening ended with a chorusline of people singing "happy birthday" and we all enjoyed an awesome cookie cake my students got me which read "Happy Birthday Stef, Tic Toc"

I was also lucky to have two of my favorite people in town to celebrate: Katelyn Grant and Angela Damiano :) They came to the concert with Jenn & Sarah! Saturday (my birthday) was perfect. Kate, Ang and I had panacakes, skyped Brian, shopped, had lunch at Dockside (by the water), watched the VCU/Butler game and then headed to a night out planned by my dear friends Sarah & Katie. A great dinner with friends at the Copper Penny then a night out downtown. It was an awesome birthday and I have not laughed that hard or had that much fun in a while :) The next morning we finished celebrating with Adrienne, Matt and Katie at Causeway Cafe enjoying a great breakfast!

 

So yes, awesome awesome birthday. I have a ton to be thankful for and have had a GREAT 25 years... I'm excited for many many more as I'm sure the best is yet to come. Thank you to my family and friends for the phone calls, cards, flowers and gifts and coming out to celebrate the other day. :) I hope everyone feels as loved on their birthday as I did.

Up next in life: a busy April filled with award ceremonies, birthdays, bridal showers, boyfriend visits, great programs and Easter.

Shout Outs:

• Congrats to Jane Arrowsmith for getting engaged!
• Thanks to my boss, Shannon for giving KTK and I her tickets to Darius Rucker, great concert last night
• So proud of Shannon, Tyler & Katie for being awarded Senior Medallions
• Good luck to my friends job searching
• Congrats to Ashley Carey for getting engaged
• Happy late birthday to my partner in crime Phillip Burns
• Congrats Peter on a successful golf tournament
• Thank you to KTK and Sarah for planning a great birthday
• Don't forget your taxes! They are due next week!
• Go Yankees! Yay for the start of baseball season!
• See you tomorrow BG :)