Athena Blogs

G'day!

Monday night we had formal hall at Campion. It was really fun. I’m definitely glad I got to experience it because we have nothing like it at Edgewood College. We had to get dressed up and then wear black gowns that were provided for us. There was a head table with faculty and staff member, with Father Fleming and Dean Kaiser from Seton Hall University giving speeches. We also had a question and answer session after Dean Kaiser’s speech which was very interesting. The food was just as amazing as the atmosphere.

After formal hall, we had a little going away party for Anna, since she went back home on Tuesday after spending her semester at Campion. She was just as sad to go as we were to have her leave. She enjoyed her time at Campion because of the great education and friendliness provided here. It ended up being a late night but it was really fun because a lot of the Australian, as well as American, students were there.

Yesterday after class, the group went to the Sydney Aquarium and also the observation deck. I chose to opt out of this event and spend some time with my friend Jenn since I have been to both twice now. We have our final exam tomorrow and today is our last day of classes. It is crazy how fast time goes by here. I can’t believe I’m leaving so soon!

Cheers!
Hilary

G'day Mates!

A group of Campion students went on a harbor cruise with the band Scythian playing on Friday night. It was amazing. We cruised around Sydney Harbor until about 1:30 in the morning until we had to catch a bus back to Campion College so we could rest up for the big campout that happened last night. The bus ride took forever because no trains were running at the time and Campion is about a 45 minute ride out of Sydney itself.

World Youth Day has come to an end after a very eventful week! Yesterday, we had the pilgrimage walk where we started at North Sydney, the other side of the Harbour Bridge, and walked all the way to the Randwick Racecourse, which is basically all the way across Sydney. It took us three and a half hours, but we had a lot of fun along the way. Once we got to Randwick, we all set up our sleeping gear because we were doing the big World Youth Day campout. Scythian performed at the campout and soon after they finished we went to sleep so we could wake up and have mass with the pope.

Cheers!
Hilary

G'day Mates!

Australia is full of excitement due to World Youth Day. All the activities are at full speed and the streets are packed. It is said that the mass gathering of people will go into the World Records book because it is the largest crowd drawn in Sydney at one time. More people have come to Sydney for World Youth Day than the Olympics, when they were held here. We have had no classes this week because of all the events going on in the city, but our essay is due on Monday.

Yesterday, the pope had a welcoming ceremony at Darling Harbor where he began his trip throughout the city. I was about six feet away from him when he drove through our section of the crowd. After that was over, my friend Amy and I set out to find something to eat. With the World Youth Day pass, you are provided lunch and dinner, which is as far from appetizing as anything could be. We found a really good cheap restaurant that served amazing asian dishes.

Cheers!
Hilary

G'day Mates!

All is well in Australia! I have been so occupied with many fun happenings that time is flying by. Classes at Campion are set up very differently than in Wisconsin, in a good way of course. Because I am taking a short course, the lectures have to be squeezed into a smaller timeframe than that of a regularly scheduled semester.

We start classes at 8:30 every morning and we are done by 1:00. We have one lecture and then one tutorial immediately following. Both are an hour each and before we start our second lecture, we get a half an hour break. There are two professors teaching this course and we have had two guest lecturers this week. On Friday, we had a debate amongst two groups, which was very educational and entertaining.

As well as classes, the social aspect of Australia has kept me very busy. My older brother came and visited me and we went to “Possessed” at the Sydney Opera House. It was a one man comedy play and was hilarious! I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in comedy and would like to see a show at the opera house.

On Sunday, we went on a Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour. As well as wine, we also sampled cheese and chocolate from local Hunter Valley shops. The wine tour lasted all day and the people we met were amazing.

More later,
Hilary

G’day Mates!

All is well in Australia! We started our classes on Monday and they have been very interesting. I am only enrolled in one short course entitle Australian History, Politics, and Religion. The class is four hours every day. Although this sounds rough, the time passes quite quickly. Our classes are broken down into two lectures, both followed by one tutorial each. They end by 1:00 everyday, leaving the afternoons open to doing whatever you’d like.

This past Sunday, most of the students from Campion attended mass and then took a trip to the Blue Mountains. The drive was about an hour and a half from campus but the views were well worth it. We took two trails, both quite short. We began our trip from Echo Point, with a great view of the Three Sisters. Pictures aren’t able to grasp the beauty of the scenery.

Monday night, we attended a footy game at the Olympic Stadium which was phenomenal. The game went into double overtime making the whole stadium go wild! The time is passing so quickly because of all of the exciting things that I am experiencing down under.

More later,
Hilary

Hi there,

My name is Hilary Reichling and I am from Madison, Wisconsin. I study Business, Communications, and International Relations at Edgewood College.

I am currently studying abroad in Sydney, Australia at Campion College. It is a beautiful campus and all the students and staff are helpful and friendly. The time difference is a little hard to get used to, but staying awake the first day is extremely beneficial. Don't stress over the long plane ride, they go by a lot faster than what you would think. The airlines offer lots of great movies if you're not able to sleep.

When I first arrived, I met most of the staff and a few students. I watched one of the biggest footy games at the local pub with a few of the students. It was an experience that isn't possible in the United States. The game was against New South Wales and Queensland. Footy has two halves, both forty minutes. The game holds your interest because, not only is it interesting, but the fans get into it as well.

Along with everyone on campus, I met a fellow student who is traveling around Australia for the next year on the plane from San Francisco to Sydney, named Jen. I met up with her and two Aussie's the second day I arrived and we visited some of Sydney's top attractions. We first went to Bondi Beach and although it is winter here, there were many people surfing and walking alongside the ocean. Bondi itself is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. The shops nearby are very fun to go into and the restaurants seemed phenomenal. We grabbed some sushi and had a picnic on the beach, but make sure you don't feed the birds or they won't leave you alone!

Public transportation in Sydney is very easy to catch on to. If you have any questions about where to go, just ask someone on the street and they are more than happy to help you.

More later,
Hilary