Juniors invited to first conference

Focus to be on body, mind and spirit
By Lindsay Dickson
Editor-in-Chief

All juniors at Saint Mary’s University are invited to attend the first-ever Junior Experience Conference Tuesday, Nov. 13. A keynote session, breakout sessions, and health and work stations will be held from 4 to 7:30 p.m. in the Toner Student Center.
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With a keynote of “Body, Mind, Spirit,” the focus of the conference is to examine “how choices [students] are making now can affect what [students] will do down the road,” said Student Development Specialist Char Tjaden. Tjaden hopes that students will be able to “get some information they can use not only right now but also for their entire lifetime.”

About three years ago, Tjaden was asked by Vice President for Student Development Chris Kendall to create programs that are specific to class years. A sophomore conference was started two years ago that focused on the sophomore slump and major selection. Last year, the first senior conference was hosted and emphasized life after graduation.

This year, breakout sessions will address wellness issues such as sleep deprivation, balancing work and values, and maintaining healthy credit. Another session will attempt to answer the question, “Can MySpace/Facebook hurt MyFuture?” Mike Kreiling, co-owner of Express Personnel Services, will speak about how he actually uses these social networking sites to check on potential employees. There will also be a panel of seniors who will share their insights on past or current internship experiences.

Juniors may visit an exhibit area during the conference, hosted by the Health Advocates. Stations will emphasize tips on relaxation, preventing overload, procrastination, healthy eating and drinking, careers and internships, and campus ministry.

“Students will be able to get a lot of information in a short period of time,” said Tjaden, “and get some questions answered.” Tjaden also hopes that this event will “give an experience of what it’s like to go to a conference.”

The conference will be sponsored by Student Development, Career Services and Internships, along with faculty involvement.

Juniors are urged to attend one or all sessions. Free pizza, beverages and giveaways will also be offered at the conference.