This past Saturday I went snowboarding with the Outdoor Adventure Club at Wachusett Mountain. I was timid because I anticipated everyone on the trip to be a snowboarding prodigy, and I would be a puddle of slush in comparison. I layered up like some family party dessert, and we embarked on a pretty short ride up to the mountain. I arrived at the lodge by the foot of the trails, and I started to get really excited. The downside of the day would be eating snow in front of my girlfriend and other friends, but I yearned for even some infinitesimal level of triumph. Regardless of skill, everyone seemed to have had a great time, and surprisingly I was kind of good at it. In terms of Olympic snowboarding, I’d settle for bronze.

I don’t mind biding my time and pushing things off, I’m pretty skilled at it actually, but it was plain stupid to miss this deal.  

My name is Brian Lombardi, and I am a sophomore at Fitchburg State University. I’m majoring in English Studies with a concentration in Professional Writing. That wasn’t quite the attention grabbing start, but at least I’m not a complete stranger anymore. I transferred to Fitchburg in the fall from North Shore Community College. I chose community college right out of high school, and told everyone the objective was to save money, but to be honest it was essentially my unfortunate harboring of laziness.

Going to classes at North Shore felt empty, and the campus was filled with little more than passing people, none too amiable or eager for friendship. I was just an average guy moving between plot points. My heart wasn’t in it, and I wondered if it was because I didn’t have the full college experience. I finally nerved up and decided to reach out to a university that could give me the experience I yearned for.

I had visited Fitchburg a few times, and the application didn’t spike my stress levels, so I applied—and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

It is that time at Fitchburg State when everyone is in two frames of mind. One of those mindsets is that winter break is right around the corner and the holidays are on the horizon. The other mindset is academic panic attack as finals approach just as quickly. With both of these ideas in the same space, it makes for a very exciting time at the university.

I've written before about how important and exciting an Open House is in the college selection process. It helps you see the campus as well as the opportunities that are available to you. Fitchburg State just finished the last open house of the year but that doesn't mean there aren't chances to see everything the university can offer you. In this blog post, I'm going to talk a little bit about how I came to Fitchburg State!

This past week, the Center For Diversity And Inclusiveness took over our art gallery in Hammond to set up their own exhibit. It was an a very important display of photographs that really took people by surprise. The photographs showed some of the intolerance and prejudice that our students had endured in their lives. This powerful show really provoked a lot of good discussion about how we as a university can stop this.

There is a multitude of opportunities to expand yourself while at college. Of course, one of the best ways to do this is through signing up for classes that you are interested in. I believe that college is one of the best places to try and learn new things. It is here that you are surrounded by peers who are eager to learn and faculty who are excited to teach.

I've mentioned before that I'm involved in a lot of things at Fitchburg State. One of the things I am most proud to be a part of is Greek life.

It's funny to think about when I came to Fitchburg State as a freshman, I was sure of one thing; I was not joining a fraternity. In my mind, that kind of organization just wasn't for someone like me. I was independent and didn't need something like "brotherhood" or any of that stuff. It just wasn't for me. Now, having become involved with a fraternity, I cannot imagine my life without it.

This past weekend I was given the distinct pleasure of participating in the the third annual Center For Diversity And Inclusiveness (CDI) Retreat at Camp Woodstock in Woodstock, CT. CDI oversees the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), Black Student Union (BSU), Asian Culture Society (ACS), Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and World Integrated Nations (WIN).

The center is expanding soon, creating Chaverim, a Jewish student society and Focus On Faith, an interfaith organization that looks to discuss religions in all forms. CDI is run by Jamie Cochran, a wonderful woman who always greets with hugs, not handshakes.

Here at Fitchburg State, I am an English major. For a lot of people, that merits a few different responses. One of them is "good for you doing what you want to do." Another is "So when did you decide you wanted to be unemployed?" The latter annoys me to no end as you can imagine. Most people imagine English majors to skip around, quoting poems and drinking copious amounts of coffee/tea in shops. The reality is that Fitchburg State's English program is wonderfully quirky and educational!

Hello again! I am incredibly happy to be back and I look forward to everything that I will write about this year. I had a wonderful summer working at a camp that taught me so much and I look forward to bringing some of those lessons into play here at Fitchburg State!