CONTENTS

COVER STORY

5 Campus Ministry Welcomes You

Introductions by the new Director of

Campus Ministry, the newly

appointed priest, and the Campus

Ministry student staff.

ADVICE COLUMN

13 From Stress to Success

Professor Jodi Grace gives valuable

advice to students on how to be

successful during finals week.

FEATURES

9 Battle of the Halls

View pictures from the fiercest

campus wide competition, Battle of

the Halls. During this week long

event, students were able to

represent their residence halls.

10

Editor of the STU Monthly: Carley Di Stasio

2

4 9 5

Club of the Month

The Psychology Club describe their

successes thus far in the school year

and emphasize the importance of

giving back to the community.

11 Immokalee Immersion Trip

Students experience first hand the

daily struggles faced by farm workers

in the city of Immokalee.

3

4

WE WELCOME YOU

THE 2014-2015 ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY

CAMPUS MINISTRY

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It is with great joy to welcome you to the Office of Campus Ministry. Our main goal is to

walk with you during your journey at the University, so you can make it to graduation!

Campus Ministry, driven by our Catholic identity, recognizes four essential

characteristics of a Catholic Institution in higher education: “1) Christian Inspiration; 2)

Faith Reflection; 3) Fidelity to the Christian Message; and 4) Service to the Church and

Humanity (Excorde Ecclesiae).” The word “Catholic” means “universal.” Therefore, the

Campus Ministry Staff is also sensitive to the ecumenical, inter-faith dimension and

diversity of the University’s population. We welcome you with open arms and we invite

you to take a few minutes and enjoy a cup of coffee in our office located in Mimi

Dooner Hall, room 114. We would like to share stories and are looking forward to

meeting YOU!

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Claudia H. Herrera, Director of Campus Ministry and Ph.D. Candidate at STU

I am married to Andrés and we are parents of Mariana. I was born and raised in Bogotá,

Colombia where I attended Universidad del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary University). I

earned a B.A. in International Relations and a B.A. in Political Sciences. I moved to the

U.S. in 2006 where I was selected to join the Campus Ministry Institute of the

Archdiocese of Miami in 2008, and graduated with an M.A. in Pastoral Ministries at St.

Thomas University in 2010. This year, I had the honor of being appointed as Director of

Campus Ministry by Monsignor Casale.

I am finishing my Ph.D. in Practical Theology at St. Thomas. My research entails listening

to the lived experiences and religious identities of college-age Latinas born or raised in

the United States. I am adjunct faculty at the School of Theology and Ministry and I am

also an active member of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United

States. I love watching films, dancing Zumba, seeing my little daughter bloom in the

world of music, and supporting my husband in his passion for kite surfing in the ocean.

As we enter into Advent Season (a time of preparation that leads the faithful community

to the celebration of Christmas), I would like to invite each member of our St. Thomas family - regardless of background or faith

tradition - to open our hearts and minds and to meet the human face we encounter on the journey. We are invited to carry love,

compassion, faith, hope, and joy. Our world is crossing challenging and wonderful times. It is our time to be greatly open to the

possibility of transforming and to be transformed on the journey. Like the song from the 80’s says: Today, “we are young, so let’s set

the world on fire!”

Father Carmelo A. Romanello, Chaplain

I was born and raised in Calabria, Italy up until the age of 16. I moved to the U.S. (New

York) in 1990 and worked in construction. In 1993, I moved to Miami and worked in a

hardware store. In 1996, I took the GED program and graduated high school. In 1997, I

applied to the Archdiocese of Miami and in September of the same year, I began

seminary toward Priesthood.

In 2001, I graduated College-Seminary with a B.A. in Philosophy and moved to Graduate-

Seminary. In 2006, I graduated with an M.A. in Theology and an M.A. in Divinity. On May

6, 2006, I was ordained to the Priesthood for the service of the Archdiocese of Miami. I

served as Associate Pastor of St. John Newman Church until June of 2009, and I was then

moved to St. Augustine Church. In October of 2010, I applied to serve as a Catholic

Chaplain in the U.S. Navy, and in August of 2011, I left South Florida to begin officer

training and indoctrination. In November of 2011, I was assigned to serve as the Catholic

Chaplain to the U.S. Naval Base in Sasebo, Japan. From November 2011 to August 2014,

I served alongside our women and men in uniform. In April of 2014, I was appointed

Chaplain to St. Thomas University and began on October 1st.

After the sacramental life of the Church, the one thing that I enjoy the most about the Priesthood is when people give me the

privilege to be a companion on their journey; both of us get to grow together. It is good to be here at STU and I look forward to be a

part of as many journeys as I am allowed to walk.

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Rose Berkoff, Graduate Assistant (M.S. in Mental Health Counseling, December 2015), Anderson Mai, Work Study (B.A. in Engineering, May 2016), Jennifer Gomez, Work Study (B.A. in Psychology, May 2016), Victoria Rodriguez, Work Study (B.A. in Criminal Justice, Fall 2016). In Campus Ministry, there is a sense of uniqueness when one walks into our office and a sense of peace of mind when one walks into the Chapel of St. Anthony. Ultimately, Campus Ministry is a ministry of compassion and love. It is a service of the university through which students from all different walks of life, cultures, and beliefs are empowered by fellowship, presence, and most importantly, faith. As students, we all endure struggles and we all endure victories. Our Campus Ministry team invites you to join us in fellowship as we walk by faith together. We represent the student face in Campus Ministry and we are here for the STU students with open ears, open minds, and open hearts. Our goal for the new year of 2015 is to be highly involved in cultivating a greater love and respect among the student body. Whether you come to Monday Morning Prayer and Coffee, Young Adult Group, College Mass, retreats, faith formation programs, or even just stop by our office to say “Hello,” each and every student is special, unique, and welcome. We value each and every one of you, and are blessed to have the honor of serving you while you accomplish your goal of graduation at the University!

CAMPUS MINISTRY STUDENT STAFF

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These are some of the programs offered by Campus Ministry. Igniting prayer: We invite the community to take the

time and recognize the presence of God in our daily lives through the celebration of the Eucharist (Sunday and weekly

Mass) and before we engage in our daily tasks at the University (i.e. Staff meetings, University official events, lectures,

student events, first coffee of the week, study sessions, university games, etc.). This year, we were inspired to retrieve

the prayer of St. Thomas of Villanova and Monsignor Casale named it as the official prayer of the University.

Join us on Mondays for first coffee of the week and 2-minute morning prayer (9:15am-9:25am). Faith Inspiration: In

collaboration with ResLife, we created a bi-weekly Young Adults’ Group where we discuss topics related to daily life

experiences in light of our faith (Wednesdays – 7:30pm). Growing in the Faith: This program is offered to STU

students, faculty, and staff who might be curious about the Catholic Faith. Additionally, if they choose, this program

leads to the reception of the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. Retreats or get-aways: We

recognize the importance of taking a break off campus. Join our beach retreat in Key Biscayne at the beginning of

each semester and a weekend retreat during Lenten season; STU and Barry University Campus Ministers are working

together to offer an inter-collegiate weekend retreat (3/15). Upcoming events: We invite you to join us in celebrating

Midnight Mass and breakfast at the Halls (12/2 @ 10pm), hot dog grilling during finals week (12/8 @ 1pm) and

Christmas Mass and advent songs by our Music team (12/18 @ 12:15pm). Join us as we explore the great gift of one

another! We are young and passionate! Campus ministry is you and us. It is each person at the St. Thomas University

family. As St. Thomas of Villanueva reminds us, “In you, O God, have we hoped!”

GET INVOLVED WITH CAMPUS

MINISTRY!

9

Club of the month PSYCHOLOGY CLUB

This semester, Psychology Club has been hard at work,

giving back to the community. First, because of campus support, we

had a successful Halloween bake sale of spooky and delicious treats

that helped us raise money for supplies to create fall-inspired

mobiles and wreaths, and to buy fun bingo prizes for nursing home

residents. The Psychology Club is once again honored to have had

the opportunity to interact with residents from the Cross Gardens

Care Center, for our 6th year in a row. In the spirit of gratitude and

for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we also hosted the new and

improved version of “Apple Appreciation Day”, called “The Gratitude

Tree”. This fundraiser allowed us to raise money to purchase special

gifts for the residents we have grown to adore for our annual

Christmas event at the nursing home. Faculty and students had the

chance to send a lovely ornament and customized message to a

special person in their lives, or have it delivered to faculty and staff

members. With such busy schedules and hectic days, we may not

always take the chance to say thank you to those who do so much

for us. However, we hope that our event helped people realize how

much they are appreciated when they received these thoughtful

tokens.

As an academic club, we are committed to supporting

everyone in their upcoming exams and final projects to end the

school year successfully. On Wednesday, December 3rd from 3 to 11

PM, the Psychology Club, along with NSLS, will be hosting the final

exam study session in Convocation Hall. The final exam study session

provides students a relaxing location to study either individually or

with a group. As usual, there will be academic enhancement tutors

available for tutoring, free study break bags for all students who

stop by, snacks to keep us all going and lots and lots of coffee! With

the support of everyone at St. Thomas, and an E-board committed

to serving the campus and community in which we live, we are able

to achieve great things. And always remember “No act of kindness,

no matter how small, is ever wasted” - Aesop

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11

At the beginning of the month, St. Thomas University students

visited the city of Immokalee, where they helped revamp the local school

and prepare food for the community. The students were also given

information about the injustices that occur in the city of Immokalee, such

as the harsh working conditions, low pay, and abuse of workers. The

workers begin work at four in the morning and do not stop working until

eight at night. They only make forty two dollars a day, which is barely

enough income to pay for their living arrangements. Each room

accommodates six people. The students learned about the struggles the

Immokalee workers face everyday and were able to participate in a Q & A

with an Immokalee worker.

At the end of the month, the students of St. Thomas University

joined Barry University, University of Miami, and Florida International

University to watch a documentary, Food Chains, based on the life of the

Immokalee farm workers and their fight to receive a decent pay. After

viewing the documentary, students were able to ask questions to the

Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The students then peacefully marched

to the Publix headquarters in Coral Gables in hopes that Publix would

agree to sign the Fair Food Agreement.

ADVICE How do you prepare for finals week?

Gina Hernandez, SGA Vice President

Finals are coming! Finals are coming! Those words alone can make any

student cry! However, if you study and review your notes at least twice

a week for 2 hours (with breaks of course), it will help you retain more

information. It’s very important for me to eat well and exercise during

finals to release stress. Keep in mind that sometimes we have a lot to

do, but often times we really THINK we have a lot to do, and we psych

ourselves out before even attempting to accomplish those things!

Good luck to you all!

Being a college freshman means adjusting to new study habits in order

to be successful for the next four years. While stress has been con-

stant throughout the semester, stress during finals week takes it to a

new level. But before you begin to stress out, take the time to relax

and do the things you love to do. After I take some time to relax, I

make a list of everything I need to study for. Writing everything down,

and then crossing them off is a feeling of satisfaction, control, and

accomplishment during a very busy time.

Watsonie Denis, Student Senator

Jessica Hopping, Peer Mentor and Student Athlete

So my advice to you would be DONT procrastinate. That is the abso-

lute worst thing you can do when preparing for a big test. If you can

I would suggest starting to study now. You can never be too pre-

pared! Finals are right around the corner. How I like to study is go to

a corner of the library that no one is at, put my headphones on to

some non-distracting music, and make flash cards. Flash cards are

definitely my best friend. Good luck students, I'm sure you'll do

great!

Rhiannon Pichel, President of NSLS

Being a biology major, I have finals the week before “finals week” and

the week of “finals week”. I try hard to read and get things done be-

forehand, so I don't have to cram so much before a final. To do this, I

like to use to-do lists. I plan out my week on Sunday and figure out

what to study on which days and for how long so that I don't pay more

attention to one subject then another unless I have to. Also, I always

try to get a good amount of sleep the night before!

As an RA, president of the Entrepreneur Club, and the captain of the

soccer team, I have a lot of duties to follow; therefore, organization is

the key to success and of utmost importance. I like to plan my upcom-

ing schedule a week ahead in order to stay on top of everything. Now

that the end of the semester is close by and finals are coming up, I

spend a lot of time at Panther's Coffee, Starbucks or other quiet coffee

houses. At the same time, my coffee intake keeps me focused and

awake. Good luck to everyone in your finals!

Tony Mamodaly, Resident Assistant

Dorcas Jean, SGA Treasurer

I would definitely start studying my notes early and seek help if

there is anything I don't understand. That way the week of finals will

be more like a review instead of cramming so much new infor-

mation at the last minute. Also, I manage my time and try to slip in

an hour of working out maybe 2-3 times a week to release some

stress. Most importantly, I believe in myself, stay motivated and

pray that God crowns my efforts with success. 12

FINALS WEEK

Three papers, 2 presentations, 1 group project, and 4 exams in 7 days! Does this describe what you are facing? If so, you may be experiencing high levels of STRESS! -- a word most college students know all too well. We all have stressors in our lives, but have you ever noticed how some people handle stressors calmly, while others tend to react negatively? Why the difference? Here’s a clue.

Think of an upcoming paper or project that you have for a class that feels overwhelming.

You can think of this upcoming paper as a threat. A threat implies that something bad is

going to happen. Thus, you may be thinking to yourself, “I’m going to get a low grade on

this paper, and then, I’m going to fail this class!”

However, a better way to view the upcoming paper is as a CHALLENGE. A challenge implies

that although the paper is going to be tough to write, you can complete the paper

successfully. Thus, you should think to yourself, “I know this paper is tough, but I can do

well on it, and I bet it will help me with my upcoming final.”

Here are 4 additional quick tips to cope with stress at the end of the semester! (Who has

time to read a long essay at this point?)

Study well! As you study for a final, be sure to test yourself. (Don’t just reread your

notes!) Simply close your books and quiz yourself by writing out the information.

Another great study tip is to teach the information to someone else.

Break it up! If you have a research paper or big project, break up the overwhelming

task into small manageable goals. Plan step-by-step how you will accomplish the

task. When you see yourself achieving small goals, it will motivate you to continue.

Utilize your resources. Talk to your professors about how to prepare, go to tutoring at

Academic Enhancement/Writing Lab, and study with dedicated classmates.

Remember time is an important resource so reduce time wasters. (Now is not the

time for unnecessary social media, TV, or complaining about the task).

Stay healthy! Although you may not get a restful 8 hours of sleep, get as much as you

can to concentrate. Make healthy choices for food. Take breaks like a quick walk

with a friend. (Be sure to time your breaks. Set an alarm on your phone so you

know when the break is over, and it is time to get back to work.)

If you feel anxious, the best way to reduce anxiety is to start working on what is making

you anxious! You can do it! Stay focused and finish strong!

“I’m not telling you it is going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” –Art

Williams

From Stress to Success!

Jodi Grace, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of

Psychology

Kennedy Hall 217-J

jgrace@stu.edu

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St. Thomas University recently invited the students of Teen Upward Bound to our campus to celebrate Halloween and Trick

or Treat around the offices. In addition. every Tuesday from 3:00-5:30PM the St. Thomas University Bobcats are invited to

volunteer their time at Teen Upward Bound. This is an after school program designed to give positive role models to local

elementary and middle school students. While participating at Teen Upward Bound, volunteers are welcomed to tutor,

interact, and play with the students. By doing this, the students are given a positive environment to spend their time after

school, while also teaching them to prioritize homework before playtime. The Teen Upward Bound students look forward to

our T.U.B. Tuesday’s! If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, please stop by the SGA Office any Tuesday and we

will provide transportation.

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WE LOVE

T.U.B. TUESDAY’S

HOME GAMES

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Monday, December 15 vs. Texas Wesleyan 6 p.m.

Tuesday , December 16 vs. Grace College 6 p.m.

Monday, December 29 vs. University of Quebec 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, December 31 vs. Trinity International 5 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Saturday, December 6 vs. Southeastern 4 p.m.

Saturday, December 13 vs. Coastal Georgia 4 p.m.

Monday, December 29 vs. Edward Waters 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, December 30 vs. Bethel 8:30 p.m.

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University Events December 2014

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

10pm Late Night

Mass followed by

breakfast

3

Psychology Clubs

Final Study Exam

Session at Convoca-

tion Hall

4

Festival of Lights–

Student Center

5

6

7

7:00pm Mass

8 Final Exams !!

9 Final Exams !! 10 Final Exams !!

Finals Break

(Common Hour)

11 Final Exams !! 12 Final Exams !!

FL - Fall term ends

NSLS Induction

13

14

7:00pm Mass

15 16 17 18 19

5pm Int’l Student

Reception 7pm

Graduation Mass

20

10am Graduation

21

22 23 24 25 26 27

28

29 30 31

SGA wishes you a happy holiday!