What the University Didn't Tell us....

Before the 167 of us Franciscan University students boarded the plane bound for Austria, we were informed of many things. Over the course of the four pre-Austria meetings, we discovered the necessity of converters, the practicality of peanut butter, the scoop about the mandatory laundry fee, and the wonderful opportunity to travel around Europe. Despite the helpfulness of these meetings, there were many things we weren’t told. It isn’t exactly the University’s fault; it is just an honest fact.

I wasn’t told how much I would want to know German. Before I got to Austria I had approximately zero desire to learn German and I assumed that wouldn’t change. Yet within a few days of being in Austria, I was wishing I knew the local language. It surprised me that although I was surrounded by English-speaking people most of the time that I would have such a desire to converse in a foreign language. Just the simple phrases that I have taken for granted due to living in a country that speaks, mainly, one language: Excuse me, thank you, please, and the list goes on. Much can be expressed with gestures and snippets of English and German, but there is much to be desired. I almost wish there was a mandatory introductory German class offered on campus.

They didn’t warn us adequately about the Kartause kids. The Gaming staff did their fair share of informing us about them, but by then we had crossed an ocean for a semester with little chance of running home. Adorable little children play outside in the snow after Mass. A perfect picture ofAustria: the red roofs dusted in white, children and adults conversing in the chilly air, the snowy mountain peaks reaching heavenwards, the…snowballs flying through the air landing on unsuspecting college students. The staff did warn us, but the children’s faces were so sweet, I was almost in disbelief that they would attack us. Yet they did. With smiling faces they expertly packed snowballs and then sent them soaring through the air. Victims were chosen and battle lines drawn. I soon decided that I wouldn’t run from their ammunition but rather create some of my own. Of course, one child told me that my snowball throwing was “rubbish.” It is now my custom to go to Mass, with a heart ready to receive Jesus, and a pair of gloves to pack snowballs for my little brothers in Christ.

The University didn’t tell me that some of the best weekends you have will spring from disappointment. This past weekend I was all ready to go to Slovenia minus the actual tickets. On the night before departure, the trip plans were dropped and I had no other choice but to stay behind in Gaming. Yet what seemed to be a disappointment changed into one of the most relaxing weekends I’ve had thus far. I did some homework, went sledding, met some of the local children, and hiked to the waterfall. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend that began as regret for ‘missing Europe.’ Instead, I experienced the beauty that Europe has to offer close to home.

The University did tell me that this could very well be one of the best semesters of my college experience. So far, the classes I am taking now seem the best I have encountered. I am falling in love with Ministry to Moms and the beautiful people I get to meet through it. My fondness for the German language is growing by leaps and bounds. I’m becoming more cultured, I like to think, and by this point I have participated in Mass in English, German, and Czech as well as a Byzantine Divine Liturgy. Perhaps what the University didn’t tell me was much more satisfying to learn on my own.

A post by Trish Irvine

Ice Cream Social & Dance Party

Several of the RA's had the idea of calling everybody together to encourage the group to begin to break out of their cliques and to get to know all the members of the Austria Crew. So, the RA's kicked off the event with a few talks, then had an ice cream social, and finally, finished up with some dancing.

Check out a video and some pics:

Franciscan's New International Business Program

The International Business (IB) program is new to Gaming this semester. Four of the required courses for the International Business major are only offered here in the Kartause. Nine International Business students are currently studying International Economic Systems, the Cultural Environment of Business, International Management and Global Strategic Planning under the guidance of Dr. Tilman Rüsch. With three hours of class time Monday through Friday, the IB students are getting to know each other well.

The IB program involves a couple of business trips which will give students the opportunity to gain advice from professionals in successful international companies. The four ladies are looking forward to visiting Estée Lauder in Switzerland or Belgium while a trip to a Magna Steyr manufacturing facility is geared towards male interests. The students have been preparing for these business trips by researching both companies, studying their competitive environments, and compiling questions to ask.

Dr. Rüsch places a large emphasis on the importance of customer needs and desires. His classes are geared towards providing a serious Catholic with tools to thrive in a tough business culture. A large part of the courses so far have been devoted to understanding reasons behind cultural differences. By looking at the person as a whole, we will be able to understand these differences and find solutions that work for everyone without compromising our Catholic faith. While the business courses discuss the technicalities of business, Dr. Rüsch believes that the success of a student in the business world is largely due to their personality. Dr. Rüsch’s goal is to help his students develop a strong personality that will be a treasure to any company they work for. With this in mind, Dr. Rüsch meets with his students one night a week over dinner at the Kartause Keller to discuss topics in an environment other than the classroom.

It has been a neat experience being part of a developing program which continues to reveal its potential. With the help of devoted and faithful staff, students graduating from Franciscan will be able to evangelize in a new way to the business community which needs it more than ever.

Post written by student Monica Rust, Spring 2010

A student reflection about Prague

Traveling, I thought, was no big deal. I was definitely excited to travel

around Europe and to do so with my peers, but the idea of trekking across

a country, wasn’t entirely new to me. Or so I thought. My family’s

version of travel is to have an end destination and a basic idea of how to

get there before we set out. We don’t have an itinerary for every moment

but simply general ideas. With this in mind, I thought traveling around

Europe would be fairly similar. To say the least, I have come to a

different conclusion after only the first week of independent travel.

Planning isn’t essential, but it is helpful. For example, I bought my

train ticket to Prague the night before we left. Had I planned it out

sooner, I could’ve gotten roundtrip on the bus from Vienna to Prague.

Since that didn’t happen, my traveling was a little less cut and dry. The

way to Prague was via train and the way back was a bus and train

combination. Getting the bus ticket back was a little more interesting

and since there was no other way to do it, I got my return ticket when I

was in Prague. I’ll just say that my faith in God was increased and I

came to realize how praying to the Communion of Saints helps take one’s

mind off all of the bad possibilities. Nevertheless, I was able to go to

Prague and return safely.

Prague was so wonderful, that I would do it all over simply to have that

experience again. At the Church of Our Lady Victorious (home of the

Infant of Prague), the group I traveled with was able to receive a

blessing from a Carmelite priest. Following the Mass in Czech we looked

around at the church. A friend and I went to the priest to ask him to

bless some of the articles we had purchased but before we could ask, he

said we could get the whole group together and he would bless us in the

chapel. The blessing we received was beautiful. He prayed that we

wouldn’t encounter any troubles in our travels and that we would increase

in devotion to the Holy Infant of Prague, among other things. At this

point, I was fairly certain that God would get me home that night. That

was one of the highlights of the day.

Gaming, thus far, has been a wonderful experience. I’ve heard people say

that if they went home today, they would be satisfied. As I thought about

that statement, I at first thought that it was extreme and that I wouldn’t

assert that. But then I realized that perhaps that should be my attitude.

It is all a gift and if the giving were to cease, I should be happy with

all I have received so far. If I had to return home today, I hope I would

be able to go with the attitude that all I have received is a blessing.

With that in mind, I have been so richly blessed with beautiful scenery,

friends, family, God’s love, and the experience of living, studying, and

praying in place of such depth.

Written by Trish Irvine, Spring 2010

Students Pray the Mercy Chaplet in Munich

When we took our school trip to Munich, several of the students decided to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet during the hour of mercy in the main Marienplatz, dedicated to our Lady in the mid 1600's in Thanksgiving for the expulsion of the Swedish invaders. Ever since, the Marienplatz has been the beginning of countless prayers, devotions, and ever a place of protest as in WWII. It also happens to be a favorite devotional place of Pope Benedict XVI.