August Already?!

We are now entering the month of August and what does that mean? You got it kiddies, school is just around the corner. For many this is a time of stress which can involve moving into a dorm or apartment, buying supplies and books, or just trying to get back into the swing of things. For all you stressed out students out there do not fear! Take a deep breath and just relax. What I’ve learned over the past couple of years here at ASU is that everything will happen in its own time. Now, I’m not saying just sit back and hope that your stuff will magically move itself into your new dorm, I’m just simply stating that no matter how much you stress and worry about, it will not make time move any slower or faster, so just take a step back and let nature run its course. With only a few days left for summer vacation, now is not the time to worry about the little things. Take these last days of summer and enjoy them! Go swimming, go on vacation, hang out with some friends, or even just sleep in a little bit longer because once school is in session, sleep does not exists for us college kids. Trust me; by the time we get back to school, we’ll have plenty of stress to deal with. Hope everyone is enjoying our last few days of vacation and remember, enjoy it while it lasts. Have an Amazing Day!!!

Hello World!!!

Hello World! So, I know its been awhile but I have decided to get blogging again and update everyone on my life. Where to begin!?

Lets start with the ending on the Spring semester. I passed my classes with flying colors. (It was slightly shocking for some classes because I really thought I would barely pass but I happily surprised myself!) I had the honor of receiving the Phoenician Scholarship and I also began working full time at Big Surf Water Park for my 4th season in a row, but this time as the Aquatics Manager! I have to say it has been an exciting semester and summer is looking as busy as ever.

In other exciting news, I moved out of my parents’ house for a month and moved in with my Sweetie Andy. This gave us the opportunity to spend as much time with each other before he left for the Army. Andy is in the Army Reserves and left for Basic Training on July 13th. After two months of Basic he will go on to AIT which is his training for his specific job. He chose Military Police. Unfortunately he will be gone for about 20 weeks. I miss him terribly and can only hope that the next few months fly by. For the first 9 weeks Andy will not be able to use the phone that often. Usually just on Sundays and phone calls can only be about 3-5 minutes. Not a lot of time to get to talk to the one you love, but I’ll take what I can get. We mainly communicate through letters for his Boot camp training. When he gets to AIT he will have more privileges and be able to use the phone more often. Until then, I’ll be writing him a ton of letters!

For some reason this summer seems to be the summer to study abroad. I have my Best Friend Reyna studying Spain, my close friend Danny got to study in England and travel around Europe as well, and another friend of mine is doing some sort of special Army training in Germany. I have to admit, I was a little bit jealous of everyone’s fun and exciting travels so I decided to come up with my own trip/study abroad plan. This winter I want to travel to New Zealand! I have always wanted to visit this wonderful country and now that I’m approaching graduation (3 more semesters!) I would really like to travel while I still can. So I have decided that I am going to spend 2 weeks in New Zealand just for myself. I won’t be doing anything for school or getting any sort of college credit but just traveling for my own enjoyment. I am so serious about this that I have actually started looking up airfares and hotel costs. So far it is looking around the range of $2100 to $2800 to go there for two weeks. This is just airfare and the hotel. This does not include the cost of food and all the fun activities I plan to do. If I don’t get to go this winter then it’ll be my graduation present to myself next December.

This summer has been flying by and school is fast approaching! This semester is looking pretty challenging. I am taking my first Graduate course (REC 500- Research Methods) to get a jump start on my Masters program. I’ll probably be one of VERY few undergraduates in that class and not going to lie, I feel a little intimidated. I’m really hoping I don’t make a fool of myself in there, but I guess I just have to go in with positive thinking! I am also taking Tourism Planning and Tourism Transportation Systems with Professor Teye. I heard these are difficult classes but I am looking forward to learning as much as I can about the Tourism industry. The class I am most excited for is Jazz I. I have not taken a dance class since my Freshman year and I cannot wait to get back to it! The only problem is that this class is at 8 in the morning. This is actually the earliest class I have ever had in my entire college career. I am not a morning person so this is really going to be interesting waking up super early for one class.

This has kind of been my summer in a nutshell. I am trying to make more time for blogging so hopefully life won’t bog me down too much and I can get at least one a two blogs in a week. Till next time, have a Fantastic week!



Lonni Summers

Spirit of Service Scholars Video Winner

Hey everyone! Hope Spring Break is going well for all. I know I'm enjoying my time off! Expect a blog about my recent California trip with my Bestie Tee-Jay and my Boyfriend Andy, but till then I wanted to update everyone on the Spirit of Service Video winner. Check out the video below. Have an awesome day!!!


Lonni Summers

The 411 Effect April 6th

Hey everyone, hope midterms are going well. While I was reading another StAR's blog I came across an interesting event she had posted. This is a wonderful event with a great cause and I encourage you all to try and make it out there.

"4.1.1. Effect is an ASU student run organization focused on building partnerships between local businesses and all Arizona State University campuses. 4.1.1 Effect's mission is to rebuild and redevelop the local economy by working with local businesses, vendors and organizations to create a strong network that pairs businesses and organizations with clients and customers through special events, advertising and marketing strategies.

The event will be on Tuesday, April 6th from 4:30 pm - 9 pm at the Civic Space Park near by the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus... All monetary proceeds that we collect will be donated to the Haiti Relief Fund."

Once again, I hope you guys can make it out there because it does sound quite interesting. Thanks again Amyann (Social Work StAR) for the heads-ups! Have an Amazing day!!!



Lonni Summers

Blog of the Week-Tips for our dreaded Midterms!

It’s that time of the year when it is right before Spring Break and smack-dab in the middle of the semester. Oh yes, it’s time for midterms. Lucky me, I have my Nature-based Tourism midterm on Wednesday the 10th, and then on Thursday the 11th I have both my Tourism Accommodations and my Meetings and Convention planning midterm, and to top it off, I have a quiz in my International Tourism class (Yay?). Like many of you, I am starting to feel the pressure! Not going to lie, this is about the time I start to have nervous break downs. Sometimes it just feels like there is just WAY too much. From midterms, to registering for classes, to Spring Break planning, sometimes it just seems like there just isn’t enough time. Dealing from past experiences here are a few tips and suggestions to get you through midterms and on to a happy and relaxing Spring Break.

1. STUDY! I know that seems obvious but you would be surprised at how many people don’t actually study for their midterms. Many feel like they know the material or that the test will be easy. Do Not Fall For This! Being prepared and reviewing the material is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Also, when I say study, I mean study ahead of time and pacing yourself with everything you have to go over. Cramming is never good and you usually do not retain as much information, so study ahead of time and space your material out.

2. Office Hours. If there is something you do not understand or you need some clarification, go into your professors’ office hours. Professors are usually pretty good at clearing up any confusion you may have and can help guide you in the right direction is you feel lost.

3. Study Groups. Study groups are a great way to get together and go over what may be on the midterm. It also gives you the chance to get with classmates and collaborate and see if there is any information you or they might be missing. If you’re not the study group type of person and feel like you study better by yourself then by all means, do what is best for you.

4. Save your Weekends. I know around this time we get anxious for school to get over and sometimes we might find ourselves blowing off studying and homework (I know I have!) Do not do this. The weekend before midterms, try not to go out or do much socializing. Giving up one weekend won’t be so bad and you’ll be able to focus more on what needs to get done. Besides, once midterms are done you’ll have Spring Break!

5. Sleep. Get plenty of rest before your tests. Having a well rested mind will do wonders. Try avoiding pulling those all nighters and just hit the sack early.

6. Breakfast. Eating a good nutritious breakfast the morning of your test will do you good. I know it is kind of corny and we’ve all heard it before, but having a good breakfast is fuel for your brain.

I hope some of these tips help a little with your midterms. I know the stress can be overwhelming but keep pushing through! Spring Break is just around the corner and soon we’ll all have a week to relax and recharge our batteries. Have a Fantastic Day!

Lonni Summers

Sports, Tourism & Event Planning Careers

Sports, Tourism & Event Planning Careers
TOMORROW! Tuesday, March 2
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

ASU Downtown Phoenix campus
411 N. Central Ave.
University Center Building, Rooms 282 & 286

We have 10 professionals from diverse industries ready to meet with students and offer internship, job and career advice in a small, networking forum. No RSVP required - arrive early. This is NOT a recruiting event, but a chance to network and learn from experts!

Panelists in UCENT 282

Tony Alba, Director of Media Operations
Insight Bowl & Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Myles Gabel, Event Manager
University of Phoenix Stadium

Camille Goulding, Museum Educator
Rosson House Museum

Debra Hugo, Senior Convention Services Manager
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel

Mark Stanton, Deputy Director
Arizona Office of Tourism


Panelists in UCENT 286

Darla Harmon, Executive Director
Rosson House Museum

Matt Lawson, Sales Consultant
Phoenix Suns

Alex Ryan, Associate Director of Media Relations
ASU Sun Devil Athletics

Dan Tavrytzky, Vice President & General Manager
Southwest Conference Planners Inc.

Duncan Tyson, Guest Services Manager
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel

This is a great opportunity for Tourism majors to get up close and personal with different professionals in the field of tourism. Hope everyone can make it!


Lonni Summers

Planning Spring Break Tips

Spring semester is in full swing and before we know it, midterms will be on our desks and staring us in the face, but along with our dreaded midterms we also get Spring Break! Yay! My friends and I want to plan a small trip to California for our break, so we’re starting the planning/booking now! My advice to any students wanting to get out and travel for Spring Break is, Plan Now! I’m already finding that hotel rooms are going fast and the longer you wait, the higher the room rate. Also if you’re looking to save some money on your hotel accommodations I suggest finding out if the hotel has AAA discounts or military discounts. This can save you a couple dollars. I have also found that booking through a third party such as hotels.com, expedia, or priceline, you can find some cheaper room rates through them instead of booking strictly through the hotel, but once again make sure to do your research. Even though it may seem cheaper through a third party, sometimes with certain discounts offered through the actual hotel you can possibly get a better deal. Once again, just research. This also goes for Adventure/Theme parks. Most of them have AAA and military discounts, so make sure to find out.

Spring break is a time of fun, relaxation, and good times. Just be sure to research and plan ahead! Hope everyone is enjoying the weather and until next time, Have a Fantastic Day!



Lonni Summers