2013 Graduate

Shany and Katie Shock

 Graduation started bright and early at the Dee Events Center at 7:30 am on Friday the 26. In the email they sent all graduates it stated that if you attended the morning ceremony you would receive a bronze Weber State medallion. Of course Paigy and I wanted our medallion so up at 6 am we were. They had us line up by schools so I got to hangout with all my favorite English nerds.  A good chunk of the Metaphor gang was there as well as my friend Katie who was an English major and Photo minor just like me. We meet in our photo classes.

By the epic WSU sign
Heidi, Dad, Shany, and Mom

Dad, Shany, Mom, Heidi

Parentals and I 

Shany and Hoho

My parents and Heidi came for my graduation. Because of Dad's bad back I didn't have my parents stay for the one I walked at. After we met Paigy and her family for pictures at the WSU sign we went back to my apartment to load the truck up with my stuff. Afterwards we went to lunch at a nice BBQ place.

Shany and Paigy
2013 Grads

We did it!

Weird to think we are officially done here...

After lunch Heidi and I had a bit of time to waste. The Telthia School of Arts and Humanities wasn't scheduled to do their ceremony until 2:30 pm. So we visited Deseret Book and Old Navy and then headed back to Campus. I got to hangout with all my English friends again. It was weird to realize I wouldn't be sitting through anymore classes with them. Some of them I may never see again. As I walked across the stage and got hugs from some of my favorite professors I began to realize that I'd done it. I'd gotten my bachelors.

Jenn and Shan
My boss for Metaphor this past year

Pedicures with Paigy

Shany and Paigy getting Pedicures...

beautiful toes...

end results...

So for graduation Paigy paid for us to get pedicures. We went to a place we learned to love while living in Ogden. It was a great way to relax after cleaning our kitchen and ending finals earlier in the week. When we got back we watched some of our favorite movies and ate pizza in the living room. I'm sure gonna miss Paigy when I move back to Salt Lake.

Finals...

This made me chuckle. After my weekend this is exactly how I feel. I can't even go to the gym and work it off because it's under construction. This is my first semester all my classes finals were due or given on the same day. Today was the last official day of classes. My final projects were all due today and I had my final exam in my Spanish class.  I printed my final project for Schwiebert's class, and went to campus on Saturday and printed my pictures off in the lab for Studio Lighting. Now I just hope I do well in all my classes and get everything packed before graduation on Friday morning....

Charlotte is One

Happy Birthday to my name sake! Auntie can't believe that you're already one. Love ya Charlotte Shannon!

Week Fourteen

My oh my its been a hectic week! We had the Gala on Monday and our end of the year awards ceremony in  Metaphor. Its the week before finals so I picked up the strobe lights at 4 on Wednesday and headed to Elizabeth Hall for my last Metaphor meeting. It feels weird to think I won't be back here in the Fall. Hasn't hit yet that I'm done. Josh and his adorable wife were my models that night. We turned their dreary basement into a tea party. I didn't get back until after 10 pm.
  I spent today working on Spanish homework and my final for Dr. S class. I can't believe all my finals are on Monday! Then I get to spend the rest of next week cleaning and packing. Seems like this semester cruised by. I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave Ogden yet....

Gala

Its hard to believe we've made it to the big revel of the book we've been working so hard on! I managed to get one of my poems published this year, and since Quincy and I were picking the poetry pieces to read at the gala we put me on to take care of my public reading requirement! Jen and I took everything to the ballroom at 2:30 and started setting up. Everything went splendid and we had a great turnout. It even stopped snowing long enough for the sun to come out. After the program we had signings and socializing. I'm glad its over and think it went great. Here is my piece that was published...

Nebula

The room seems far away

as she sits in the chair, listening

to the lecture. Her eyes gloss over,

sweat beads on her face.

Damn the need for good grades.

The drowning of Einstein’s Dreams, time,

space,  worlds and chaos. What do you dream?

Nostalgic thoughts of warmth and sleep?

Her temple throbs. Swirling black holes,

wormholes, cheesy PBS documentary

on the big screen. Wouldn't you like to visit the future?

Fantasies of luscious galaxies of pure bliss.

With a flick the room lights up;

her body shakes with a ghostly gleam.

Trying to anchor her balance,

round two can be avoided.

Feet flat she presses forward.  Syntax 

eluded as the gabble moves her onward.

Slowly she treks home down the hilly

campus. The saunter shuffle of her Toms

through the fall leaves. Trudging forward

into the vacant dungeon. Time, what is it?

Slinking into darkness she pulls the comforter

to her chin,  slithering sleeplessly into chimera.

Happy Birthday Katie!

Katie and I have known each other for over fourteen years. (Man that makes me feel old!) Katie is an only child so when she became pregnant with her first child I instantly became and took on the role of Auntie Shannon. I am a big part in her kiddos life and knew that there were no ifs, ands, or buts I had to make it down for Sissy's birthday.We have this great tradition of going to the Desert Star Play House. So I made plans to spend the day with Katie.
 Charlotte's birthday is six days after Katie's so we took the kids to the park and I took some pics of baby Bee while Bug, Bean and H played. I love spending time with these kiddos!

From back to front...
Hermione, Aiden, Abby, and Charlie

How could you not love those sweet faces? We didn't stay to long because it started to sprinkle and it was a bit chilly! We went back to the house and warmed up before taking the kiddos to the sitter so we could go to the show. Abby was so sure she was going with mommy and Auntie that she broke down as we left. It was heartbreaking to see her crying.
 The show was pretty packed and we ended up sharing a table with two other people. We had a great time though! We picked the kids up afterwords and took them to Nana's house to spend the night so I could take Sissy and have grownup time! We went to dinner, watched a movie at the house and just talked. It was great. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Katie and the kiddos when I move back to Salt Lake.

Scheels

Abe was at the entrance to the store.
Fun fact Abe always kept paper and a quill in his
hat so he could write his thoughts. 

 I came to SLC this weekend for Sissy's Birthday. Her birthday was Saturday the 13 so I spent Friday afternoon and evening with my family. Davy was going to take Becca to Scheels and she insisted I tag along. (I love my brother's sweet fiance) So we hopped in Sosuke,(the name of Davy's car) and headed out on our adventure.

They had lots of fun things to look at with numerous photo ops throughout the store! Including an indoor ferris wheel. As you can see we just had a blast!

I  found Waldo!

I found Weber State's mascot! Waldo the Wildcat, I now can mark that off my bucket list.

ah give me some loves...

the love birds...

And we got a genuine bear hug! All in all it was an exciting night.

Week Thirteen

Its getting down to the last few things before graduation! I turned in my last journal for my English class as well as composition for Spanish. I attended the English department luncheon celebrating all the graduates as well as scholarship recipients. Each week closer to graduation makes me more and more excited. I've got a lot of change ahead of me.
  The weather here has been beautiful making me excited for graduation. I've had snow during spring finals. Better not happen this year. Campus has been so beautiful with the trees blooming along with flowers. I want it to get warm and stay warm so Paigy and I can go on the trail by the hospital before we graduate.

Conference Weekend!!!

The picture I used for my announcement. 

Because I had an open mic for National Literary Conference I couldn't come down to Salt Lake Friday afternoon after classes. My roomies had both gone home for the weekend so when I came home after the open mic I locked myself in my room for the night and watched some Vampire Dairies. I figured that I'd wake up by nine giving me plenty of time to make pancakes for myself and watch the first session via my laptop. (Ah modern technology) I woke up at a quarter after ten! (most of you that know me know I usually don't sleep after nine nine-thirty) Heidi was going to pick me up around 12:30 and I had a few last minute things to do before then. (thankfully I can watch the previous sessions online)
We did our errands and made it back to Mom and Dad's in the evening. We watched Lincoln with Davy and Becca and then headed to bed. We have a tradition of a hot breakfast on Sunday morning, so Heidi and I got up and helped mom make pancakes and turkey bacon! I watched the first session with my parents and Hoho. We had a lovely lunch between with Sariah, Cara, Brent, Camden, and Nathan. Grandma came for the second half then when it was all over Heidi and I hopped in her car and left.
It was a short weekend but it was nice to spend time with the family.

Week Twelve

Well it has been a hectic week with loads going on. We worked on our group assignment in photo. (that was a lot of work) Paigy and I were able to attend the final basketball game. Which was pretty epic. the other team scored a second before the game ended making them win by two points.
  I can't believe I'm a mire three weeks from earning my bachelors! I can't believe how fast the last three years have gone at Weber.My final portfolio is in and I'm scheduled to do my reading at the gala for metaphor on the 15. I'm ending my senior year with three published pieces. Epiphany had its release party this week and I was able to see my poem and non-fiction piece in the book. I'm excited to get extra copies for my family. tomorrow Heidi is coming to pick me up for conference weekend. I'm going to pick up my announcements and start bringing stuff back to my parents house. going to be moving back to Salt Lake after graduation. 

Epiphany

Well Epiphany, which is the non-traditional student literary journal had its release party! Since I have two pieces published in this year's copy I went to the party to pick up my copy of the book. I have a poetry piece and non-fiction. Here is my poem.

Pretty Bows

The drawer ironically was over the hamper closet.

It held all the bows and barrettes a little girl could imagine. My

mother always made sure my hair was done. Little homemade

flower barrettes pulled back my wavy hair. Too bad the confidence in

the beautiful bows couldn’t stream down into my toes. The little girl on

the outside looked so put together, appearance meant everything. But,

inside was a wiry, anxious, lonely little girl.  Fidgety and wispy, I wished the

time and love put into the bows were put into the one wearing them. As

I grew the drawer stayed. The bows all intact, in the drawer above the

hamper, in the linin closet.

-Shannon Beverley

If you would like to read my non-fiction piece feel free to email me or respond below with your email and I'll send it to  you!