Snow is in season

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By: Jesica Rubio

The snow is starting to fall and with that being said this means the roads will be getting worse. Yes, I said it. The roads will progressively be getting worse and the snow continues to fall. I seem to notice that every year when the roads start to get slippery and snow covered, the residents of this fine state forget how to drive.

Here is the deal, every year it snows here in Michigan. So I am here to help provide a few tips that may be helpful to those who are not huge fans of the winter season.

 First of all, check the quality of your tires. If you’re able to get new ones, or better winter ones, I recommend you do so. This can make a world of difference.

 Secondly, make sure that your car is cleaned off and defrosted. Take the extra time to make sure that you’re able to see clearly.

 Third and I cannot stress this point enough; make sure you’re driving to the conditions of the road not the posted speed limits. Give yourself plenty of extra time to get where you need to be going.

 Fourth, when it comes to braking, give yourself plenty of room to stop. Don’t mash on your brakes, this will only make you slide.

 Lastly, my final tip would be in regards to someone who gets stuck. Remain calm, don’t stress out and spin your wheels (this will only dig you deeper). Call someone to help you.

Hopefully you find these few small tips beneficial. Make sure you have plenty of time and enjoy the winter season.

Drive safe and be careful out there.

Letter to Me

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By: Sarah Drabik

I heard Brad Paisley’s “Letter to Me” on the radio on the way home from work today. After actually listening to the lyrics, I thought “huh, I wonder what my letter would say?” I laughed to myself, sat down, and started writing…

Dear Freshman Sarah,

Most people will call you Drabik – that also gets transformed into Dray, Dray-Beezy, and Draby Baby. Each name has its own funny story so just let it happen. Dad still calls you Sarah Lou and you’ll invent a face that makes you look like a Cindy Lou-Who from the Grinch, which becomes sort of a photo-bomb trademark.

The next few years are somewhat of a rollercoaster, but I promise you it’s all worth it.  To help you through the ride, here are some pointers:

  • Transitioning the first couple weeks was rough, but you make tons of friends in Downing Hall. It’s true that you meet some of the most amazing people at school and you stay friends with many people from the second floor all through college.
  • Remember to say “hi” to the girl in the bathroom at sorority recruitment. Her name is Katie; you join the same sorority and she becomes one of your best friends.
  • Flirt with the guy in American Government; he’s actually a pretty cool guy and makes class at 9:30 AM a little more tolerable.
  • Once you complete your Math requirement, don’t worry about taking Calculus. You don’t become a Math Teacher.You’re going to get your heart broken… more than once. I know it’s tough, but you learn something more about yourself every time.
    • On that note, don’t take Econ. Honestly, you aren’t that good at it and you don’t become a Social Studies Teacher.
    • While we’re on the topic, you don’t become a teacher at all. It is okay that you switched your major and completely normal that you changed your mind. You’re now doing something you really love, but I’ll let you figure that out.
  • Tell people how you feel. Your first heartbreak is because you didn’t share your feelings; the second is because you did. Either way, knowing is better than sitting with a life of “what ifs”.
  • When the girls are going out to Theo’s – don’t think twice about going. It’s like “Cheers” and everybody knows everybody. A majority of the best memories are created here and they will keep you laughing forever.
  • Finally, spend as many summers as you can at school because nothing beats an Ypsi Summer.

Now this may not make sense right at this time, but you’ll look back and smile. You’ll have some rough patches and days where nothing seems to go right, but your spirit (just like your horrible “Snooki” poof) won’t ever completely deflate. Remember to smile, love, and live every moment.
-Sarah

Random Acts of Kindness

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By: Brooke Maggard

One act of kindness can completely make someone’s day. I know personally, when someone does something nice for me it often turns my whole day around. Being in college can sometimes be stressful and little acts of kindness make you stop and appreciate the little things that can be done. Here are a few kind things you can do around campus!

  1. Help someone carry their groceries from the parking lot.
  • Making multiple trips from the parking lot can be time consuming and tiring. With the help of one other, everything could probably be brought in with one trip. Next time you see someone with groceries, offer five minutes of your time to help!
  1. Clean the bathroom, even if it’s not your turn.
  • Whether you live on or off campus, if you have a roommate, the bathroom is probably an issue at least once in awhile. If you have a cleaning schedule or not, forget it for a day and just clean the bathroom. Your roommate will appreciate it and who doesn’t love a clean bathroom?
  1. Remember important dates of your friends.
  • If a friend seems really nervous or stressed out about a test or for an event they are in, set a reminder on your phone’s calendar to wish them luck. Showing that you took the time to remember what was important to them might relieve a little stress, even if only for a few minutes.
  1. Offer to pick something up from the store for a friend.
  • Being busy is part of the definition of college. If you are running to the store, offer to grab something for your roommate or friend. If they were needing to go the store or thinking about what they needed, it will be a bit of relief to get the stuff without the hassle of running to the store.
  1. Don’t forget to thank the people who do things for you.
  • We often get caught up in our own stress that we don’t thank the people who do the simple things for us. No matter how simple something is, effort was put forth and a simple thank you goes a long way and keeps the cycle going. 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

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By: Justin Digue

The air is colder and the leaves have almost fallen off of the trees. That means it is getting close to the greatest time of the year….EXAMS!!! I bet you thought I was going to say Christmas of Hanukkah or another holiday, sorry. Exams are what are on my mind right now. I’m here to give you a few tips about how to avoid an aneurysm when cramming for all of your classes.

  1. Start reviewing all of your information as early as possible.
    1. As college students, we are all fairly aware of the concept of procrastination. in fact, most of us probably practice this tradition on a daily basis. I mean, why do work now when you can wait until the last possible minute? Well when it comes to exams, this is not the case. There is so much information that one has remembered that it is highly advised that you begin studying as early as possible in order to avoid an overload of information and an overall bad time.
  2. Professors are there to help you.
    1. Contrary to popular belief, your professors are there to help you succeed in any way they can. Professors have office hours that are extremely helpful for some one-on-one time in order to ask questions and ask for any additional help. This strategy, along with emailing your professor, are ways to ensure that you are successful.
  3. Take breaks and try to relax.
    1. Though studying is important, it is vital that you take time from studying to kick back and relax in order to reduce your stress level. There are many different ways that are effective in stress relief and relaxation.

Use these tips to keep you out of the psych ward this exam season.

 

Miss Representation

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By: Michelle Carter

“Miss Representation” is a documentary about how women are misrepresented in media and how that affects their overall ability to become leaders in today’s society. There have always been a sad number of women represented in politics because it is not the “norm”. Why are women looked down upon for doing something they may be passionate about?  If people are educated correctly they should be able to do whatever makes them happy including women. Eastern Michigan University’s Greek Life through College Panhellenic Council and National Panhellenic Council are putting on a screening of “Miss Representation” on Saturday, December 8th at 2pm in the Student Center Ballroom. The viewing will be open to the public and after watching the film there will be small group discussion and a panel of students and faculty. This will hopefully help make a difference in the equal rights of women around the world. Come out on Saturday and watch this amazing documentary.

The 20 Coolest Things About December

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By: Chelsea Vincent

  1. Obviously the number one coolest thing about December is that my birthday is on December 4th, and this year I will be turning 21, so clearly that is the coolest thing about the month.
  2. Cutting down the perfect Christmas tree, and then decorating it with the family is always a great holiday pastime.
  3. SNOW! (If we ever get any) This opens up a whole new world of fun things to do including sledding, snowman building, snowball fights, building snow forts, and catching snowflakes. (Just to name a few)
  4. You can get your picture taken at the mall with old Saint Nick! (You’re never too old)
  5. Putting up festive lights and decorations around the house is always a fun way to celebrate the holiday, and December is a way better month to do so than any other! (Especially July)
  6. Have a holiday cookie decorating party! You can buy tons of cookies from GFS for an inexpensive price.
  7. December is the perfect excuse to listen to the prettiest, most perfect, and most happiest music on the planet…Michael Buble’s Christmas album!
  8. Having an excuse to give presents to those who you love the most. There are many holidays during the month of December and plenty of ways to spoil those near and dear to your heart!
  9. There are lots of ways to volunteer during the month of December; a great place to get involved is through the VISION office at EMU!
  10. You can go ice skating in University Park when the lake freezes over! The RecIm only charges $1 to rent ice skates from them.
  11. Build a gingerbread house! What a fun (and tasty!) activity to do with friends!
  12. If you and your roommates want a fun and festive way to decorate your place, you can always make a cut out snowflakes to hang in the window!
  13. The best candy always comes out during December! It is finally socially acceptable to gorge yourself with candy canes again! Yay!
  14. There’s lots of festive holiday treats you can start baking in your residence hall in December like gingerbread cookies, puppy how, and snow balls!
  15. For the craft lovers, December is your month! There are so many ways you can spruce up your place with just some scissors and paper! As I mentioned earlier you can create transform you your place in to a winter wonderland with paper snowflakes, but you can also create Christmas wreathes as well, and paper Christmas trees!
  16. The best movie ever made is always perpetually playing on almost every channel ever, Elf! During the month of December the one thing that I can rely on is that Elf will always be playing on at least one TV channel at some point during the day.
  17. For those who love to shop, December has to be your favorite month! There are always crazy sales going on during this month.
  18. Winter Break! During December EMU gets a two and a half week long break from classes! This is always a very restful and well needed break that is something students always look forward to!
  19. Going Christmas caroling is a fun way to bring you and your friends together! “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
  20. Starbucks brings back their wonderful festive drinks like the peppermint mocha (or peppermint white mocha), gingerbread latte, and their lovely eggnog latte! They also have their delicious frosted snowman cookie, cranberry bliss bar, peppermint brownie cake pop, and holiday gingerbread! All of which can be put on your EMU meal plan! Yummmm!!

There you have it! A list of twenty reasons why December is the coolest month ever, and fun activities to do during the month as well! Now go out there and dominate a snowball fight!

Stepping Outside of my Comfort Zone: Hijab Day 2012

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By: Toni Jarnigin

Tuesday, November 27, 2012 was Hijab Day on campus. On Hijab Day, women are invited to wear the Muslim head scarf, called a Hijab. While wearing the Hijab, women would be able to experience a part of what the women practicing the Muslim religion experience every day. Along with wearing the Hijab, the women are required to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants. They also could not smoke or drink alcohol while doing the experiment. All of these requirements are what the women practicing the Muslim religion have to follow every day. At the end of the day at 7pm, everyone that participated in the experiment met up and reflected on the day.

Before I go into my experience with Hijab Day, I will give a little history and background information about Hijab. The Hijab is the Muslim head scarf that is worn to show purity. The Hijab is a symbol of strength, focus and cleanliness. Women who wear the Hijab are saving themselves for after marriage. They are pure, and have never been touched by a man. The Hijab is not just worn by a women practicing the Muslim religion. Any women can choose to stay pure and wear a Hijab.

Participating in Hijab Day was very interesting and unique experience for me. Right when I put the Hijab on I instantly started to worry about what people would think about me. I can only imagine what goes through women who always wear the Hijab minds. I also noticed that people looked at me more than usual. A lot of people stared at me with odd faces. Wearing the Hijab game a perspective on life that I never would have been able to see. I go through life worrying about how my hair looks and if I look just right. Wearing the Hijab allowed me to just be myself and not worry about how I look to other people. It was really nice and relieving knowing that I wasn’t being judged by how I did my hair.

The reflection at the end of the day was also very informative. I got to hear a lot of stories from Muslim women about what they experienced every day and how they deal with some of the struggles and judgments that they go through. I also got to hear stories about what some of the other women that participated in the event went through. Most of the stories related to mine. Hijab was a great experience and I will definitely participate again in the future.

SURFing? At EMU?

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By: Kerri Musick

This past August I participated in the organization of the Honors College Orientation for incoming freshman. The day prior to the event I e-mailed John Feldkamp, Assistant Director of the Honors College, to find out where our designated parking area was. The P.S. section of his response was probably the most exciting part of this e-mail:

PS: I want you to meet Dr. Ron Delph at lunch time (have you met him before outside of the Frankenstein reading?). He is looking to work with a student on a research grant he received. Someone who is pursuing some type of History major was where we started with who would be a possible student. You were the first person I thought of. Just see me at lunch, and we’ll get the two of you to connect.

Um, what?! Deal. I knew I was in for a trip when I met with Dr. Delph at lunch the next day and the first question he asked was “Do you have a passport?”. By some stroke of luck I found myself agreeing to being a part of the SURF (Symposium Undergraduate Research Fellowship) program at EMU. Being a part of this program I am given the opportunity at the age 19 to conduct research alongside esteemed faculty- and get some financial support!

Each SURF (a total of 23) determines what they want to do with their stipend to help further their research. Personally, I am using my stipend to study abroad in Rome and Florence this coming March to foster a greater understanding of the position women played in the Medici reign in Renaissance Italy. Some other SURFs are paying for lab equipment, books, and travel expenses to fund conference fees to present their work.

There are a plethora of opportunities available at Eastern that prepare you for the real world of career preparation, help you build your resume, and network with important figures- not to mention the once in a lifetime chance to try your hand at undergraduate research.

Freshman Asked Questions of University Living

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By: Kerri Musick

I currently reside on the fourth floor of Putnam Hall, an all-girls floor of 18 year olds, as a Resident Advisor. August training came and went and next thing I knew move-in day was upon us. The first evening of my girls’ new home away from home we had our first floor meeting where we addressed any Freshman Asked Questions of university living. As you can see in the picture above, my girls have a lot to say and Freshman Asked Questions are plentiful. As we settle back into dorm living after the Thanksgiving break let’s go over a few.

Q: Do we have a curfew?
A: Nope. I would suggest since you have an 8 am class and it is 11:30 that you might not stay out too late.

Q: My dad’s bringing my dog up next weekend. Where can I go to get dog food?
A: The pound.

Q: My toaster broke. Who is that Mr. Greenwrench guy?
A: Number 1, you can’t have a toaster. Number 2, Mr. Greenwrench isn’t a person, it’s a website: mrgreenwrench.emich.edu

Q: Can we have guys over?
A: Yeah, sure. You have to check them in after 10 pm with Night Watch. This might be a better question for your roommate actually. . .

Q: Can you kill a bug for me?
A: . . . yes?

Q: Can you turn the heat up?
A: No.

Q: So, should I have my space heater sent to the front desk or my room?
A: Please leave.

Q: I hear there’s a kitty room. Where can I go to play with the kitties?
A: Youtube.