Deletions:
12/11/05
Some advice I would give to students coming into English 15 next year would be to forget about what you learned in high school. I don't know about the rest of you, but my high school english classes were nothing like our english 15 class this semester. For me, everything in high school was very by the books and traditional. However this class gave us a lot of lee-way with our writings and our thinking. I liked how every day we did something new and got to express ourselves by using other medias besides writing. I enjoyed this class very much and incoming students should come with an open mind and ready for anything.
12/5/05
I can't believe we only have two more weeks here at Penn State. This semester has flown by and it'll be sad to see it go. We had an unforgettable football season and our team is headed to the Orange Bowl. However, this week is not going to be all that much fun. I know for me personally I have 2 exams, 2 papers, a project and presentation that are all due sometime next week. I guess it's one final push until our 3 week break. Goodluck to everyone studying for finals and finishing up their papers, I know I'll need it.
12/1/05
This weekend marks the second canning trip of the year for me. This time I'll be going to Arlington, Virginia. I don't know how long that car ride will be but I'm guessing somewhere between 4-5 hours? The last canning trip was awesome because the weather was gorgeous, but this weekend doesn't look the same. Instead of nice sunshine and blue skies, we'll have snow flurries with overcast clouds. Hopefully we'll be able to raise just as much money as last trip and stay warm while doing it. Then it's hard to believe we only have one more weekend here at Penn State this semester! My first full semester here at Happy Valley flew by!
11/28/05 Citation
Fishman, Chalres. "The Wal-Mart You Don't Know". Fastcompany.com. December 2003. 28 November 2005. <http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html>∞.
"Indeed, as Vlasic discovered, the real story of Wal-Mart, the story that never gets told, is the story of the pressure the biggest retailer relentlessly applies to its suppliers in the name of bringing us 'every day low prices'" (Fishman).
- Make sure to italicize the name of the website. - EschaTon
11/18/05
Today marks the one week countdoan to my birthday!!! (probably the best holiday of the year). My birthday is November 25th, and last year it actually fell on Thanksgiving. Having my birthday around this time of year has both its ups and downs. It's great because I'm always around family and friends, but the downside is that there's usually never anything fun to do because everyone is with their families. However this year my birthday falls on "Black Friday" so I'll be sure to have lots of fun. I'm so excited, I love my birthday!
11/16/05
http://www.webtree.ca/tree/gifs/christmas/shopper.gif∞
This image shows a mother who looks like she's ready to collapse. She has her hands full with presents, loads of bags filled with groceries, and virtually no time with her child. This picture works with my topic, because it shows the strains of over consumption driven by the media. Throughout my final paper, I will discuss how the media has influenced our society to buy, buy, buy. The woman in this picture looks directly affected from these stresses the media puts on us.
11/15/05
On the front page of the Collegian this morning I read the headline, College Game Day is going to be at yet another Penn State football game. They have never been to Michigan State before, and what better time to go than for the Penn State match. Hopefully Lee Corso will watch his mouth this time, so he's not eating his words later. I think he learned his lesson. As much as I'd like to be at the game in Michigan this weekend, we had such an incredible season so far I can't complain. I hope everyone watches this weekend as the Lions complete their (should be) undefeated season. LETS GO STATE!
11/14/05
As I was looking at the upcoming week, I realized I have eight classes in two days. The majority of my friends are actually leaving this friday for their Thanksgiving break! That's almost a full week more than the rest of us are going to be getting. I don't know who's idea it was to make this Tuesday a Friday schedule, but I'm not very happy with them. The only thing I can hope for now is that some teachers will find in the goodness of their hearts to cancel class on Friday. Maybe this idea will catch on...I'm crossing my fingers! I need a break!
11/9/05
Well today marks the 100 days until THON celebration. As a member of the Public Relations Comittee, I was out most of the day handing out stickers to pedestrians. THON is such an amazing philanthropy that Penn State contributes significantly to. I'm sure as all of you have heard, Penn State raised over 4 million dollars last year during THON. All proceeds go towards children fighting cancer. Even if you're not on a comittee, there are still so many ways to get involved with THON and help raise money. Anything from buying an ice cream from Coldstone, to a THON shirt in the HUB. These 100 days are going to fly by, so I encourage you to begin supporting this great cause in any way that you can!
11/8/05
For my sorority, they want us to complete an Alcohol Awareness Education Course. This is an interactive tutorial online that is about 3 hours long. At first I was very skeptical because I thought I already knew everything I needed to know about the effects of alcohol. However by only the first chapter, I realized I had a lot more to learn. I think this is a problem many incoming freshman have. We all come into college believing we're invincible and that we're fully aware of what risks alcohol involve. Though this online tutorial was extremely time-consuming, and I had no choice but to do it, I absolutely recommend it. The website is http://college.alcoholedu.com/login.asp∞!
11/5/05
Well we did it again! We are officially #1 in the Big Ten. The much anticipated game against Wisconsin, turned out to be no challenge for our Nittany Lions. The game was full of bittersweet memories. It was great to see Penn State win for their last home game of the season, yet sad to know this was Michael Robinson's last game at home ever. He has truly led his team to vistory time and time again. There was a dedication ceremony for Robinson, that probably didn't do our appreciation justice. Penn State is back on top, and it feel good to be here. Hopefully it's not too long until we're in Pasadena.
11/2/05
I can't believe it's only Wednesday! I don't know what it is, but for some reason this week just seems to be dragging by. I just feel like for some reason this week I've been loaded with work. I guess everyone is just trying to prepare for the end of the semester. I don't see any other explanation for it! Well short blog today, because as you know I have lots to do!
11/1/05
I don't know about anyone else but I'm just about ready to be done with this semester. Only six short days until I can schedule for Spring. If I could re-do my fall semester though, I definitely would. I mean there's nothing wrong with my classes, especially English 15, but I just don't feel like I'm getting a lot out of them and am wasting a lot of gen-eds. The problem is that I'm in DUS, and that's exactly what they want me to be doing. I have such a broad schedule of classes right now, it's like I'm all over the place. That's why I'm so excited to schedule my courses for spring semester, and hopefully get a better idea of what I want to do with my life. Don't worry i will be up waiting until the clock strikes midnight on November 6th so I can get whatever classes are left for the freshman.
10/31/05
Should we get rid of Halloween? We had an interesting conversation about this debate. The overall decision was that we should keep Halloween indefinitely. I couldn't agree more. Halloween is much more than a holiday, it's an escape. It enables us to be imaginitive and creative by expressing ourselves through unique costumes. Halloween is more importantly an escape from our routine driven daily lives. We get so wrapped up in our daily routines that we forget how to have fun sometimes. Though Halloween has satanic origins, that is not how the holiday is celebrated today. We have transformed Halloween into a night of dressing up, collecting candy, and having fun with your friends. Of course you have to be careful, but that goes with any holiday. So tonight go out, have fun, and lets continue to celebrate Halloween.
10/28/05
Awesome class today. There's nothing like watching the Simpsons and eating candy on a Friday afternoon. I happen to be a big fan of the Simpsons and for those who arent familiar with the show, I suggest you watch more. The Simpsons is actually a very intelligent and well-written show. The writers often incorporate familiar archetypes into the show. My favortives are the ones based on Shakespeare plays. I highly recommend we watch more, much more, of the Simpsons during class to examine these arechetypes! hah
10/26/05
Only 5 more days until Halloween! I'm so excited I can't wait. Halloween is such an incredible holiday. Not only do you get to dress up and look completely ridiculous, you get free candy! I love seeing the most creative costumes. I get tired of seeing witches, devils, fairies, and schoolgirls etc. Instead I'd rather see things like a box of wine, bottle of mustard, Tom Cruise in Risky Business, and blind people. I only have 5 days left to think of a costume that compares to these cotume supremes. I'll be sure to get back to you on this tough decision.
10/24/05
When I first looked at this poem, I had to read it at least 20 times. At first I didn't really understand what the author was trying to say. From my re-reading of the poem, I felt that the author was trying to stress the importance of the red wheel barrow. When he says that so much depends upon it, he's trying to show the signifigance of the wheel barrow. I thought the setting might be a farm and to that environment a wheel barrow is responsible for many chores. The wheel barrow is essential to getting jobs done around the farm, and I thought that's what the author was trying to describe. The chickens, crops, and ultimately the farm depend upon the wheel barrow. I believe poems are pieces of literature that express feeling or emotion and use vivid images. Based on this definition, I think that this is a poem. Though it's very short, it still holds feelings of emotion and gives the reader an interesting visual. Thought this evaluation could be completely wrong, this is what I got out of the reading.
10/20/05
Today there was an article in the Collegian about women's fashion style at Penn State. Overall it said that the fashion sense at Penn State is lacking and there should be more effort put in to become more fashion foward. Though I agree with the idea that our wardrobe represents a sense of our personality, I don't think that Penn State female students should have to change the way their dressing. We all have those mornings where we don't want to move from our bed let alone get all dolled up for sit through a few 50 minute lectures. I know most of the time I just go out wearing sweats or whatever I feel comfortable in. Though this probably doesn't qualify for being fashion foward, who cares? It doesn't bother me, I'm not going to dress to uphold and image or idea of what is trendy. Bottom line is if I'm comfortable, whether I'm in stilettos or sweats, then that's what I'm wearing.
10/19/05
What are we going to do without Derrick Williams??? He's out for the rest of the season with a broken arm! Though this seems like a huge set-back, JoePa, as always, seems to have a plan. Derrick Williams was one of the top recruits last years and has definitely proved his worth this season with some outstanding plays. However we can't forget about the rest of the team that makes Penn State so great. We still have a challenging schedule ahead of us, and without Williams we'll surely be down. However we can't forget we still have a lot of talented players waiting to get out there and make those big plays like Williams. So though this could be a huge blow for the Penn State season, we can't give up and remember how many other options we are stilll lucky to have.
10/18/05
I don't know if any of you have seen the commercials on Tv and the internet, but there is a new product being released called "it". The advertising behind this new device is genius. They never show what it looks like and gives several obscure clues that mislead the viewer and leave them puzzled. Tomorrow at midnight they are set to announce what "it" is, however I can't wait until then. This suspense has been killing me, and I have been racking my brian to try and figure "it" out. I know when I finally know what "it" is, it probably won't be anything like what I imagined, but I guess that's what their marketing team was going for from the beginning. I'll let you all know what "it" is when I find out, I hope I'm not dissappointed.
10/17/05
For today's blog I decided to take on a very serious issue facing our nation. Earth is obviously being drained of it's natural resourses, such as petroleum. With the war in Iraq and natural disasters, the effects of our dwindling fossil fuels are hitting home. With gas prices peaking at almost three dollars, I think some serious action needs to be taken. We have all heard of hybrid engines and some car companies have released new innovative lines using these models. However I think more should be done, especially concerning research and development. We need to act immediately so that we will be ahead of the game when the fossil fuels do run dry. Expanding to alternative and renewable resources are not only a good thing for our economy, but for our environment too. Less greenhouse gases will be released, thus limiting global warming. There are several positive effects alternative energy sources provide, however the one that applies to all of us is the cost. Our future looks grim if we continue to depend on foerign nations for our petroleum supply. We should be seeking alternative routes.
10/10/05
I don't know if any of you read the Collegian today, but I was very surprised to see the picture on the front cover. Underneath the awesome sack from Saturday's game, there was a smaller yet just as important picture. After the amazing game Saturday night, my friends Schuda and Kelly decided it would be fun to run through the streets and watch all the fans celebrate. Well on our journey, we noticed that the police were not being too friendly. Kelly, being the outgoing girl that she is, decided to brighten one lucky policeman's night by offering him a balloon. Little did she know her act would be caught by a Collegian photographer and put on the front page of Monday's paper. I really enjoyed how my friend handing a cop a hot pink balloon was on the front page. However, I did agree with her, the cops were being ridiculous after the game on Saturday night. They were showing absolutely no emotion, I mean I'm not asking for them to jump up and down with me, but is a little smile too much to ask? Apparently it was, because from what I saw the police force was all business Saturday night. All in all I guess it was a good thing because a riot could have easily broken out. However I don't agree with their lack of personality and tough facade. Lighten up! We're undefeated!
Here, you might think this picture of my friend is kind of funny(check out the bunny ears)....But I do agree-the cops reminded me of the English gaurds that don't even blink.
http://psu.facebook.com/profile.php?id=9350200∞ -Mike Jones
10/9/05
http://www.cybercambodia.com/dachs/cgja.html∞
On this website, it explained in detail what they are calling the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act. Through this act, the United States is going to work with the Cambodian government to bring justice to those a part of the Khmer Rouge for their crimes committed in Cambodia from April 17, 1975, and January 7, 1979. We plan do follow through with this by gaining intelligance and data of what happened, to prosecute those who are allegedly involved, and to also provide information on each case. This act also states that a state department office should be established. It's purpose would be to aid Cambodia in bringing those to justice from the Khmer Rouge. This act is essentially put in place to bring those involved with the Khmer Rouge into trial so they can pay for their crimes.
10/6/05
Oh the art of umbrella courtesy. Since it has been rainy and so miserable lately it seems like everyone has their umbrellas out. However it gets tricky when there's an overload of umbrella traffic in one disclosed area. The worst part of campus is probably the stretch of sidewalk on Curtin Road in front of the new Food Sciences building. There's a temporary bridge built for pedestrians while the building is under construction. Though when this get congested, it's not easy to make your way through especially with a bulky umbrella. There are a few ways around this uncomfortable situation. My personal favorite is the 45 degree tilt. This is when you and the person coming toward you both tilt your umbrellas the opposite way. This simple gesture is one of the many things that make this such a happy valley.
10/5/05
Ohio State mania is inescapable! All over the newpapers, blog entries, and on the minds of every Penn State student. However, there is good reason to be this excited. This is probably the biggest game Penn State will play since their loss to Nebraska in 2002. It doesn't hurt that ESPN's College Game Day is going to be here airing all day. There are even kids camping out to try and get front row tickets. Are they going to classes? With a surprising 5-0 record so far, lion's fans have a right to go nuts and I'm right there with you. So goodluck lions...LET'S GO STATE!!!
I am definately one of those people going nuts right now. I really didn't think Penn State had it in them after last season, but they've really shaped up!! I wish I had tickets! Unfortunately, a hundred bucks per ticket is a tad bit too expensive for me right now! -TrinFuff
10/4/05
In coming up with a topic to write my analogy arguement about, I found it actually quite difficult. I wanted a topic that I could just run with and not have to worry about being careful or shifting into other other ideas. I originally started out with comparing this year's PSU football team's season to that of a cinderella story. The I realized how broad that was and how careful I would have to be. Then I began to think about previous class examples, because we did really have some awesome ideas in class! Then I remembered the one about how a wiki is like the Earth. This idea was genious, and I felt there was so much I could do with it. So thanks guys, I hope EschaTon likes it too!
10/3/05
As we have all been hearing so much about the terrible distruction left in the after math of hurricane Katrina, I would like to rasie an over looked point. While there are millions of innocent people living homeless and without food or water in the southern United States, there are a handful of politicians in Washington pointing fingers at who's fault this is. I think everyone should step back and look at the big picture. Worry about how the system failed later and concentrate on getting these people aid as soon as possible. If I were one of those unlucky citizens who lost everything in the wake of hurricane Katrina and all I read about in the news was how the legislatures in our nation's capitol were bickering like children, I'd be furious. Personally, I think that the way these politicians are acting is ridiculous and they obviously have their priorities out of order.
9/30/05
As many citizens are being allowed to move back to their Louisiana homes, they're facing many overlooked health risks. Contaminated water, mold, and dust are all severe threats to the people now moving back to Louisiana. The effect of these chemicals and other health problems are of great interest to me. My major is Toxicology, and that deals with the effect of chemicals on the body. I would love to be able to work in Louisiana now and treat some of these people. Once a natural disaster like this hits everyone always focuses on the destruction and tragedy, however few look ahead and asess future problems that will arise. Hopefully, someday I'll be able to work in such a field and treat these poor people with these kind of conditions.
9/27/05 How To Wake up an Exhausted Roommate
This How-To is intended for those less fortunate students who have the heavy task of waking up their beloved roommate every morning. After a while you feel like mom a little, am I right?
1- First, after setting the alarm clock for the designated wake-up time, strategically place the clock in a position that will be extremely annoying to your roommate when it goes off.
2- Next, if this doesn't work, proceed to shut the alarm clock off since by now you're already awake. Venture over to your roommate's bed. Once here, it's usually best to rip the covers off the corpse and continue by giving a gentle shake or nudge. Saying your roommate's name while in the process has had mixed results, however it's usually beneficial.
3- Now, if there is still no change, or sign of consciousness, begin calling your roommate's name even louder and with some force behind it. This way they should get the idea you really mean it and take you seriously. If you're feeling a little ambitious that morning, begin to "accidentally" knock things over around the room, turn on the TV, or bang some things around.
4- Finally, if there is still no sign of responsiveness from your roommate, I go in for the controversial "eye-lid peel". This is not suited for those of you who may be a bit squeamish, and please make sure you're comfortable enough with your roommate to begin peeling their eyelids.
P.S. If these steps are correctly followed in order, you should have a successful wake-up. However if they do not, then let your roommate sleep and miss class, it's not your fault they take comas instead of naps!
9/26/05
This icon is a picture of 6 funky bottles filled with different kinds of peppers. I chose this icon because I'm obsessed with Mexican food, I really liked the shape and arrangement of the bottles, and because I thought the diverse peppers could represent my personality. So basically Mexican food, as well as all food, is amazing and I could eat it everyday. The curvy shaped bottles I thought were really cool and interesting to look at, especially how they all perfectly fit together. Finally, I have such a crazy personality that I thought the only way to represent it would be through a mix of flavors and colors. I'm all over the place when it comes to interests, foods, music, styles, and so on. The 6 bottles, I thought, could represent each different part that makes up my own personality.
9/23/05
Those yummy potato sticks better known as french fries are a traditional snack Americans can't seem to get enough of. Though they are delicious, they're also loaded with trans-fat, sodium, and simple carbs (the bad kind). These important points are creating quite a stir throughout the U.S., especially California. California's attorney general has even filed suit against several big name food companies saying they should be forced to supply food labels and warnings. This idea would probably benefit our over-weight epidemic and also our overall health in general. However the food industry would probably not be so eager to jump on this idea. This would enable everyone to see, even as delicious as the treat may be, just how harmful they are to our bodies. With our country's push for healthier lifestyles I see food warnings in our near future. They place them on cigarettes, why not all harmful products?
- I agree with your point, but at some level, don't you think that people should be allowed some agency? If we let the government or "industry" hold our hands and tell us right from wrong, won't we just become further addicted to authority? That said, I agree with you completely: fastfood is horribly unhealthy and people seem to not care (I even once wrote an essay about how fast food was a conspiracy to keep people fat and compliant). I'm all for people getting healthier, but I just worry that warning labels make people less and less inclined to think for themselves. - EschaTon
9/22/05
Hurricane Katrina and now Rita are two forceful reminders of how we are so dependent on the environment. It may be strange to think about how the natural forces that inevitably sustain our life, can also in an instant destroy it. We sometimes don't appreciate the great things the environment provides for us. For example, wetlands act as a sponge almost. They collect all the toxins and filter them through the various grasses and marsh that make up the wetland. Once the water is passed through the wetland it's re-distributed to the body of water it came from. These areas are extremely important for the health of our water and environment as a whole. With natural disasters such as Katrina we should all be more mindful of our surroundings and how quickly they can disappear.
9/21/05
This weekend at Penn State is a little thing they like to call Parent's Weekend. It's the first weekend without a home football game, and just seems like a perfect time to have the rents come visit and see how their beloved sons and daughters are adjusting to college life. For some this is joyous occasion if maybe you're feeling a little homesick. For others, it's a dreaded 48 hour punishment with your parents. For me it's neither, I'm not opposed to my parents coming to visit yet at the same time I'm not ecstatic either. Hopefully, my mom will bring me up some delicious treats, and take me out to dinner for some real food for a change. It will be nice to see the parental units I suppose, and they're only staying Friday night which makes their 24 hour visit just perfect. We'll see how it goes, I'm sure I'll be posting another blog next week if anything crazy happens which I'm sure is bound to.
9/20/05
Today when I was checking my webmail, as I do every so often, I noticed that I had a new message from who else but my mother. I open it, thinking it's just going to be the same old stuff she always tells me like how excited she is to see me this weekend, but this e-mail had a different message for me. My parents had sold my car! Whatttt? I mean yeah sure it was getting old and needed some work done maybe, but to go ahead and actually sell it like that out of no where? I didn't even get to say bye to her. Her name was Coco, and I loved her very much. Though she wasn't very capable/reliable in the snow, she had a lovely sunroof for the nice weather and was fun to drive. We had some good time me and Coco. But I guess it just caught me off guard that my parents had sold my car already. It's not like I'm going to be driving it anytime soon, but just knowing that Coco woulod be there when I got home was reassuring to me. Oh well, I guess now I'll have a little more money in my lioncash?
9/19/05
To eliminate any confusion, I'm going to start posting my new blogs at the top of the page. I think this will make it easier for me and all the readers as well. This past weekend Penn State added another win to their record now making it 3-0. However if you look at the teams we've been playing, they're not all that impressive. These games should be expected wins for us. So far so good, but next week will begin some of the first challenges for Penn State this season. It will be the first away game of the season, as Penn State goes to Illinois to play the Northwestern wildcats. After that they come back home to face Minnesota, and the long anticipated Ohio State game. These upcoming games throughout the rest of the season will be true tests to our team. It will be interesting to see how our nittany lions do in the conference games. The easy ones are over, it's time for some real games.
Hello All, 9/1/05
This is my first blog...ever. I'm not very good slash interested in computers but I'm always willing to try and learn about new things. So I'll introduce myself, I'm Melissa Malski from Clarks Summit, Pa. That's outside Scranton in north-east Pa, or NEPA as we like to call it. It seems like almost everyone here is either from Pitt or Philly, and when I tell them where I'm from they give me a weird look and ask if I'm out of state haha. But that's okay Clarks Summit isn't very exciting anyway.
I was here for summer sessions and I could not imagine going to Penn State without it. This summer I met so many new and exciting people and got used to the campus and living away from home, which was nice ;). But the kids I met over the summer I still hang out with and am rooming with one too! It's very strange though because now I don't feel like I'm a freshman... I prefer the term freshmore hah.
In high school I was a cheerleader but I also love dance, playing soccer, skiing, pilates, yoga, basically anything outside. So that's a little bit about me, I'm excited for this semester and getting to know all of you! Hopefully the football season will go a little better this year, there's nothing like a Penn State football game!
9/2/05
The license I have chosen for my little blog page is the attribution-share alike license. I chose this license because I am open to allowing other people to view and share similar ideas with my own, as I hope they would allow me. Through this sharing of ideas, we can learn and grow from each other. As cheesy as that sounds it's true! Sharing knowledge with other people is a great way to expand on your own ideas and it also opens you up to other ideas that you may have never thought of. So, please feel free to read, comment, and share my work!
9/5/05
A pillow case full of candy in one hand, my flash light and a half open snickers bar in the other, was the scene as I walked down the street that Halloween night with such a rush of excitement and pride. I had been waiting for this particular Halloween for what seemed like an eternity in my juvenile years. My perfectly pressed Penn State Cheerleader uniform had been lying on my bed just waiting for me to put it on and wear it with honor. So what if I was only seven years old, I knew what it meant to be a part of the Penn State tradition.
I proudly come from a long line of Penn State alumni. Ever since I was a little girl, Penn State was a part of my childhood upbringing. Going to the football games, Arts Fest, and as I got older coming out to visit my cousins were all a part of my family. We all shared the deep hatred for Notre Dame and Ohio State, and would gather together on Thanksgiving mornings to watch these intense games. There were so many appealing aspects of the tight knit Penn State community that I became fascinated at a very young age.
Though it already seemed like I had my future laid out for me, I knew there were many other options out there so I decided to not be ignorant and began to explore. After countless, redundant college visits and campus tours, I found myself not only bored but exhausted. Nothing seemed to catch my eye or keep me interested for longer than a half hour. Everything appeared the same with nothing extra special that seemed to tip it over the edge of normality. That’s when I knew that even though I would be following in line with tradition, Penn State was the place for me. I proudly come from a long line of Penn State alumni. Ever since I was a little girl, Penn State was a part of my childhood upbringing. Going to the football games, Arts Fest, and as I got older coming out to visit my cousins were all a part of my family. We all shared the deep hatred for Notre Dame and Ohio State, and would gather together on Thanksgiving mornings to watch these intense games. There were so many appealing aspects of the tight knit Penn State community that I became fascinated at a very young age.
Now knowing Penn State was what I wanted, I knew that I had to work hard to achieve this goal. Coming from a competitive high school, I pushed myself to go beyond the average my friends were settling for and attain my objective. There were always rumors that Penn State was going to stop accepting freshman, and I was constantly reminded of how difficult it was to get into main campus as a freshman. All these reservations aside, I finished very well in high school.
However it wasn’t until a cool autumn day in November that I knew I had finally reached my goal I had been working so hard to accomplish. I’ll never forget opening that package and realizing the huge Congratulations sign was all for me. Such a sensation of relief came over me and I knew I could now relax and just wait for my arrival day.
So I guess the tradition continues as I now begin my college career at Penn State. So far so good but I know that through these four years I will get much more out of this experience than just a great education. Penn State is something that stays with you for the rest of your life, and you bleed blue and white as they say. My journey from a young naïve seven year old just so excited to wear a cheer-leading outfit, has turned into a determined young adult so excited to embark on her future.
WE ARE...PENN STATE!!!! YOU MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE! --Veritas
9/6/05
Hello,
For my first blog of this week I'll let you all in on what some would consider an embarrassing moment that happened to me today. I'm what you would call a "tree hugger" i guess. So this fall I am taking Bi Sci 003, known otherwise as environmental science. For this class one of our assignments is to construct our own personal journal. What makes this assignment unique is that our professor allows us only to use non-virgin materials, or papers and cardboards that have already been used. So today in search of some non-virgin papers to fill my personal journal, I strolled into the MBNA center on my walk back from my first class. While in this building I conveniently found a mixed paper recycling bin. Without hesitation I opened the bin and started scavenging through the used office papers. While doing this I was on the phone with my mom, and had noticed a few stares and looks of confusion headed my way. I didn't see what the problem was, but after short examination of my behavior I suddenly realized they all thought i was some crazy lady going garbage picking. I swiftly gathered my non-virgin materials and showed myself to the door as to not distract the MBNA center anymore hah. I enjoyed the experience and laughed about it on the walk back up Bigler. I wasn't embarrassed and would rather have to go through that than continue wasting recyclable materials as most of us do. I guess that what makes me a "tree hugger", I'm willing to put myself out there in "strange" situations society is yet to accept. Oh well, it's worth it! ;)
9/8/05
So for today's blog I'll let you all in on a little secret. My roommate and I had met over the summer and requested to room for this fall. After already having a sort-of "network" of friends already at Penn State from this summer, we found ourselves being quite anti-social. We're both very friendly people don't get me wrong, but I guess you could say we just don't feel like meeting any more new people. Not exactly the best quality I know, but I'm not losing any sleep over it! Anyway, since we have some tension between the lovely ladies of our dorm, to which I will not disclose the building name or floor for my own security purposes, we play a little game called steal the markers. Now steal the markers is a fairly straight forward game, and requires only minimal skill. But once you get good, it becomes an addiction. Basically, every time we see a brave neighbor has openly displayed a fresh marker on their door, we simply snatch it up and run away. We have quite a nice little collection going so far, these girls really have wonderful taste in color choice; we almost have the whole rainbow. Now if I had to pick my favorite time to play steal the markers, I'd have to say it's between 2am to whenever I return home after a good night. Although our kleptomaniac behavior has gotten so bad that now, our glorious neighbors have posted "STOP STEALING OUR F*CKING MARKERS" on their marker less message boards. Whenever I walk past this little message, I just smile and get a little happy inside knowing I'm that guy their yelling at. Sick and twisted as our games may be, we're enjoying ourselves very much. So to all of you girls I'm sorry you're short 1 or 2 markers, but just think, after one was already stolen, why put another one out on your door? Didn't you learn from the first time? It's right out in the open, which means fair game! So now you know the secret....but shhhh ;)
9/9/05I'm sure for many of you this is the first time you've been away from your family and all on your own for a long period of time. Naturally, we will miss certain aspects of home and our family. What we don't realize, is just how much our families will miss us. With myself being the oldest child and first to leave, I think it's taking my family, especially my mom, a little longer to re-adjust to this new situation. Now don't get me wrong I love my mom to death, I really do. It's just that she feels the need to e-mail me almost everyday and tell me every last mundane detail of her day. I know she's just trying to be nice and she probably thinks I'm really interested in this information, but sorry mom it's just not all that important to me right now. I mean things like what the weather's like or how much food the cat ate today just isn't all that relative to me three hours away at Penn State. She's a sweetheart and I know she likes sending them, but hopefully within time she'll ease up on the relentless e-mails. All I'm asking for is for her not to stuff my mailbox! I'm three hours away and I still can't escape her! But poor thing, she's probably just going through empty-nest syndrome so I guess I can't blame her. I'll wait it out...
9/10/05 I don't know if any of you listen to the comedian Dane Cook, but I'm obsessed with him. He's absolutely hysterical, and I practically know his routines word for word. He takes his own personal experiences and mixes them with everyday situations to create a sarcastic twist on things we can all relate to. He tends to use a lot of voice changes to keep his bits ever changing yet terribly funny. For any of you that use Napster I highly suggest you download some of his work to see if you like it, which you should or else you're not human, plus it's free! My top three favorites are "Umm Hello", "BK Lounge", and "Not so Kool-Aid". My roommate and I have become Dane Cook fanatics, and some of our friends get a little tired of our relentless quoting, which I can admit gets a little out of control sometimes. We've learned to control ourselves for the most part, but it's so hard he's just that funny. So if any of you already listen to Dane or download some stuff and absolutely love it, let me know! I'd love to share with fellow Dane Cook fans.
Yo dane cook is the man. He is just so crazy it's awesome to watch him perform. I love this one bit he does about how every town has its own crazy person that every one gives a name to. If you haven't seen it try to.-ElwoodBlues
I am OBSESSED with Dane Cook. I bought his new cd Retaliation, AMAZING! My roommate and I quote him all the time, it has become a habit now, because everything is tied in with real life. My best friend saw him live in CA and I was so jealous. That Dane Cook is a silly bitch!
-MonicaKrasBlog
Today I had a case of the Mondays. It was just one of those mornings that I didn't feel like waking up or moving. Unfortunately, I have four classes on Monday so I knew I was in for a long day. I got through the first two without much trouble, but when I got to my afternoon classes things went downhill. I barely made it through my math class without passing out and philosophy was no easier. On my walk home I decided I needed a quick pick-me-up so I headed to the gym. The White Building was packed with a line out the door, which was expected. I then headed toward my favorite work-out facility, the fitness loft. This is so convenient for me living in east halls, and it's actually right across from my dorm building. There's not a whole lot of equipment, and it's all cardio but the atmosphere is great. All the machines are actually located right above the pool on what looks like a bridge almost. Working out above the water is just something so different, and almost relaxing. If you're ever looking for a quick work-out in a spot most students don't know about I recommend the fitness loft!
9/13/05
Today I only had one class, so I went around campus getting a bunch of errands done. First I of course went to the library to fufill our English assignment of completing the open house tour. This, unfortunately, turned out to be a big waste of time for me because I was here in the summer so I have a pretty good handle on the library system, but I got another free mug so everyone goes home happy. Though more importantly, this week in the HUB Penn State is holding what is known as Involvement Week. This is held in Heritage Hall (where the OAR tickets were sold) and displays all the clubs and activities Penn State has to offer for incoming students. Today after lunch I walked through, and actually found it to be quite interesting and helpful, and it didn't hurt that they offered free candy at almost every stand! But if any of you are looking to get a head start and become more involved in the Penn State community I suggest you go check it out. I believe it's running all week or at least until Thursday. It's really a good way to open up the huge campus and become an active member.
9/14/05
Today I'll let you guys in an interesting fact about our great school. I'm not sure how many of you follow what's going on at fashion week in NYC, but on Monday there was an event that involved all of us! For Marc Jacob's Spring Collection fashion show the Penn State marching band was the opening act! Yes, believe it or not our own band was a part of one of the greatest designers runway show. They opened it up by playing their own version of Nirvana's hit song, Smells like Tean Spirit. So we as Penn Staters should be very proud, and honored that our marching band was a part of this years uber-trendy Fashion Week. If you would like, this article can be found in the 9/14/05 USA Today newspaper, in the Life section.
9/15/05
Convo with a classmate
RyanJRD1986: have u thought about this paper??
RyanJRD1986: because i reall have no idea what im gunna do it on
RyanJRD1986: its wayy too broad
PackerBay28: nice nice-- haha nope not yet what about you
RyanJRD1986: its hard to just chose something
PackerBay28: yeah bc we can pick watever we want right
RyanJRD1986: thats what i understood
RyanJRD1986: i mean its cool and everything, but its way too vague, have u talked to anyone else yet??
PackerBay28: yeahh 2 people and were all kind of like wwhatt
RyanJRD1986: yeah
RyanJRD1986: i think we are in the same boat
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
Edited on 2005-12-11 19:07:33 by MelissaMalski
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12/11/05
Some advice I would give to students coming into English 15 next year would be to forget about what you learned in high school. I don't know about the rest of you, but my high school english classes were nothing like our english 15 class this semester. For me, everything in high school was very by the books and traditional. However this class gave us a lot of lee-way with our writings and our thinking. I liked how every day we did something new and got to express ourselves by using other medias besides writing. I enjoyed this class very much and incoming students should come with an open mind and ready for anything.
Edited on 2005-12-05 12:32:03 by MelissaMalski
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12/5/05
I can't believe we only have two more weeks here at Penn State. This semester has flown by and it'll be sad to see it go. We had an unforgettable football season and our team is headed to the Orange Bowl. However, this week is not going to be all that much fun. I know for me personally I have 2 exams, 2 papers, a project and presentation that are all due sometime next week. I guess it's one final push until our 3 week break. Goodluck to everyone studying for finals and finishing up their papers, I know I'll need it.
Edited on 2005-12-02 11:26:17 by MelissaMalski
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12/1/05
This weekend marks the second canning trip of the year for me. This time I'll be going to Arlington, Virginia. I don't know how long that car ride will be but I'm guessing somewhere between 4-5 hours? The last canning trip was awesome because the weather was gorgeous, but this weekend doesn't look the same. Instead of nice sunshine and blue skies, we'll have snow flurries with overcast clouds. Hopefully we'll be able to raise just as much money as last trip and stay warm while doing it. Then it's hard to believe we only have one more weekend here at Penn State this semester! My first full semester here at Happy Valley flew by!
Edited on 2005-11-28 12:37:37 by EschaTon
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- Make sure to italicize the name of the website. - EschaTon
Edited on 2005-11-28 12:24:55 by MelissaMalski
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11/28/05 Citation
Fishman, Chalres. "The Wal-Mart You Don't Know". Fastcompany.com. December 2003. 28 November 2005. <http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html>∞.
"Indeed, as Vlasic discovered, the real story of Wal-Mart, the story that never gets told, is the story of the pressure the biggest retailer relentlessly applies to its suppliers in the name of bringing us 'every day low prices'" (Fishman).
Edited on 2005-11-20 23:09:34 by MelissaMalski
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11/18/05
Today marks the one week countdoan to my birthday!!! (probably the best holiday of the year). My birthday is November 25th, and last year it actually fell on Thanksgiving. Having my birthday around this time of year has both its ups and downs. It's great because I'm always around family and friends, but the downside is that there's usually never anything fun to do because everyone is with their families. However this year my birthday falls on "Black Friday" so I'll be sure to have lots of fun. I'm so excited, I love my birthday!
Edited on 2005-11-16 16:55:28 by MelissaMalski
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11/16/05
http://www.webtree.ca/tree/gifs/christmas/shopper.gif∞
This image shows a mother who looks like she's ready to collapse. She has her hands full with presents, loads of bags filled with groceries, and virtually no time with her child. This picture works with my topic, because it shows the strains of over consumption driven by the media. Throughout my final paper, I will discuss how the media has influenced our society to buy, buy, buy. The woman in this picture looks directly affected from these stresses the media puts on us.
Edited on 2005-11-16 00:32:43 by MelissaMalski
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11/15/05
On the front page of the Collegian this morning I read the headline, College Game Day is going to be at yet another Penn State football game. They have never been to Michigan State before, and what better time to go than for the Penn State match. Hopefully Lee Corso will watch his mouth this time, so he's not eating his words later. I think he learned his lesson. As much as I'd like to be at the game in Michigan this weekend, we had such an incredible season so far I can't complain. I hope everyone watches this weekend as the Lions complete their (should be) undefeated season. LETS GO STATE!
11/14/05
As I was looking at the upcoming week, I realized I have eight classes in two days. The majority of my friends are actually leaving this friday for their Thanksgiving break! That's almost a full week more than the rest of us are going to be getting. I don't know who's idea it was to make this Tuesday a Friday schedule, but I'm not very happy with them. The only thing I can hope for now is that some teachers will find in the goodness of their hearts to cancel class on Friday. Maybe this idea will catch on...I'm crossing my fingers! I need a break!
Edited on 2005-11-09 16:01:12 by MelissaMalski
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11/9/05
Well today marks the 100 days until THON celebration. As a member of the Public Relations Comittee, I was out most of the day handing out stickers to pedestrians. THON is such an amazing philanthropy that Penn State contributes significantly to. I'm sure as all of you have heard, Penn State raised over 4 million dollars last year during THON. All proceeds go towards children fighting cancer. Even if you're not on a comittee, there are still so many ways to get involved with THON and help raise money. Anything from buying an ice cream from Coldstone, to a THON shirt in the HUB. These 100 days are going to fly by, so I encourage you to begin supporting this great cause in any way that you can!
Edited on 2005-11-08 13:56:29 by MelissaMalski
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11/8/05
For my sorority, they want us to complete an Alcohol Awareness Education Course. This is an interactive tutorial online that is about 3 hours long. At first I was very skeptical because I thought I already knew everything I needed to know about the effects of alcohol. However by only the first chapter, I realized I had a lot more to learn. I think this is a problem many incoming freshman have. We all come into college believing we're invincible and that we're fully aware of what risks alcohol involve. Though this online tutorial was extremely time-consuming, and I had no choice but to do it, I absolutely recommend it. The website is http://college.alcoholedu.com/login.asp∞!
Edited on 2005-11-06 11:24:25 by MelissaMalski
No differences.
Edited on 2005-11-06 11:24:03 by MelissaMalski
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11/5/05
Well we did it again! We are officially #1 in the Big Ten. The much anticipated game against Wisconsin, turned out to be no challenge for our Nittany Lions. The game was full of bittersweet memories. It was great to see Penn State win for their last home game of the season, yet sad to know this was Michael Robinson's last game at home ever. He has truly led his team to vistory time and time again. There was a dedication ceremony for Robinson, that probably didn't do our appreciation justice. Penn State is back on top, and it feel good to be here. Hopefully it's not too long until we're in Pasadena.
Edited on 2005-11-02 16:43:43 by MelissaMalski
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11/2/05
I can't believe it's only Wednesday! I don't know what it is, but for some reason this week just seems to be dragging by. I just feel like for some reason this week I've been loaded with work. I guess everyone is just trying to prepare for the end of the semester. I don't see any other explanation for it! Well short blog today, because as you know I have lots to do!
Edited on 2005-11-01 16:06:46 by MelissaMalski
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11/1/05
I don't know about anyone else but I'm just about ready to be done with this semester. Only six short days until I can schedule for Spring. If I could re-do my fall semester though, I definitely would. I mean there's nothing wrong with my classes, especially English 15, but I just don't feel like I'm getting a lot out of them and am wasting a lot of gen-eds. The problem is that I'm in DUS, and that's exactly what they want me to be doing. I have such a broad schedule of classes right now, it's like I'm all over the place. That's why I'm so excited to schedule my courses for spring semester, and hopefully get a better idea of what I want to do with my life. Don't worry i will be up waiting until the clock strikes midnight on November 6th so I can get whatever classes are left for the freshman.
Edited on 2005-10-31 12:47:38 by MelissaMalski
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10/31/05
Should we get rid of Halloween? We had an interesting conversation about this debate. The overall decision was that we should keep Halloween indefinitely. I couldn't agree more. Halloween is much more than a holiday, it's an escape. It enables us to be imaginitive and creative by expressing ourselves through unique costumes. Halloween is more importantly an escape from our routine driven daily lives. We get so wrapped up in our daily routines that we forget how to have fun sometimes. Though Halloween has satanic origins, that is not how the holiday is celebrated today. We have transformed Halloween into a night of dressing up, collecting candy, and having fun with your friends. Of course you have to be careful, but that goes with any holiday. So tonight go out, have fun, and lets continue to celebrate Halloween.
Edited on 2005-10-30 21:42:31 by MelissaMalski
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10/28/05
Awesome class today. There's nothing like watching the Simpsons and eating candy on a Friday afternoon. I happen to be a big fan of the Simpsons and for those who arent familiar with the show, I suggest you watch more. The Simpsons is actually a very intelligent and well-written show. The writers often incorporate familiar archetypes into the show. My favortives are the ones based on Shakespeare plays. I highly recommend we watch more, much more, of the Simpsons during class to examine these arechetypes! hah
10/26/05
Only 5 more days until Halloween! I'm so excited I can't wait. Halloween is such an incredible holiday. Not only do you get to dress up and look completely ridiculous, you get free candy! I love seeing the most creative costumes. I get tired of seeing witches, devils, fairies, and schoolgirls etc. Instead I'd rather see things like a box of wine, bottle of mustard, Tom Cruise in Risky Business, and blind people. I only have 5 days left to think of a costume that compares to these cotume supremes. I'll be sure to get back to you on this tough decision.
Edited on 2005-10-24 12:41:23 by MelissaMalski
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10/24/05
When I first looked at this poem, I had to read it at least 20 times. At first I didn't really understand what the author was trying to say. From my re-reading of the poem, I felt that the author was trying to stress the importance of the red wheel barrow. When he says that so much depends upon it, he's trying to show the signifigance of the wheel barrow. I thought the setting might be a farm and to that environment a wheel barrow is responsible for many chores. The wheel barrow is essential to getting jobs done around the farm, and I thought that's what the author was trying to describe. The chickens, crops, and ultimately the farm depend upon the wheel barrow. I believe poems are pieces of literature that express feeling or emotion and use vivid images. Based on this definition, I think that this is a poem. Though it's very short, it still holds feelings of emotion and gives the reader an interesting visual. Thought this evaluation could be completely wrong, this is what I got out of the reading.
Edited on 2005-10-20 17:33:28 by MelissaMalski
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10/20/05
Today there was an article in the Collegian about women's fashion style at Penn State. Overall it said that the fashion sense at Penn State is lacking and there should be more effort put in to become more fashion foward. Though I agree with the idea that our wardrobe represents a sense of our personality, I don't think that Penn State female students should have to change the way their dressing. We all have those mornings where we don't want to move from our bed let alone get all dolled up for sit through a few 50 minute lectures. I know most of the time I just go out wearing sweats or whatever I feel comfortable in. Though this probably doesn't qualify for being fashion foward, who cares? It doesn't bother me, I'm not going to dress to uphold and image or idea of what is trendy. Bottom line is if I'm comfortable, whether I'm in stilettos or sweats, then that's what I'm wearing.
Oldest known version of this page was edited on 2005-10-19 12:11:12 by MelissaMalski []
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10/19/05What are we going to do without Derrick Williams??? He's out for the rest of the season with a broken arm! Though this seems like a huge set-back, JoePa, as always, seems to have a plan. Derrick Williams was one of the top recruits last years and has definitely proved his worth this season with some outstanding plays. However we can't forget about the rest of the team that makes Penn State so great. We still have a challenging schedule ahead of us, and without Williams we'll surely be down. However we can't forget we still have a lot of talented players waiting to get out there and make those big plays like Williams. So though this could be a huge blow for the Penn State season, we can't give up and remember how many other options we are stilll lucky to have.
10/18/05
I don't know if any of you have seen the commercials on Tv and the internet, but there is a new product being released called "it". The advertising behind this new device is genius. They never show what it looks like and gives several obscure clues that mislead the viewer and leave them puzzled. Tomorrow at midnight they are set to announce what "it" is, however I can't wait until then. This suspense has been killing me, and I have been racking my brian to try and figure "it" out. I know when I finally know what "it" is, it probably won't be anything like what I imagined, but I guess that's what their marketing team was going for from the beginning. I'll let you all know what "it" is when I find out, I hope I'm not dissappointed.
10/17/05
For today's blog I decided to take on a very serious issue facing our nation. Earth is obviously being drained of it's natural resourses, such as petroleum. With the war in Iraq and natural disasters, the effects of our dwindling fossil fuels are hitting home. With gas prices peaking at almost three dollars, I think some serious action needs to be taken. We have all heard of hybrid engines and some car companies have released new innovative lines using these models. However I think more should be done, especially concerning research and development. We need to act immediately so that we will be ahead of the game when the fossil fuels do run dry. Expanding to alternative and renewable resources are not only a good thing for our economy, but for our environment too. Less greenhouse gases will be released, thus limiting global warming. There are several positive effects alternative energy sources provide, however the one that applies to all of us is the cost. Our future looks grim if we continue to depend on foerign nations for our petroleum supply. We should be seeking alternative routes.
10/10/05
I don't know if any of you read the Collegian today, but I was very surprised to see the picture on the front cover. Underneath the awesome sack from Saturday's game, there was a smaller yet just as important picture. After the amazing game Saturday night, my friends Schuda and Kelly decided it would be fun to run through the streets and watch all the fans celebrate. Well on our journey, we noticed that the police were not being too friendly. Kelly, being the outgoing girl that she is, decided to brighten one lucky policeman's night by offering him a balloon. Little did she know her act would be caught by a Collegian photographer and put on the front page of Monday's paper. I really enjoyed how my friend handing a cop a hot pink balloon was on the front page. However, I did agree with her, the cops were being ridiculous after the game on Saturday night. They were showing absolutely no emotion, I mean I'm not asking for them to jump up and down with me, but is a little smile too much to ask? Apparently it was, because from what I saw the police force was all business Saturday night. All in all I guess it was a good thing because a riot could have easily broken out. However I don't agree with their lack of personality and tough facade. Lighten up! We're undefeated!
Here, you might think this picture of my friend is kind of funny(check out the bunny ears)....But I do agree-the cops reminded me of the English gaurds that don't even blink.
http://psu.facebook.com/profile.php?id=9350200∞ -Mike Jones
10/9/05
http://www.cybercambodia.com/dachs/cgja.html∞
On this website, it explained in detail what they are calling the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act. Through this act, the United States is going to work with the Cambodian government to bring justice to those a part of the Khmer Rouge for their crimes committed in Cambodia from April 17, 1975, and January 7, 1979. We plan do follow through with this by gaining intelligance and data of what happened, to prosecute those who are allegedly involved, and to also provide information on each case. This act also states that a state department office should be established. It's purpose would be to aid Cambodia in bringing those to justice from the Khmer Rouge. This act is essentially put in place to bring those involved with the Khmer Rouge into trial so they can pay for their crimes.
10/6/05
Oh the art of umbrella courtesy. Since it has been rainy and so miserable lately it seems like everyone has their umbrellas out. However it gets tricky when there's an overload of umbrella traffic in one disclosed area. The worst part of campus is probably the stretch of sidewalk on Curtin Road in front of the new Food Sciences building. There's a temporary bridge built for pedestrians while the building is under construction. Though when this get congested, it's not easy to make your way through especially with a bulky umbrella. There are a few ways around this uncomfortable situation. My personal favorite is the 45 degree tilt. This is when you and the person coming toward you both tilt your umbrellas the opposite way. This simple gesture is one of the many things that make this such a happy valley.
10/5/05
Ohio State mania is inescapable! All over the newpapers, blog entries, and on the minds of every Penn State student. However, there is good reason to be this excited. This is probably the biggest game Penn State will play since their loss to Nebraska in 2002. It doesn't hurt that ESPN's College Game Day is going to be here airing all day. There are even kids camping out to try and get front row tickets. Are they going to classes? With a surprising 5-0 record so far, lion's fans have a right to go nuts and I'm right there with you. So goodluck lions...LET'S GO STATE!!!
I am definately one of those people going nuts right now. I really didn't think Penn State had it in them after last season, but they've really shaped up!! I wish I had tickets! Unfortunately, a hundred bucks per ticket is a tad bit too expensive for me right now! -TrinFuff
10/4/05
In coming up with a topic to write my analogy arguement about, I found it actually quite difficult. I wanted a topic that I could just run with and not have to worry about being careful or shifting into other other ideas. I originally started out with comparing this year's PSU football team's season to that of a cinderella story. The I realized how broad that was and how careful I would have to be. Then I began to think about previous class examples, because we did really have some awesome ideas in class! Then I remembered the one about how a wiki is like the Earth. This idea was genious, and I felt there was so much I could do with it. So thanks guys, I hope EschaTon likes it too!
10/3/05
As we have all been hearing so much about the terrible distruction left in the after math of hurricane Katrina, I would like to rasie an over looked point. While there are millions of innocent people living homeless and without food or water in the southern United States, there are a handful of politicians in Washington pointing fingers at who's fault this is. I think everyone should step back and look at the big picture. Worry about how the system failed later and concentrate on getting these people aid as soon as possible. If I were one of those unlucky citizens who lost everything in the wake of hurricane Katrina and all I read about in the news was how the legislatures in our nation's capitol were bickering like children, I'd be furious. Personally, I think that the way these politicians are acting is ridiculous and they obviously have their priorities out of order.
9/30/05
As many citizens are being allowed to move back to their Louisiana homes, they're facing many overlooked health risks. Contaminated water, mold, and dust are all severe threats to the people now moving back to Louisiana. The effect of these chemicals and other health problems are of great interest to me. My major is Toxicology, and that deals with the effect of chemicals on the body. I would love to be able to work in Louisiana now and treat some of these people. Once a natural disaster like this hits everyone always focuses on the destruction and tragedy, however few look ahead and asess future problems that will arise. Hopefully, someday I'll be able to work in such a field and treat these poor people with these kind of conditions.
9/27/05 How To Wake up an Exhausted Roommate
This How-To is intended for those less fortunate students who have the heavy task of waking up their beloved roommate every morning. After a while you feel like mom a little, am I right?
1- First, after setting the alarm clock for the designated wake-up time, strategically place the clock in a position that will be extremely annoying to your roommate when it goes off.
2- Next, if this doesn't work, proceed to shut the alarm clock off since by now you're already awake. Venture over to your roommate's bed. Once here, it's usually best to rip the covers off the corpse and continue by giving a gentle shake or nudge. Saying your roommate's name while in the process has had mixed results, however it's usually beneficial.
3- Now, if there is still no change, or sign of consciousness, begin calling your roommate's name even louder and with some force behind it. This way they should get the idea you really mean it and take you seriously. If you're feeling a little ambitious that morning, begin to "accidentally" knock things over around the room, turn on the TV, or bang some things around.
4- Finally, if there is still no sign of responsiveness from your roommate, I go in for the controversial "eye-lid peel". This is not suited for those of you who may be a bit squeamish, and please make sure you're comfortable enough with your roommate to begin peeling their eyelids.
P.S. If these steps are correctly followed in order, you should have a successful wake-up. However if they do not, then let your roommate sleep and miss class, it's not your fault they take comas instead of naps!
9/26/05
This icon is a picture of 6 funky bottles filled with different kinds of peppers. I chose this icon because I'm obsessed with Mexican food, I really liked the shape and arrangement of the bottles, and because I thought the diverse peppers could represent my personality. So basically Mexican food, as well as all food, is amazing and I could eat it everyday. The curvy shaped bottles I thought were really cool and interesting to look at, especially how they all perfectly fit together. Finally, I have such a crazy personality that I thought the only way to represent it would be through a mix of flavors and colors. I'm all over the place when it comes to interests, foods, music, styles, and so on. The 6 bottles, I thought, could represent each different part that makes up my own personality.
9/23/05
Those yummy potato sticks better known as french fries are a traditional snack Americans can't seem to get enough of. Though they are delicious, they're also loaded with trans-fat, sodium, and simple carbs (the bad kind). These important points are creating quite a stir throughout the U.S., especially California. California's attorney general has even filed suit against several big name food companies saying they should be forced to supply food labels and warnings. This idea would probably benefit our over-weight epidemic and also our overall health in general. However the food industry would probably not be so eager to jump on this idea. This would enable everyone to see, even as delicious as the treat may be, just how harmful they are to our bodies. With our country's push for healthier lifestyles I see food warnings in our near future. They place them on cigarettes, why not all harmful products?
- I agree with your point, but at some level, don't you think that people should be allowed some agency? If we let the government or "industry" hold our hands and tell us right from wrong, won't we just become further addicted to authority? That said, I agree with you completely: fastfood is horribly unhealthy and people seem to not care (I even once wrote an essay about how fast food was a conspiracy to keep people fat and compliant). I'm all for people getting healthier, but I just worry that warning labels make people less and less inclined to think for themselves. - EschaTon
9/22/05
Hurricane Katrina and now Rita are two forceful reminders of how we are so dependent on the environment. It may be strange to think about how the natural forces that inevitably sustain our life, can also in an instant destroy it. We sometimes don't appreciate the great things the environment provides for us. For example, wetlands act as a sponge almost. They collect all the toxins and filter them through the various grasses and marsh that make up the wetland. Once the water is passed through the wetland it's re-distributed to the body of water it came from. These areas are extremely important for the health of our water and environment as a whole. With natural disasters such as Katrina we should all be more mindful of our surroundings and how quickly they can disappear.
9/21/05
This weekend at Penn State is a little thing they like to call Parent's Weekend. It's the first weekend without a home football game, and just seems like a perfect time to have the rents come visit and see how their beloved sons and daughters are adjusting to college life. For some this is joyous occasion if maybe you're feeling a little homesick. For others, it's a dreaded 48 hour punishment with your parents. For me it's neither, I'm not opposed to my parents coming to visit yet at the same time I'm not ecstatic either. Hopefully, my mom will bring me up some delicious treats, and take me out to dinner for some real food for a change. It will be nice to see the parental units I suppose, and they're only staying Friday night which makes their 24 hour visit just perfect. We'll see how it goes, I'm sure I'll be posting another blog next week if anything crazy happens which I'm sure is bound to.
9/20/05
Today when I was checking my webmail, as I do every so often, I noticed that I had a new message from who else but my mother. I open it, thinking it's just going to be the same old stuff she always tells me like how excited she is to see me this weekend, but this e-mail had a different message for me. My parents had sold my car! Whatttt? I mean yeah sure it was getting old and needed some work done maybe, but to go ahead and actually sell it like that out of no where? I didn't even get to say bye to her. Her name was Coco, and I loved her very much. Though she wasn't very capable/reliable in the snow, she had a lovely sunroof for the nice weather and was fun to drive. We had some good time me and Coco. But I guess it just caught me off guard that my parents had sold my car already. It's not like I'm going to be driving it anytime soon, but just knowing that Coco woulod be there when I got home was reassuring to me. Oh well, I guess now I'll have a little more money in my lioncash?
9/19/05
To eliminate any confusion, I'm going to start posting my new blogs at the top of the page. I think this will make it easier for me and all the readers as well. This past weekend Penn State added another win to their record now making it 3-0. However if you look at the teams we've been playing, they're not all that impressive. These games should be expected wins for us. So far so good, but next week will begin some of the first challenges for Penn State this season. It will be the first away game of the season, as Penn State goes to Illinois to play the Northwestern wildcats. After that they come back home to face Minnesota, and the long anticipated Ohio State game. These upcoming games throughout the rest of the season will be true tests to our team. It will be interesting to see how our nittany lions do in the conference games. The easy ones are over, it's time for some real games.
Hello All, 9/1/05
This is my first blog...ever. I'm not very good slash interested in computers but I'm always willing to try and learn about new things. So I'll introduce myself, I'm Melissa Malski from Clarks Summit, Pa. That's outside Scranton in north-east Pa, or NEPA as we like to call it. It seems like almost everyone here is either from Pitt or Philly, and when I tell them where I'm from they give me a weird look and ask if I'm out of state haha. But that's okay Clarks Summit isn't very exciting anyway.
I was here for summer sessions and I could not imagine going to Penn State without it. This summer I met so many new and exciting people and got used to the campus and living away from home, which was nice ;). But the kids I met over the summer I still hang out with and am rooming with one too! It's very strange though because now I don't feel like I'm a freshman... I prefer the term freshmore hah.
In high school I was a cheerleader but I also love dance, playing soccer, skiing, pilates, yoga, basically anything outside. So that's a little bit about me, I'm excited for this semester and getting to know all of you! Hopefully the football season will go a little better this year, there's nothing like a Penn State football game!
9/2/05
The license I have chosen for my little blog page is the attribution-share alike license. I chose this license because I am open to allowing other people to view and share similar ideas with my own, as I hope they would allow me. Through this sharing of ideas, we can learn and grow from each other. As cheesy as that sounds it's true! Sharing knowledge with other people is a great way to expand on your own ideas and it also opens you up to other ideas that you may have never thought of. So, please feel free to read, comment, and share my work!
9/5/05
A pillow case full of candy in one hand, my flash light and a half open snickers bar in the other, was the scene as I walked down the street that Halloween night with such a rush of excitement and pride. I had been waiting for this particular Halloween for what seemed like an eternity in my juvenile years. My perfectly pressed Penn State Cheerleader uniform had been lying on my bed just waiting for me to put it on and wear it with honor. So what if I was only seven years old, I knew what it meant to be a part of the Penn State tradition.
I proudly come from a long line of Penn State alumni. Ever since I was a little girl, Penn State was a part of my childhood upbringing. Going to the football games, Arts Fest, and as I got older coming out to visit my cousins were all a part of my family. We all shared the deep hatred for Notre Dame and Ohio State, and would gather together on Thanksgiving mornings to watch these intense games. There were so many appealing aspects of the tight knit Penn State community that I became fascinated at a very young age.
Though it already seemed like I had my future laid out for me, I knew there were many other options out there so I decided to not be ignorant and began to explore. After countless, redundant college visits and campus tours, I found myself not only bored but exhausted. Nothing seemed to catch my eye or keep me interested for longer than a half hour. Everything appeared the same with nothing extra special that seemed to tip it over the edge of normality. That’s when I knew that even though I would be following in line with tradition, Penn State was the place for me. I proudly come from a long line of Penn State alumni. Ever since I was a little girl, Penn State was a part of my childhood upbringing. Going to the football games, Arts Fest, and as I got older coming out to visit my cousins were all a part of my family. We all shared the deep hatred for Notre Dame and Ohio State, and would gather together on Thanksgiving mornings to watch these intense games. There were so many appealing aspects of the tight knit Penn State community that I became fascinated at a very young age.
Now knowing Penn State was what I wanted, I knew that I had to work hard to achieve this goal. Coming from a competitive high school, I pushed myself to go beyond the average my friends were settling for and attain my objective. There were always rumors that Penn State was going to stop accepting freshman, and I was constantly reminded of how difficult it was to get into main campus as a freshman. All these reservations aside, I finished very well in high school.
However it wasn’t until a cool autumn day in November that I knew I had finally reached my goal I had been working so hard to accomplish. I’ll never forget opening that package and realizing the huge Congratulations sign was all for me. Such a sensation of relief came over me and I knew I could now relax and just wait for my arrival day.
So I guess the tradition continues as I now begin my college career at Penn State. So far so good but I know that through these four years I will get much more out of this experience than just a great education. Penn State is something that stays with you for the rest of your life, and you bleed blue and white as they say. My journey from a young naïve seven year old just so excited to wear a cheer-leading outfit, has turned into a determined young adult so excited to embark on her future.
WE ARE...PENN STATE!!!! YOU MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE! --Veritas
9/6/05
Hello,
For my first blog of this week I'll let you all in on what some would consider an embarrassing moment that happened to me today. I'm what you would call a "tree hugger" i guess. So this fall I am taking Bi Sci 003, known otherwise as environmental science. For this class one of our assignments is to construct our own personal journal. What makes this assignment unique is that our professor allows us only to use non-virgin materials, or papers and cardboards that have already been used. So today in search of some non-virgin papers to fill my personal journal, I strolled into the MBNA center on my walk back from my first class. While in this building I conveniently found a mixed paper recycling bin. Without hesitation I opened the bin and started scavenging through the used office papers. While doing this I was on the phone with my mom, and had noticed a few stares and looks of confusion headed my way. I didn't see what the problem was, but after short examination of my behavior I suddenly realized they all thought i was some crazy lady going garbage picking. I swiftly gathered my non-virgin materials and showed myself to the door as to not distract the MBNA center anymore hah. I enjoyed the experience and laughed about it on the walk back up Bigler. I wasn't embarrassed and would rather have to go through that than continue wasting recyclable materials as most of us do. I guess that what makes me a "tree hugger", I'm willing to put myself out there in "strange" situations society is yet to accept. Oh well, it's worth it! ;)
9/8/05
So for today's blog I'll let you all in on a little secret. My roommate and I had met over the summer and requested to room for this fall. After already having a sort-of "network" of friends already at Penn State from this summer, we found ourselves being quite anti-social. We're both very friendly people don't get me wrong, but I guess you could say we just don't feel like meeting any more new people. Not exactly the best quality I know, but I'm not losing any sleep over it! Anyway, since we have some tension between the lovely ladies of our dorm, to which I will not disclose the building name or floor for my own security purposes, we play a little game called steal the markers. Now steal the markers is a fairly straight forward game, and requires only minimal skill. But once you get good, it becomes an addiction. Basically, every time we see a brave neighbor has openly displayed a fresh marker on their door, we simply snatch it up and run away. We have quite a nice little collection going so far, these girls really have wonderful taste in color choice; we almost have the whole rainbow. Now if I had to pick my favorite time to play steal the markers, I'd have to say it's between 2am to whenever I return home after a good night. Although our kleptomaniac behavior has gotten so bad that now, our glorious neighbors have posted "STOP STEALING OUR F*CKING MARKERS" on their marker less message boards. Whenever I walk past this little message, I just smile and get a little happy inside knowing I'm that guy their yelling at. Sick and twisted as our games may be, we're enjoying ourselves very much. So to all of you girls I'm sorry you're short 1 or 2 markers, but just think, after one was already stolen, why put another one out on your door? Didn't you learn from the first time? It's right out in the open, which means fair game! So now you know the secret....but shhhh ;)
9/9/05I'm sure for many of you this is the first time you've been away from your family and all on your own for a long period of time. Naturally, we will miss certain aspects of home and our family. What we don't realize, is just how much our families will miss us. With myself being the oldest child and first to leave, I think it's taking my family, especially my mom, a little longer to re-adjust to this new situation. Now don't get me wrong I love my mom to death, I really do. It's just that she feels the need to e-mail me almost everyday and tell me every last mundane detail of her day. I know she's just trying to be nice and she probably thinks I'm really interested in this information, but sorry mom it's just not all that important to me right now. I mean things like what the weather's like or how much food the cat ate today just isn't all that relative to me three hours away at Penn State. She's a sweetheart and I know she likes sending them, but hopefully within time she'll ease up on the relentless e-mails. All I'm asking for is for her not to stuff my mailbox! I'm three hours away and I still can't escape her! But poor thing, she's probably just going through empty-nest syndrome so I guess I can't blame her. I'll wait it out...
9/10/05
I don't know if any of you listen to the comedian Dane Cook, but I'm obsessed with him. He's absolutely hysterical, and I practically know his routines word for word. He takes his own personal experiences and mixes them with everyday situations to create a sarcastic twist on things we can all relate to. He tends to use a lot of voice changes to keep his bits ever changing yet terribly funny. For any of you that use Napster I highly suggest you download some of his work to see if you like it, which you should or else you're not human, plus it's free! My top three favorites are "Umm Hello", "BK Lounge", and "Not so Kool-Aid". My roommate and I have become Dane Cook fanatics, and some of our friends get a little tired of our relentless quoting, which I can admit gets a little out of control sometimes. We've learned to control ourselves for the most part, but it's so hard he's just that funny. So if any of you already listen to Dane or download some stuff and absolutely love it, let me know! I'd love to share with fellow Dane Cook fans.
Yo dane cook is the man. He is just so crazy it's awesome to watch him perform. I love this one bit he does about how every town has its own crazy person that every one gives a name to. If you haven't seen it try to.-ElwoodBlues
I am OBSESSED with Dane Cook. I bought his new cd Retaliation, AMAZING! My roommate and I quote him all the time, it has become a habit now, because everything is tied in with real life. My best friend saw him live in CA and I was so jealous. That Dane Cook is a silly bitch!
-MonicaKrasBlog
Today I had a case of the Mondays. It was just one of those mornings that I didn't feel like waking up or moving. Unfortunately, I have four classes on Monday so I knew I was in for a long day. I got through the first two without much trouble, but when I got to my afternoon classes things went downhill. I barely made it through my math class without passing out and philosophy was no easier. On my walk home I decided I needed a quick pick-me-up so I headed to the gym. The White Building was packed with a line out the door, which was expected. I then headed toward my favorite work-out facility, the fitness loft. This is so convenient for me living in east halls, and it's actually right across from my dorm building. There's not a whole lot of equipment, and it's all cardio but the atmosphere is great. All the machines are actually located right above the pool on what looks like a bridge almost. Working out above the water is just something so different, and almost relaxing. If you're ever looking for a quick work-out in a spot most students don't know about I recommend the fitness loft!
9/13/05
Today I only had one class, so I went around campus getting a bunch of errands done. First I of course went to the library to fufill our English assignment of completing the open house tour. This, unfortunately, turned out to be a big waste of time for me because I was here in the summer so I have a pretty good handle on the library system, but I got another free mug so everyone goes home happy. Though more importantly, this week in the HUB Penn State is holding what is known as Involvement Week. This is held in Heritage Hall (where the OAR tickets were sold) and displays all the clubs and activities Penn State has to offer for incoming students. Today after lunch I walked through, and actually found it to be quite interesting and helpful, and it didn't hurt that they offered free candy at almost every stand! But if any of you are looking to get a head start and become more involved in the Penn State community I suggest you go check it out. I believe it's running all week or at least until Thursday. It's really a good way to open up the huge campus and become an active member.
9/14/05
Today I'll let you guys in an interesting fact about our great school. I'm not sure how many of you follow what's going on at fashion week in NYC, but on Monday there was an event that involved all of us! For Marc Jacob's Spring Collection fashion show the Penn State marching band was the opening act! Yes, believe it or not our own band was a part of one of the greatest designers runway show. They opened it up by playing their own version of Nirvana's hit song, Smells like Tean Spirit. So we as Penn Staters should be very proud, and honored that our marching band was a part of this years uber-trendy Fashion Week. If you would like, this article can be found in the 9/14/05 USA Today newspaper, in the Life section.
9/15/05
Convo with a classmate
RyanJRD1986: have u thought about this paper??
RyanJRD1986: because i reall have no idea what im gunna do it on
RyanJRD1986: its wayy too broad
PackerBay28: nice nice-- haha nope not yet what about you
RyanJRD1986: its hard to just chose something
PackerBay28: yeah bc we can pick watever we want right
RyanJRD1986: thats what i understood
RyanJRD1986: i mean its cool and everything, but its way too vague, have u talked to anyone else yet??
PackerBay28: yeahh 2 people and were all kind of like wwhatt
RyanJRD1986: yeah
RyanJRD1986: i think we are in the same boat
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