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This week is all about the don'ts. I have offered you my don'ts in the past liberally surrounded by dos. Well life isn't all dos. There are quite a few don'ts that Hofstra students need to be made aware of.
Firstly, phone calls can be a number of things: personal, romantic, informative, etc. But when you are in line to pay and talking on your phone it can pose a problem.
While studying for tests, and doing late night homework, all students will enjoy a chocolate treat at 2 in the morning. Cake-In-A-Mug is a very simple baking task that only takes 5 minutes, and is very tasty once done!
Penn State's Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately known as "THON," is widely considered the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the world. Since 1977, the event has raised over $78 million under the slogan "for the kids." I personal went to THON and experienced this deeply emotional event.
It does not make sense to me why those at Penn State recently forgot their powerful "for the kids" slogan when news broke out about the dismissal of their beloved head football coach, Joe Paterno. Maybe this isn't a fair comparison: raising money for children with cancer versus news about children sexually abused by a member of the coaching staff. But both come down to the same premise. It was done "for the kids."
Comedy movie Tower Heist with all star cast of Ben /still, Eddie Murphy, and Matthew Broderick.
Review of the newest episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Hell on Wheels, and It's Always Sunny
Round-up of Four Year Strong, Owen, and The Beach Boys
Behind the scenes look at punk rock legends being fathers.
One thing to look forward to at this time of the year is the seasonal produce, pumpkin being one of them. Pumpkin finds its way into pies, muffins, lattes, and a multitude of sweet treats, but it's a starch that's often overlooked in savory options. That is, until now. French fries and sweet potato fries grace the menus of eateries everywhere, but have you ever had pumpkin fries? Now you know what to do with those leftover pumpkins from Halloween that escaped the fate of being carved into Jack-O-Lanterns. Skip the mustard or the ketchup and pair these fries with a tart homemade cranberry sauce. This student-friendly recipe was adapted from Oprah.com.
Ever wonder what is the best exercise you're not doing? The deep squat. Some of you probably saw this one coming, although it always surprises me that many people skip the squat. Why is this? Is it because it's uncomfortable? Is it too hard? Maybe you can't physically do them (yet).
If the last scenario is you, the leg press has been shown to develop leg muscles at the same rate the squat does.
As freshman, I hope that everyone, by now, has started to feel comfortable here at Hofstra. I have to say from my perspective, it is being to show. Dressing properly and clean cut, the freshman class looked impeccable the first few weeks. Not that we don't look impeccable now, but we now are exposing our true colors. Sweats are as common as alcohol.
I remember freshman year, hauling my laundry to the second floor of my residence hall and swiping my card to use the machines. Back then, students put Dutch Debits on their cards, and for roughly a dollar, I could get two loads of laundry done.
When Hofstra decided to put a built-in laundry fee on tuition, I initially loved it. Not having to make Dutch Debit transfers every week and figuratively getting unlimited opportunities to do laundry was great. However, the repulsive state of the laundry rooms and the behavior of people in them make me long for the "pay as you go" system of earlier times.
In the Nov. 3 issue of The Chronicle, Ronny O'Leary and Miles Bett complained about the Hofstra calendar. O'Leary, in "Local finds empathy for those aggravated by Thanksgiving schedule change," laments classes meeting the day before Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, Bett in "Senior demands reasons for poorly planned break schedules" takes aim at Hofstra's late spring break.
They should both be aware that there are faculty and administrators who share their concern.
Over the last few weeks, I've had the opportunity to get out of Washington and talk with folks across the country about how we can create jobs and get our economy growing faster.
This is a tough time for a lot of Americans – especially young people. You've come of age at a time of profound change. The world has gotten more connected, but it's also gotten more competitive. And for decades, too many of our institutions – from Washington to Wall Street – failed to adapt, culminating in the worst financial crisis and recession since the Great Depression.
For the last three years, we've worked to stabilize the economy, and we've made some progress. But we still have a long way to go. And now, as you're getting ready to head out into the world, many of you are watching your friends and classmates struggle to find work. You're wondering what's in store for your future, and I know that can be scary.
As a Greek-American at Hofstra, it's hard to watch my fellow Greek natives destroy property and fight amongst themselves amidst the chaos of one of the roughest economic recessions in recent memory.
For those of you unfamiliar with the situation, witnessing a once great fountain of intelligence and prosperity collapse into economic shambles is fairly depressing.
This economic shot heard around the world should not be downplayed as it has been by European politicians who seem content on just kicking the can further down the road. The European Union is currently in dire straits and at the time when the integrity of this union is being tested, there truly seems to be no definitive solutions coming forth from any major European country.
Here's a familiar scene at Hofstra: stressed out students puffing on their cigarettes. How did they start smoking? Usually, it's either the result of peer pressure, or parents and relatives who smoke around them. Sometimes parents don't want the blame placed squarely on them even when, in some cases, they really are responsible for their child's cigarette addiction.
What do they do? They blame public figures labeled as role models. The press criticized Disney star Miley Cyrus for smoking cigarettes after paparazzi photos caught her in the act. Now, Republican candidate for the 2012 presidential election, Herman Cain, battles criticism that one of his campaign ads glorifies smoking.
The November 8 election stirred local politicians across the country. But as with all elections, the question remains: why should we college students care?
Let me start with the fact that thousands of people fought and died for our right to vote, and it is every citizen's civic duty to do so. It is very common, especially for the younger generation, to become politically involved during presidential elections. That is often because young people don't bother with local politics, or don't feel like their votes in those elections make much of a difference.
That assumption is wrong. Local politicians have just as much, and possibly even more of an influence on a young person's life than the elected president of the United States does.
It is your district's, county's, and state legislators and officials who directly control many things that you come in contact with on your day-to-day life.
As we all know, Hofstra has again been selected to host a presidential debate. Why is this a momentous occasion for Hofstra University? I like to think it's what we represent as a community. With faculty, staff, and students who are civically engaged, and relative closeness to New York City, the epicenter of protests, financial giants, and pop culture, it's no surprise that Hofstra has become desirable to the public eye.
Hofstra encourages students to thoroughly engage in the political process. Classes take trips to the UN building, while several students have gone on their own to witness the Occupy Wall Street protests. Political clubs on campus are in full force and freshmen interest in the pre-law co-ed fraternity Phi Alpha Delta has increased. Hofstra also has a recently endowed law school and a great program called L.E.A.P. for undergraduate students to get the opportunity to eventually attend it.
