It’s become nearly impossible to resist temptation, and I have regrettably become a thief. Each and every time I pass by, I can’t resist their bright colors and delicate fragrance that reminds me how privileged I am to be alive. I apologize but I have plucked my fair share of flowers off the trees around campus and spent more time on the Staller Steps than in the computer labs typing away. The majestic way this campus transformed from gloom to bloom literally overnight has been encouraging and extremely distracting.

Consequently, I think we’ve been hit with the same epidemic. Spring has finally sprung which inevitably brings on spring fever. However, I think we’ve been infected with a more potent and dangerous virus. Knowing that the end is so near, we are experiencing senioritis maximous. I’m fully aware that neither of these two diseases have any medical backing, but I need some sort of evidence and explanation for my absentmindedness and distractibility.

It might become a point of concern when you begin to feel you interact with the administration at the university more regularly and meaningfully than your professors. In fact, with all the activities and ceremonies so near to the end of the semester, I’ve been in contact with some of them on a daily basis. This time of the year is always so crazy busy, but especially as we wrap up our first fifty years, we take each and every excuse to celebrate/party!

Yesterday was the increasingly popular Earthstock celebration. For those of you who were lucky enough to visit the university yesterday, you were welcomed by sights of tree huggers, snake kissers, deep sea divers, and most importantly red ducky racers. Even if you lived under a rock, Earthstock had something that would interest you. Coupled with the perfect spring weather, we couldn’t have asked for a more exciting celebration of the earth- only if I could get people to celebrate my birthday with the same grandiose festivity!

More importantly, as you find yourself in the midst of prom and celebration, take time to seriously contemplate your college decision. There are numerous factors to take into consideration that sometimes get lost in the numbers and rankings. Up until this point, your education has been about the numbers you earn that will deal you a decent hand of colleges to choose from. However, you are beyond stackingthat hand now…you are considering how the next four years of your life will prepare you for your career. College isn’t about the education or the piece of paper you are handed at the end, it is about the experience. The next four years will prepare you for the rest of your life through the experiences you have and encounters with others. Seriously think about what makes you feel comfortable- and attend a college that has that similar feel. Ultimately, if you aren’t comfortable, you will find it very difficult to take advantage of the university in preparing you for the rest of your life. You will end up finishing college with a piece of paper. Which I’m pretty sure if you can find someone to make you a fake id; you could manage to find someone to make a college diploma for you also. But in the end, it’s your experience that will direct the rest of your life.

Whew…and no, I was not paid to say that- I just want to guarantee that you will have a similar opportunity to develop your potential. Nothing is worse than finding out you unhappy with your decision. TAKE ADVANTANGE OF YOUR FEVER, grab a large blanket or comfy lawn chair, a glass of your favorite beverage, your college brochures, and think about which college reminds you of you. Forget about all numbers and statistics for a moment and look at campus life. If at all possible, visit your top schools in these last couple weeks or call and talk to someone at the university. I really hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but 70% of statistics are made up anyways.

Take time to become infected,
Megan =D

Money doesn’t grow on trees…but you can get it from the government if you say please!

Walking around campus, there isn’t much growing on the trees except icicles and frosty dew in the early morning, but there is hope! Just as spring is sure to come, the government does give out money to students whose family demonstrates financial need. For those of you out there who refuse (or are too burnt out) to write another essay for scholarship money, you are in luck. This application requires no written component or minimum GPA. If you haven’t happened to stumble on this appealing opportunity, I am here to welcome you to the wonderful world of FAFSA.

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/index.htm

Located on the web at the URL above, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is another option for those of you who didn’t earn all the scholarship money you were looking for. Plus, it’s a big help on cutting costs for those (like myself) who pay out of state tuition. Furthermore, if your older siblings have applied and were rejected- there still is hope! The more dependents your parents have in college, the more you qualify!

Why am I brining this wonderful opportunity now??? I know what you are thinking, I should have told you before. Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered if I would have brought it up two months ago. In your hecticness of filling out applications, tours of campus, etc, etc, you would have presumably forgotten about my rambling about something that was due in February and put the whole idea on the backburner. Plus, it can’t be completed until yours and your parents taxes are done. But now, as you review the cost of colleges over a scrumptious meal of soup and bread (noticing your mother has cut down on the extravagance of meals) you might consider this option. Plus it’s FREE X 2. Free to fill out and free money- you don’t have to be valedictorian, national honor society member, play any magical instrument, or be able to recite the declaration of independence while hula hooping in an outfit you delicately sewed.

What do you have to lose? If you don’t get the money, big deal…you’re just going to have a high sodium diet for a while (which ultimately will prepare you better for all the ramen noodles you will eat in college!)

Technically, the deadline isn’t until much later in the spring, but priority deadline is approaching fast. When I say fast…I mean MARCH 1st. I know, I should have informed you earlier, but I was just glancing through my planner for activities this weekend (in the middle of my lecture) and stumbled on this friendly reminder in the planner. Have no fear, after years of trails and terrors; the government has astoundingly streamlined the whole online process with an extremely user friendly application. In fact, my mother who manages to delete emails before reading them and is still confused by the tab function can miraculously master this application. SO WHAT ARE YOU STILL READING FOR???

I knew it was leap year for a reason….take advantage,
Megan =D

“All I want for graduation is my two dry feet…”

I know, it’s only February, but before you know it, graduation will be knocking at your doorstep. Soon, family and friends will start incessantly start nagging you for what you want for graduation. I challenge you during this momentous milestone in your life to ask for something practical.

For those of you who don’t live on Long Island, you probably are not familiar with the type of weather we have been experiencing over the last three weeks. Dissimilar to any of my previous semesters at Stony Brook, February has followed more of a March weather pattern. In fact, we’ve had a record amount of rain thus far this month. Coupled with rain, there has been mildly warm weather. However, it’s been a little bit gloomy with all the clouds. Ironically, when the sun does shine, that is when we experience the coldest days. By no means take this explanation as a complaint- I would much rather prefer inches of rain to feet of snow. But after walking around campus the last couple of weeks, I have been very grateful for two crucial pieces of my wardrobe: my umbrella and rain boots. These direly important accessories are more often than not forgotten in the hustle and bustle of packing for college. In fact, thinking back to those “necessary items to take to college” lists dispensed by high schools and newspapers, they leave off these items while including unnecessary trinkets.

I’d like to think that I came prepared with these obvious accessories, but sadly they didn’t make the journey across the country with me at first. It wasn’t until this semester that I finally got a pair of boots- in which I have enjoyed very much splashing through the puddles the girls in heels are desperately trying to avoid. Kicking my feet through the puddles makes the walk so much more enjoyable. There is no escaping our walk through the rain, so I might as well have fun while doing it! Unfortunately, the original umbrella I came to Stony Brook with 2 and a half years ago has long retired. The average college student will go through at least six umbrellas during their undergrad. Being on one of the windiest islands in this country, our umbrellas have little hope for survival. Consequently, I would advise you not to buy the most expensive umbrella because you will ultimately end up wet and out of money.

So, in the next couple weeks when your Aunt Hilda that you haven’t spoken to in years asks you what you want for graduation, consider asking for one of these two items instead of the cash. You will not regret your request once you arrive!

Splishin’, splahin’, and slushin’ all around,
Megan =D

SIX—the number of semesters I have attended Stony Brook. Out of the past six semesters, this one has by far been the most awkward experience. Looking back, I didn’t think anything could top that first freshman semester, but this one definitely takes the cake (and licks the frosting off the knife too!) If I was some sort of astrologer or philosophy major, I could probably fashion some elaborate explanation for this situation. But alas, my brain is entirely fried-almost to the point of crispiness- from the last two weeks. And to make the situation even more complicated…it seems the administrators, faculty, and staff are suffering from this condition too. Therefore, I have compiled a list of the random highlights of the last two (longest) weeks of my life:

• SOLAR: To you prospective students, you wouldn’t even know there was a change in the SOLAR system you will come to learn and live by. However, to the rest of us whose schedules and accounts rely on this single website, it has become the thorn in our side. Maybe it’s the fact that they decided to entirely revamp the webpage right after registration that got every started off on the wrong foot. You’d think by now the university would know that most students are bound to change their schedule multiple times during break, especially when there is a cap on credits until mid January. Most of us found ourselves back in the comfort of our homes trying (and failing) to fumble our way through the new website. The worst part of the situation: it was hard to find help. Upon trying to reach out for help from staff, not many people had been trained on how to properly use the new system. Consequently, many students have found themselves on wait lists for classes they thought they were enrolled, and in desperate circumstance, begging professors for permission to enroll. However, as midnight on Friday crept up, the shuffle for classes ended- for better or for worse.

• WEATHER: From rain to snow to sleet to ice to sunshine, we’ve had it all so far this semester. In fact, yesterday we had a mini snow storm that lasted for all of a whopping ten minutes. The snow fell enough to cover the ground and trees but within the next half hour, you wouldn’t have known it happened. Since our little winter wonderland occurred in the middle of the afternoon, many Stony Brook students slept right through the phenomenon. Today, we are experiencing the brightest, sunniest day thus far…with a twist…temperatures below zero. Just when I wake up to the sun shining through my window, I am slammed with 20 mph winds and below zero weather, what a way to start off the week!

• EVENTS/PROGRAMS: As usually, Stony Brook kicked of the new semester with their annual Chill Fest month of events. Being Black History Month, there are a plethora of events revolving around the monthly theme. However, we can’t forget about the semesterly involvement fair, bingo for books, and scoopin’ for success. The best part of this year’s Chill Fest is the opportunities to win free tuition by supporting the athletic teams. With the rising costs of tuition, who can pass up such an opportunity? Just as diverse as the student population at Stony Brook, there are a range of FREE activities and ways to get involved. Here in lies the problem: there is TOO MUCH to do, and it’s hard to pick one activity while neglecting the other. I’ll have to say that’s one of the best things about Stony Brook- the variety of events, programs, and clubs you can actually attend. You just never know what is going to pop up on the calendar of events!

Consequently, I speculate the reason this semester has been so strange is because it has been hard to get into a schedule for most students. Now that the class fiasco has officially ended, I know I will take full advantage of this week to get into the grind- just in time for exams to start trickling in. If there is one lesson I have learned (semesters too late, I might add) it’s make sure you take the time to register for classes properly to avoid mass chaos in the beginning of the semester. They say it takes a genus to hear something six times in order to really comprehend a new concept…so I guess my learning curve wasn’t too shabby after all.

Stay Warm!
Megan =D

There is a large misconception about college students having to miss out on the holiday spirit due to classes and finals. In fact, in the last couple of weeks, I have had my fair share of holiday fun!

With the recent opening of Stony Brook’s Southampton campus, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that many Stony Brook students aren’t aware of the events let alone even where to locate it on a map. Most students even think of the campus as a brand new university, and they don’t even think of it having a past.

However, last Friday night I was introduced to a tradition at Southampton that supersedes our Roth Regatta. Every year around the holiday time, they ceremoniously light the wind mill to help celebrate the season. And this year was no exception. Coupled with holiday music preformed by our own Stony Brook marching band (which is now an academic class!), the event expanded this year to an even larger celebration. It was well worth the trip!

To enjoy this winter wonderland even more, the weekend before was the annual Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson! My SOS group arranged a trip by public bus (yes, we mastered the system) to check out the downtown. I guess it was the time of the year when all the gnomes and little elves come out to play and show off their extravagantly decorated houses. Besides marveling at all the decorations, there was a plethora of activities taking place ranging from caroling to coffee to ice skating! In fact, one of the Methodist churches even hosted a cookie walk with fresh baked homemade cookies! Most of us were still on a high from thanksgiving sweets, but it was definitely time for a pick- me up! Plus, it was never too early for a little holiday shopping.

Last but not least, last night I hosted a small holiday get together on my floor as a break from all the finals stresses. After hours (literally- whenever baking on campus, you must allot double time to get things done- the 15 min prep time on the box is a lie!), I ended up with a schmorgus board of homemade mini cheesecakes, chocolate chip cupcakes with reindeer sprinkles, and coco rice krispie treats balls rolled in an extra holiday surprise! Of course, there was hot cocoa on the side and some salty snacks to balance out all the sugar. Overall, I think everyone enjoyed themselves and got out of their room for a much needed break!

Counting down the days till it’s over!
Megan =D

1000 patties of latkes in the pan ….1000 patties of latkes….take one out pass it around…999 patties of latkes to eat!

For all of you who have your head stuck too far into a book to notice that the holiday season is still going to happen this year, I would like to announce the beginning of Chanukah. For a large percentage of our Stony Brook students, this marks the start of their festivities. However, contrary to popular belief, Chanukah is not a major holiday for the religious Jews. Just add it to the list of another tradition that society has tried to swallow up and combine with Christmas for the ultimate commercialization effect.

Nevertheless, what better way to start a holiday than with an actual Jewish tradition- latkes. Sponsored by the Hillel Foundation on campus, the stage was set for a competition to see if the students could eat 1000 latkes in 1 hour. Students formed teams that were designated by colored t-shirts. Not only were we all trying to reach the goal of 1000 latkes, but each team competed against each other to eat the most of those. Never having eaten a real latke before in my life, I was shocked at the size. There, before me on a plate was a massive fried potato cake. To make the experience a little more appetizing, they provided applesauce for a complete meal. However, I think the applesauce filled people up faster, reducing the amount of latkes one could possibly consume.

Combined with the traditional up-beat Jewish music, we ate and ate. Our efforts were in vain, because by the end, we didn’t manage to reach our goal. However, besides a bit of a belly ache/indigestion, everyone left having a great experience regardless if we hit the 1000 or not!

The Hillel Foundation is sponsoring activities all through the week, including free jelly donuts every night with the Menorah lighting. Students have every opportunity to celebrate (and procrastinate) even when they are away from home and family.

10 more days of school till finals…10 more days of school. Get through one…study for fun…

Happy Holidays!
Megan =D

I’m officially back!

Hey everyone! Sorry for my absence the last couple of months. I had been experiencing some technical difficulty which almost resorted into a little rendezvous with me and a sludge hammer. Thankfully, I resisted the temptation to put an end to my cherished high school graduation gift and awaited as week after week the problem continually lingered. As the story of my life goes, I was shafted again by a deadline. This time, it was the warranty on my laptop. Not wanting to spend the extra money for the extended warranty, I just bought the basic from Best Buy when I bought my laptop two years ago. And true to form, the hard drive on my laptop fried two weeks after the cutoff.

So, I have been thrust into a round robin of tech support bouncing from company to company trying to diagnose and resolve this problem. First, they told me I would need to reformat my computer- but I needed some special disk to accomplish this task. Not only did the disk come with a price tag, but also a journey across the country. Following the simple directions I was given over the phone [put in the disk and let it run its course] proved to leave my computer with an even blacker screen. At this time in my life, I decided to call upon the higher forces that be…the Geek Squad. However, their power is so great that to even have them place a pinky finger on my computer would cost me a pretty penny. For that cost, I would assume that anything they touch must certainly turn to gold.

So, I decided to take advantage of the resources within and made the climb to the fifth floor of the library where client support awaited me. I’m beginning to think there is a reason why they are located on the fifth floor- it’s a lot of work to lug your computer all the way up to them. If it’s not one road block, I hit another. Instead of money, these people wanted something more precious to me- time. Due to the increasing demand of their services and a lack of human resources, I was informed my computer would have a new home on the fifth floor of the library for at least two weeks. I looked on the bright side of the new residence; at least it would get caught up on some reading. Well, two weeks later I got a phone call in regards to the status of my situation- my computer needed a new hard drive. Not the end of the world, but another ordering and waiting process. Throw into the mix a turkey day break and slow mail service, and you wind up getting your computer back to you almost two weeks later.

Expecting to pop open the screen and see the picture of my sister and I smiling back at me, I was disillusioned when all I saw was a dull blue screen. It wasn’t until this point that I realized my computer was not the same machine I had started this journey with over two months ago.

Nevertheless, we both survived, and I am ready to help out in any way possible. I know this is the busy time of the year with application deadlines and finals, but I am always available for quick questions or muses on the perplexing issues of life.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY HELP WITH YOUR DECISION!!!

Keep the spirit alive…because we all (even my laptop) will survive even if we evolve into a new character by the end of it,
Megan =D

Overheard on the campus of Stony Brook: I feel like its opening weekend again- only now I have to blow off my papers instead of my parents.

After six weeks of school, students are buzzing around campus trying to get through the first round of midterms. Pajama pants and venti coffees can be seen in the hands of almost every Stony Brook student. It’s a stressful time for all, and it seems as if everyone is just getting through.

However, this week also sparks the beginning of one of Stony Brook’s most exciting traditions- Homecoming! Wolfstock 2007 officially kicked off Monday night in the Union with caricatures, giveaways, music videos, and crafts. After that, there was a gigantic bonfire for everyone to enjoy. Every night they have several events going on all over campus put on by both the Student Activities Center and organizations, it has been easy to be distracted by all the fun!

Today, there was a carnival in outside the SAC complete with cotton candy, blow-up games, nachos, t-shirts, and Stony Brook paraphernalia to wear at the game. The event was a great way to get everyone excited and prepared for this weekend.

Coming up on Friday we have our annual parade throughout campus with floats and banners made by different quads and organizations. On Saturday, the day is full of activities and the game at 3:00 pm. At night, there is a showing of Rocky Horror Picture show. After all our excitement and celebration, there is the annual 5K on Sunday morning to top off the weekend.

I honestly cannot wait for the weekend to come and am hoping for good weather and a great game! It almost seems too late in the semester to have homecoming. However, I think this is a well-deserved, much needed break for all of us! It’s great to see so much spirit going around campus when everyone has been so gloomy the last couple of days.

Keeping the spirit alive!
Megan

Overheard on the campus of Stony Brook: When in the course of evolution did Zebras naturally select red stripes?

Traditions are what make a campus body strong- united. Stony Brook has come a long way in the last 50 years, and there are many traditions that exist in order to keep us alive. Along with the usual homecoming and spirit week, there are little things unique about this campus that makes it our own. Probably one of the most useful traditions unearthed at Stony Brook is the Zebra Path. As a point of reference for almost any spot on campus, it can be very useful when giving directions. In fact, when I was a freshman and would find myself lost on a daily basis, I would always revert back to the Zebra Path to find my way.

Many students were shocked to walk back on campus Monday morning and find their beloved Zebra Path painted. Gone were the familiar black and white zig zags, mysteriously the black had been painted over with red. Instead of the prominent stripes of a Zebra, the path now looked like a rolled out candy cane. After a bit of contemplation, many students came to the conclusion that the red was an attempt to increase the “red hot” campus persona.

Needless to say, this act of community service has sparked controversy across the campus. All I’ve heard the last couple of days is “did you see what happened to the Zebra Path?” Campus revolves around that path. Even the career center named their search engine in honor of the Zebra theme.

Tradition never dies. No matter whether the stripes stay red or revert back to black, the path will always be known as the Zebra path to me.

Black and white on a red hot campus,
Megan

Overheard on the campus of Stony Brook: “You waited how long for tickets…you could have gotten front row seats at a Timberlake concert for that wait!”

I’m not quite sure if that was a slam on Justin or me, but I during the first week of school, I had my first experience of standing in one of those winding lines that have no end for tickets. You know you’re an out-of-stater when you tell people how excited you are to go to the Bronx Zoo and the corners of their mouth turn up, and they have this playful twinkle in their eye. Yes, this occurrence happened quite frequently when I told most everyone about how proud I was that I waited in a two hour line for tickets to the zoo. The sad thing is, most people waited in that same line for tickets to Six Flags. If the line was just for zoo tickets, I probably would have been to the front lickity-split!

If you haven’t figured it out by now, my first adventure to the city on the first weekend of the semester was to the Bronx Zoo! And the best part was- the trip only cost me FIVE DOLLARS! That included transportation to and from and admission into the zoo! That’s almost better than the clearance section in your local Target (although my aunt could spend as much time there as I spent at the zoo!) Coming from small town Illinois, the closest zoo we have consists of chickens, goats, sheep, horses, and occasional mice that run through their pen. Consequently, when I heard about the zoo trip, I was more than anxious to take the adventure!

I met many people on the bus…some from out of state like me that were really excited to see the zoo for the first time. I must admit, once arriving, I was a little taken back by the size and overwhellemed by my options. For the first time in my life, I saw animals that I had only previously seen on Disney movies. Although it was a lot of walking in the hot sun, it was definitely worth the five dollars.

For those people who visited the zoo on their second grade field trip, the University also offered five dollar tickets to six flags, a Yankees, and a Mets game. The value of the ticket makes missing your 12:50 class well worth it!

Oh my!
Megan