"Weather or not..." by: Matthew Jolles

As we recover from the festivities of Homecoming week we take a moment to remind all Drexel students, especially my fellow readers to be careful and take an extra moment while we battle the elements of winter weather. While we have had days in the past few weeks without precipitation and days like today with it, take stock of your surroundings and as well take an extra bit of time to get where you are going. If you are a commuter who relies heavily on the trains, trolleys, and subways. Check out the amazing app called SEPTADroid if you have an Android phone. It gives you schedules and status updates for all SEPTA services. Also, for all my non-droid users there is the website www.baldwin.ph run by SEPTA which will give you status information on SEPTA services.

 Be safe around campus and look foward to seeing you all again soon. We'll be back next week with another phenomenally spirited Train of Thought!
 - MJ

Dusting off the Locomotive - by: Matthew Jolles

Hey Fellow Commuters,
So I was poking around our CTSE page and noticed our "Train of Thought" in the yard kind of just collecting some dust. So the cleaning crew, under the direction of our amazing leader Jessica Edonick and I decided it was time to break out the tools and dust it off. To our great surprise, soon after we began the process, Mario The Dragon joined us and with one roar of fire was able to re-ignite our engine and we were off and rolling.

Ok, so enough with the humor and on to the business. Please allow me to introduce, um, myself. (Really, I'm done with the humor!) My name is Matthew Jolles and I am a sophmore transfer student in the Sport Management major here at Drexel University. I am also, and most importantly to this blog and you the readers, a commuter.

Every morning, I board the SEPTA Media/Elwyn line for my travels to campus. While the trip is a very brief 23 minutes it gives me much time for reflection on my day-at-hand and the events surrounding my time I will spend on campus, to get a few extra minutes of sleep or some brief studying to prep myself for my first class of the day.

So here's the deal, this blog is your blog! That's right commuters, I want to hear from you. What's on your mind? What can Drexel do to better your experience as a commuter? And, we'll also touch on subjects I know from my personal experience that you would all be interested in, such as how to be more connected to the Drexel experience even though you don't live on campus.

To touch briefly for today on one experience that is upon us as I write this, would be the 2013 Drexel Homecoming Week. Since we here at DU don't have football (making us undefeated since 1973!) our Homecoming lands at the end of January, smack in the middle of our beloved basketball season. Ahh, basketball, that lovely game where 5 players dribble and pass a big orange ball down a hardwood floor and shoot it through a small hoop hanging 10 feet off the ground. And that much of it is about all the lay-man or woman understands of the game. However, here at Drexel, the experience of attending a game is so much more. From the nostalgia of the DAC, to the raucous DAC Pack joined in by the talented band and our spirited Cheerleaders and Dance Team. Drexel Basketball is more than just a game, it is a ritual that is a part of Drexel University's continuing exsistence. To that is Homecoming, this week at hand when we celebrate all things Drexel and it's glorius history. From our more than 350 student organizations, fraternities & sororities painting the windows of the REC Center in competition, to the Bonfire / Pep Rally scheduled to be hosted on the Race Street lawn tomorrow at 6pm, the elegant Crystal Ball on Friday night at the Academy of Natural Sciences (Visit the CAB Box office in MacAllister Hall for tickets - $25 individual / $40 couple), and of course the BIG EVENTS in specificality our Men's Basketball team vs. Georgia State on Saturday and our CAA leading Women's team vs. arch-rival Delaware on Sunday. And if sports isn't your thing, come to the Armory on Saturday night and party with Flostradamus and Waka Flocka Flame at the DU Homecoming After-party.

So that's my "train of thought" for this week as we journey our way into the celebration of Drexel Homecoming Week. Hope this gave you all some ideas on how to engage yourself into the Drexel community. Remember, just because you don't live in the dorms doesn't mean you can't act like you do. Enjoy everything DU has to offer and truly "become a Drexel Dragon"! I look forward to reading your messages and we'll open up the mailbag soon and write a few blogs on your requests and questions.

Till next time ... GO DRAGONS!
 - MJ











 

Apartment Hunting

Hey everyone,

So this is my first blogging experience so stick with me. I am a senior graduating in June and am starting to look for an apartment off campus in the city. I started by asking some of my friends who have graduated from Drexel about their apartment and how they found it. This was very helpful and gave me a great start to my search. I then looked on Craigslist and Google maps to check out the area. There are so many options out there and I am not very picky so it was going to be challenging. On Monday, I drove by a few places and scheduled a walk through of one place in graduate hospital area. It was nice, but I had little to compare it to so I kept search. Today I checked out a place right across the bridge on Market st. It was like Ucross for young adults so not so sure how I feel about that one.

This is going to be a fun experience and I am going to try and make the most of it. I have two more places scheduled to check out on Friday and then I will go from there.

If you have any tips on apt search or comments on my blog, please let me know.

Thanks

Take Care
Adam

Why Get Involved

Hello Fellow Commuters,

I am in my senior year now and perhaps my fondest memories in college can be traced to my campus involvement. A lot of students are very apprehensive about getting involved because they feel that it will take time away from their academics. Some even feel that it will not really help them get a job which is why there is no reason for them to get involved.

However, getting involved is a great way to meet new people, form new connections, develop your inter-personal skills, develop an all-round personality and even help your academics. Of course, one must never compromise on academics. But getting involved helps you in meeting a lot of new people and make new friends. And when one is involved on campus, just because of the sheer number of people you meet and interact with, your interpersonal skills get a huge boost. I was really shy as a freshman and would never how to even talk to someone I knew a little. But after getting involved, I can safely say that I find it pretty easy to strike a conversation with even a total stranger. And because getting involved requires a time commitment of some sort, your time management skills also develop. Getting involved also increases your exposure and hence goes a long way in developing your leadership skills. And these are the sort of skills that firms, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and even graduate schools look for.

Moreover, if you join an organization from your area of study, you will meet a lot of professors as well as industry professionals. These people can definitely help you out with recommendations and some great advice. But apart from that, whenever a firm wants to come on to campus and conduct an info session, the first people they will contact is an organization related to their industry. So, if you are in that organization, you will be the first one to talk to them which is a great networking opportunity. And we all know how big a part networking plays in success.

Apart from the above benefits, getting involved is a lot of fun. And once you start taking the organization you are in seriously, you will start to enjoy working for it and will even look forward to going to meetings. It is also a great stress-buster and a necessary break from the stresses of college life.

So, I would say that if you have not already, then you must definitely get out there and find the organization matching your interest. Here is a list of all of the student organizations at Drexel: http://drexel.collegiatelink.net/organizations. If you can't find one in your interest here then you can make one. All you need is a few of your friends with the same interest. If you have any questions, make sure to ask your Commuter/Transfer Assistant.

Smile: It's Warm Outside!

After months and weeks of frigid cold and walking back and forth to campus in mounds of snow and slip sliding on sheets of ice we finally felt the first relief yesterday, I felt like a brand new person. Spring is only a month away and this week we are getting a taste of what we have to look forward to in the coming seasons. I know for me it's so hard to find the motivation to leave the comfort of my apartment to walk a half hour to class everyday in the harsh wind and freezing temperatures.

It's so funny how any temperature that is above the freezing mark feel like such a huge relief and completely change the entire attitude of everyone around you. It seems to me that everywhere I went yesterday everyone was out and about, so cheerful and friendly and even wearing short sleeevs and shorts outside! Amazing how a little brightness, sunshine, and warmth can make the whole day better. When I went for a walk I instantly thought of all the great things that spring and summer have to offer and remembered how much we have to look forward to.

Just to enjoy the greatness of the outdoors and leisurely walk through the streets and take in all of the beautiful sights is such a great way to relieve built up stress and remember the things that truely matter in life. Too often, especially when we are trying to escape the cold, we run from place to place without ever actually looking and appreciating what is around us. Instead of being caught up in the craziness that is everyday life, it's important once in awhile to step back from our lives and take the time to breathe and look at the world and people that are surrounding us.

Empire State of Mind :D

“In New York… Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can’t do, now you're in New York! These streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you! Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York!!!”

I LOVE NEW YORK! There’s definitely something about New York which is just very different from all the cities of the World. I was born and raised in India, and I have always dreamed of being a New Yorker! Watching “Sex and the City” has added on to this dream. The city never sleeps. Everyone is always on a move. The city is beautiful. It’s so diverse and full of life! Call me crazy, but I feel that even the skyscrapers have a life in them! :)

So this December, New York it is! :)

I can’t wait to get done with exams and see the big, bright and beautiful Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center, dine in an Italian Restaurant, sit in Battery Park, and be a part of New York’s heart – Manhattan! :D

Best of luck to everyone for their final exams! Merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous New Year as well! I know I am a little early in wishing, but the excitement has already kicked in! :D

Lots of fun and best wishes,
Your TA - Tanvi :)

It's the littlest things that make the biggest difference

A chill of brisk winter air greeted me as I walked through the door into the bright crisp air of November. There are so many great holidays to celebrate during this month, it's the time to be grateful for all of those people in your life that have given you that extra bit of inspiration day to day and given you the strength to make it through those hard times. Thanksgiving is not just all about the courses upon courses of delicious food and pumpkin pie; make sure you spend some extra time telling your friends and family how much you really do appreciate them. I know for me I'm usually so busy with school and work I forget about some the people and moments that really matter. Sometimes we have to push our work aside to remember the little things that make life worthwhile.

November is:
American Diabetes Month
Building a Community Library Month

I just read on the Daily Digest that Drexel Public Safety has dedicated the Month of November to Building a community Library in order to keep with President John Fry's neighborhood initiative vision. I think this is such a wonderful vision, giving a child the chance to read books is one of the greatest presents a child can receive in my opinion. As a child I never loved reading, it was something I struggled with at the beginning, but through the years after forcing myself to read aloud and practice I have turned into somewhat of a bookaholic. Reading allows a certain kind of escape for the mind, it allows me to retreat into a different world. Sometimes it is a world of adventure and danger, other times it is a world of love, hope, and magic. Instead of watching television before bedtime, my little brothers and sisters sit in their beds and read books. The pages filled with captivating pictures and stories allows even a child as young as two to create a story all their own using their imagination. It's amazing to watch a child interpret a story and what the different pictures on each page represent to them and what the characters mean. Books and reading is one of those things that is irreplaceable, technology can never fullfill the same pleasure of cracking open a brand new book.

So put down the cell phone, turn off the i pod, turn your head away from the tv and play some board games and read some books with friends and family. Enjoy the simple pleasures that your childhood was filled with, and forget all those high technology devices that have made life deceptively easy yet unnessecarily complicated, at least for the month of November.

Get Ready for Halloween! Crafts and Treats

The time has finally arrived to transform your living space into a world of ghosts, goblins, and witches. Pumpkins carved and made into jack-o-lanterns, candy corn on the table, apples waiting to be dipped into luscious, gooey caramel, and the best part of all, being able to dress up as someone else for one night.

Finding or, better yet, creating the perfect costume and decorating doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. With just a few simple household items, beautiful crafts and decorations can be made that are fun for the whole family and bring a little Halloween spirit and the warmth of autumn into your home.

I love getting ready for special events or holidays, being able to create an atmosphere that embodies an entire theme or season brings so much happiness and really allows for a space to feel like another world. If your planning on throwing a Halloween party or simply just want to have some fun and get into the spirit, try a few or these recipe or craft ideas to get your mind churning.

Egg Carton Spiders
http://crafts.holidays.net/view_craft.php?id=307

What you need:
Empty egg carton
Black washable paint
Black pipe cleaners
Googly eyes
White craft glue
One paper clip
Scrap newspaper

Directions
1. Cut the egg carton into twelve cups.

2. Paint the cups inside and outside with black paint. Allow to dry thoroughly on a piece of newspaper.

3. Open up on the paper clip and use the end to poke four holes on either side of the cup.

4. Cut four 7-inch lengths of pipe cleaners.

5. Thread the pipe cleaners through one side of the cup and out the other side of the cup. The ends should be equal on each side. Bend them upward at the base of the cup, then downward to creat the appearance of knees and feet.

6. Glue on the googly eyes.

Learn to make homemade candy apples:




Making pumpkin decorations!


I hope these videos and ideas get you in the spirit and give you a little inspiration to get started on your decorations, it's all about having fun and being creative :)

Thai Food Craving!

I am a complete foodie! At times I get this sudden urge to eat something spicy! Last night, while I was studying for my mid term, I got a sudden craving for Thai food. :| Well, it was 11pm, and I did not know what to do! I couldn't even concentrate on my studies. All I could think of was Nasi lemak. While my friends were making fun of me, I started searching for good and very affordable Thai places in Philly which would be open at such odd hours! And, I came across this website: http://www.phillybananaleaf.com/index.html

I saw the menu, and there it was - MY NASI LEMAK for $5.95 only!!! :D I left my books, got into Market-Frankfort train and reached the restaurant! :D
Excellent food, amazing customer service, quick food, and very affordable!!!

So, the next time you have a craving like me, Banana Leaf is the place to be. :P

P.S: This is how amazing my food looked like! :D



-Your foodie TA,
Tanvi! :D

Ways to De-Stress

Stressed?? Yes, I know. Week 3 has come and gone and I know that things can get stressful for people, expecially with midterms coming up. Here are some ways to de-stress. Incorporate them into your life and see how your life can be a less stressful.

Exercise regularly- this is one of the best ways to reduce stress and it keeps you healthy. Go for a run or jog, go to the gym or go to the REC center and check out all the fun activities they have to offer.

Eat healthfully- Eating healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, protein, grain, and calcium products and drinking at least six glasses of water per day enables our bodies to function in a much more efficient fashion.

Meditation, yoga, and tai chi- or just close your eyes and take deep breaths. These only take a few moments. Taking deep breaths that flow into our stomach and not just to the lungs quickly decreases stress; also deep breathing also tends to slow down heart rate.

Shrug your shoulders- tensing the shoulders while raising them to the ears and then totally relaxing them a few times, quickly releases tension.

Stretching- is a terrific way to control stress as many of us feel muscle tension when stressed.

Be Positive-. Negative self-talk puts a tremendous strain on both the body and self-esteem. Most of us aren't even aware of how we talk to ourselves or the negative messages and beliefs we harbor in our heads. Make a daily affirmation if you have to. Take a look at this young lady’s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg

GET SOME SLEEP!!- seven to nine hours of sleep are needed to allow the body to recover and regenerate. I know, right your probably laughing. When do you have time to sleep?! Make time, take naps if you have to but definitely make time.

Be Social- We are social beings, not islands, others can be a great source of support and may even be able to help lessen the load.

Do something fun- Make some time to listen to music, dance, go shopping, have a girl’s night, go to a concert, have a spa day, cook, spend time with family, friends or anything else you might enjoy. This goes a long way to alleviate stress.

Living a balanced life- All work and no play burns you out really quickly.

Celebrate October!

HAPPY OCTOBER 1st!

I know when you look outside this morning, the bleak cloudy sky and the tremendous wind may not initially inspire you to jump out of bed and begin celebrating but I'm hoping to change your mind and provide that little bit of brightness.

First of all, it's Friday! This fact in itself is always reason to smile.

Aside from that, October 1st is...

• Lee National Denim Day
• National Diversity Day
• UN International Day of Older Persons
• World Smile Day
• World Vegetarian Day
• Anniversary of Walt Disney World
• Anniversary of the CD Player and the Model T Ford
  
• Independence Day of Cyrus and Nigeria
• National Day in China

Not to mention October 1st marks the unofficial start to fall, which therefore means we can start preparing for all those comforting Holidays just around the corner.

The leaves are beginning to change into beautiful warm hues of red, umber, gold, and orange. Soon our kitchens will be filled with the comforting scent of homemade apple and pumpkin pie.

It's time to get into the Halloween spirit; decorate our windows with witch hat and jack-o-lantern stickers, watch horror films, pick out the perfect pumpkin, go for a spooky hayride, try desperately to find your way out of the corn maze (without getting confused by that scarecrow), and last but not least make it out alive of the haunted house!

For great holiday craft and food ideas visit www.holidays.net!

Some Halloween scary events and haunted houses you may be interested in are the Eastern State Penitentiary, which I personally thought was terrifying, and every year the Philadelphia Zoo has an event called Boo at the Zoo (this year it is October 16 and 17, and 23 and 24).

Don't forget every day there is a reason to celebrate, so today I encourage you to jump out of bed and celebrate the thing that means the most to you, whether it is that delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich you made for lunch or the fact that it's Friday. Find something to smile about, because after all, it is World Smile Day.

Sending a little magic your way...

Happy Friendship Day! =)

Just imagine if you didn't have any friends! Life would have been absolutely incomplete... Nobody to share your joys with, and no one to divide your sorrows with. So, here's wishing all the people in the World who have a friend, or are somebody's friend... A VERY HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY! May your friendship become stronger with each moment passing by! =)

This is my friend's Facebook status message, which I really liked, and would want to say the same to everyone! "Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they are meant to be there; they serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or help you figure out who you are! To all those people in my life, whether I've known you for years, months or days, HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY!"

Can't think of a better song than this for this occassion! =)

Ni Una Mas Exhibit

Last week, OCGTSPS visited the Ni Una Mas exhibit at Drexel's new Leonard Pearlstein Gallery on 34th and Filbert Streets. With a guided tour by the museum's head curator, we received an in depth look into the powerful and moving exhibit. Here is the curator's statement on Ni Una Mas:

"Since 1993, more than 600 young women and girls have been the victims of an ongoing terror inthe city and surrounding area of Juarez, Mexico, an area just across the river/border from El Paso,Texas The majority are Mexican, but a number are American citizens. Nearly all are young studentsand factory girls--maquiladoras between the ages of 14 and 22. Some are missing without a trace,but hundreds have been discovered dead in multiple sites in the nearby desert. From theirremains it is certain they have been battered, sexually abused, and often grotesquely mutilated;some have had their organs removed. Various theories abound, but the greatest mystery beyondwho is responsible, is how the Mexican government and our own have allowed the femicide tocontinue. Very little has been done by the local Juarez police, the State of Chihuahua or theNational Government to find the killers or to prevent new murders. The FBI, the UN and AmnestyInternational have attempted to investigate, but their offers are rebuffed and the crimes remainunsolved. In the years since the abductions began, the families, in particular, the mothers ofthese girls, a few dedicated journalists, musicians, filmmakers and artists have kept the chroniclealive as the horrific deaths continue.

How artists respond in the face of these atrocities is the core of this exhibit Ni Una Mas: TheJuarez Murders. Twenty notable artists—men, women, Latino and American bear witness to themany faces and facets of this tragedy. Their responses are personal and varied as they confrontedthe implicit sexism, drug politics, corruption and indifference behind the story as well as thesadness and outrage at the continued demeaning and devaluation of women. They remind us thatthis crisis demands action since every day another girl is at risk of suffering vicious abuse andcertain death. We owe a debt to Frontera 450 + presented by the Station Museum in Houston in2006. Four years later and 150 more girls missing, we are impelled to try anew." (Source: http://www.drexel.edu/juarez/exhibition/)

Unfortunately the exhibit closed on July 16th but the message of Ni Una Mas continues to live on. If you want to learn more about the injustices happening at Juarez, please visit www.drexel.edu/juarez. You can read about Congress Resolution 90, see videos and interviews, and find out what you can do to make a stand on social justice.

Why are we really afraid to LOVE?

I came across this online. It is written by Osho, an Indian spiritual teacher. I liked what he wrote. And, being a college student, I could actually relate to it.

"Love always creates fear because love is death, a greater death than the ordinary death you know of.

In an ordinary death the body dies, but that is not death at all. Body is just like a dress; when it is tatty and old you change it for a new one. It is not death, it is just a change: a change of a dress, or a change of a house or abode. But you continue, the mind continues – just the same old mind in new bodies, just the same old wine in new bottles. The form changes but not the mind, the shape changes but not the mind. So the ordinary death is not a real death. Love is a real death: the body does not die but the mind dies, the body continues to be the same but the ego disappears.

If you love, you will have to drop all the conceptions that you have about yourself. If you love, you cannot be the ego because the ego will not allow love. They are antagonistic. If you choose the ego you will not be able to choose love. If you choose love you will have to drop the ego. Hence, the fear.

A greater fear than death grips you whenever you are in love. That’s why love has disappeared from the world. Rarely, very rarely does the phenomenon happen that love descends. What you call love is just a false coin: you have invented it because it is so difficult to live without love. It is difficult because without love, life carries no meaning; it is meaningless. Without love, life has no poetry in it. Without love, the tree exists but never flowers. Without love, you cannot dance, you cannot celebrate, you cannot feel grateful, you cannot pray.

Without love, temples are just ordinary houses; with love an ordinary house is transformed, transfigured into a temple. Without love you remain just possibilities – empty gestures; with love, for the first time you become substantial. With love, for the first time, the soul arises in you; the ego drops but the soul arises.

It is impossible to live without love, so humanity has created a trick. Humanity has invented a trick, a device. The device is: to live in a false love so that the ego continues on its own. Nothing is changed, and you can play the game of being in love: you can go on thinking that you love, you can go on believing that you love. But look at your love – what happens out of it? – nothing except misery, nothing except hell, nothing except conflict, quarrel, violence. Look deeply into your love relationships. They are more akin to hate relationships than to love. It is better to call them hate relationships than to call them love relationships.

But because everybody is living in the same way, you never become aware. Everybody is carrying the false coin; you never become aware. The real coin of love is very costly: you can purchase it only at the cost of losing yourself. There is no other way.

Be courageous, don’t be cowards. The real mettle of your being is tested only when love arises. Never before it do you know of what mettle you are made. In ordinary life, in the marketplace, doing this and that, in the world of ambition and power politics, your real mettle is never really tested. You never pass through the fire.

Love is the fire. If you are really gold you will survive it. If you are not real gold, you will be gone. But I tell you that you are real gold.

Trust me – pass through the fire. Hesitation is natural, but don’t make hesitation a barrier. Even with the hesitation, pass through it. In spite of the fear pass through the fire. And only through the fire will the rose of your consciousness flower. There is no other way."

Hope you enjoyed reading it and it helped you in some way! :)

"No Sorry. No Thank You!" Really?!

“Dosti ka ek asool hai, madam... No sorry, no thank you.”

(Translation – “Friendship has one rule, madam… No sorry, no thank you.”

A very famous dialogue from “Maine Pyar Kiya.” It is one of my favorite movies, and I find Prem and Suman (the characters in the movie) absolutely adorable! But seriously, no sorry? No thank you? Why do we forget life’s basic courtesies when it comes to people we are close to? Why do we take them for granted? Why do we treat our own people like it’s their duty to do everything they do for us?

Why does a stranger get a thank you for the smallest of thing, and friends going out of their way to do anything is not worthy of it? I understand that due to cultural differences, not many people are comfortable with these words. But where does this culture go when we say these things, and actually truly mean them for random people? I even understand that ways of expressing ourselves is different for everyone. But again, why do strangers get appreciation for the same thing, and our closed ones don’t?

For any of you giving me the “Human nature” explanation, do you really think it’s true? Blaming anything and everything on “human nature” is really not done. I am a human being and I feel gratitude and apology, irrespective of who the other person is. I mean, gratitude is a feeling/emotion INSIDE me… Then why should it be expressed only for certain specific people. And come to think about it, for people who don’t even matter?

I know that thank you will lose its meaning if we keep repeating it every other second. But there are a lot of other ways to express ourselves. Please do. For a moment just think about how different your life would have been without these people. Imagine what all things you would have missed in life! Imagine the emptiness without them.

PLEASE APPRECIATE! Stop taking them for granted. It is no person’s duty to do anything for you. They are not doing anything to make themselves happy. They are doing it to make YOU happy. Realize it… Before it’s too late.

Sweet Summer Treat!

I just can't get enough of this place!! Perfect as a pre or post date spot or as your own weekly (or daily) self-indulgent splurge! I'm a big fan of the Toblerone sauce with strawberries and hazelnuts! Stop by and try them out one day at 20th and Locust Streets.


"Yogorino is the original pro-biotic in the soft ice industry. Natural, low-fat, and low calorie Yogorino is characterized by both its unique and unmistakable tart flavor, as well as, by its health beneficial 6 pro-biotic bacterial strains." - Yogorino's Facebook Page

Happy Eats!
~Anne

spring 2010

so guys the spring terms about to end and those who are freshmens are going to go home and upperclassmen are stuck at either drexel or at co-op while other enjoy the three sunniest months of the year. Any ways guys those going home enjoy your last summer off and those on co-op or in school power on.

peace

Maulik

"50 Things"

Courtesy - Ben Jones, MIT.

1. Your friends will change a lot over the next four years. Let them.
2. Call someone you love back home a few times a week, even if just for a few minutes.
3. In college more than ever before, songs will attach themselves to memories. Every month or two, make a mix cd, mp3 folder, whatever - just make sure you keep copies of these songs. Ten years out, they'll be as effective as a journal in taking you back to your favorite moments.
4. Take naps in the middle of the afternoon with reckless abandon.
5. Adjust your schedule around when you are most productive and creative. If you're nocturnal and do your best work late at night, embrace that. It may be the only time in your life when you can.
6. If you write your best papers the night before they are due, don't let people tell you that you "should be more organized" or that you "should plan better." Different things work for different people. Personally, I worked best under pressure - so I always procrastinated... and always kicked ass (which annoyed my friends to no end). ;-) Use the freedom that comes with not having grades first semester to experiment and see what works best for you.
7. At least a few times in your college career, do something fun and irresponsible when you should be studying. The night before my freshman year psych final, my roommate somehow scored front row seats to the Indigo Girls at a venue 2 hours away. I didn't do so well on the final, but I haven't thought about psych since 1993. I've thought about the experience of going to that show (with the guy who is now my son's godfather) at least once a month ever since.
8. Become friends with your favorite professors. Recognize that they can learn from you too - in fact, that's part of the reason they chose to be professors.
9. Carve out an hour every single day to be alone. (Sleeping doesn't count.)
10. Go on dates. Don't feel like every date has to turn into a relationship.
11. Don't date someone your roommate has been in a relationship with.
12. When your friends' parents visit, include them. You'll get free food, etc., and you'll help them to feel like they're cool, hangin' with the hip college kids.
13. In the first month of college, send a hand-written letter to someone who made college possible for you and describe your adventures thus far. It will mean a lot to him/her now, and it will mean a lot to you in ten years when he/she shows it to you.
14. Embrace the differences between you and your classmates. Always be asking yourself, "what can I learn from this person?" More of your education will come from this than from any classroom.
15. All-nighters are entirely overrated.
16. For those of you who have come to college in a long-distance relationship with someone from high school: despite what many will tell you, it can work. The key is to not let your relationship interfere with your college experience. If you don't want to date anyone else, that's totally fine! What's not fine, however, is missing out on a lot of defining experiences because you're on the phone with your boyfriend/girlfriend for three hours every day.
17. Working things out between friends is best done in person, not over email. (IM does not count as "in person.") Often someone's facial expressions will tell you more than his/her words.
18. Take risks.
19. Don't be afraid of (or excited by) the co-ed bathrooms. The thrill is over in about 2 seconds.
20. Wednesday is the middle of the week; therefore on wednesday night the week is more than half over. You should celebrate accordingly. (It makes thursday and friday a lot more fun.)
21. Welcome failure into your lives. It's how we grow. What matters is not that you failed, but that you recovered.
22. Take some classes that have nothing to do with your major(s), purely for the fun of it.
23. It's important to think about the future, but it's more important to be present in the now. You won't get the most out of college if you think of it as a stepping stone.
24. When you're living on a college campus with 400 things going on every second of every day, watching TV is pretty much a waste of your time and a waste of your parents' money. If you're going to watch, watch with friends so at least you can call it a "valuable social experience."
25. Don't be afraid to fall in love. When it happens, don't take it for granted. Celebrate it, but don't let it define your college experience.
26. Much of the time you once had for pleasure reading is going to disappear. Keep a list of the books you would have read had you had the time, so that you can start reading them when you graduate.
27. Things that seem like the end of the world really do become funny with a little time and distance. Knowing this, forget the embarassment and skip to the good part.
28. Every once in awhile, there will come an especially powerful moment when you can actually feel that an experience has changed who you are. Embrace these, even if they are painful.
29. No matter what your political or religious beliefs, be open-minded. You're going to be challenged over the next four years in ways you can't imagine, across all fronts. You can't learn if you're closed off.
30. If you need to get a job, find something that you actually enjoy. Just because it's work doesn't mean it has to suck.
31. Don't always lead. It's good to follow sometimes.
32. Take a lot of pictures. One of my major regrets in life is that I didn't take more pictures in college. My excuse was the cost of film and processing. Digital cameras are cheap and you have plenty of hard drive space, so you have no excuse.
33. Your health and safety are more important than anything.
34. Ask for help. Often.
35. Half of you will be in the bottom half of your class at any given moment. Way more than half of you will be in the bottom half of your class at some point in the next four years. Get used to it.
36. In ten years very few of you will look as good as you do right now, so secretly revel in how hot you are before it's too late.
37. In the long run, where you go to college doesn't matter as much as what you do with the opportunities you're given there. The MIT name on your resume won't mean much if that's the only thing on your resume. As a student here, you will have access to a variety of unique opportunities that no one else will ever have - don't waste them.
38. On the flip side, don't try to do everything. Balance = well-being.
39. Make perspective a priority. If you're too close to something to have good perspective, rely on your friends to help you.
40. Eat badly sometimes. It's the last time in your life when you can do this without feeling guilty about it.
41. Make a complete ass of yourself at least once, preferably more. It builds character.
42. Wash your sheets more than once a year. Trust me on this one.
43. If you are in a relationship and none of your friends want to hang out with you and your significant other, pay attention. They usually know better than you do.
44. Don't be afraid of the weird pizza topping combinations that your new friend from across the country loves. Some of the truly awful ones actually taste pretty good. Expand your horizons.
45. Explore the campus thoroughly. Don't get caught.
46. Life is too short to stick with a course of study that you're no longer excited about. Switch, even if it complicates things.
47. Tattoos are permanent. Be very certain.
48. Don't make fun of prefrosh. That was you like 2 hours ago.
49. Enjoy every second of the next four years. It is impossible to describe how quickly they pass.
50. This is the only time in your lives when your only real responsibility is to learn. Try to remember how lucky you are every day.

Be yourself. Create. Inspire, and be inspired. Grow. Laugh. Learn. Love.

A Lone Dragon

I am very sad to say that on April 24, 2010 I lost my faith in my fellow Dragons. Two days before that on April 22 at 3:30 p.m. I was in Korman printing homework for my Advanced Journalism class. Everything related to Drexel and other important things of mine have their home on my black external hard drive. It's my baby and I take it everywhere...or so I thought.
Not until two hours later did I realize that I had let my baby attached to the Mac across from the help desk. Frantically I ran from Creese (where I had journeyed to by then) all the way back to Korman. I glanced at the Mac and it wasn't there. I asked the students working the desk if anyone had turned anything in and they said 'no'. Disheartened I went about my day and was hoping to be contacted soon. The next day I went back to Korman and posted a note at the computer asking if my baby had been seen.

However, on April 24 I still had not been contacted by a fellow student saying they had my baby. Usually after two days I would hear something (and yes I have forgotten my baby before). After checking at Korman again I felt compelled to file a police report (my first one ever). I was told by the kind officer that an investigator would be in touch.

April 27 rolled around and by then I was panicking. What on earth could this person want with my baby for so long? I called an investigator and relayed him my story. he promised to look at surveillence video and get back to me...he never did.

Again, I went back to Korman - this time armed with approved flyers (which you may have seen around campus) - and I talked to the staff. I stressed that three years of work was on it as well as personal information. One of the workers mentioned that he saw my baby on Thursday during his shift and that he had place it behind the desk. What an interesting development! He took my number and said he would let me know. Despite this glimmer of hope, by the next day I still had heard nothing. By now I had already broken down in tears once. To start EVERYTHING over again from scratch and have no record of all my hard work???

Still I perservered. I trudged back to Korman and spoke with the supervisor and relayed her the events until then. She said she would look everywhere and email the entire staff. Which she did. On April 29, a week after losing my baby, she emailed the entire Korman staff. I waited expectantly all day, but still no news.

Then on April 30 I received a call at 9:30 a.m. from the worker I spoke to on Tuesday and he told my baby had been found. I couldn't believe it! I arrived on campus by 11 a.m. went to Korman and the worker handed me my baby from the clear lost and found box they had behind the desk. I checked to make sure and everything was still on it.
Out of interest, I asked where my baby was found and was told it appeared in the one drawer overnight...

I don't know who decided to take my baby, what they did with her, or why they took so long to return it (last time I checked it takes a few minutes to copy files) but the worst week in my life ended with the return of my baby who will never again be left out of my sight.

But the fact remains that I now do not trust other students, especially in this particular building.
I advise you all to be very careful about where you might leave things. It may be inevitable that you forget something somewhere especially if you are stressed or distracted. Should this be the case and you really want to get your baby back, stop at nothing until you do.


I wish you safe travels on your paths through Drexel. Be careful of the flames.

- Nicolle

Chocolate by the Baldman!

You went to Naked Chocolate and loved it, didn’t you? Now try this – Max Brenner! It is located on 1500 Walnut (15th Street between Walnut and Locust.) It not only has yummilicious chocolate drinks like hot chocolate, suckao, and frappes, but also smoothies and wine! Not to forget the waffles, crepes, and my favorite – Chocolate Fondue!!! Umm… If you are not in the mood for drinks and sweets, then try its sandwiches and fries! You are definitely going to love them!


(If for nothing else, then you HAVE TO go there to see the mugs they serve in – Hug mug, Alice in Wonderland mug, Kangaroo mug, etc... All of them have a story behind them! Did I mention that they have visible pipes in the restaurant which has melted chocolate flowing in them?)

Have fun! :)
-Tanvi!