Month: April 2018 (page 1 of 2)

“My RAILE Experience” by Hayley Whiting

Are you interested in honing your leadership and communication skills? Are you thinking about the Resident Assistant position and want to learn more about it? Do you want to become more involved in your community? Then the RAILE (Resident Assistant Internship and Leadership Exploration) Program might be for you! I first joined RAILE back in September because I knew that I wanted to learn more about the RA position, since I was interested in applying. However, you don’t have to apply to the RA position if you do RAILE, and you don’t have to participate in RAILE to apply to be an RA. Additionally, the program has several levels of certification according to how many components you complete, so you can choose how involved you want to be. Also, each participant is assigned a RAILE mentor (an RA) for guidance who is a great resource for any RA or RAILE-related questions. Here are some of the RAILE components that I took part in that I really enjoyed!

Continue reading

Cold, Cold, and Still Cold by Liv Conlon

So why the heck is it STILL so cold out? We are just a week after spring break, and in the closing moments of March and beginning of April where, by all means, we should be shipping home the winter gear and opting for lighter jackets and short sleeves. Yet, a good portion of this week has been plagued with yet another snow storm.  Questions about our troubling weather patterns are being asked all around, and the New York Times attempts to give some insight as to what exactly is happening here in an article published earlier this winter, “Why So Cold? Climate Change May Be Part of the Answer”.

Not surprisingly, global warming has a lot to do with this global phenomenon.  The polar vortex, a frigid weather pattern normally isolated at the North Pole, has broken free and leaked out across the US, causing record breaking periods of cold temperature.  

While meteorologists can’t pinpoint the exact reasoning and process behind what makes this vortex move, climate change is a key factor in its displacement. The jet stream which keeps this vortex moving in a circle around the north point of the globe is weakening as global warming heats the rest of the world up. The weaker pull is probably the cause of movement, among other factors that influence day to day weather.

Hopefully the cold makes its way out in the next few weeks because, and I don’t know about you guys but, I am so over this campus doubling as an ice rink.  Fingers crossed for a few nicer days this week!

 

Source

 

Fountain, Henry. “Why So Cold? Climate Change May Be Part of the Answer.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/climate/cold-climate-change.html.

 

Main Street’s Top Five Eats by Carly Patent

When touring colleges, a few elements were integral. I needed a nice dorm, preferably one that did not have cinder block walls and that did not look like a jail cell (Redding, check!). I looked for a nice gym so that I didn’t gain the stereotypical “Freshman Fifteen” that was mentioned at least once on every college tour (Little Bob, check!). I wanted to feel like I was actually on a campus speckled with cherry blossom trees, grass, and pretty brick buildings (The Green, check!). Clubs and activities were also an important part of my checklist in that I wanted to meet new people and get involved (Alpha Phi Omega, Club Tennis, Honors Blog, check!). Oftentimes overlooked by potential college students, academics were also a significant factor in the main reason why I would be going to college in the first place (#81, check!). While all of these elements were critical in making my decision, there was one factor that seemed to affect my choice even more than the rest: the food. Known as “gourmet girl” by my parents and known for my obsessions with the Food Network, cooking, baking, and Tasty videos—I placed a strong emphasis on the need for the university that I would select to offer numerous options when it came to keeping my stomach satisfied. Now in my sophomore year here, I can definitely say that the University of Delaware campus has pleased my request for a food-filled campus. While most students rely on the dining hall for meals, Main Street is what really got me. The mixture of chains and local restaurants, the variety of options, cuisines, and price ranges, and the overall quality of dining gives Main Street its appeal (check!). So, without further ado, let me present to you one of the most difficult lists that I have ever had to compile: Main Street’s Top 5 Eats (in no particular order because that’s simply just asking too much of me, as if these decisions weren’t tricky enough).

1. Catherine Rooney’s

I feel like it would be sacrilegious for a Blue Hen such as myself to not include at least Catherine Rooney’s or Klondike Kate’s; they’re both classic Delaware favorites offering everything from traditional “kid” food of chicken fingers and fries to comfort food classics. Recently among my friends, however, has emerged the debate of the century, and let me just say that I’m team Rooney’s. I had not actually been there until this year, and boy was that a mistake. The atmosphere of the restaurant is homey and cozy (I first went around Christmastime when the place was decked out in rustic red and green trinkets). My go-to, thanks to a friend’s recommendation, is the Jameson Burger, one of their signature items. Topped with Applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, crispy onions, barbecue sauce, and as if that were not enough, coleslaw, this burger is truly one of a kind. Pair it with their sweet potato fry wedges, and you’ve got yourself a meal that really sticks to your bones—perfect for a cold winter day!

2. Grain

Ah, good ole Grain. My stomach cannot help but rumble when I think about it. Everything is just oh-so scrumptious. This year, it is safe to say that I’ve been here an unhealthy amount of times, making me an expert on the best of the menu. I’d like to start out by saying that if you have not been here and have never had them, the nachos are to-die-for. Unlike a lot of the other nachos found on campus (which I’m most definitely not dissing…shout out to Klondike Kates’s buffalo chicken nachos, especially when they’re half-price on Tuesdays), Grain uses queso cheese sauce instead of the traditional melted cheese that you would normally find. Then, they load the pile of chips dunked in cheese with pulled chicken and all of your traditional nacho toppings—pico de gallo, jalapeños, sour cream, and guacamole. I forcefully demanded that my friends agree to order these when we went there for my birthday, and I can safely say that we almost fought over who was allowed to lick the plate clean (since it was my birthday, I rightfully won this battle). Another of my top menu items from Grain is their version of a Philly cheesesteak. As a Philly girl myself, I’d say that I know a great cheesesteak from a good one. The bread is pillowy, the onions are salty and the perfect amount of fried, the meat is juicy and tender, and the cheese sauce is creamy, gooey, and melty all in one. Pro tip: upgrade your meal with their sweet potato fries which come with a side of caramel sauce, making them almost dessert-like. Grain is one of my top five because of the fun yet intimate atmosphere, and the high-quality ingredients that compose their traditional yet amped-up menu items. And even better, try going in the spring when you can sit on their porch under the twinkle lights!

3. El Diablo

A University of Delaware favorite, El Diablo has become my recent obsession. While I hate to actually admit this, it’s become my Wednesday night go-to this semester after my weekly Butts n’ Guts class. Incomparable to Chipotle (just down the street), El Diablo offers an extreme number of toppings that cannot be found at similar restaurants. At El Diablo, you can pick your type of cheese, add pineapple salsa for a tropical flare, top off your burrito or bowl with jalapeños and pickled onions, and drizzle it with one of their homemade dressings. My classic is a brown rice bowl with chicken, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, sour cream, mild salsa, pineapple salsa, and corn salsa. The quality of the ingredients shines through every time I go—each component of my bowl is fresh and vibrant, bursting with flavor and color. Additionally, for all of the broke college students out there, El Diablo serves enormous portions for such reasonable prices; you can get a burrito or bowl—loaded with as many toppings as you’d like—for around $9.00. Does it get better than that? I only started getting El Diablo this year, but I must say that for those of you that like California-style Mexican food, be careful because it is truly addicting.

4. Newark Deli and Bagels

I feel like it wouldn’t be okay if I made this list and didn’t include Newark Deli and Bagels, better known as “NDB” to students here. For a quick bite in between classes, a quality lunch that will keep you full, or something to bring you back to life on a Sunday morning, Newark Deli and Bagels is where it’s at. Not to diss the dining halls, but for most of the student population from New York and New Jersey, those bagels just don’t cut it in terms of quality. Newark Deli and Bagels, however, offers a little piece of home in their quality bagels and toppings. My favorite is either a cinnamon raisin bagel with plain cream cheese or sausage, egg, and cheese on a whole-wheat bagel lathered in ketchup. In addition to their everyday menu, at times, NDB even has rainbow bagels for when you’re feeling spirited—including a festive green bagel for St. Patrick’s Day! I’ve sat in class counting down the seconds until I could make my way to Main Street for one of their warm bagels and have kept my eyes pressed on their bright green awnings as I darted across Main Street to get there before closing.  There is no greater joy than seeing the chef walk out of the kitchen with a pile of shiny-wrapped bagels and call your number. I think it’s safe to say that I personally could eat a bagel for every meal of the day (the combinations are truly endless), and Newark Deli and Bagels is always there to satisfy my cravings—that is until they close at 3 pm!3

5.Café Gelato

The final addition to my Main Street Top Five is none other than Main Street’s fanciest establishment. I will say that Café Gelato is the place to go when you have family in town who would be willing to treat you to the polar opposite of dining hall food. Café Gelato features an upscale menu and an elegant dining experience. Whenever I walk along Main Street and look into Café Gelato, I see what I still consider “grown-ups,” people who are not my fellow college students running all over the place and eating whatever they can get their hands on first. Going to Café Gelato is a transformative experience. One of my favorite menu items is the four-cheese tortellini in Parma Rosa sauce. The pasta was tender, and I could have licked the bowl clean of the sauce (that is, if I wasn’t in a fancy restaurant!). And, to make it even better, a meal at Café Gelato would not be complete without gelato, of course. Be sure to try the coconut and the salted caramel because you most definitely won’t regret it. Overall, Café Gelato is the place to go for a special occasion, to celebrate good times with good people over really good food!

 

At the University of Delaware, we’re so lucky to have such amazing options right next to campus. Food is such an easy way to connect with people and to make new memories. The options are endless – that is, until you get too full and need to be rolled home. I hope that my Main Street Eats list has been mouth-watering, tummy-rumbling, and palate-awakening!

“Yoga On My Mind” by Erin Jackson

In college I have learned how to be flexible with my time. In fact, I think this is a necessary skill to have to keep anyone from going crazy when things don’t go as planned. As a recent, and very casual, member of yoga club, I have started to learn how to apply this skill in different areas of my life.

Yoga to me is not all about being flexible in the traditional sense, the way we all think about. For those not familiar with the exercise it’s easy to use lack of flexibility as an excuse not to go. But for me, it’s all about trying new things and pushing myself emotionally and mentally, if not physically. Continue reading

Preventing a Dorm Epidemic by Jenna Whiting

For the past three winter months, hacking coughs, explosive sneezes, hoarse voices, and complaints about illness could be heard from all corners of Louis L. Redding hall, the Honors freshman dorm. College dorms can be prime environments for illness to spread, since we are all in close contact and, like in Redding, some of us can’t open our windows to ventilate our rooms and buildings. Here are some refresher tips for preventing illness on campus:

 

  1. Cough or sneeze into your elbow. Coughing or sneezing into your hands transfers germs to doorknobs/light switches/desks/etc. and spreads illness.

 

  1. Sanitize your hands often. When possible, wash your hands frequently. Note: if you can control which soap you use, choose a type that is NOT antibacterial, which is actually the worst thing you can use to kill germs. The antibacterial soap kills some but not all of the bacteria on your skin, and then the remaining bacteria that survive develop a resistance to the soap. Public health experts agree that washing your hands is the most effective way to remove germs from your hands, but hand sanitizer is a close second. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content kills most types of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in a few seconds (but can’t kill some microbes, like norovirus or E. coli). The dining halls and gyms have hand sanitizer set up next to the doors that are convenient to use, and you can carry hand sanitizer around with you. The next time you are at Walgreens, you can pick up a portable hand sanitizer and put it in your backpack, and you can even buy a bigger bottle to keep in your dorm room.

 

  1. Get a flu vaccine. The flu shot is the best way to protect you and other people from the flu. You should get it early in the fall by the end of October. And don’t fret – it is a myth that the flu shot can give you the flu, since the viruses in the flu shot are killed. As it takes two weeks for people to build up immunity after they receive the flu shot, it is possible to contract the flu in that two-week time span (and consequently attribute the illness to the flu shot mistakenly). Getting the flu shot protects both you and everyone else from getting sick. This is especially important to keep in mind because people with underlying lung diseases, like people who have asthma, are at greater risk of developing a second deadlier illness like pneumonia on top of the flu. Here on campus, it is easy to walk to Main Street and get the shot at Walgreens.

 

  1. Stay away from other people when you are sick. I know some professors make it hard to miss class, but do the best you can to follow their policies and, for example, go to the Student Health Center to provide proof of your illness so you can skip class and not infect other people. We’ll all thank you.

 

If we all follow these tips, we can help reduce the risk of a dorm epidemic and all get through the school year healthier together.

 

Sources consulted:

Newman, Meredith. “This is Why This Flu Season is So Serious.” USA Today, 16 February

2018.https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/02/16/why-flu-season-so-serious/345461002/.

Rettner, Rachael. “Flu Shot Facts & Side Effects (Updated for 2017-2018).” Live Science, 24

February 2018. https://www.livescience.com/40279-flu-shot-information.html.

Wanjek, Christopher. “Fighting the Flu: Do Hand Sanitizers Work?” Live Science, 27 October

2009, https://www.livescience.com/5822-fighting-flu-hand-sanitizers-work.html.

Older posts

© 2024

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑

Skip to toolbar