Author: felicias (page 2 of 3)

“What If?” by Chris Hope

I’m the type of person who thinks way too much about things, whether that be about decisions I make or about media I watch or listen to. Funnily enough, both of those aspects of myself fit together perfectly, because the past two weeks I’ve had working on the Harrington Theatre Arts Company’s recent production of the show If/Then. If you weren’t able to catch it, the story of If/Then focuses on Elizabeth and two timelines branching out from a single decision: one where she chooses to go with her newfound friend Kate (who calls her Liz) and one where she chooses to go with an old college friend Lucas (who calls her Beth). That single decision has a huge effect on her life as well as the lives of her friends and acquaintances. People who may meet and fall in love in one may never meet at all in the other, all because of a single decision. I, like many people, also tend to think long and hard over the possibilities that are presented in life’s choices; there can be advantages and pitfalls to such overthinking, but there are of course ways that media such as If/Then explore how one can overcome all of those pitfalls.

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TBT: “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Hannah Tattersall

As we all relax during our break, we here at 186 South College are doing a Throwback Thanksgiving! Please enjoy this post by Hannah Tattersall from 2013 about the anticipation for the upcoming wintery holiday season, and how we should celebrate what gives us joy. (Image Courtesy of UD’s Facebook page)

It seems like just yesterday I moved into my new room in James Smith in my JCrew shorts and tank, basking in the beauty of the blasting air conditioner, a far cry from move-in day in Russell freshman year.  Fast-forward a few months and instead of my AC in the 60s, the temperature outside has far surpassed that and now resides in the 40s and 50s on a regular basis.  There is even snow in Newark’s forecast this week!  In addition, previews for Disney’s new animated feature Frozen are popping up all over my TV, while peppermint hot chocolate is now available at the Starbucks in Smith, and twinkle lights are starting to be strung around Main Street. You know what this means… the holidays are upon us!  And if you are anything like me, you could not be more excited; it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Granted, Halloween was only 13 days ago, and we have yet to celebrate Thanksgiving.  However, I can’t help myself; I just want it to be the holidays already! It is such a magical time of the year. I swear the general public is a lot happier during the season. How could it not be? The holidays encourage us to show love and give thanks for all of the people in our lives and to showcase our ideals and beliefs. Plus, we get to eat lots of cookies and watch movies where there is always a happy ending, which is why I love watching them so much! Either the two leads fall in love and kiss under the mistletoe, or the Grinch-like characters start to believe in the spirit of the holidays. Regardless, they are such feel-good movies, just like the entire season itself.

However, I have found that while some people (myself included), are beyond excited for the holiday season, there are some people getting frustrated that the holidays are creeping up on us, just like those Grinch characters in some of those beloved movies. My Twitter feed is a jumble of confusion! Some of my followers embrace the spirit, through watching the Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” or listening to their favorite carols, while some have even put up their trees! Yet, there are those few Scrooges that say it is too early for such antics and that people should not start celebrating until after Thanksgiving. They are almost offended and extremely angry that people are in the holiday spirit! How can anyone be angry that it is almost the holidays?!

To those people that say it is too early to be celebrating: why do you care so much?  So what if people get excited for this time of the year and want to rush it as soon as possible? The holidays provide a sense of hope for people to believe that regardless of what may seem impossible, everything will be okay in the end.  So, as one of my followers, Carrie Kirk, said on Twitter, “If it makes you happy, begin to celebrate whenever you want,” (@kirk_carrie).  Tis the season, Blue Hens!

~Hannah Tattersall

“Time to Break the Cycle” By Alex Stone

You wake up to the annoyingly persistent buzz-buzz-buzz of your alarm clock. The sun has just begun to creep up over the horizon, starting its day just as you are beginning yours. Your bed is so warm, so cozy. It is almost painful to force yourself up and out of bed. Yet, you know you must because there are essays to write, projects to do, and notes to study. It is another morning, another day, and you find yourself just counting down the hours, the minutes, the seconds until you can crawl back into bed and get some much-needed rest before taking on the next day.

Throughout the semester, we can all find ourselves feeling this way, like we are in a constant cycle of work and worry. As Honors Students, taking many challenging classes, getting involved in exciting research opportunities, and participating in time-consuming extracurriculars can begin to make life feel overwhelming at times. The work may keep piling up, but the desire to accomplish that work keeps finding a way to remain out of reach. And yet, while I have found myself in this position a time or two this semester, I have also found a way to break out of this dangerous cycle, and hopefully you can too.

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“Turning Back the Clock on Tech” by Felicia Seybold

Being a college student in the age of Canvas modules, 11:59 pm deadlines, and digital coursework means we must live our lives on the computer. Unfortunately, there is no way around it. A certain amount of our time each day must be spent staring at a screen, even though the overwhelming advice is to lessen our daily screen time. To add to that, the allure of the phone screen is too strong. I always find myself hopping from my laptop to my phone to my iPad to my phone to my laptop to my phone to my… ok you get it. We all tend to do that. It’s so hard to pull ourselves away from super entertaining apps like Tik Tok, Instagram, and YouTube. I also don’t believe these kinds of apps should be vilified either. They provide us with incredible content, connect us with our friends no matter the distance, and give us a wealth of free information. And yet, a healthy balance remains difficult to achieve.

When I find myself in one of these technology binges for too long, the days blur together and I lose touch with the real world around me. The only thing I have found that relieves the cycle is spending time doing something a little more analog than digital. Recently, I have found a new thing to soothe that disconnected feeling I have on the computer all day. I’ve been rediscovering a nostalgic low-tech device from my childhood.

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“Diagnose and Treat Bad Study Habits” by Alex Stone

This summer, I began the daunting and lengthy process of studying for the medical school entrance exam, or as most people know it, the MCAT. (Cue gasps of horror!) Scary, I know. I was nervous but excited to take this next big step in my academic career. When I had signed up for the exam, it was February and the start of the spring semester. My actual test day, which was at the end of August, seemed ages away. I took my time getting organized, finding study materials, and even purchasing a prep course—though not a necessity, it seemed like the right choice for me and my situation. While I did prepare for the many months of studying ahead of me, I was leaving my bad study habits untreated. 

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