Author: Lauren Buckley

Sarah Morris
Staff Writer

If you’re like me, at some point in your life you’ve been awake at an hour when it seems like you’re the only person alive, maybe around 4 a.m. The rest of the world is only about to get up, and where are you? On YouTube. You’ve probably been there for some time, scouring the web for anything worth watching since you’ve diagnosed yourself with temporary insomnia through WebMD. Then there is a moment. A perfect moment in which you discover the section of YouTube filled with documentaries, interviews and investigatory research about serial killers.

It’s almost like a disease you acquire as you watch video after video, until you reach that one. It’s the exact moment in which you have found the absolute worst thing about serial killer documentaries: you find the killer who is most like you. You’re watching a couple random videos, and then you’re only watching the videos for this person. You watch the interviews with his parents, or the news stories that explain the killer: a loner, an intellectual, maybe even a social maven. You start to understand the killer’s intentions, you don’t agree with them necessarily, but you see his emotional pain as the underlying torture that brought him to his murderous acts.

If you’re reading this thinking that it’s weird or creepy then you’re fooling yourself. I know you have a favorite serial killer too, and if you haven’t found him, he’s still out there. He’s the one who seems logical in his interviews, almost normal. Or even if he has some sort of weird psychiatric fetish, he’s sensitive and regretful or explanatory. He’s just like you, but instead of going to the gym, or dancing, or eating, or even getting drunk … he kills people. Which is not okay at all, but it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have human qualities to him. When I say that he’s your favorite, I don’t mean that you actually like him or would murder people yourself. It’s more a feeling that you found the evil side to yourself. Your favorite killer is someone who fascinates you to no end, and even worse, he makes you realize that anybody is capable of murder.

Elaine Lac

Staff Writer

Public education has been always been a part of my life. I’m all too familiar with overcrowded classrooms, awful teachers and unresponsive administration. When applying to colleges, I was determined to go to a liberal arts institution. I ignored those who bragged about applying to the Ivy Leagues, high pedigree universities and big state institutions. I was not interested. I desired professors who would care about my learning, and a university that paid attention to its students. This University cares about my education, and tries to improve its programs and increase opportunities for students.

Education is an investment, and after paying more than $50,000 a year, the University has to deliver. The minute I stepped into the classroom, I had professors who really knew their material. They would arrange the class into circles, ask us if we understood and compromised on assignment dates. The passion driving their teaching became apparent when they made sure they were always available. Some professors provided their personal phone numbers and others arranged extra study sessions. Not one professor has refused to help me. They’ve always tried to be helpful, and have accommodated my academic needs on days I was unavailable for normal office hours.

The University has found excellent, passionate teachers for classes. They engage with students and seek improvement in their teaching. Professors solicit our opinions and apply them to their future classes. It makes my learning meaningful. I cannot imagine going back to a public education setting. I have heard horror stories, and everyday I appreciate that I have professors who remember my name and don’t run their classes like competitions.

The only thing I wish to change is to have a more active campus. I have been in and witnessed numerous clubs and organizations that seem to do little. People are individualized. With a little galvanized student work, I believe the campus and Lewisburg can achieve even greater things. I am guilty of this as well, and only time will tell when a force strong enough will appear to unite the campus.

The University is where real learning happens. At its core, our University’s exceptional professors drive the school, and have outdone every other school I’ve seen.

Mary Morris

Contributing Writer

With Thanksgiving behind us and the winter holidays around the corner, many of us are wondering how we can possibly find the room in our already bulging bellies for round two. Considering the season of giving is upon us, I am here to offer the gift of eating advice.

Have you ever starved yourself all day for that Friendly’s 12 Scoop Challenge or holiday meal? This is the first major no-no! When prepping yourself for the meal of a lifetime, it is pivotal to snack throughout the day. This keeps your stomach at its full size, while going the day without eating actually shrinks it so that you cannot enjoy the meal to its maximum capacity.

Some people might tell you that you can’t sprint a marathon; these people are wrong. In order to appropriately enjoy the holiday meals, it is imperative that once you begin eating, you do not slow down until you are done. Eating slowly allows your body to realize what it has consumed and you will feel full faster than you want to. In order to beat your body at its own game you have to eat faster than the speed of self-control.

The last rule is that you must eat until you think your pants are going to explode. Once at that point, you must move on to the second course. This pattern of indulgence continues until everything from the appetizers to the dessert has been tasted, enjoyed and gobbled. Sure it might sound simple or even absurd, but the holiday meal is not for the faint of heart.

Next to the Olympics, the holiday meal season is the next greatest test of the human spirit and ability to come together. As we gather around in the spirit of the holidays, loving our families and stuffing our gullets with secret recipes, remember to eat like a champion and you, too, can have 22 gold medals.

Lauren Buckley

Opinions Editor

While it was nice to get that cherished extra hour of sleep–especially in a college student’s sleep schedule–Daylight Savings really snuck up on me this fall. I never took much notice to the hour shift before this year when it really seemed to disorient my schedule in unexpected ways.

The sunset in Lewisburg this week was around 4:40 p.m., and when it starts to become pitch black outside before 5 p.m., I find it extremely difficult to maintain a normal evening routine. My body responds to the darkness, and the drowsiness sets in before I’ve even eaten dinner! How am I supposed to be able to accomplish the studying that needs to get done in the evening when I feel like I should be slipping under the covers at 5 p.m. because it’s so dark out?

The early sunset also sucks away any motivation I have to do anything active (this may even include walking all the way to the library). When it is dark and really chilly outside, the only thing I feel like doing is hibernating in my room. I also hope I am not the only person who noticed an increased desire to snack, especially on junk food and sweets. I am convinced this has to do with the new shift to such an early darkness. We are all much more active and less self-pitying when it is light and warm outside, like during the summer.

Even as someone who dreads waking up in the morning no matter how late it is, I have to admit that Daylight Savings makes the mornings much more bearable. It’s hard not to wake up and smile when it is a beautiful, bright fall day and the sun is shining so early. I’m sure it makes all the unlucky students with 8 a.m. classes a lot less miserable.

Because of the changes I’ve observed due to this unfortunate time shift, I’ve adjusted my schedule to compensate for the hasty loss of light. I try my best to get as much work done as possible early or between classes, the time of day when I have the most energy and motivation. I also make sure I don’t keep too many tempting treats next to my bed, no matter how intense those cravings are. If you are anything like me and feel like your circadian rhythms are just totally off, recognizing this about yourself is the first step towards recovery.

I can’t help the discouraging feeling that next semester will be challenging during the dead of winter. Simply enough, most people do not flourish in cold, dark weather (hence the reason half a million Americans are diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder every year). Based on my small successes in changing my routine, I know that a few adaptations can easily be made to cope with the seasonal and time changes that winter brings.

El McCabe

Staff Writer

With Christmas and Winter Break just around the corner, it is time to get in the proper holiday spirit! For many students, it can be sad not to be home for the decorating and preparing aspect of the season; however, there are many things that can be done on campus to make up for this.

One way of bringing the holiday spirit and cheer to life on campus is the old standby of decorating your dorm room. In college, your dorm room is essentially your home, and bringing cheer to such a small area can actually make a world of difference. Imagine walking into your room every day during finals week to a beautifully decorated mini-Christmas tree or a menorah. There is no chance that seeing that small Christmas tree, menorah, snowman, holiday lights, etc. will not bring a smile to your face. You will also be the envy of all your friends in the dorm for having the most festive living space of all.

Another fun activity you can do to get into the holiday spirit is bake. During the holiday season at my house, there are dozens upon dozens of baked goodies everywhere. Fortunately, baking is possible on campus and these same delicious treats can be made just about anywhere there is an oven. It is proven that baking and cooking are good stress relievers that can serve as fun (and delicious) study breaks during finals. There is truly no better way to make new friends and bring in the holiday spirit than to bake a tray full of cookies and share them with everyone.

Finally, starting a Secret Santa gift exchange or making holiday cards is another way to spread holiday cheer on campus. Rather than buying a bunch of small and meaningless gifts for all your friends, Secret Santa is a great way to put a lot of thought into one gift without breaking the bank. Secret Santa is always fun because it is exciting trying to guess the person who has you and thinking of creative gifts for your person. It also avoids the awkward moment when someone buys you a gift unexpectedly and you have nothing to give him or her, and vice versa. Similarly, handing out holiday cards or making them from scratch is a personal and thoughtful way of wishing your friends a wonderful holiday break. Such a small gesture of giving someone a card can bring a smile to his or her face and truly bring in the spirit of the season of giving.

It is more than possible to spread holiday cheer during these few remaining weeks on campus. Bringing the aspects of home to campus during the holiday season can help you get through the stress of finals and motivate you more than ever. Sometimes it only takes a small gesture to get you and everyone around you in the spirit of the season.

Justin Marinelli

Senior Writer

I went through rush this year thinking I had everything planned out. I knew exactly where I wanted to rush, how I was going to go about it and what I would get out of it. Well, sort of. Fastidious plans aren’t my strong suit. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I had a framework laid out.

Something happened though, that I didn’t have a framework for dealing with. One of the fraternities I ended up visiting (that wasn’t on my intended list) just clicked with me. I felt comfortable there. It felt right. In the span of roughly an hour, I became a lot more interested than I had before. So much for having everything figured out.

Over the following days, I ended up spending a lot more time there. The brothers never failed to greet me enthusiastically every time I showed up. I clicked with the guys I met, and I loved just hanging out with them. By the end of rush, I knew where I wanted to be.

Luckily, they wanted me as well. I wasn’t out of the woods yet though. I’d heard tales of hazing, and I was unsure of how that would turn out. Fortunately, I didn’t need to worry. My pledge process turned out to be a smooth, rewarding experience, as I bonded with my pledge brothers, learned the history of my fraternity and learned the rituals and customs I would need to know.

Eventually, I reached the end of my pledge process. As I stood there at initiation, waiting to be officially confirmed as a new member, I couldn’t help but feel an immense surge of pride. I was ready for this, I had worked for this and now I was going to officially be a brother. I loved my pledging process, but I couldn’t wait for the next part of the journey.

The Greek system isn’t for everyone, and it does have its own set of issues. Still, that’s a topic for another time. For me, after a semester of entering the Greek system, getting through the pledge process and ending the year as a full-on fraternity man, I know it was worth it. Not only that, but it was one of the richest experiences I’ve ever had, one that has been equal parts exciting, enlightening and unexpected, and without a doubt, definitely beyond anything I could have planned for.

Justin Marinelli

Senior Writer

Over the holidays it can always be tempting to fall back into old habits and hook up with an ex or a former summer fling from home. But take this warning before you return home and make a potentially big mistake.

One of my old girlfriends, Freyja (not her real name), contacted me a while back about getting some help with her college essays. Seeing as how I spend a lot of my time writing, I considered myself sufficiently practiced at this point to be able to give meaningful advice (and honestly, she needed it).

In between sending copies of her essays back and forth, we caught up on what we’d been up to since we last saw each other. She’d been rising through the ranks in the school choirs and was earning high-level places in state choirs. It was hard not to feel proud of her. She also had a new boyfriend who was not exactly the same kind of guy I was. He apparently wasn’t as smart, driven, athletic, knowledgeable, charismatic, witty, mature, confident or good-looking as I was (he is also apparently “way more modest” than I am). It was hard to keep my ego in check, which was where the trouble started.

After talking a while, we planned to meet up over break. This was my chance. All I had to do was show up, be way more awesome than her new boyfriend and odds were she would eventually fall into my arms. I had no intention of any sort of romantic relationship with her again, but a holiday hook-up? I could be thankful for that.

But why was I even thinking about doing that? It wasn’t as if there was any left over attraction (that was gone even before the relationship ended). It was my ego flaring up. It had been agitated by hearing about Freyja’s new man. I wanted to make her yield to me, to know that I still had the same sexual power over her that I used to.

Luckily, I realized that I was feeling these things. I had a good laugh at myself, and made myself some tea. I learned long ago not to entertain thoughts like that. It would most likely be fun to hang out and meet her new guy, and it could occur without making it about my ego.

Still, I ended up canceling on Freyja anyway. I knew my ego wouldn’t be a problem, and I knew it could be great fun, but deep down, I really didn’t want to see her. I suppose at the end of the day I felt that there was too much of a gap in experience, knowledge and maturity to make it worth my time. There’s only a two-year gap between us, but it feels like a lot more than that sometimes.

Maybe I’ll see her over winter break. Maybe not. Either way, she’s not the only old flame I’ve got back in New Jersey. I think I’ll see at least one or two of them this December. I don’t know if anything will happen, if there are even any embers left burning on my side or theirs, but it would make my life a lot easier if everything was extinguished. I know it’s forecasted to be a very cold winter this year and that nothing can keep you warmer than an old flame, but I’d rather the only fire that’s burning be in the hearth.

Hooking up with an old flame is usually about two things: satisfying your ego or trying to keep the past alive (and frequently, both). Neither one results in a happy ending in the long-term. Don’t do it. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, not to make poor decisions.

Ben Kaufman

Presentation Director

We have reached that dreaded point in the semester where everything is winding down and finals are coming soon, meaning that everyone is officially freaking out about the large amount of finals, projects and papers that we all have. While most people are only focused on all of that, I, along with some other students, have to also take into account everything that I need to do before going abroad next semester.

On top of all the normal issues we have when finishing up the semester, we have to complete all of the work that is required before going abroad. We have to get forms signed, classes approved, figure out everything we are doing with the university we will be staying at (housing, tuition, etc.) and many other tasks. On top of all this, we have to pack up our rooms as if it is summer and then pack up everything we need for our foreign destination. This all leads to the questions of whether to buy bedding here or once we land, how to bring toiletries on a plane and all those headaches that traveling brings. This includes making sure your passport isn’t expired and packing up everything as if headed back to campus, but instead, flying to a different country. As a native New Yorker, I’ve never had to fly to school, so this will be a new experience for me.

That being said, I am incredibly excited to go abroad. This will be my first time going to Europe, so I’m excited to start living a life like the ones I’ve heard about in stories. I am going to be studying at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and, according to Arcadia University (the school that is running my program), I am the only student at this university going to Scotland. Just like it was starting college three years ago, it’ll be a cool experience to have to meet new people while exploring not only Scotland, but hopefully most of Europe as well. The Office of International Education made the process really easy for me. Once I figured out which program I wanted, my advisor made it very clear what I needed to do in order to go abroad. This included the people I needed to talk to, when I needed my application in and everything in between.

Although I am very excited, it will be sad to miss out on a semester in Lewisburg. As much as I often criticize Lewisburg for being isolated in the middle of nowhere, there is a strong sense of community here that I am going to miss, especially since I have become so used to everything the University has to offer, including the interesting courses and easy accessibility to professors if I need help. However, I have only really left the country once, so I am way overdue for an experience in a foreign country. Even though I haven’t actually gone abroad yet, I would say to take advantage of the opportunity to do so if you get the chance. My brother went abroad for a year in Hawaii and then in Rome, and he said it changed his life and made him more culturally aware. On top of that, I have not heard one person say that he/she regrets going abroad. As much as we love the comfort we have in the ’burg, sometimes it’s necessary to get away for a semester and try a new experience.

Ben Kaufman
Presentation Director

Most people think that long distance relationships are not something that should be done. The first thing I used to hear in my head when I’d think about long distance relationships is the line from “30 Rock” when a character is complaining about her boyfriend being in a different country and Liz Lemon says, “Long distance is the wrong distance. Deal breaker.” Now that I am currently in a long distance relationship, this negative outlook seems more distant.

Just as it is nice when I am with my girlfriend, long distance relationships are actually nice.  Clearly if we didn’t really care about each other, we would not be doing this. Plus there are some benefits to being in a long distance relationship.

One benefit is that we both clearly have our own lives. I get annoyed when couples do literally everything together, no matter what the case may be. I give them a lot of credit because I don’t think I can spend that much time with anybody regardless of how much I love or care about them. So the fact that we don’t go to school together means that we are able to do our own thing when we want to as well as do things with each other when we are together.

That being said, as ridiculous as this may sound, the 21st century and the massive advances in technology and communication makes a long distance relationship pretty easy. We both have cell phones and therefore are usually texting each other throughout the day. We are also able to videochat every once in a while, which even though it is not as good as physically being with each other, it is still better than nothing.

Although there are some benefits to being in a long distance relationship, the only thing that is truly that bad is that we aren’t able to see each other very often. Being that Lewisburg is literally in the middle of nowhere and annoyingly far from everything makes transportation and commuting very difficult. However, we at least make the effort to see each other at least once a month, which is nice and definitely better than longer, extended periods of time.

The point of all my rambling is this: while most people view a long distance relationship as a bad idea and not something that should ever be done, I disagree. I think if you are with somebody and are committed enough to them to be apart from him or her for extended periods of time, then by all means go for it. I understand that it is difficult, but it is worth it. As much as I love Liz Lemon and everything she says on “30 Rock,” I’m going to have to disagree with her on this one and say that long distance is not always the wrong distance.