Dead Week Survival Guide!

Happy Friday and welcome to this edition of the DRL wordpress, I am Elizabeth Samson, your friendly RA from McGloin 5 East. I am senior and this next week will be my 7^th Dead Week. Unlike other universities, we actually have classes during Dead Week and not only that, but many of our professors have big papers, projects, or last minute tests scheduled for this week and all of our out of class involvements are trying to wrap things up before we head home for a much needed month long vacation. So in honor of this not-so-Dead Week, I give you a survival guide.

 

Here is a list of things you will probably need:

1. A good study space. Now everyone, don’t go rushing off to the library. Sometimes an empty classroom on your floor NZ works just fine!
2. Coffee (or something with caffeine) because as much as we’d all like to think we can avoid falling asleep at our computers, we can’t do it on our own. Oh and water, stay hydrated friends!
3. Notecards, sharpened pencils, an eraser, and some extra paper. We don’t want to be stranded in the middle of test prep without those necessary supplies!
4. Late night snacks. Our bodies will need some help as we stay up later and work harder. Maybe opt for some healthy snacks too!
5. Good study music. Try Explosions in the Sky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n17_r0e_OwI&feature=fvst or Loraine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llx_DERuENY
6. Also, some study break music. Try Macklemore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes or Imagine Dragons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sENM2wA_FTg or Old Crow Medicine Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gX1EP6mG-E

 

Here is a list of things you shouldn’t forget to do:

1. Sleep! Seriously, please do not forget to get some sleep each night. We will not make it through these last two weeks without making sure our bodies get rest.
2. Eat. Eat healthy and eat every meal normally. We will be able to focus better on a full stomach.
3. Get some exercise. Go for a run or even a walk. Some cardio will help us focus in the long run.
4. Take study breaks! Go hang out with a friend or have a mini dance party, it will make all that studying more bearable.

 

With that my friends, I leave you with well wishes and hope for a successful last two weeks!

Who’s Line Is It Anyway?

Hello again! This is Joey Kulczewski coming at you with yet another rousing blog post. I know you guys have waited for this one. You might be asking yourselves, what is this topic going to be… IMPROV NIGHT!

That’s right! Today Thursday November 29^th there will be an Improv Show at the Lied Center of Performing Arts starting at 9pm. Anyone can come and best part of it is… its free!!!! So come on down and laugh off the stress that finals has brought.

The Improv Show is put on every year as a final for all the students in Bill Hudson’s improv class. It’s a night of craziness, huge laughs, and undoubtedly a lot of inappropriateness and who would want to miss that?!? Oh and did I mention that yours truly will be one of the performers! Yes it’s true! We have been preparing all year for this one night so come join us for laughs and the best finals de-stresser Creighton has to offer. See ya there at 9pm!!!!

Christmas at Creighton!

Thanksgiving is over and we all know what that means…the Christmas season is in full swing!  For those of you that have never been at Creighton for Christmas at Creighton, you are certainly in for a treat!

The lighting ceremony starts at 5pm out at St. John’s fountain.  It is truly magical watching the mall light up.  After the lighting ceremony, hurry over (and I mean HURRY!!) to skutt to get in line for an awesome dinner!  Literally, it will be the best dinner you have all year here at Creighton.

I asked a few upperclassmen to reminisce on previous Christmas at Creighton experiences.  Here is some of what they said:

“Christmas at Creighton is one of my favorite events at Creighton. I love seeing the whole school get together to dine as one big family! I am really going to miss such a special occasion once I graduate.”

” Fav thing- tree lighting. Harry potter theme – AWESOME!”

” I love the moment when they flip the lights on. We have to wait so long after seeing them put up the lights, and it just makes the campus look so beautiful.”

“Christmas at Creighton is a great event that is fun to celebrate and helps us get through the last two weeks of the semester.”

Did I mention that there is a new theme to Christmas at Creighton this year??  That’s right!  Get your magic wands out and get ready to experience a whole new kind of Christmas at Creighton – Harry Potter edition!!

 

So get excited and have a wonderful Christmas at Creighton 2012 and good luck on the rest of the year!

 

-Sally

Oh just wait!

My name is Ager Belay. I am an RA in Kiewit Hall (Freshmen Hall). Sometimes you just hear the funniest conversations as you leave the Hall.  For example, on Monday morning around 9.15AM. I’m headed over to Skutt from Kiewit to grab coffee before my class and I overhear this conversation from two male students that were Kiewit Residents. The first student is clearly someone who lives in the Midwest and his friend is someone who has never seen snow before.

Imagine the Midwestern student’s voice being very monotone and stoic. Now imagine someone just the opposite. Next read this conversation and keep in mind that there is snow blowing and it is mighty chilly on campus.

 Student#1: Your glowing dude…

Student#2:  (grabs snow from air) It is SNOWING!! How much are we going to get? I’m sending pictures to all my friends in Cali!

Student#1:  It’s actually too cold to snow… It’s probably going to die down pretty soon.

Student#2: California boy is REALLY upset.

Student#1: (laughs)

Thoughts in my head as I listened to this conversation:

First off, why doesn’t Student#1 humor his friend just a little?  Tell him about blizzards and snow storms that start off as harmless snowflakes.  Better yet, tell him about snow days!  Doesn’t building snow forts around campus sound fun to you? Yes, they are awesome!  And yes Midwestern-Winter-Warrior, you are correct. It doesn’t snow when it gets too cold. Going to school that has all four season in nine months has its privileges in case you did not know. Make it sound appealing!  Instead you crushed Cali boy’s heart and your friend started talking in third person? You thought it was funny but I observed (through my eavesdropping) that you have two problems. You are unfazed by snow and your friend just sent pictures of snow blowing in the air. Really, don’t do that to him. Tell him to wait until we get an inch or two and his friends from California can be awestruck or something.

Miracle on Farnam

Looking for some holiday fun this winter season? Well look no further than our very own Midtown Crossing Miracle on Farnam holiday display. According to their website, “Midtown Crossing presents Miracle on Farnam, a season-long celebration of creativity, good cheer and authentic holiday pleasures.  Stroll in the glow of sparkling lights, sip hot chocolate, and enjoy Midtown Crossing’s newest holiday tradition – a parade of dazzling window displays.

All along Farnam Street, Omaha’s creative non-profits will showcase their artistry and imagination by transforming ordinary window space into holiday miracles. (The most miraculous design will earn a $3000 donation courtesy of Midtown Crossing!)

Bring your family; invite your friends. Spend the afternoon celebrating Omaha’s miracles or make an evening of it — and then settle in for a cozy lunch or dinner at one of our warm, affordable restaurants.”

For more information, visit http://www.miracleonfarnam.com/

 

I Love Books

Hello Creighton University! This is Junior John Sarmiento with another fun post about one of this university’s fun classes. Last time I wrote an article about bug catching (https://cureslife.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/the-diversity-of-insects-on-campus/). This time I will be writing about books. As a college student, you might be thinking, “Wow… I already have to read books for many of my other classes.” However, this class is more than just a typical textbook or a novel for a World Literature class. This class, HRS 348 – Pictures and Words: The Visual Book, taught by Father Michael Flecky, introduces students to the beauty and sophistication that is “a book.”

From what I have learned so far, a book can go beyond pages with text and maybe photos, all contained between two covers. Instead, a book can be an artistic representation of written ideas. Some characteristics can range from use of colors, typefaces, spacing, and much more! Even the way the book is made – like the quality of paper, the technique of printing, and the binding – is something that I have learned to appreciate.

With Finals coming up, it is around the time when Creighton students can soon start looking up classes offered next semester. I highly recommend looking up some classes that interest you, like the classes I have mentioned in this blog. I would like to conclude: don’t judge a class by its subject and course number, but read what the class is really about and try it out!

Thanksgiving

Hi, my name is Kristyn Angsten and I’m a senior RA in Swanson Hall. I’m sure you all have realized that Thanksgiving is around the corner. Each year at this time, many of us reflect on what we are thankful for. This year, some things I’m thankful for are my friends, family, health, and education. I’d like to take this time to point out that I’m especially thankful for my education. College has flown by and I can’t believe it’s already my senior year. I have really enjoyed my experiences at Creighton and I have made some memories I will never forget. Also, I have been receiving a great education. I think it can be easy for us to forget that we’re receiving high quality education. I have seen many people take this for granted. Students begin to complain about how they have such an early class, or about how they have to stay in over the weekend to study for exams. It’s easy to complain about why we dislike school, but I’d like to remind you that you have an opportunity that not everyone else has. I encourage you to think about how important it is to be here at Creighton. I am by no means trying to make anyone feel guilty. I just want us to realize how great it is to be here.

Overall, it can be so easy to get wrapped up in our busy lives and forget about the things that we may take for granted. This may be a good time for you to take some time to reflect on what you’re thankful for. If you’re thankful for someone and what they do, go tell them! They may already know that you’re thankful for them, but some words of affirmation may be appreciated. The words “thank you” can be so powerful!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

-Kristyn”

Christmas at Creighton

Thanksgiving break is coming up soon, which only means one thing: So is Christmas at Creighton! Christmas is a magical time for many; a time to gather with loved ones and to celebrate Christ. And in keeping with the magical spirit, Inter Residence Hall Government just released the theme for this year: Christmas at Hogwarts!

 

How neat is that? Every year, tradition holds strong for Christmas at Creighton with wintry and blustery themes, but this year, IRHG has taken a complete spin to inject a little fun and a total sense of magic into the celebration. Invitations were delivered under the door, and IRHG is working on some special and magical features that will transport you out of Omaha and into Hogsmead.

 

Christmas at Creighton is more than just the campus celebration of the Christmas season. Families and alumni are invited, as well as our community partners, such as Girl’s Inc., the North and South Omaha Boys and Girls Clubs, and Seven Oaks of Florence. Christmas is a time to share with others, and that is exactly what we are trying to do.

 

So definitely come to this amazing event! If you have never been before, you do not want to miss out. If this is your fourth or fourteenth year, I promise this year will be spectacularly different! There will be a lighting ceremony where Fr. Lannon lights all of the Christmas lights and a Christmas tree ceremoniously. There will be tons of food, and it is your only place to eat that night! There may also be a little bit of something magical, something special, to make this night unforgettable.

 

I know, you’re just itching to know when this is. Well, mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 28^th! There will be a lighting ceremony outside of St. Johns about 4:30pm, and dinner served in Skutt. You literally cannot miss this event, as it is the largest annual events here as Creighton proudly welcomes the Christmas season and the Christmas Spirit.

Launching Bluejay Radio!

That’s right people, Creighton University has officially launched an online radio station. Who knew that was even in the works? I’ll tell you one thing, this girl didn’t. So far they have played an eclectic mix of music ranging from Bob Marley to Mumford and Sons to Akon and Jason Derulo. They have various DJ’s with different musical tastes. It seems like they are trying to appeal to all music lovers, and I am interested to see what kinds of songs they’ll play next. For those of you who don’t read the student news, this week is considered “launch week” for the station so they will have places set up in Skutt to help you access their music on your phone. And if you go to this website: http://www.live365.com/stations/creightonuniv?play=2 then you can listen to the station on your computer. You can either call in or request songs via Twitter (Follow @BluejayRadio). Pretty cool, right? So, go online and check it out. It’s a neat thing Creighton is doing and it needs all the support it can get!

Death By Multitasking

Death by Multitasking

 

Many of us have been there – writing a paper while listening to music while having one eye on the game while texting while playing your word in Words with Friends while eating while chatting on Facebook whileshoppingonlinewhilehelpingafriendwiththeirpaperwhiletheirlisteningtomusicwhile…well, you get it. Multitasking, oftentimes boasted as a great skill, may not be so brag worthy after all. Our generation, deep fried in media and smothered with an unhealthy amount of the need to be connected, has it the worst with all of our electronic options and mediums. From smartphones, to laptops, from tablets to iAnything  and wifi always at our fingertips (for the most part), we almost have the inability to disconnect. In our very own Creighton Handbook it is required that we check our email twice a day, and let’s be honest – if we only checked it twice a day we’d fall behind in something. As a student today, generally over involved and nauseously stressed about grades, how would we keep our heads above water without multitasking? I don’t know. Unfortunately most of the research is about why multitasking is bad, but never about how as a student/employee/chair of this/president of that/member of the other is supposed to function in today’s society without it. Magazines like New York Times, Scientific American, and National Geographic can tell us all they want about how multitasking reduces productivity, results in a higher chance of mistakes, leads to short term memory loss and disrupts our ability to comprehend what we read, but until they figure out a way for us to complete all of our tasks within the confines of a day what other choice is there? There are other choices, of course, life is full of choices –  but if a we couldn’t multitask for the rest of the year, for whatever reason, most students would feel like 1) they would have to sacrifice fun in order to build up their resume and gpa, or 2) keep on with their almost balanced life, but without the ability to multitask, inevitably fall behind in absolutely everything to a point of no return. What other possible solutions and choices  are there? Is there a need for reform  in our generation’s time management and work ethic? Does it call for a change in American society?  What changes would you make to the many facets of a college student’s life to create a balanced week void of multitasking? If you figure out anything that works be sure to tweet/facebook post about it, and if it’s tangible – insta.gram it for sure!

 

Written by workaholic, crazy connected junior and social work major Shelby Cervantes-Sheard