Oh, I'm going to miss this

This is what Lyons 316 looked like on August 26th last year.

Onto bigger and better things! Linnehan219<3

Want to feel smarter?

Or nicer, or more tolerant, or just a better person all-around?
Or, do you just want to have another excuse to ridicule Michele Bachmann?
If you answered yes to any of the above,
check out this link from my blog, Warring with Trolls.

Tips to Stay Healthy

Hey Baby Knights!

  So I know you're in planning overload stage, but I wanted to write about something that's kind of hard to plan for, but usually preventable. One of the worst things about being at college is being sick at college and missing your mom and your couch more than anything. This year I managed to stay abnormally healthy, but I watched a few friends suffer through the flu, strep, stomach bugs, and colds. Being sick away from home is never fun, but what's even worse is paying for classes that you have to miss. Plus tissues are expensive. The main point is to avoid getting sick, so here are some tips to stay healthy:

1. The most important thing to maintain a healthy immune system is GET SOME SLEEP. I had a major issue adjusting to the college sleep schedule (mainly because I decided it was more productive to clean and get ahead on homework instead of sleeping... maybe I'll blog about this later) and trust me, if you're not sleeping you will feel like absolute POOH.

2. Keep a pump-bottle of hand sanitizer near your door to use whenever you come home. Keeping the germs out is important. You can also bring a travel size for Alliot, or use the sanitizer-stands provided near the door.

3. CLEAN YOUR ROOM. Pick up laundry, throw away trash, do your dishes. Letting trash and grime build up on your surfaces is nasty, visually and bacterially (yes this is a word. I'm an English major and I can make them up).

4. The Res-Life staff might yell at me for this one, but... open your windows every once and a while. Dorm rooms can get really stuffy, and circulating fresh air is important. You need to be careful about this in the winter, because if you leave your windows open, the PIPES WILL FREEZE (it happened last winter and did major damage in Founders).  Last year I tried to open my window a little for an hour or so while I was in the room to make sure it didn't get too cold. If you're worried about forgetting to shut your window, leave the door open and angle your fan so that it will blow in fresh air in from the hall.

5. VITAMINS! As a vegetarian, I'm a big fan of my vitamins. I take Vitamin C, Calcium with Vitamin D, and Iron (I can't take a multivitamin because they make me sick). Taking your Vitamin C is important, even if you drink orange juice because most of that stuff in Alliot is from concentrate and mainly water.

6. Speaking of Alliot, eating healthy is SO important. I'm really bad about remembering my veggies, even as a vegetarian, so it's good to make a rule for yourself like "eat one salad a day at lunch or dinner" or "grab a banana in the morning to eat during class" (I follow both). Before I went to college, I NEVER ate a banana- the texture grossed me out- but now I eat them almost every day. My friend Derek would also want me to add here that eating yogurts with ACTIVE LIVE CULTURES is really good as well, something like Stoneyfield, or a greek yogurt (YUM).

7. Wash your hands! The dorm bathrooms DO NOT provide soap, but most RAs will collect money to buy a community soap bottle. We do have alcohol sanitizer, but don't settle for that. Keep on your RA's butt about replacing it, or bring your own- the huge refill bottles at Walmart are really cheap. Some RAs will also provide a hand towel, but I recommend avoiding this. Usually I brought my own towel to the bathroom or waited until I went back in my room.

8. Don't be a make-out monster. Yes, kissing is lovely, but do you know how many mouths that mouth has been on this week? Oral hygiene is an entire blog post in itself, but the basics are: Take care of cold sores, use a good lip balm for chapped lips, BRUSH YOUR TEETH, and don't kiss everything with a tongue. On a similar note, DON'T SHARE CUPS, BOTTLES, FLASKS, CANS, GLASSES, OR STRAWS. Do I need to say more? Please refer to Health Services for more questions, located in the basement of Alumni.

9. Change your sheets, especially your pillowcases, regularly. Beds can get really nasty, especially when they also serve as couch for your friends. Getting sleep is important, but so is having a germ-free bed.

10. Finally, some basic supplies to keep around: I recommend a can of LYSOL (spray everything down when you move in, before you start setting up), a household surface CLEANER like Windex (I used mine to clean my mirror as well as wiping down my desk and bureau), and an air-disinfecting spray. As far as medical supplies, in addition to vitamins and hand sanitizer, I kept a bottle of Aleve or Ibuprofen. I also have friends who swear by Emergen-C. Another really important item is SHOWER SHOES. Last year I remember hearing that a bunch of girls had gotten some kind of un-mentionable fungi and... ugh, just wear shower shoes, okay?

  I hope this helped remind you of anything you may have forgotten! Maintaining sanitary habits means that you are less likely to miss class, and make your mom cry because she can't take care of you.
  Cheers!

Shameless blog plug. Just read it.

If you like a good rant every now and then, CLICK HERE!
(http://warringwithtrolls.tumblr.com/post/8587855972/yeah-i-think-it-would-be-extremely-beneficial-to)

See, that so bad, was it?

I don't mean bad in the sense of whether or not you agree.
What I mean is, did it make you think?
Yes?
Good.
Did you like it?
That doesn't matter.
Get used to it.
Welcome to college.

Awkward Face

My first video blog, on my send off party tonight!

Alliot: a Nine Step Dining Guide

I think now might be a good time to give some Alliot guidelines, as the dining hall can be one of the most intimidating places on campus when you first walk in. Here are some step by step instructions on how to survive this thrice-daily ritual.

1.              Drop your bags. There are no bags allowed in the Green Mountain Dining Room, so at mealtimes students line the walls of Alliot with backpacks, athletic bags, LAX sticks, skis, umbrellas, longboards- anything you can imagine. Don’t be freaked out about leaving your stuff. It’s an honor system that everyone holds to (insert St. Mike’s plug: I think this is one of the greatest examples of what a community our campus really is).

2.              Get out your Knight Card and give it to the Alliot worker at the door, typically the notorious Rosemary. Smile at her every time, even if she doesn’t smile at you. Rosemary is a legend.

3.              Now you’re heading to the buffet style conundrum that is Alliot dining. On the outside, clockwise starting at the left you will find: Condiments, beverages, the Grill, pizza, juices, toasters (with breads), coffee/lattes/hot chocolate, hard and soft serve ice cream with toppings, the big skillet (eggs in the morning, grilled cheese and burgers at lunch and dinner), a station that usually features some kind of home-style meat and potato dinners (not really sure what it’s called), more beverages, then the vegan station, and on the far right, the Salad station (my favorite). In the middle there is also a make-your-own salad station, various lunchmeats and sandwich materials, a soup and pasta island, a milk and cereal dispenser, and a GIANT desert station. Silverware can be found near the salad station and grills, and spoons are near the soup. I apologize if that was overwhelming.

4.              The key to actually acquiring food is to take a quick glance around and choose the best option. Always take a survey before you decide. Last year Alliot went tray-less, and it’s really not as bad as it first appears. It not only saves water in dishwashing, but also keeps people from taking mountains of food and wasting a it all. Don’t worry, you’ll soon master the balancing act of plate, cup, and silverware… and pray that someone else is the unlucky one to spill their dishes to a round of applause from their fellow diners.

5.              If you’re with friends, it’s a good idea to meet by the silverware before heading to a table. The worst feeling in the world is standing abandoned in Alliot and staring around at a room full of unrecognizable faces, desperately searching for your friends. Slightly less embarrassing but still terrible is the awkward walk in which you pretend to know where you’re going in the hopes that you will spot your terrible, terrible dinner companions.

6.              If you are not with friends, this is a great opportunity to utilize those greeting skills that I talked about in my last post. If you recognize someone, don’t be afraid to sit down, reintroduce yourself, and join in the conversation. I promise promise promise it’s not as bad as it sounds. Likewise, if you do spot some poor soul sitting by him or herself, invite them over! They will forever think of you as the nicest person EVER, and you’ll feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

7.              After eating your meal, gather your dishes and scrape any leftover food items onto one plate, in preparation for the next step: compost. The dishwashing and composting station is near the front of Alliot to the left. It’s pretty simple- food in the bins, plates and cups on the conveyor belt, silverware down the chutes. Be courteous to the staff in the back and put things neatly where they belong.

8.              On the way out of Alliot there’s a suggestion table where students can leave messages and the staff will respond. Let them know what you think, good or bad, and request new items if you have an idea! Also don’t forget to say goodbye to Rosemary!

9.              Lastly, grab your bag! It’s really embarrassing to be walking out- or, God forbid, all the way to class- and realize that you’ve forgotten your stuff. Also make sure it’s your own (not kidding, there was a girl in my class last year who realized halfway through class that she had someone else’s bag which was identical to her own).

I know that no matter what your first few meals in Alliot are going to be nerve-wracking, but I promise it gets better. Don’t panic, be courteous, and choose wisely!

ps. Keep a firm grip on that cup, or be prepared for a show! (you’ll see soon enough)

Summer Readings

Interested in what I've been reading this summer?

Half the Sky by Nick Kristof
The Taliban Shuffle by Kim Barker
The Golden Cage by Shirin Ebadi
Jerusalem, Jerusalem by James Carroll (I must admit I'm stuck in this one)
The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (currently halfway through, loving it)

Might I also suggest:
Last August before I left for school, I re-read the entire Harry Potter series in a month because I knew I'd never have time for fun reading again. That turned out not to be true- I read the seventh book the weekend before the last movie came out- but it was still a nice send-off before college.