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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26. 2012
PAGE 9
THE UNIVERSITY DAHY KANSAN
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So KU's Got Talent is coming up. This would be game over only if I could bring my shower on stage.
Every day is a constant battle... To sleep, or to walk up that giant hill and to go class?
To the two guys sitting in the grass by Marvin: one fedora per group.
I'm not sure what's worse: sitting on a cold public toilet seat or sitting on a warm one.
Does anyone want to make me a quick sandwich?
It's called "Joy Whack-A-Mole." What happens? Somebody brings up something that they're happy about; and the other person SLAMS IT DOWN!
I was on the way to class and saw a stick on the ground. The kid in me said pick it up and swing about. The stoned college student did just that.
While we're on the subject of "crazy" professors, I'd like a shout out for Dr. Paul Laird (musicology). The hope of another pun is what keeps us coming, sir!
Life of a dedicated basketball fan constantly finding bits of newspaper in your purse or hoodie.
Yep, the guy in my class down in front is playing video games on his iPad.
Why am I so turned on studying chemistry? My life is just that sad.
It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearing milk bone underwear.
Getting your exercise during the holidays; using the stairs instead of the elevator. It's good enough.
I love my family, but it's time to be back at KU.
First!
Worst part of Thanksgiving Break?
Accidentally finding your parents'
"sex for dummies" audiobook.
Does it mean you're an alcoholic when your best friends from high school can spend all day with you and not realize you've been drunk the whole time?
How do I subtly convince my boyfriend to let me meet his parents...?
Avoid finals stress with preparation
ACADEMICS
With finals just around the corner, this is the prime time freak out period. Whether you are a senior or a freshman, you still find yourself praying for a final that isn't cumulative, you're still pulling all-nighters in Anschutz library, and you'll still counting down the days to winter break. Seniors may have the advantage of experience over freshmen, but the stress is all the same no matter which end of the spectrum you're on.
All too often, students everywhere find themselves online shopping for Christmas presents, thinking they still have time to worry about those finals. Most college students get through finals week with too much stress,
little sleep and lots of caffeine.
Coffee can only do so much when stress is eating away at you.
Managing your stress is the best way to survive finals week.
It's a common misconception that college students often perform poorly come final exam time. With proper preparation and determination, this does not have to be the case. Start preparing now. Study a little bit every night. Start attending those extra study sessions. It will be worth it in the long run, for there is no better Christmas present to yourself than a successful semester with exceptional grades on your final exams.
Start studying now and avoid the cramming later. College can be the most stressful of times,
but as students with full plates, it is imperative to maintain and deal with stress. According to an article on USnews.com,"when stress is prolonged or overwhelming, it has been implicated in a host of health problems, including impaired immunity and depression."
In the same USnews.com article, a survey was conducted for the Associated Press and MTV in
for students is eight hours, and any night of sleep less than that will reduce your memory skills and your performance level will tank. And you can't make up for an all-nighter by sleeping until noon on Saturday. Studies show it can take up to two weeks to get a natural cycle back after pulling an all-nighter.
Studying ahead of time is also a good way to avoid those all-nighters. We need sleep. Come finals time, you'll see heads down in lectures, heads in arms at Anschutz. But an all-nighter isn't going to help you on your final. In fact, according to a study by The New York Times, all-nighters actually hurt your study skills. Minimum sleep necessary
2009. It showed that 85 percent of college students were stressed. You're not alone. Stress is a part of life, but it can't take over your life. Manage it and stay on top of things. Built-up stress has no positives to it, and letting it get out of hand can threaten to your health. Deal with it as it comes. Keep your schedule organized and don't procrastinate.
Remind yourself—winter break. Motivate yourself to get through finals and then you can bask in your hard work and good grades as you sleep in your own bed back home. Added bonus: no homework over winter break.
COMMUNITY
Lavigne is a freshman from St. Paul, Minn.
Kind acts increase morale
For most college kids, being away from home and in a new environment is difficult and can often be overwhelming. Transitioning from an environment in high school where you knew almost everyone in your class, to a Division I University where you pass thousands of people every day that you don't know is a huge change.
Overcoming the initial anxiety of being overwhelmed by how big and impersonal things are here at the University often starts with small gestures of kindness from unexpected sources.
Ron Wroczynski and Paul Baker are two University Dining employees that nearly every student at the University has come across this semester. Wroczynski runs the hot dog stand on Wescoe Beach while his counterpart Baker prepares made-to-order omelets for students in a number of different buildings on campus throughout the week.
Although omelets and hot dogs are both delicious, they do not directly relate to helping students overcome the transition to University life. It is the complimentary service
of conversation that goes along with these delectable treats that has caused these two men to develop a loyal following amongest students.
Wroczynski and Baker offer students a taste of their lost home lives along with the food they serve, by remembering names and faces and bantering with them as they prepare their food. A few architecture students I spoke with said that they go visit Baker, or "Chez Paul," every single Monday for an omelet.
Students struggling to adapt to college town life will continue to thrive on the services offered by these two and will seek it elsewhere as well. If you're feeling a little homesick or overwhelmed by large-scale classes, get out and experience something that Lawrence has to offer outside of the University. Do whatever it takes to feel at home here and experience everything Lawrence has to offer. Hopefully you can find a few people like Ron Wroczynski and Paul Baker along the way to strike up a conversation with, but if not, make yourself at home here. I know I have.
When I probed them as to why they went back week after week they said it was because of the way that he remembers names, faces and even orders. That sort of personalized attention is something that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere in a college town and it is something that has made Wroczynski and Baker wildly
popular around campus.
A number of local businesses could learn a thing or two from the business plan of Wroczynski and Baker, which is one that emphasizes personalized service and friendly conversation. This local feel that these two offer is something that will continue to garner them more and more devoted, hungry fans.
INTERNET
Sisk is a junior majoring in journalism from Kansas City. Follow him on Twitter @calebsik.
Memes: acceptable entertainment form
As most people through the years have used the Internet and technology for productivity and the betterment of the world in general, there is a dark hole that has started to show itself in the past five years or so. That hole is better known as memes.
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Yes, we all know and love the Internet memes, with them dating back at least a decade or so but not becoming popular until the past five years. But what do we think of when we think of memes? According to the article at newmediarockstars.com, we see that a meme being a "photo, quote, text of something similar that comes out of nowhere on the Internet." But what makes them the most interesting is the idea that something utterly random can be made funny or fascinating.
One example is if we take a look at some of the most popular memes. With such memes that include "Rick rolling," "Success Kid," "Condescending Wonka," and, of course, the popular Nicholas Cage, we can see the utter randomness that sprouts from the corners of the Internet.
Another example is what is even more surprising about these Internet memes is that the people behind them have the power to take a nobody like the "Overly Attached Girlfriend" meme and make her into a web celebrity. With this meme, she was able to take her 15 minutes of fame all the way to starring in her very own Samsung Commercial. Or take a real celebrity, like the rapper Xzibit with the "Yo Dawg" meme and make fun of their original 15 minutes of fame. Xzbit, the former host of the MTV show "Pimp My
Ride," was seen lashing out at the creators of the meme, saying on his Twitter account, "Everybody with the 'sup dawg' shit can find the highest place in your house and jump on something sharp to kill yourselves." Sadly, Xzibit isn't too fond of the only Internet publicity that's keeping him relevant.
But what can we take from these Internet memes? What does the state of the Internet say about us that focuses on pictures of cats speaking in awful English and "rage faces?" I would argue that we are all looking for something to entertain us and get an escape from all of the stresses of our lives, and these pictures and videos do just that, even for a split second. The Internet capitalizes on the cuteness of cats and dogs, awkwardness of social interaction and even more. What these memes can really do for us is give us an outlet by giving someone their 15 minutes of fame, to making someone completely and utterly lose their mind, or even allow people to relate to each other with the awkward situations they experienced.
And, if you ask me, that is perfectly OK.
Phillippe is a senior majoring in American studies from Keller, Texas.
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