Features

In the popular movie “Billy Madison,” Adam Sandler sings, “Back to school, back to school, to prove to dad that I’m not a fool.” Many college students can relate to that, especially when they’re heading back for their second semester.

On most bucket lists, there are the usual ‘go sky diving’ or ‘travel the world’ descriptions, but University alum Paul Mandala’s bucket list consisted of a 10,000 mile bike ride from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Panama City, Panama.

The internet never ceases to amaze with its vast amount of, well, everything. Just one click and endless amounts of information pop up to inform, amuse or just to make you wonder what goes on in people’s heads. Popular website BuzzFeed has recently risen to internet glory by capturing things in media, news and more, and having editors and users sprinkle in humor within most pieces. If an issue is spreading like wildfire in the technology realm, then BuzzFeed is on it.

The new semester means the time has come to start thinking about housing options for the next school year. Over the break students and their families received a lengthy packet in the mail about this process.  Luckily, for rising sophomore students, things got a bit easier as they along with the incoming freshman class are also guaranteed housing for next year thanks to a new dorm that is set to open near the University library in September.

As the year comes to a close, we all start to look back on the last 12 months, the good and the bad. All of the accomplishments we’ve achieved and obstacles we’ve overcome. All the changes we’ve made for ourselves and all the things we still want to work on. The New Year is always a time that brings excitement to people because it’s a chance to change. But how many people really change for more than a couple weeks or months? Sure, resolutions may be easy to come up with, but why are they so hard to stick to?

As with every year, before the last piece of turkey is carved, everyone is out shopping for the holiday season. Even though different holidays have finally made their way into the spotlight, there are still several celebrations or holiday traditions that not many people know about.

Record levels of airborne pollution in Shanghai, China have passed the threshold necessary for normal outdoor activities to resume their course. Its aftereffects have manifested themselves most directly in public sectors such as education and transportation. The closing of schools and the cancellation of flights resulted from the smog infested pollution prompted the Shanghai government to issue the highest level of health warning, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Winter break is coming, but before the much needed relaxation comes, the daunting task of taking and successfully passing final exams. These tests vary in format from covering the material at the end of a course, to projects, to covering an entire course.  Formats also vary from multiple choice based tests to essays.

There comes a time in every student’s life when they have to make their way into the working world. Maybe you’re looking for your first job to get you off the ground towards your career goals. Maybe you’re looking for the job you plan to stay in for the rest of your life. Regardless, this is a scary time for everyone. Sure, you might have a great GPA. You might have been a part of Greek life. You might have all the experience and credentials the world has to offer. But what if you don’t look the part? That’s when you really need to worry.

As college students, we use electronic devices for just about everything we do. We watch our favorite shows on television every day; we hop on our laptop every few hours to work on assignments, and just about every one of us uses a cell phone. But when items become outdated or damaged and new items are purchased, where do they go?