Why You Should Travel the World

Within the past 365 days, I have been to four countries and four states. Traveling is something I highly recommend and believe everyone should do it, if funds allow. I know traveling can be expensive but it is worth every penny. When traveling you get to experience, learn, and observe different cultures. You get to try new cuisines, people watching, and communicating in new languages.

This past year, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. While studying abroad I traveled to Croatia and even stopped in Germany on the flight in. Even though the layover was not long, I still experienced a new airport and different foods.

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Conquering Fear

Zig Ziglar once said, “F.E.A.R. has two meanings. Forget everything and run or face everything and rise, the choice is yours.” When thinking about fear, people often associate it with being paralyzed and unable to complete, but that’s not the only thing fear can do.

Yes, fear can hurt you, but it can also help you. Most people are afraid of heights, clowns, or spiders. What many people do not consider is the uncommon fears that they have. These uncommon fears are more often than not the reason we are able to push ourselves.

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Top 5 Rom-Coms

For Valentine’s Day, we are all looking for ways to “get in the feels,” whether we are single or not. For some, this might mean a candlelit dinner for two and a trip to the movies to see the latest “lovey-dovey” movie. Others might just want to kick back at home, curl up under a blanket, and watch a romantic comedy. There is a growing list of amazing rom-com movies that are worth checking out if you are planning on having a cozy night in. Listed, are five movies worth watching this V-Day.

1. Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)

 An adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew based in a high school in the 1990s. It contains a well-written script that is filled with bits of nostalgia and wit. We are able to witness the early talents of Julie Stiles, Heath Ledger, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

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Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is known for being the most romantic day of the year. Overpriced fancy dinners, dressing in red or pink, and making sure that you find a special someone to spend the hours with. But have you ever considered that this day can be so much more than that?

Movie and books centered around Valentine’s Day usually portray women without a special someone eating ice cream while watching sappy love movies and men going out with their buddies to hit on women. These messages form the opinion of “needing” someone to be with, even if you don’t actually like them.

I find this horrible because it leaves so many upset and pressured to seek this toxic vision. Instead of crying and feeling horrible this year, here are some other ways to view the day of love without romance that are even better than those $100+ dates!

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Is Eli Destined for the Hall of Fame?

Elisha Nelson Manning IV is 39-years-old and has played 16 seasons for the New York Giants. Eli Manning recently called it quits after a 16-year career. Eli announced his retirement officially during a retirement press conference at the Giant’s facility on Jan. 24, 2020.

After 16 seasons, Eli has gained many milestones and accolades throughout his career. His milestones include 57,023 passing yards, 366 touchdown passes, 125 victories, 236 consecutive regular games played for the Giants, 51 300+ yard games, and 42 game-winning drives. His accolades cover Pro Bowl appearances in 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2015; Super Bowl Champion and Most Valuable Player (MVP) XLII, XLVI; and Walter Payton Man of the Year 2016.

These accomplishments and statistics are very rare and are difficult to achieve and definitely shows elite status. Also, Eli ranks in the top 10 of nearly every major career-passing category. Manning ranks seventh in career passing yards and eighth in touchdowns.

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Internships

As a rising junior or senior in college, getting an internship is one of the most essential parts of the journey to self-discovery and exploring deeper into what one wants to pursue a career in.

Becoming an intern is chocked-full of benefits because it helps the student gain an array of experience in the field they want to work in. Depending on the internship, students not only have the opportunity to develop new skillsets applicable to everyday life but also gain exposure to real-world situations that will help prepare them for a future full-time job. 

Learning how to speak professionally over the phone or how to develop a face-to-face connection with a client, are just two of the many examples an internship can help one to do. From discovering how to use new and advanced computer programs, to editing and publishing videos online, to writing a monthly company newsletter, learning is a never-ending process as an intern.

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The One Public Response to Censorship on Campus

I am writing this note to the editors as the Chair of the Department of Communication. I want to apologize to the editors and the staff of the newspaper for their disappointment over the lack of reaction to the newspapers that were taken from the newsstand in the Student Center. When the incident occurred, I did verbalize my support and willingness to aid the staff and editors in whatever way they wanted to move forward with investigating the incident. However, I should have put that support in writing, in-print, in the school’s newspaper.  So, this letter serves to do that and to also explain to the staff and editors that my experience as an Alum of Monmouth College; as a former writer and editor for The Outlook; as a faculty member and now as the Chair of the Department of Communication makes incidents like this deeply disturbing.

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Another Gen Ed

Should the general education requirement be eliminated or expanded in universities? This question has created much controversy for many years. Many students are getting aggravated and bored of the same topic being taught to them over and over again. From elementary school up until high school, the main focus was general education: science, math, English, and history. How many more years are colleges and universities expecting students to focus on these same topics?

The general education requirement is way too in-depth because of the number of courses a student needs to fulfill in order to graduate. For students, college creates a large workload with major and general education requirements.

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Start the Semester On a High Note

Starting the semester on a high note will make you feel refreshed and ready to take on hardwork. There are some things that you can do at the beginning of the semester to help you get ahead.

You first will have to get adjusted to your schedule by using a calendar to help guide you. It is also a good start to purchase your textbooks early in the semester.

Buying or renting textbooks is a big factor for us college students, such as Chegg or Amazon. There are a lot of good online sites to buy or rent from. These websites are a good opportunity for you to save a little bit of money instead of purchasing books that you may not need after the semester. We can all relate to how much textbooks cost nowadays.

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Holiday Shopping

‘Tis the season of shopping. The holiday season is here so that means it is time to buy all your loved ones’ gifts.

This is the most wonderful and stressful time of the year. The turkey has been devoured, the tree has been decorated, and red and green have taken over. It is time to hit the stores, online or in-store.

I have mixed feelings with what I like better: shopping online or shopping in-stores.

I am an avid Amazon shopper, who does not love ordering something and it getting delivered the next day. Amazon is definitely the go-to for Christmas or other holiday shopping.

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