Category Archives: Uncategorized
Let’s Be Roommates!
As a Resident Assistant, I know the dilemma residents go through as they try to live with their roommates. From disagreeing with one another’s lifestyle to arguing about who’s going to take out the trash. Here’s a few pointers on how you can find a roommate and how you can be a good roommate.
Tips for finding a roommate:
- GET ACTIVE on social media. Join your class year’s Facebook page and get to socializing.
- EXPRESS YOURSELF in a positive way. If you like things to be tidy, suggest having a cleaning schedule.
- ASK QUESTIONS about that person’s lifestyle and his/her habits.
Tips for being a good roommate:
- COMMUNICATION is key; if you have issues talk them out. Do not sit and let the problem escalate. You can use the 24 hour rule, giving yourself a day before approaching your roommate and/or an RA.
- BE RESPECTFUL to each others space. Sharing a space with someone you do not know can open doors to many mistakes. Establish a mutual agreement with your roommate to discuss what you are both comfortable sharing with each other.
- BE INTERACTIVE with your roommate. Try to hang out with each other or do things together, like laundry or movie nights
The most important thing to remember is that both you and your roommate have a responsibility to each other and to yourselves. Help support one another and respect each others different values/beliefs. Lastly, Try to make an effort to find solutions to any problem together.
The Most Coveted Prize On Campus
It’s what we all strive for, it will haunt you in your sleep, and it’s the most coveted prize to receive on campus. I am talking about the intramural championship t-shirt.
The joke that travels around campus for those who are avid participants in intramurals is that you can only graduate until after you win an intramural championship t-shirt. Campus Recreation does a fantastic job of organizing intramural events and breaks the year up into fall sports, winter sports, and spring sports. They also throw a bunch of different one-day tournaments, which always draw some big crowds.
The O-mazing Race where teams of two compete in mental and physical challenges across campus
Campus Rec. also splits up the type of league you want to enter in, whether its women’s, Co-Ed, or men’s, and you would either pick to enter the recreational league or the competitive league. The kicker however comes in the form of you can only win a t-shirt if you compete in the competitive league.
I have been very fortunate enough to win my fair share of championship t-shirts, however I have also been on the receiving end of the pure heartbreak of letting one slip through my fingers. I’m not going to lie it’s absolutely devastating when you lose, like you are going to be bitter for a solid week… well I was bitter for a solid week. I have competed in both the women’s and Co-Ed competitive league sports and have met my best friends and also worst enemies (cough Rhonda’s Angels) being involved in theses leagues.
To be honest there is something a lot more gratifying in my eyes when you win a Co-Ed championship. The reason I say this is because all the men and women on the team need each other, you can’t win strictly on how good either your guys or your girls are but whether how well you all work together as a team. That’s the flaw in a lot of the Co-Ed teams because they fail to balance out the talent in one gender or the other.
Intramural sports are universal and timeless. My dad went to Oswego as well and when I told him I won my first ever intramural championship my freshman year he sent me a picture of him and his team winning in the same sport his freshman year. It built an even stronger bond between my dad and I, knowing that we both accomplished the same sport, at the same age, on the same field, at the same school.
Oswego intramural coed softball champs 1979 to 2013
Overall what I am trying to get across is that if you never participate in an intramural sport in college did you really go to college? But all jokes aside campus rec. provides this incredible opportunity to compete against your fellow students, earn the best bragging rights, and most importantly look good in that t-shirt.
Spring Break “Woes”
This past Spring Break I was reminded (time and time again) just how much weight I’ve gained.
Comments were made and tears were shed (not really).
“Tian, you got a little bit big.”
“Tian, did you ever go to the gym?”
“Tian, you should give the cafeteria a rest.”
Now, when you try to explain to your family what stress eating is or how hard it is to resist the buffet-style dining halls, they counter-back with:
“I know, I’m just saying this out of love.”
Well, here’s what I say to that… “I love you, too.”
It’s true that it can be of not help to your self-confidence (none, whatsoever) when you are being constantly remin
ded of how “big” you’ve gotten, BUT there’s a way to escape this battle field with few battle scars.
- Say “I love you”: Yes, it’s true that family can be the #1 cause of our headaches (next to finals week), but you can’t choose them. Regardless, of their blunt, rude, and downright hurtful comments, they’re still family.
- Stop “Sipping Tea”: Don’t restrain from telling your family how much their comments do hurt you. Sure, they might counter back and say it’s because they care, but let them know that this doesn’t change the fact that you felt hurt.
- Listen to your Body: Now magazine covers may communicate to you that a healthy body image, is one that comes without stretch marks, sagging belly, or a chubby face. But, the reality is, a healthy body is one where you take care of the bodily systems, which work 24/7 to keep you alive and well.
With that being said, let’s all start taking interest in our physical health and well-being by checking our cholesterol, making sure our blood pressure is right, giving Mary Walker Health Center a visit, and inviting your family and friends to engage in a healthy lifestyle, as well (because you love them, too!).
SUNY Oswego’s Gospel Choir sings with Pastor Smokie Norful!
On Friday, January 29, SUNY Oswego held its 27th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, inviting two exceptional people to be a part of the event: Dr. Bernice King and Pastor Smokie Norful. Dr. Bernice King is the youngest daughter of the famous and influential Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pastor Smokie Norful is a Grammy Award-winning Gospel artist.
As a part of SUNY Oswego’s Gospel Choir, the choir and I got to join Pastor Norful and his three talented back-up singers on stage to sing his new song, “Mighty God” from his album Forever Yours.
We were more than excited to hear that we weren’t going to do a cover of Pastor Norful’s song, but, instead we were going to sing it with him. Over the winter break, each choir member had to practice on his/her own, since there would only be a week left to practice once we returned back to the university. Gospel Choir’s vice president, Kristen “K-Ray” Ray, took the liberty of making a recording that comprised of each note pertaining to what the altos, sopranos, and tenors would have to sing.
While on stage with Pastor Norful, the choir and I joined the back-up singers in dance and song. We were alive, while singing live (not really a pun, but eh…). Along with the live band and Pastor Norful’s encouraging presence, the choir made a joyful noise!
When Dr. King appeared on stage after her introduction, I was excited and curious to get to listen to her speech. Excited because she was the daughter of Dr. King Jr., the man who I read about in textbooks; the man whose name would be printed on my quiz papers; the man who made a famous speech about having a dream, a speech that took to its audience in 1963 and, still, does so today. I was curious to know who Dr. Bernice King is. During her speech, Dr. King inspired me to think about how my actions could affect others. I was able to grasp the understanding that making a change would not be easy, unless you were willing to be self-less and passionate towards your peers. Dr. King’s wise words ignited something in me, that raised the question, “What changes do I need to make internally?”
To hear from both Dr. King and Pastor Norful was a great experience, an experience that I will hold dear to me.
Below is a video of Dr. King speaking at SUNY Oswego:
Mama’s Remedy for Stress: “Quit Complaining!”
As this semest
er is drawing to a close, you probably find yourself beginning to think:
Will my GPA be above a 2.0?
Will my life be the same without Derek (a random name for a potential boyfriend) living just a hall away from me?
Will my roommate and I still say “Hi” to each other even if we no longer room together?
Will professors ever understand that the reason they were a student before they were a professor was so they could advocate for
us when our grades get low?
If you weren’t thinking any of these things, then that’s okay. I was just guessing.
As the semester draws to a close, the truth is worrying and stress are two problems of many that you want to avoid. I know, I know…duh.
Still, here’s a practice that you can practice. Should practice. Must practice. I’m saying this because a friend of mine actually put this into practice and it was a success, which therefore makes it a legitimate practice.
PRACTICE: Not complaining.
Seriously, go through your day without complaining. Let me be more specific for ya.
DO NOT complain about your 10-15 or 20-40 page paper
DO NOT complain about getting fired from your job
DO NOT complain about the dining halls not serving Eggnog (I don’t care if Thanksgiving hasn’t started yet?)
DO NOT complain about your professors, advisers or bosses
DO NOT complain about this blog
DO NOT complain anything
Mama always told me, “Tian, you can waste your God-given time whining about how much you don’t want to do your homework or get up out of bed for work, but in the end the homework will still be there, as will your job [for now]. Hang up the phone and get to it.”
I love you, mama!
Student Athlete Guide: Team Bonding
What are the key components of having a successful team? Well it’s obvious to think of things such as talent, passion, work ethic, flexibility, and skill; however I believe that the one component that is often overlooked is developing chemistry.
I don’t mean that you and your team should go rent out a lab and mix chemicals together and hope not to blow anything up, but rather find ways to connect with each other both inside and outside the sport. I get that when you play a sport at an elite level you have to do your job despite whether if you like who you are working with. I am just trying to imagine the 1980 Soviet Union Men’s National Hockey Team being all kumbaya around a campfire and I just can’t. So maybe they weren’t such a team bonding bunch maybe that worked for them. However during the 1980 Olympics they were beaten by Team USA who under Herb Brooks was known for developing team building exercises, no matter how nontraditional they may be…. AGAIN!
So when asked what makes a successful team I believe that there is a formula (sticking with this whole chemistry theme). That formula is team bonding = trust, trust translates into chemistry, and chemistry = success. Mind blowing stuff I know.
When it comes to picking out the right team bonding activity, you should take into account the types of personalities that are on your team. You also want an activity that is going to push people out of their comfort zone and have to rely on others to get the job done, all while working on a college budget.
Taking in all these factors of what makes a great team bonding experience, this year myself and the rest of the captains on our team came up with the idea to go Paintballing. We (the captains) knew that our team wanted to be active when it came to a team bonding exercise. We also knew that paintball would be a great stress reliever… I’ll admit it felt kinda good to shoot some of your teammates endlessly. However most importantly we knew that we would have to work together in a high stress/anxiety situation.
So when the day came to go to Team Paintball, things got real. Girls showed up decked out camouflage and war paint, trash talking was spewing, and nobody blinked an eye when it came to firing away at a teammate. The staff over at AAA Paintball ran our team through 3 different courses throughout the forest. The first course was a tank field, second course was capture the flag, and third was defend the castle.
At the end of the day everyone was covered in blood, bruises, paint, welts, sweat, and mud. We came together as a team and when it was all over we were laughing, comparing battle scars and explaining our heroic stories of how we shot up a teammate. We all than went to an early dinner together and the conversation turned to hockey and how we were all so excited for it to finally begin. Hearing that talk about hockey just reinforced the idea that this team bonding experience was a success. After a long preseason where people were starting to lose focus, we were able to provide an activity to reignite the passion of why we play hockey. That’s because team bonding activities bring out for the competitiveness, the friendship, the family, the strategy, the excitement but most importantly for the love of the game.
The Oswego State 2015-2016 Hockey Team at AAA Paintball
The Three Needs of Every College Student
Social life. Good grades. Plenty of sleep.
These are the three things that every college student painstakingly strives to achieve and to the chagrin of most, are usually only able to pick two. It’s a philosophy that has been mocked in Internet memes for years, but for many college students it’s unfortunately true.
Granted, this isn’t to say it’s always as straightforward as this “formula.” Getting plenty of sleep doesn’t necessarily always mean you’ll get good grades; having a social life doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get plenty of sleep; etc.
As a grad student, I find myself balancing a lot of responsibilities and honestly, classes often get pushed to the bottom of that priority list, unfortunately. This isn’t ideal for me, nor is it probably ideal for my professor. I came back to school for an advanced degree and often find myself focusing more on other things aside from those classes.
As a Resident Assistant in Cayuga Hall and managing editor of the Oswegonian, it’s often hard to balance all of these things. I don’t even know if I fall into the three aforementioned “needs;” I have a social life, but if you ask anybody who knows me, I don’t sleep during the week because I’m at the Oswegonian office until all hours of the night, nor am I particularly getting the best grades (at least not as well as I’d hope).
If I had to pick two “goals” at this stage of the semester, they would be: social life, resume building. Good grades and plenty of sleep aren’t even on the table, at least not in the way I’d prefer. Yes, I think I’ll be okay as far as grades go, but I’m not focusing as much on my classes as I should. On the positive side, I’m doing things that can build my resume and help me get a better job, which is why I came back to Oswego in the first place.
With the semester winding down (I can’t believe it’s already Halloween), many students probably find themselves evaluating the semester up to this point. They’re asking themselves what did they do wrong, what they did right, where do they go from here. If you were able to balance all three of those goals at the top of this page, then props to you. If you weren’t, you’re not alone. I couldn’t even balance two of them.
But I’ll be okay.
Alyssa Explains It All: The Big Question
The Color Purple
Domestic Violence Awareness
Did you know that Domestic Violence Awareness was represented by the color Purple?
Did you know that October was the national Domestic Violence Awareness month?
I DIDN’T!
It was the Tuesday of this week, and as I walked past Cooper Dining Hall, BAM! I saw them…purple flags stuck in the ground on either side of this bright red, wooden statue of a female. At first, I thought SUNY Oswego had an archery club, and that the female statue would act as a target for flying arrows (THIS WASN’T EVEN CLOSE).
There was a purple sign, stuck in the grass on the far right of the flags, that said , “OCTOBER IS…Domestic Violence Awareness Month.” This is why you should read signs, unless you want to find yourself ducking for arrows that were never there.
So here’s the sitch…
I learned that people do not care about world issues if they do not know of them and aren’t affected by them. This doesn’t make them a bad person, however, it does make me wonder is Ignorance blissful?
I believe the answer is up to one’s self. Only I can define, for myself, what is blissful, from what is not. Therefore, my answer is No. Ignorance, in this case, is not blissful, it’s hurtful. It is hurtful to those who are victims of Domestic Violence. In fact, another thing that was said on the purple sign was, “YOU ARE NOT ALONE. THERE IS HELP!” Whether that help is to make people aware of Domestic Violence or to assist a victim of Domestic Violence, it is still help. Just knowing that there is still a large scale of Domestic Violence is enough to change a situation, however, to live in “bliss” doesn’t change a thing. There was a note posted on the female statue, which stated in the beginning that “[n]early 1 in 3 college women have been in an abusive relationship…according to a 2011 study from Break the Cycle.”
I’m almost positive that everyone on campus has seen these purple flags, but if you haven’t read the information posted on the female statue or on the purple signs, I would make a note to. They inform you on how Domestic Violence has affected women in college, and gives you a better scope on the issue of Domestic Violence.
Check it out!