H2T: Chick peas, yes please!

Ever walk by the delicious looking Mediterranean Bar in grocery stores? Next time you should grab some stuff from it! I got a container and filled it with olives, fresh mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and some peppers. I had about a 1/2 cup of pitted kalamata olives, so I decided to throw in into the processor and make hummus to put on wraps or eat with veggies!

All you need is a can of chickpeas, whatever spices/add-ins you want, and a good processor to grind it up! I used kalamata olives, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.

Drain the chick peas, but keep the water in a side container (you’ll need it!). Combine the chickpeas, spices and add ins and start processing them. It’ll come out kinda chunky, so add the water from the canned peas and make it as smooth as you like! The oil from the olives had some spices in it and made the texture a little smoother.

The best part (besides eating it) was putting it away in my favorite container. Olives are a healthy source of fat and chick peas are great protein. Eating this will help me build lean muscle and have enough fat to keep my brain protected and lady parts working well enough to let me have a baby some day. Whether you’re dieting or just enjoying a healthy lifestyle, don’t deprive yourself of lipids! Fats are essential to your nutrition.

NYC Career Connectors

The Fall semester was definitely an exhausting one for me. From juggling classes and my teaching assistant position, to my job and my two positions at WTOP10-TV, I was looking forward to Winter break by mid-November. My ultimate plan for Winter Break 2012 was to catch up on all the sleep I could possibly catch up on in six weeks. I also knew that I was going to attend the NYC Career Connectors event held by the SUNY Oswego Alumni Association.

NYC Career Connectors is this amazing event that takes place during Winter break, this year it was on January 10th, that gives the opportunity for SUNY Oswego students to come down to New York City for a day and network with the various Alumni of our school. This was my second time attending this event and it was definitely a very exciting time.

One of the perks of attending Career Connectors is being able to go on a tour of a location that is pertinent to a student’s major. This year, some of the places students could have toured included Madison Square Garden, NBC Universal, KMPG LLP, Kathy Hilton Showroom, Perry Capital, and NEP Broadcasting. I was lucky enough to attend the tour at NEP Broadcasting, and it was an opportunity of a life time.

For those of you who do not know what NEP Broadcasting is, they are a company that gained notoriety for their broadcasting trucks. What they essentially do is build and rent trucks that are basically a control room on wheels. They are also known for their non-mobile studios and some of their more famous clients in NYC include The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Unfortunately, we did not get to tour those studios, but we did get to see one that they are currently building and working on. It was definitely a great chance for broadcasting students to see how a studio is built and Tony Minecola, our guide and NEP employee, was definitely very good at answering questions that any students had about the broadcasting industry. I learned a whole lot and gained some insight as to what to do when I graduate and am seeking a job.

After the tour ended, it was basically time for us to trek on over to Fashion Institute of Technology, where the main networking event was taking place. After a speech from this years Keynote Speaker, Marcia Thompson-Young, and great networking tips from Gary Morris, students quickly lined up to speak to all the various alumni.

There were over 30 alumni who attended, and I was lucky enough to speak to three who gave me really good advice and even critiqued my resumé! It really was an amazing event and I am very glad I was able to meet some alumni and make some great connections!

Tony Minecola showing students some of the equipment

TOswego students get to tour studio currently being built

Professor Jane Winslow speaking with NEP Engineer Rob Statkus

Students lining up at FIT to speak with different Alumni!

Group picture at NEP Broadcasting! 🙂

Trip to DC!!!

Every year the Women’s Basketball program is fortunate enough to be able to travel to play in very competitive tournaments. This year we made the long trek to Washington D.C.. Of course leaving from Oswego NY we faced large amounts of snow and a simple trip of 6-7 hours took us a lengthy amount of 10 hours to reach our destination. We then faced two of the most difficult teams we have faced this season. We lost our first game that put at us 8-1 overall which a lost is expected to happen eventually it is how a team reacts and turns around and plays the following game. Luck for us we had an opportunity to play the next day again facing a difficult opponent that we fought back and pulled out a win in over time. It wasn’t just a big win for us a majority of our team is struggling with the flu so it shows the strengthen and determination of the members of the Oswego Women’s basketball program and shows hope for a successful remainder of our season. We have just received 2 votes to be ranked nationally and that is just fuel for us to keep improving our record and proving that we are a team that can and deserves to have national recognition! Come support your Lady lakers!!

Finals Week :(

Tomorrow’s the big day for my finals week.  Three consecutive tests in a row, starting at 8AM; two of which are my hardest subjects I’m taking this year.  UGH!

In a way, I’m happy I’m getting 3 of them over with at the same time (that is… If I survive).

 

But who’s ready for winter break!

10 tips for staying safe in the Oswego winter weather

Hey kids, whether or not you have a car on campus or plan on driving home for the break, its always good to be informed and and stay on top of yourself and your vehicle of choice. That’s why I’ve compiled this handy list of snowy weather tips – to remind you all to not only have fun this winter, but stay safe over the upcoming holiday!

1. Drive slow, stay under the speed limit (it exists for a reason).

2. Be a defensive driver, or in other words, always watch out for the other guy. You may be perfectly good at driving in harsh weather, but not everyone shares the same fortune!

3. Don’t slam on your brakes! Learn to pump the brakes to prevent sliding off the road, or into another lane of traffic.

4. Get snow tires if you can afford to. This seriously makes a huge difference.

5. If you get stuck, put the vehicle into a low gear and slowly rock back and forth to get yourself out. Things will only get worse if you accelerate too hard.

6. Keep the windshield wiper blades up and get snow/ice off in a timely manner (see: the day of). Not only will you will be set to drive quicker, but your car will love you for it.

7. Check the temperature outside and plan ahead before you leave so you make enough time to heat up your vehicle before takin’ her for a spin!

8. Turn your vehicle on once a day to keep the engine all warm and fuzzy and unfrozen inside.

9. Keep a shovel and/or blankets in your trunk – never know when you may run into an unfortunate situation.

10. Watch out for black ice. The county employees do a great job of plowing the roads, but they can’t always be perfect. This can be especially dangerous on highways like 481. Be aware of recent weather conditions and keep those eyes peeled!

We haven’t seen too much troublesome weather yet, but I suspect it is on its way here very soon, so stay safe friends! It’s been a good semester guys, and I hope you all have a great winter recess! If you have any safe winter weather tips of your own, sound off in the comments below!

Time flies!

I can’t believe we’re already done with our first semester.  Time seems to go by even faster during the fun college years.  Hopefully times goes even fast this Wednesday when I have THREE finals in a row starting at 8AM 🙁

 

How’re everyone else’s final schedules?

Finals Week = STRESS Week

Although I’m sure I’m not the only one, I find it bittersweet that it’s the end of the semester.

First, I’m excited that I get to go home for Winter Break and Christmas and New Years and all that good stuff.  But then again there’s an obstacle we all must overcome to get there: finals.

How do you guys combat your stress?  Yesterday I made a very organized to-do list with all due dates for my classes and I feel it’s really helping me stay organized and on top of all my final due dates for classwork.