Hello there. First off want to say happy white-winter-wonderland day to everyone. As most everyone in the greater Cincinnati area is aware, the dreaded "WHITE DEATH" has struck our area again, giving us a break from classes for a day. It is kind of nice being off, but boring as well. What exactly does a college student do on their snow day? Well.......

There are quite a few options, but one of the most common ones is to catch up on sleep and homework that should have been done last night (hey, that's part of college, right?).  Of course I was thrilled when I got the automated phone message this morning at 5:56 AM saying that the college was closed for the day, but that was quickly wiped away by some panic. WHAT IF THE DINING HALL WASN'T OPEN?!?!  The thought of a snow day without food makes any college student cringe.  Luckily our devoted food services director Greg Kathman was there to save the day. I think there are very few times that I don't see him running around the dining hall getting things done for us, that includes weekends. Alright, that was a little off-topic and a small shameless plug but I had to stick it in nonetheless. There are so many people like Mr. Kathman around here who really work hard to make the residence life at MSJ move smoothly. Anyways, luckily we had hot food and despite the college technically being "closed", everything seemed to be normal around lunchtime. 

Now, once the hunger situation has been taken care of, the options of this "free day" really seem to open up. I sat with my roommate and pondered what ever could we do? I heard distant laughter and screams coming from outside the window, and when I went to take a peek I realized there was no other option. Sledding. Yes, sledding. Despite the fact that we are all adults who are busy with jobs and studying hard, snow days give us an opportunity to break out and let our inner-child(ren?) play for a day. Last year, as I remember, the dining hall was getting ready to go trayless, and during one of the snow days they handed out the plastic blue lunch trays to students to use as sleds. This was wildly popular all over campus.  Unfortunately I don't have my tray from last year, however my roommate has come prepared with sleds in the back of her car.

So, I thought I would just share with you all my admittance that yes, even in college snow days are a time for fun. 

Hey everybody. There are a few simple variables to the equation of being a college student. Two of the biggest ones are sleep and food, which is why Sunday morning at the Mount is hands-down my favorite time of the week.

On Sundays in the dining hall they host “community brunch”, which means friends and family members and whoever else you could pretend to be acquainted with is welcome to come and eat the buffet style brunch that they serve. That’s all lovely and dandy, but for the students who live on campus it means the most delicious meal of the week. The cooks go all out in preparation for the guests (whether it be your Aunt Betty or the hobo you found on the corner of Delhi and Pedretti), and it makes bearing the disguised leftovers all week well worth it. I usually have to prepare my stomach about twelve hours in advance for the feast that I indulge on, because it is that amazing.  After a Saturday night full of board games and studying (or whatever else innocent college students choose to embark on), the brunch could not come at a more perfect time. I have many friends who choose to go home on the weekends, and I always shame them for missing out on Sunday brunch. In fact, if my parents ask to see me, I usually let them know my ETA will be around 1pm or 2pm, long after I have committed caloric suicide and just in time to crash on their sofa for a nice post-feast nap. Ahh...

So, that is what I leave you with now. If you’re going to come visit the Mount, or stop in to say hi, bring a few dollars and stay for Sunday brunch, it’s worth it.

So I have decided that I need to eliminate clutter and the distractions around my room.  It is very hard living in a dorm room to not have distractions around you while you are doing your homework.  I have cut out most of my Facebook and Myspaeing.  I feel that it is distracting, non educational and it has all gotten to be too big of a deal.

You can’t get through college with a 3.6 GPA spending endless hours on these so called “social networking sites”.  I have to say they are fun and you keep in touch and up to date on everything.  That is a plus but that’s what a phone is for.  If I really care what is up with you and would have checked your Facebook and/ or Myspace, chances are you are in the “favorites” in my phone.

College is difficult.  Especially second semester of your freshman year it can be difficult.  You are used to an easy load of work and easy intro classes first semester.  You get into the nitty gritty stuff that is harder during your second semester.  Being as involved as I am you become over whelmed and need to figure out a way to overcome that feeling.

Cutting out these distractions is a good start, next maybe try asking for help.  If that doesn’t work use your planner and write EVERYTHING in it.  College is not like high school where you can get through it without your planner.  You need your planner and your syllabus to survive.  It is very hard to remember to check your planner and syllabus on a regular basis.  However, you must do so.

After cutting out these distractions I have found it easier to get by and get through the days and the long, late nights.  Also snacks help!  Gotta love pizza and Cheetos at 2am!!! MMMHMMM!!!

Till Next Time eat some pizza and Cheetos for me!

Matthew T.

So you know the Russians banned the microwave in 1976 because it has devastating effects on human tissue because of the large amounts of radiation? Well as college students we're all screwed. In order to survive college you have to have the basic microwavable foods to keep our bellies filled. So I thought I would share the secret of shopping for food for a dorm student.

Ramen Noodles are cheap and easy to make. They have several different flavors like chicken, Beef, Shrimp, and chili. You only add water and the flavor packet and pop it into the microwave. Its that easy and they only cost $0.15 a pack at biggs.

Oatmeal is good for you and is cheap. They come in flavors like apple and cinnamon, strawberries and cream, peach, banana, and many others. For 10 packs of oatmeal, it cost one $1. Not bad for as good as they taste and all the vitamins and minerals you get.

EasyMac is something everyone has heard of. It’s easy to make mac n cheese!!! Depends the brand you get can depend on the price. I get the Kroger brand. It costs about $2.50 for six packs. It's a little pricey but everyone loves mac n cheese.I'm not a big fan of soda so I don't drink much pop but you can get some good deals at Biggs if you don't mind Big K. To me it tastes just like the name brand. I also like to get Vitamin water at Walmart. They cost about $5.00 for a 10 pack. I go to Aldi's to get Camelot Purified water. For a 24 pack it only costs $2.69.

Chips are very necessary. For me I can't have off brand chips. They all taste like cardboard. You can go to any local store to get the Cheetos or the Doritos.

It seems like every 3 hours I’m munching on something. Food is delicious in my book, but only certain types of food.  For breakfast I will eat a bowl of GrapeNuts or Frosted Mini Wheats with a handful of blueberries and milk, plus a glass of orange juice.  Then around 11:30a.m.for lunch, I’m usually eating a turkey sandwich, yogurt, carrots and a grapefruit.  Then by mid-day, I enjoy snacking on an apple or some dark chocolate (gotta love that dark chocolate!) Lastly, for dinner my meal usually consists of a serving of vegetables, starches and meat with a glass of milk.  (Sometimes I’ll even eat a bowl of ice cream for dessert). 

Now, for some people this may not seem like a lot of food, nor may it sound great to eat.  However, I’m here to say it really does taste delicious, plus it’s a great diet for staying healthy. (This is the diet I eat when dorming at the Mount, it changes when I’m at home.)

 So, the question is what is college food like?  Here I am rambling on about my own diet, yet the question I receive most from prospective students and parents while giving campus tours is, “what is the food like?”

 I hesitate at first because as we all know it’s not like our mother’s home cooked meals.  But that’s beside the point.  The point is, the food isn’t all that bad.  The Mount really does an excellent job offering a variety of choices for the students to choose from when eating their meals.  However, I will say, I don’t think they offer enough healthy choices! 

For example: Whole wheat bread is top priority when I eat a sandwich because of the health benefits, such as 2 grams of fiber per slice.  Women should be consuming around 25 grams of fibers per day, yet I know with the food choices offered here at school, students are not getting their recommended amounts because of what is available.  We need healthier food!  Must I also mention that eating fiber is linked to weight loss? It’s upsetting to me because I believe eating healthy is linked also to how productive and successful students are in there course work.

 Another thing that bothers me is the fact that I’m paying all this money on a meal plan, yet I’m still having to go out to Krogers and buy blueberries, whole wheat bread, yogurt and GrapeNuts because those choices are not offered in our dining hall.  I understand that the food services can’t accommodate everyone’s need; however, just by replacing white and wheat bread for whole wheat bread would be a drastic improvement!  I believe it’s time that students take a stand for their health and begin suggesting foods that really are beneficial to their overall wellbeing.  We truly are what we eat… and with the # of obese people in this world, it’s ridiculous that the Mount isn’t stepping up to the plate and offering foods that are linked to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.  The transformation of the people on this college campus, if we were to develop a meal plan that included whole wheat foods on the agenda would be amazing!  Being healthy is more then looking good, it’s about feeling good, and food is an immense factor that comes into play.  Thus, I would hope in the next couple of years the Mount would begin offering food that would reduce the #of obese individuals in this nation.