Being Classy on a Student Budget…

Hey Everyone,

So we just got back from Spring Break! A most celebrated time of year when exhausted college students take a week-long break, plan to do lots of work to get caught up, and generally get very little of it done.  While I did find myself being somewhat productive this past week, I still managed to squeeze in plenty of time to hangout with my family and friends in my home town. 

I think it should be written into law that all spring breaks occur on one specific week, but since that’s not the case, a few of my friends were not able to come home till the weekend right before break was over.  My friend Sarah, goes to school up in New York City, so a few friends and I road-tripped up for the day to see her and visit the city.  New York is one of my favorite places to visit because it is literally never boring.  There’s always like 12,000 different things to do at one time, and the hardest part is just picking where you want to go.  For this trip, we decided to keep it classy and visit a museum during our trip. 

Now, this is where things can get expensive for students on a budget.  NYC is a pretty pricey place to visit as is, but with all the schools in the area there are a ton of student discounts all students can use.  Even though myself and my friends did not attend an NYC school, we still got the student discount and decided to visit the MoMA!  I had never been to the Museum of Modern Art before, but I was excited to visit a NYC cultural landmark and see another aspect of the city. 

There is one thing I should tell you before you continue reading this blog: I know nothing about art and even less about modern art.  Sure, I can appreciate art and the fact it probably took the artist a lot of time to create and what not, but when it comes down to it, I just don’t “get it” sometimes.  Because of my total lack of art knowledge, I basically decided that if I could make it, it didn’t count as art.  Not the most intellectual way to view artwork, but hey it worked for me!

The museum had a lot of weird pieces on display, but there were also a lot of famous ones too!  Here are some of the pieces I got to see and my analysis on it being art.  Feel free to comment and critique, these are not professional opinions by any stretch of the imagination! So lets play “Is it Art?”

 So, this is a Picasso piece and he’s pretty well-respected in the Art community. Even with my limited art knowledge, I think this counts!

Ok, seriously torn on this one.  It’s a Pollock piece and while its super inventive, I have tried it before and can def be done by someone with the most limited artistic skills.  With all that said, he was the first to try it so its Art!

This is the famous Warhol can painting. I always thought it was the same print, so it didn’t really count, but actually each of the cans have a different name which is kinda cool… He’s a cultural icon so I’ll give it to him. 

Normally, I totally wouldn’t count it, but taking pics in front of it are super fun so I’m just gonna count it!

These are a lot of light bulbs hanging from the ceiling.  While this would be a super cool way to light your bedroom, it’s not art. 

Is this not the coolest hammock ever?!? So totally counts just because I would totally have lounged in it if there wasn’t an angry security guard next to it. 

Ok, its Starry Night people. Clearly one of the most famous pieces ever and its beautiful in real life.  ART!

and my final piece to analyze…

A half-unpacked cardboard box.  At first, I thought the display wasn’t completed or someone forgot to take out the trash.  Then my friend Brandon pointed out, that it had a plaque on the wall and someone had actually claimed it as their own artwork.  Well, I almost tripped over it and, seriously, it’s a box! I’ve officially decided this is not art. 

So there you have it.  Even on a student budget, you can still be super classy and make your own decisions about modern art.  Well, that’s all from me for now.  Till next time everyone,

-Taylor

I Believe…

Hey Everyone,

As midterms are coming up, this semester seems to be getting incredibly hectic.  There’s always some sort of paper or project due and its like a never-ending amount of work.  So with all the work from professors and organizations coming up, I felt that it only made sense to take a break and go out! Ok, maybe not the best use of my time, but I def needed to do something fun before I really got down to business.

Yesterday afternoon the Temple Owls played the St. Joes Hawks and there was no way I was going to miss that game.  Temple has a long-standing rivalry with St. Joes and with the teams being so close to one another, there’s always a big student turnout from both teams.  My family came down for the game to it was fun to hangout with them and watch the antics of the student section.

 

My Brother and I at the game

 

One of the big reasons that students were excited for the game was due to St. Joes less than stellar record this season.  The men’s basketball team at Temple was 20-5 before the game started, while St. Joes was 7-18.  With such a strong team, it seemed pretty likely that the Owls would win, which made everyone even more excited about the game.  Some students even referred to the game as “The Funeral of the Hawk”.

 

Liacouras Center before the game

 

During the game one of the major players on the team, Lavoy Allen, had a personal victory of his own. He broke the school record for all-time leader in rebounding!  The announcers stopped the game to tell the audience and the student section, as well as the rest of the stadium went wild supporting #24.

 

Lavoy Allen

 

After an intense game, the final score was 66-52 in favor of Temple! It was an awesome game and the student section was having a blast with the cheers and signs.  I am def going to be at the next game against St Joes.  That’s all I have for right now.  Till next time,

-Taylor

Winter weather on campus…

Hey Everyone,

If you live anywhere near Pennsylvania, or anywhere in the US basically, then you’re probably aware of the snow.  Over the past few weeks, we have gotten all different kinds of winter weather: a ton of snow, ice, hail, sleet, and pretty much every other fun kind of weather you can think of.  Most colleges don’t close when it snows but we have had a few delays because of the weather.  Campus may be a little chilly right now, but it looks really pretty out with all the snow.  Check out my pics from the storm!

 

Snow at Temple U

 

Construction took a break for the day

 

 

Fav food hut covered in snow

 

 

Getting a little artsy with my pics, haha!

 

 

 

Lovin' the snow at TU!

So, the weather has been pretty fun so far, but I think I’m ready for a little break.  Hopefully no more storms come our way for a few weeks.  Well, time to get into my snow boots and head to class.  Till next time,

-Taylor

 

 

Studying in the 21st Century…

Hey Everyone,

Hope you all enjoyed your holidays and had a chance to relax! I enjoyed being able to get home for a few weeks and not being forced to work on papers or study for exams.  Even though break has been great, it’s quickly coming to a close.  Classes haven’t started yet, I’m still beginning to get ready and making sure I’m prepared for the semester.

Starting the semester is something dreaded by all college students.  It’s not that we aren’t excited to start new courses and see old friends in class.  I’m usually pretty excited for the beginning of the semester, it’s not usually strenuous and eases you back into a school schedule. But the major downside of the new semester…is buying textbooks.  Students line up to spend all the money they worked so hard to earn over the break on really expensive course books that they might not read a lot, if at all.

There are a lot of different ways to lower the costs of books.  If you buy them early enough, you can get them used or even rent the textbooks you know you won’t use again.  If you’re interested in being more high-tech, however, there’s another option for you as well.

Over break, my parents got me an e-reader, the Nook from Barnes and Noble.  I’m a huge fan of reading to begin with, so this was the perfect gift, but after some research I found out that I can download textbooks to it as well!  The textbooks are actually cheaper in e-book format and you don’t have to worry about selling the books back.  It’s also easy to look up information with e-books and most e-readers include a built-in dictionary that can define words as you’re reading!

Nook

Companies are making e-textbooks for all formats of e-readers so anyone can use this as an alternative to a traditional books.  Great way to save money, and I hope it will make it easier for me to read for fun during the semester too.  Thats all from me for now! Till next time,

-Taylor

I’m almost done!

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for the long break between posts but the last few weeks have been super hectic with end of the semester projects, papers and exams.  I finally finished most of my work and have one final left before I complete the semester.  I cannot wait!! Even though I’ve been studying like a maniac for a while, I still found a little bit of time to get out and catch up on some of the fun stuff around the city. 

• Eagles Game!!: I went to my first Eagle’s game a few weeks ago when they played the Houston Texans.  The game was really fun, especially since they won! It was really fun to see how excited the fans were about the team and how dedicated people are.  It was so cold at the game, but we still had a fun time and I hope to make it down for another game next season (preferably when its warmer out, haha!) I actually did a video project about the game and you can check it out below. 

• Christmas Village: Every year, vendors from all over come to Philadelphia and participate in the Christmas Village.  Its open from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve and its an open air market full of ornaments and great gifts.  I found out about the market last year when I had a class in Center City, but I finally made a visit to shop this season.  They have really cool gifts and trinkets from all over the globe and have great performances during the evenings and on weekends.  If you ever find yourself in Philly over the holidays, its definitely worth a look.  I didn’t make this video, but it’s still pretty cool!

• Win over Georgetown!: The last big on-campus event I got to go to was the Temple-Georgetown game on December 9th.  We were definitely the underdogs in this game, playing against the undefeated team.  The Owls played really well together, but the standout player was #23 Ramone Moore, who scored 30 of the teams 68 points.  It was a nail biter to the very end, but Temple finally beat the Hoyas 68-65 and the crowd went wild.  The student section actually rushed the court to not only cheer on the team after such a huge victory, but also to celebrate Coach Dunphy’s 400th career win!

So, I’ve been able to fit a little fun into my schedule, even with all the school work I’m completing.  Well, I have to get back to studying for my LAST FINAL, but I’m sure you’ll all hear from me soon!

Till next time,

-Taylor

You Win Some, You Lose Some…

Hey Everyone,

The semester will be done in less than a month, so of course all the students on campus are working hard to get everything done for classes.  This time of the year can always be stressful for most students who find themselves facing a growing workload, so its nice when we have something exciting to distract us!  Luckily, we have a ton of different sports teams we can go support right now, and they’re all doing really well!

Our Basketball teams started their seasons on Friday, starting with the Girls team facing off against Ohio State.  Unfortunately, the game ended 84-75 for the Buckeyes, but the girl’s team did show a strong start for the season and team member Qwedia Wallace scored a career-high 32 points for Temple.  The girl’s game led right into the boy’s game against Seton Hall.  The guy’s team played a good game too and beat the Pirates 62-56.  The Boys played again on Sunday and royally kicked the Toledo Rocket’s butts, 82-49!

Qwedia Wallace for the Girl's Basketball Team

Juan Fernandez for the Boy's Team

The games are insanely fun for students to attend and we have a great stadium.  Tickets a free for students and if you are a Wild Cherry member you are guaranteed a spot in the student section, the best place to sit at games.  The cheers are always crazy and some of the students really get into the game by painting their faces or dressing up.  It can get a little rowdy in that section, but is definitely worth the sore throat you may have after the game!

Last night the football team played their last home game of the season, and even with the rainy weather, a lot of students still went out to support the team.  It was a tough loss to Ohio, but the Owls still played a good game and maintain a strong ranking in the Mid-Atlantic Standings.  I’m excited for next weeks game, and hopefully there will be another Bowl game this season too!

Football Team

Even if you’re not the biggest sports fan, going to the games and supporting the team is still a fun way to get involved at school.  I don’t know too much about the game, but I still enjoy cheering the teams on to victory!  That’s all I have for now, have to get back to all my projects for class.  Till next time,

-Taylor

Homecoming is here…

Hey Everyone,

These past few weeks have been pretty hectic with projects and midterms, but I’m ready to put that all aside because its time for HOMECOMING!! It’s a great time of year because its right in the middle of the semester and there’s just a ton of school spirit around campus.  Not only is the big game coming up, but there are also a ton of events around campus throughout the week to get students excited about Temple.

This year the Main Campus Program Board planned a wide variety of events for students to participate in.  There are t-shirt give away’s and a 5K run for students (Pretty sure I’m not participating in that one, haha!) We also have the yearly homecoming pageant and a flag football tournament students can join.  I’m particularly excited for the PostSecret Live Event With the site’s director  Frank Warren which is being held in the newly renovated Baptist Temple! Check out this link to see all the cool stuff planned for students this year: http://www.temple.edu/homecoming/schedule.html

I’m sure the game will be a ton of fun but the big thing I’m looking forward to this weekend is the Homecoming Concert.  This year the performer scheduled is…PASSION PIT!! I learned about this band over the summer from a couple of my friends and the band is awesome! Somewhat reminiscent of MGMT, they’re music is mostly electronic/pop and most of the songs are just fun to listen to.  Check out their music video!

Best part, the concert is only $10 for students and I cannot wait for the performance! I guess I have to get back to my homework, def want to make sure its done before the weekend!  Till next time,

-Taylor

Social Media is everywhere…

Hi Everyone,

So, in case you weren’t sure, we are definitely in an age of social media.  I mean, it’s everywhere (obviously you’re using it right now and probably have this page opened next to your email, Facebook page, random IM, and twitter).  Sure, it can get a bad rep for being a time waster,  but it’s not always a bad thing.  Actually, several businesses are now looking for interns and college grads to work for them as Social Media Specialists.  My internship this summeroften focused around Twitter and Facebook as means of free advertising.  And other businesses now realize the benefits of this new technology to reach a younger generation. 

Here’s a great example:

2 weeks ago my roommate is in her room and starts freaking out.  I’m in my room on Facebook (of course) and head over to see what up.  American Idiot, this new Broadway show featuring the music of Green Day, has posted a tweet that they are offering cheap student tickets to go see the show and then attend a Talkback with Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day,  and the director of the show. 

So, of course neither of us are passing up the chance to go to NYC and see a show.  We spent less than $40 to sit in the Orchestra section of a Broadway show (this NEVER happens!) Went up on a Friday, hung out in Times Square and then went and saw an AWESOME show!! The Talkback afterwards not only featured Billie Joe, but also the show’s director, some of the actors and the guy who did all of the video work for the show. In a word, it was EPIC!  It was pretty awesome! If you get a chance to see this show, I would totally recommend it.  The cast is incredible and even if you’re not a Broadway Fan, the music was still really cool!

Hanging in Times Square

Yeah, we're stylin!

At the Talkback

Billie Joe AND John Gallagher Jr!

So, checking social media is really important.  Stuff like this pops up all the time and there are a lot of opportunities to be found online.  But with all the social media in our lives, we can go a little overboard.  A lot of my media classes have been discussing this idea of simulated reality.  The concept basically states that we have all become so obsessed with media, that it now makes up our reality instead of the physical world we live in.  Yeah, its kinda intense, but I found the idea really interested.  I made this video for my experimental Media class that illustrated the concept.  Each shot is only one second long and it shows an average teenagers day and all the media technology we use.  Take a look and let me know what you think!

So, basically social media can be a great tool, but too much can lead to a media driven life.  Just some food for thought! That’s all from me for now.  Till next time guys,

-Taylor

The Beauty in changing your Mind…

Hi Everyone,

The semester has finally begun! I am officially a Junior and just saying it seems beyond weird.  It feels like I just moved into my freshman res. hall yesterday!  Now I have to start thinking about applying to internships, reviewing my resume and finding a real job when I graduate!  While those things are somethings I need to keep in mind, one of the perks of still being in college is that I have the ability to completely change my mind about the classes I’m in.

My freshman year I was terrified of the concept of… DROPPING A CLASS!  What would happen? Wouldn’t I offend the professor?  I signed up for the class originally right? Shouldn’t I see it through? I actually forced myself to stay in classes I knew I had little to no interest in simply because I thought the content description sounded interesting 4 months.  It didn’t exactly bode well for the semester.

One of the great things that is built in to the semester is a campus wide week where you have the choice to drop a class and pick up a new one without needing any permission from your adviser.  There are some negatives to this option, because once you drop the class you aren’t interested in, you have the issue of finding a new, open class that will fit your schedule.  It’s usually a good idea to have the class you want to pick up chosen before you drop the first class.  This semester, the university gave students until September 13th to drop a class without any permission or taking an incomplete.

The reason I mention this policy is because for the first time, I chose to drop a class this semester.  Yes, I still grappled with the guilt to drop it from my schedule, but I am glad I finally did it.  This semester, I am getting more involved in my major and am currently enrolled in two production courses.  I also have one writing intensive course that requires three exams and a research paper.  With all of these important classes for my major, I wanted to make sure that my other two courses for the semester would be easier to manage.  I signed up for an elective in the College of Liberal Arts that seemed pretty interesting and most of my friends had taken previous semesters and liked.

The first day of class, however, I got into the room and realized it was a mistake.  The class required 5 papers, each 2 to 3 pages and a research paper, 8 to 10 pages in length.  There were also 2 exams and a mandatory portfolio due.  I realized there was no way I could take this class on top of the rest of my workload.  The professor was really nice, but also really ambitious about the type of work he wanted his students to turn in and expected a lot of extra work to be completed for the course.  In the end, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to give the class the full attention it would require and decided to drop it.  Instead I picked up an Intro to Logic course with a little less course work and I’m confident this semester will be a little less hectic.

So all in all,  if you get into a class that sounds too difficult or not interesting at the beginning of the semester, chances are it won’t get any easier and dropping it might be the best thing to do.  That’s all the advice I have for now!  Time to get back to work on my classes!

Till next time,

-Taylor

From the depths of a Cave…

Hey Everyone,

So as the summer comes to a close, I need to accept that it’s finally time to get ready for classes to start and buy books.  Since I want to avoid looking at class rosters and book lists as much as possible, I’m going to take some time and talk about my vacation!

At the end of July, I traveled to West Virginia for an outdoor adventure vacation.  Now, I’m not the most “outdoorsey” person ever, but I was excited for some of the stuff we had planned.  The first full day of vacation, we went white water rafting in the New River.  This was a really cool trip and not only did we get to raft through the bigger rafts, but their were cool swimmer rapids that we could try too! 

The second day of the trip I had the opportunity to try something few people get to experience.  I went spelunking in a West Virginia cave.  It was a lot more intense than I originally assume, but it was a lot of fun and the pictures we took on the trip turned out really cool! 

Going through "The Drain" to start the trip

Sliding through the Cave

I was ready to get out of the tunnel!

Coming through the last part of the cave called "The Birth Canal"

At times in the trip, we were over 150 feet under the ground.  Over the 4 hour tour we climbed over several rock forms and crawled through tunnels that at times were only 5 ft wide.  The trip was a little too long for me and if I were to go again, I would probably skip the long crawl.  The end of the trip was especially difficult because the last tunnel required you to crawl through water and climbing back through the cave while wet was a little treacherous. 

All and all, I really enjoyed my outdoors adventure.  May even try to find more “outdoorsey” things to do in the city once school starts…well, we can see.  I guess its time to start looking for cheap books now!  Till next time,

-Taylor