Advising

So it is that time of the semester again. Yes THAT time of the semester again but no not THAT time of the semester. We still have the month of April for classes and May for finals. What I am talking about is advising.

If you were thinking that I was talking about the end of the semester you are a very bad man!

With advising coming up you are going to need to get that advising hold removed from your account, if you have one at all, which is normally done by meeting with your adviser. Advising begins on April 16th which is also the first day of Fall 2013 registration. If you are unsure of who your advisor is here is a screenshot of my iSiS to help you figure it out!
What you should be bringing to your advising meeting is a list of the classes you want to take next semester and also yourself! If you are unsure of what classes you are supposed to bring if you go to HERE you can select your major and then find a link to the course requirements you can see by year what classes you should be taking. If you are unsure of how you are doing in your classes and could potentially fail classes or get a grade that you wish to replace, creating schedules for different scenarios of what your grades are like at the end of this semester. 
If this blog doesn’t help you in any way shape or form I apologize but I can advise that if you have any further questions contacting your Advisor or department would be quite beneficial.
-Brady

CREEPYPASTA

So friends, as finals approach and you’re doing all that late night studying, you are bound to get distracted and wander into the weird places of the internet.
The dark depths of various forums and message boards are where scary stories known as “creepypastas” are born. The name is derived from another internet phenomenon known as “copypasta,” which are basically ridiculous posts that get copied and pasted over and over and over. But these are better. These are CREEPY.
My first encounter with creepypasta was on a dark and stormy night in Eames Hall my freshman year. I was studying late into the evening, and after hours and hours of diligent work I decided to reward myself with a short internet break. Somehow I wandered into the badlands of the internet, but feeling brave, I continued on.


Much like Simba’s wanderings into the elephant graveyard, this was a bad idea. The first creepypasta story I came across is a classic one titled, “Gateway of the Mind.” The gist of the supposedly true tale recounts a team of scientists in 1983 conducting a radical experiment where they surgically sever all connections to the subject’s five senses and observe him over time. If you’re interested in reading the whole thing, it can be found here. It’s a little unsettling, but not as bad as some other pastas I’ve read since.

Perhaps the most well known is our tall, dapper friend Slender Man.

Slender Man



Origins: In June 2009, a contest was launched on the Something Awful forums to edit photos to include supernatural things. User Victor Surge posted two black and white photos of children in playgrounds with a tall figure in the background wearing a black suit. He also included text with the photos, describing the figure as “The Slender Man” and dating the photos as taken the day before fourteen children vanished. These descriptions added to the story of Slender Man and helped him go viral.

One of the original Slender Man photos.

Development: Slender Man quickly grew into a viral sensation; fans making more photos, drawings, stories [creepypastas], as well as videos and even games. The first video series involving our dapper faceless man is known as Marble Hornets. It also originated on the Something Awful forums, by user ce gars. The story tells of his friend Alex Kralie, a film school student working on a project called Marble Hornets. After stumbling across something unsettling, Alex abandons the project, dumps all his footage with Jay, and disappears. Jay then begins sifting through the footage and embarks on a creepy journey, all the while documenting his findings on his YouTube channel and Twitter. Apparently Marble Hornets is being turned into a feature length film, produced by Mosaic.



So friends, if you would like to scare yourself into not sleeping so you can stay up and study, I’d recommend watching the Marble Hornets series, browsing the Creepypasta wiki, or perhaps seeing the Evil Dead, the trailer of which Brady just showed me. I will not be sleeping tonight, or ever, and I may be crying right now.

Happy spring everyone!!



-Trudy

Don’t Forget!!

 IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES!! DO NOT be the one who missed the deadline and now has to reside in a not so convenient place!
April 5, 2013Lottery numbers distributed to current residents and commuters that met the contract deadline.

April 11 and 12, 2013University and Riverview suite selection process.April 14 and 15, 2013 Room Retention for those with rooms that are eligible for retention.

April 16 and 17, 2013 Roommate pull-in for residents that retained their rooms.

April 18 and 19, 2013 General Room Selection.May 1, 2013 Housing Contracts deadline for guaranteed housing for new freshman and transfer students.  

Receive a Lottery Number April 4th/5th

 Lottery Numbers are randomly assigned between each student class in this order:

Graduate Students/Current Juniors

Current Sophomores

Current Freshmen

All Commuters

  

University Suites (East Campus): 4 & 6 person suites (primarily double rooms)

Riverview Suites (South Campus): 4 & 6 person apartments (all doubles)

Donahue Hall (East Campus): 4, 6, 8 person suites (doubles)


Inn and Conference Center (Downtown): Double room with private bathrooms


Concordia Hall (South Campus): Single and Double Rooms


Sheehy Hall (South Campus): 4, 6, 8 person suites (doubles)


University Apartments (all campuses): 2-6 person apartments, primarily double rooms – full kitchens

 <  3 Giselle

Cool Animals I Wish Weren’t Extinct

Hello everybody,

So this week I had to do a philosophy project about endangered species and whether or not humans should be obligated to protect them blah blah blah but the COOLEST part of it all were the cool animals I learned about that are no longer with us today.

Seriously these animals were bosses in their own right before they met their inevitable end. All of these animals existed in the last 1,000 years ago(sorry no dinosaurs in this post). Let’s get started.

Cool Animal #1: Stellar’s Sea Cow

This animal is like Tito from Rocket Power meets an aquatic environment. It could get as big as  26-30 feet! It’s like what would happen if a whale meets a manatee and they had babies. This thing is basically the bro of the ocean. Explorers used to write that these guys were extremely docile, however, fishermen and pirates basically genocided them to extinction during the 1700’s. Smh. If you want to learn more go here.

Cool Animal #2: The Atlas Bear
This was Africa’s only indigenous bear. It was hunted throughout history for sport and was even used by the Ancient Romans to fight gladiator’s and was also used for other events held at the Coliseum. The last known specimen was hunted and killed in the 1870’s. If you want more info you can find it here.


Cool Animal #3: The North American Lion


The only cool animals left in North America are mooses, wolves, and maybe cougars. North America is  by and large devoid of any cool reptiles or cool mammals like other continents have. Imagine you were minding your own business when all of a sudden a lion bigger than any modern African Lion came out of nowhere. That’s how cool the world would be if these lions were still around. You can find more info here.

Cool Animal #4: The Haast’s Eagle 
This eagle was the largest eagle of all time. It used to terrorize everything in New Zealand. In the picture it’s hunting Moa’s (also extinct), which could get as large as 12 feet tall and weigh over 500 pounds. That’s about 15 times as large as the eagle. That’s how wild these eagles were, they killed 500 pound things, honestly, these eagles would probably hunt humans if they got the chance. To put things in perspective, It’s size and weight indicate a bodily striking force equivalent to a cinder block falling off the height of an 8-foot building. This eagle was such a monster that humans did not directly cause it’s extinction, but rather, humans hunted and killed all of the flightless Moa, the eagles main prey, and therefore indirectly wiped out the Haast’s Eagles around the 1400’s. You can find more info at here.

These animals were champions of the world. Let’s have a moment of silence. *pours one out for the dead homies of the animal kingdom*

-Tim Brown

Salsa, the moves or the dip?

ITS THE MOVES!!! Oh Yeaaahhh! 
Salsa is NOT as hard as you may think. Give it try! i promise you’ll love it as much as I do  =)


What you could look like!!!



HISTORY OF SALSA
   While it is definitely more than just Cuban, a large part of the dance originated on the island. The French who fled from Haiti brought the Danzón or the country-dance of England/France to Cuba. This dance began to mix with the African rhumbas such as Guaguanco, Colombia and Yambú. Added to this is the Són of the Cuban people, which was a mixture of the Spanish troubadour (sonero) and the African drumbeats. This occurred in other places like the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Puerto Rico, albeit not at the same grand level and manner as in Cuba.
   
Before and around the time of World War II, the music traveled to Mexico City and New York. It was in New York where the term “Salsa” was created. In fact, the use of the word salsa for dance-able Latin Music was coined in 1933 when Cuban song composer Ignacio Piñerio wrote the song Échale Salsita. The word served as a type of protest against bland food. It then flourished as a popular nickname for a variety of Hispanic influenced music 


LITTLE TIPS
Salsa is a dance of passion, where you feel and dance to the music. Sure.. rhythm and timing are important, but the real part of the dance comes from within.
Here’s an easy way to tell if you know the basic dance steps: While you are dancing with your partner, can you hold a conversation and complete all of the basics steps? If so, you are ready to learn the intermediate steps.

Beginners Lesson

Dance Lessons

Edwin Pabon (Boston)
617-524-0457

<  3 Giselle


Spice up your Ramen life

The best breakfast I ever made myself was most likely the Ramen noodles I used to cook when I was the self proclaimed chief chef of the universe in sixth grade. I used to make Ramen for myself everyday before school. When I say everyday I mean everyday. I would wake up at six in the morning just so I could shower, get dressed, eat my Ramen, and catch the bus at seven. I didn’t mess around with it either. Everything was perfectly timed. I was a god for ten minutes every morning when I put those dehydrated noodles into the boiling water. I soon realized that my god stature in the Ramen universe was nothing more than an illusion. People do so much more than simply make a soup. Some people cook the noodles, drain the water, and then add the flavor packet. It became apparent that my knowledge of Ramen was dwarfed immensely compared to the rest of the world. I quickly set out to fix that. I did research and experimented. You can only say that a Ramen recipe is bad when you have added so much curry powder to your broth that it makes doing the cinnamon challenge look like child’s play. 
My failed attempts at adding curry powder to my Ramen ended a lot like this

My quest may not be over to find the best Ramen recipe but it has brought me to very interesting places in the Ramen universe that I may never venture to again. I have done unimagineable things to Ramen noodles that I am pretty sure violated the Geneva convention or the Ramen rights equivalent. 
Way #1  

So you want to make macaroni and cheese but all you have is Velveeta and Ramen noodles? No problem. While being textually interesting it is easy to make and requires little materials. All you need is half a block of Velveeta, mix it with some milk, butter, and of course the cooked noodles. All you need to do is prepare the Velveeta, milk, and butter in the microwave until it is gooey then add it to the cooked noodles. If you want you can add more cheese on top then broil it to get a browned and bubbly top to your Ramac and Cheese.
Way #2

So it is early in the morning and you want some eggs. You can’t think of what else to add to your eggs and all you have is Ramen. Fret not! You can add eggs/Ramen to your Ramen/eggs in a number of fantastic ways. 
Hard Boiled Eggs
This is probably one of the easiest methods to add eggs to your Ramen and all you need to do is add the eggs to a pot of water, boil the water, then add your noodles and cook it as you want. 
Soft Boiled Eggs
To soft boil an egg in your Ramen you bring water to a boil, add the eggs. You can cook them for 3 minutes if you want them to be soft or for 5 minutes for a fully white and semi liquid yolk.
Egg Drop
To do this method you need to lightly beat an egg, once your noodles are cooked swirl the noodles and hot broth gently around the pot. While the broth is moving slowly drizzle the beaten egg. 
Fried Egg
To add fried eggs to your Ramen you simply need to fry an egg in another pan then add the fried egg to your Ramen after you have prepared the noodles. I am rather fond of this method because I love frying eggs and eating fried eggs. 
Way #3

So you can add eggs to your Ramen now but what about vegetables or meat? The easiest type of veggies that you can add to your Ramen are frozen veggies which you should run under hot water for thirty seconds to thaw them. Quick cooking veggies such as baby spinach can be stirred into the soup right before serving because they cook so quickly in the hot broth. 
Way #4

You can add meat to your Ramen simply and easily. Thinly sliced meat can be cooked in a matter of seconds directly in the soup. Chicken breast, pork tenderloin, and flank steaks are wonderful to add to the soup. To cook you can just add the meat to the hot broth until it is cooked, you should do this while the noodles are simmering. 
Way #5

Throw it all together
Use your imagination. You have just found out about three extra ingredients to add to your Ramen. No one said that they are only able to be done by themselves. Through the sheer number of vegetables, meats, egg cooking methods, and flavors of Ramen there are over 9,000 different ways for you to prepare your Ramen. So get cooking and enjoy!
-Brady

A Tribute to my Inner Thirteen-Year-Old

So as many of you probably have heard, My Chemical Romance broke up this past Friday. They were one of my favourite bands for a long time back in that awkward angsty gothy phase most teenagers go through. I was always playing Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge on Winamp (anyone remember that?! I had a sweet customized AFI skin for it.) and later my iPod mini. I had an elaborate plan to construct the costume the woman wears in the Helena music video (embedded below) for Halloween one year; I saw them perform at the then-called Tsongas Arena back in 2005; when The Black Parade came out, I was one of “those people” who stuck to their old stuff in defiance of their new look.

The MCR I knew and loved.
The Black Parade era. wat r u doing, stahp.
I don’t even know these people anymore. Gerard always looks fierce, though.
According to Gerard Way, he had a revelation of sorts before a show last May that he compared to what “[he] can only imagine is the sixth sense one feels before their last moments alive.”
Perhaps it was their time; they had a great 12-year run, accumulated an immense fanbase, and provided much inspiration for middle school Trudy’s makeup and wardrobe (I even did that red-bar-across-the-eyes thing once..yeah I was cool.)

We will miss you, My Chemical Romance. We were all with you To The End. Whatever you dudes do now, you better Give ‘Em Hell, Kids. The Ghost of You will be with me always, and if you ask me how I feel about this..I’m Not Okay (I Promise). So dudes, although I Never Told You What I Do for a Living, You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison. Hang ‘Em High, take Helena down Cemetery Drive, because This Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You otherwise. And of course you know, It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Deathwish.
So friends, thank you. Thank You for the Venom.

Stay metal, UMass Lowell.

This may or may not be 14-year-old Trudy.


-Trudy

App of the Month: Songza

Sup everybody, not really sure what to write my blog about this week, so I thought I would share something cool I learned about back in January. It’s an app for android and apple products and on your computer. It’s called Songza. It looks like this:

The whale thing is kinda creepy in my opinion. 
Basically it’s like Pandora but way better. It makes a playlist for you based on your favorite kind of music but it also accounts for whatever time of the day it is. So if it’s a monday afternoon like today it will look like this:
Cool Stuff
So as you can see. It offers me a couple options based on what time it is. If I click “Brand New Music.” It will give me this:

And obviously because I’m about that life, I am going to click Hip Hop/Rap. Now from here it will look like this:

So this is how I found out about my favorite playlist: Worldstar HipHop’s Top Tracks. I listen to this playlist every day when I am in the shower. This app is pretty cool in how you select a playlist but also because there are no commercials. And it’s free! 
This app is a real winner and I love it. Download it and love your life. Have a bro Monday everybody.
-Tim Brown 

Naps on Naps on Naps!

Remember!
You gotta work hard if you want to get an A. But hard work can only be done if you have the energy for it…
No amount of coffee can save you.
Here are a couple of hints to help you power through all of your homework and tests:
  • Plan your academic responsibilities accordingly! 
  • Don’t party all weekend – perhaps if you have a lot to do you should hit the library at least once!
  • Get a good nights rest!!! This is tremendously important!!!
  • Plan your day accordingly and don’t get distracted!
Also, don’t forget to use the powerful system I invented: I call it the CNH program. 
The CNH program stands for Class, Nap, Homework. It’s a fantastic approach to collegiate life and allows an undergraduate individual to balance the most important facets of school life. Sleep and Academics.Real simple stuff. After you hit those lectures, head back and take a long and deep nap, wake up ready to power through that homework (preferably in the quiet distraction-free library), then do it all again tomorrow. Works every time. 
Good luck everyone!
-Tim 

Oh Midterms





Midterm weeks are not as stressful as finals week, but they definitely do bring restless nights of studying. As long as you keep up with the lectures and homework from the start, you dont have to be too stressed out for midterms.
Midterm seasons can be tough and restless, but you can make it fun! Look for some study buddies and form study groups. I found out that I can study for a longer time if I have someone to study with. Even if you guys are not studying for the same class, it definitely helps to have someone there to keep you from snoozing off.

 
Also remember this is one of the times the library gets SUPER PACKED, so make sure to bring your laptop just in case you cant get a computer right away! Grab your laptop, find a nice quiet and comfy spot and get to work! AVOID STUDYING AT HOME the bed is too much of a temptation




Some basic steps to help you:

  • ·        Start early
  • ·        Stay positive
  • ·        Pace yourself
  • ·        Take a deep breath
  • ·        Take breaks!

    < 3 Giselle