Hi folks!

Sorry we’ve been M.I.A. on here for a bit. But we’re back! We’ve been working on another newsletter, the last one of the year actually. Can you believe how time flew? You’re first year is less than two weeks away from being over. Insane.

So in lieu of finals being next week, I thought it would be beneficial to show you guys how you can improve your brain function with a little physical activity. I know time is of the essence and finals mean you’re time is already dedicated to studying, but you have to make some room for things other than books! And no, I don’t mean make room for video games and naps…okay naps are pretty awesome so scratch that.. Anyway, what I’m trying to get at is the importance of exercise. Yes, you probably should have been exercising throughout the semester, but now is the time to really push yourself to get out when you get stressed. Even if it’s just for a walk, getting your heart rate up has actually been proven to relieve stress and boost grades.


Last year, Purdue University did an experiment on this theory. Their students also have I.D. numbers just like we do. This allowed them to track each time a student went to their on-campus gym. From that, they could compare GPA’s from students that regularly went to the gym and students that rarely or did not attend at all. And they did, in fact, find that students who regularly attended the gym did have a higher average GPA than other students. You can read more about their findings by clicking here!

It’s just some food for thought. And speaking of food, a healthy diet benefits both your grades and your exercise routine. So skip the fries for a change and eat a piece of fruit, got it? Good.

Best of luck on your finals! 🙂 
-Rach 

Hello friends!

A very good friend of mine is the president of an on-campus club called SASA (South Asian Student Association). She has organized her very first event that is next Friday, April 18th. It is the Holi Festival of Colors and it is open to everyone! Along with learning a bit about SASA and their purpose here at UML, you get to have an immense amount of fun as well! Here’s the deal, you wear white = you get color thrown at you. It’s that simple. Check out the picture below for more information!

-Rach

Hi there 🙂

So since today is the Redsox home opener, I thought I would make a blog about good ol’ Beantown. This city man, NOTHING can bring it down.

As we all know, the next Boston Marathon is fast approaching. It’s important to take a moment and remember what our city went through last April. The 2013 Boston Marathon bombings shocked the nation, even other parts of the world were in awe. It’s an international event, a time when people from all over the world can come together to do one simple thing, run. Everyone has a different story as to why they do it, but what matters most is that it brings people together. It’s safe to say this incident brought Boston together more than ever.

I live ten minutes north of Boston in a little town called Saugus. I can see the incredible skyline from my back porch. In high school, my friends and I would always take trips to Boston to walk down Boylston Street, window shop, etc. We always used to stop at this little candy store called Sugar Heaven. It’s a hole-in-the-wall candy store with just about every candy a little kid could ask for. They even have a downstairs section, filled with more candy of course. My point to this little personal insight? I met someone here at UML this past summer. Got to know her pretty well, and soon learned about her love for Boston. The city, the sports teams, everything. We went to Boston one day last fall, and she told me she wanted to visit the bombing site. She was at the marathon, luckily far enough away from the devastation that she wasn’t injured at all. But as soon as we came up on one of the sites (what then was just a giant construction area), I saw it. Sugar Heaven was literally right next to one of the bombing sites. Now I’m not very good with directions and addresses when it comes to the big city, so the shock literally almost brought me to tears. I had no idea a place I used to go to so many times was right next to where tragedy struck. I never put two and two together. A really bad feeling came over me that day. I was mad that it happened even though months had already passed. I didn’t know anyone involved, but it still hurt to know it all happened in a city that has brought so much life to where I grew up.

This April, the city of Boston will come back with avengance. The next Boston Marathon will happen, and the city will be stronger than ever. If you’re from the Boston area, you obviously know what I’m talking about. We are people you do not want to mess with, especially when it comes to big events in Beantown. I know this is Lowell, and you might be thinking “but we’re not even near Boston..”. It does not matter where you are from, the bombings affected everyone in some way. If you’re not a Boston native, I suggest you go check it out. The city has so much to offer! It only takes a day of being in Boston to realize just what a tight-knit city it is. There’s a place for everyone. My place (other than Sugar Heaven) happens to be the North End. My grandparents grew up there, and hands down, there is NO better place to get pizza and cannolis. So my little blog moral for today is to go to Boston. I don’t care when you go, or what you do when you get there. Just go. It’s an experience nonetheless. And remember to show your support at this year’s Boston Marathon.

Have a great weekend everyone. You deserve it.
-Rach

So after an extensive talk in the office about Beyonce, I felt the need to make a blog about her. Because, you know, Beyonce deserves her own blog post.

Some fun facts pertaining to the amount of cash this woman has:

• Her emerald earrings at Obama’s January 2013 inauguration cost $1.8 million
• Jay-Z and Beyonce spent a whopping $600K on Blue Ivy’s gold-dipped rocking horse
• Here are some of her monthly fees:

Tribeca NYC apt- $30,000 a month

Publicist Yvette-$10,000 a month

Bodyguard Julius-$8,000 a month (more overseas)

Makeup Artist oncall $2500 a month

Live in Chef $ 7500 a month

Live in maid $ 4000 a month

Personal Accountant 4000 month

Dereon Accountant 3000 a month

Manager (matthew) $!!!100,000 a month!!!

Personal asst Angela $5000 a month

Personal Trainer: $7000 a month

Dietician: Max $4000/month upon diet change

Car detailing and driver: $7000 a month

Pocket cash on hand about $50,000 a month

Here are some random fun facts that make me feel a little less hopeless: 

• Her full name is Beyonce Giselle Carter-Knowles
• She has a sister named Solange who is also a singer/songwriter
• She married Jay-Z on April 4th, 2008 and had Blue Ivy on January 7th of 2012
• She is allergic to perfume
• She has a weird obsession to curry
• A a child, she used to charge her parents’ houseguests $5 to watch her perform

Just like the rest of us though, Beyonce has had her moments..

That is the end of my Queen B spiel. Hope you enjoyed it!

-Rach 😀

For most of us as college students procrastination is our biggest down fall. Whether it is because we are busy or because that mid-afternoon nap sounds too good, we often let procrastination get the best of us. While some students work better under pressure others may produce messy, last minute work that is not presentable or substantial for professors or could avoid so much stress if you got it out of the way earlier rather then later. Below are some simple tips that help me with procrastination. I hope they can help you too!

1. Avoid putting off any task that will take five minutes or less to complete.

2. Break larger jobs into small parts. Do one and then pause. This will feel less overwhelming.

3. Start with easier projects. Crossing them off your list will provide motivation to keep going.

4. Adopt a “touch it once” policy. For example, pick up a bill, pay for it, and file it all in one swift process. This will keep to-dos from piling up and feeling impossible to complete.

5. Consider multitasking. For example, start your laundry before sitting down to read emails.

6. De-clutter. Clearing your physical environment can lead to a clear mind, too.

I hope this helps 🙂
– Kayla

You cannot possibly tell me you’re not proud to be a Riverhawk at this point. Back to back Hockey East titles and now we are on to regionals for the second time in a row. Last year was a blast making it to the Frozen Four, but before we can do it again this year, we need your help. Even if you can’t make the next game, you can watch it online or listen to the audio via goriverhawks.com.

Hey kiddos!

Spring Break is next week. I don’t even need to elaborate on the subject. Go have immense amounts of fun, but remember to be smart about your actions as well. Here are some tips to follow as well as some general Spring Break information: 

Schoolwork – If you have something due the week we get back, get it done before you leave on Friday! Or at least get it started. The last thing you want on your plate on the Sunday we come back is schoolwork that is due on Monday morning. 

Stay active! – Being on break doesn’t always mean you should be a couch potato.. okay, maybe for a couple days.. but try to stay away from being dormant for the whole week. It will only make getting back into the swing of things that much more difficult when you get back. Exercising or even just walking around a mall for an hour is much better than sitting and watching TV.

Safety – This is so important that it gets its own bullet point list. If you plan on vacationing anywhere with some friends, safety needs to be your top priority. 

• Buddy System – Don’t go anywhere alone, especially at night. The bigger the group, the better.
• Drinking – Do your best to limit your alcohol consumption. If necessary, make someone your Designated Driver or call a cab if you are unable to operate a vehicle on your own.
• Contact Info – Give your parent/guardian all of your trip and contact information before you leave. If anything happens, notify them right away.
• You can get more helpful safety tips for vacationing by clicking here.

*P.S. SUPPORT YOUR RIVERHAWKS THIS WEEKEND IN THE HOCKEY EAST QUARTERFINALS!
If you would like to attend the upcoming hockey playoff games this weekend, ResLife is providing you with the option of staying in your residence hall both Friday and Saturday night. If you’re interested, simply email them at ResLife@uml.edu stating that you would like to attend the hockey games and they will grant you access to stay longer.

Enjoy thou breaking of spring!
-Rach 🙂

It is that time again, and just so we do not forget (I almost did) about FAFSA (Federal Student Aid) I thought I would remind you and myself that the deadline for UML is March 1st. This is soon, so if you need financial aid or would like to apply/reapply make sure you do so soon.

You can click on the link below to bring you to the FAFSA home page:

https://fafsa.ed.gov/

If you have ANY questions at all feel free to contact me through email or any of our social networks!

Happy mid-semester y’all!
– Kayla 😀