Beam me up!

     I am a nerd.  Ever since I realized this, I have embraced it and proudly worn my nerd badge of honor.  Now you may be thinking, “Jenna, what is it specifically that makes you a nerd?  And what kind of nerd are you?”  Well my blog viewers, I am a sci-fi nerd.  I love it and just can’t get enough.

Patrick Stewart!

Nimoy and Shatner

     It all started sophomore year of High School.  I just happened to be flipping through channels and something caught my eye.  It was Patrick Stewart (the man who plays the kick-butt Prof.  Charles Xavier for the X-men movies).  So like I was saying, Patrick caught my eye and I said to myself, “Hey he’s a great actor, maybe I should give whatever this show is a shot.”  What was the show?  You guessed it baby… Star Trek: The Next Generation!  After about ten minutes I was hooked, and thus began my love affair with sci-fi.  Since that fateful day I have spread the love with other fantastic sci-fi television series’ and movies.

     Some of my all time favorites are: Star Trek The Next Generation, and Voyager (duh), Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica (the new version) and the Youtube sensation RoosterTeeth (I know they are gaming, and I’m not into that, but it’s still pretty nerdy).

Me and my Klingon Pals

     I think the consummation of my love for Star Trek occurred when I traveled from Charlotte, NC to Las Vegas, NV in order to experience my very first… Official Star Trek Convention!  It was incredible!  Meeting the actors, hearing the stories from behind the scenes, seeing all the people who were dressed up as their favorite characters (though I did feel a bit out of place being one out of a handful of people in regular clothing). It was truly a fabulous experience.  Would I go again?  Maybe.  Would I be willing to go to a different shows convention?  Oh yeah!

Me and a couple of Aliens

     So basically, the moral of this blog is that no matter who you are or how you think people will judge you, you must be yourself.  (Even if that means that you received two Klingon Dictionaries for one Birthday haha).

Live Long and Prosper!
Until next time,

Jenna Buthman

Giddy-Up

     Last semester I had the amazing opportunity to fill my PE credit with Horse Back riding!  I had ridden before but I’d never taken official lessons.  Walking up to the stables, the first thing that hits you is the smell.  It’s flipping nasty! You get used to it after a while, but sometimes it will waft past you, and boy it is unpleasant.

     Anyway, once you get past the smell you are shown around the grounds.  You first learn about the different types of saddles, the bit, the stirrups, the bridle, as well as how to groom your horse.  Once you have mastered these skills you are ready to hop up on your horse!

     It’s a little scary at first.  You are high up in the air; your stirrups are your only “seatbelt” and your sitting on top of an animal that has a mind of its own.  Again, you slowly get used to it and eventually you are standing up in your stirrups, making figure eights, and weaving in and out between cones.

     The next level is learning to Trot.  It’s basically a simple 1, 2, rhythm.  Every time the horse goes up, you stand up into your stirrups.  It is really fun!  The final thing that I got the chance to learn during the semester was how to Canter.

     For me, Cantering was very fast and very scary.  But once I had the rhythm down and hopped on the right horse, I began to slowly come to love it.

     Overall, Horse Back Riding classes were one of the best experiences of my life.  It is so peaceful and enjoyable.  I loved being in the outdoors, creating bonds with the horses and my fellow riders, and learning a skill that I hope to cultivate over time.

Until Next Time,

Jenna Buthman

101 of Dining Out

I have had it! There should be a manual people read before dining out, because honestly some people have absolutely no common sense nor do they have a shred of respect. This blog post will be different, it might sound like a rant, and if it does I sincerely apologize but after my third IPA this is the only thing I could think about writing about at the moment.

First, we will start with a few things NOT to do at the beginning of your dining experience:

- Don’t start talking to me about your problems; I don’t care that you’ve had a bad day. You think you had a bad day, I’m here listening to your bad day and I’m not even getting paid for it. Please go see a therapist, I don’t get paid enough for your problems.
- Once I’ve greeted you, the proper response would be a friendly response, such as, hi, how are you? not dike coke, or what soups do you have today? This is a not a great way to establish a relationship with your waiter.
- If you are the first one to arrive from your party of six, don’t tell me you have five more coming. I’m not blind nor stupid. Thanks captain obvious.

- Don’t tell me you’re ready to order and then ask me 30 questions, there are hungry children to feed at the table next to you, Tom needs another remoulade sauce, and Kevin has blown down six diet cokes in ten minutes.
- Don’t look at my crouch when asking for a straw, it makes me feel weird. Also, carrying straws in an apron is considered unsanitary; you’d love to know what kind of miscellaneous particles I find in my apron at the end of the shift.
- Never say “they did it for us last time”. I’ve worked here for three years and I have never seen you here. Also, I don’t wear this uniform because I’m in a fan club or anything.. Just ask, I’m sure “they” will do it for you.

Now, here are some things your shouldn’t do during the middle of your dining experience;

- Slow down on the diet coke Kevin.....
- I clearly didn’t cook your food, so I’m sorry if Juan overcooked your steak.
- If you have more than four allergies, you should probably consider staying at home and cooking for yourself.
- NEVER call me buddy, chief, bro, sweetheart, or any variation of those words. I have a name, if you want to know it simply ask.
- A well done steak takes at least 15 minutes, just to let you know.
- If you don’t tranquilize your children I will.
- Never raise your hand. We aren’t in school but if you continue to misbehave I will put you in time out.

Finally, for the end of your dining experience:

- You’re not at cracker barrel, you pay me, not at the front.
- Tip is required, if you don’t have any money for tip please stay at home, enough said.
- Automatic gratuity for large parties is company policy, not mine, get with it.
- Don’t eat your food and then tell me you didn’t like it. Let’s be realistic here, you shouldn’t force yourself to eat something you don’t like...
- Using ten splendas for one iced tea is unhealthy.
- Not every restaurant offers free dessert for birthdays, even air at gas stations isn’t free, get used to things not being free. Don’t make it awkward for me please.
- Please try to at least clean up a little after your children or next time call a babysitter, no one wants to deal with the aftermath little Timmy left behind.
- Never ever come in within ten minutes of closing, you will be glared at until you leave.
- And please, if we’ve been closed for over an hour and you’re within the walls of our establishment and I can’t go home, I will personally find where you work and make your work life a living hell.


Well, I hope everyone enjoyed my fun tips for dining out. I’m sorry if anyone found any of this offensive, if you did, I’m sorry but at least now you know! :)

Krisztian Martin

Falcon Fun Night

Every Sunday I go to Forrest Hills Church with a friend of mine who plays football for the new UNCC football team.  This past Sunday his kicking coach, Mike Striker joined us and invited me to participate in a community service opportunity called Falcon Fun Night.  Thursday afternoon Mike volunteers at Quail Hollow Middle School for Falcon Fun Night.  Which is an outreach program organized by Forest Hills Church.  Earlier today a few of my Kappa Delta sisters, along with myself, went to Quail Hollow Middle School to volunteer with Mike. 

It’s amazing how much the children really appreciate someone giving them extra time and attention.  The set up of Falcon Fun Night is very well organized.  The church makes use of all the different classrooms by having each classroom have a group leader and a topic.  The topics included anything from arts and crafts to biology. 

The experience was hilarious, I come from a fairly large family but even I forget how funny kids can be when they aren’t even trying.  Mike was also such a good mediator.  He had a good balance of letting the kids say what they needed to say, and keeping them on track

 At one point Mike asked the kids who their best friends were, and their responses had me in tears of laughter.  One kid named Brandon talked about his best friend Wyatt.  Wyatt’s family had to move because they bought so many car’s they couldn’t fit them all in their garage.  Mike cut him off when he started to talk about all the motorcycles Wyatt’s family also owned.  One kid described his best friend as an imaginary friend named Gary.  However he was upset because Gary had to move away to California when he parents got a divorce.  Mike sympathized with him by saying “yes it’s always difficult when imaginary friends move away”.  Another kid named Leshawn really enjoyed having my friends and I in the classroom.  I was flattered when he said “I want them to come back next time cuz them girls are grown". 

-Anna Kirwan 

Happy Birthday, Toaster Head!

     Today, October 16th, exactly twenty-two years ago, Brittani Paige Pedersen was born, 9 lbs. 2 oz., 21 inches. There was no doubt about it, I was the biggest baby in the nursery. After fifteen hours of labor, my mother and father finally figured out why. Screaming at the world for being removed from my cozy womb, my parents finally saw their little girl. Her ten fingers and ten toes, bright blue eyes, and, dang! An enormously large head...

     As it mostly protrudes longways, from my forehead to the back of my head, my head is still huge.  So huge that my friends and family call me “toaster head,” because it’s proportional to a toaster.  From the front, it seems small, but if you look at it from the side, it doubles in size.  You may think that having a larger head wouldn’t produce too many setbacks except being lovingly teased, but  you are mistaken.  The number one problem is (duh!) hats. In men's baseball caps, I'm an XL, which clearly means that any cute women’s “one-size-fits-all” hat is an absolute impossibility.  Once in a Mexican flea market, a woman chasing me around the store trying to sell me things basically forced me to try on a knit women’s beanie made of unforgiving and unelastic material.  As my mom and I are half laughing and half warning her, saying “No, don't do it! Not gonna happen!” before I knew it, she had quickly tried to fit it on my head (which obviously didn't even fit over the back half).  She had nervously chuckled as she scurried, leaving my mom and I to shop in silence, although we were dying laughing.  Remember when it was cool in to wear your boyfriend’s hats in middle school? I stayed clear and far away from that trend.  The guys always tried, thinking they were smooth, and then the awkward explanation came as I had to readjust the size or just simply give it back.  Ever tried to get a sweatshirt off of your head, yet it was you either had to cut it off you or enlist in help? I have, and about 9 times out of 10, my friends and family would pull it so hard that they fell over once it came off, instead of reaching for the scissors.

     My mother tries to tell me, “your big head means big brains!” and while I thank her for that illegitimate consolation, I’m perfectly fine with the circumference of my cranium.  There's even a few perks.  Playing softball in elementary school, I had exclusive access to the XL baseball helmet, which was never worn by any of the other teammates because a small or medium would suffice.  And by having a brother two years younger than me who wrestled with me constantly, head butts came in handy. 

     People say they don’t notice until I tell them, (which is hopefully true) and once they realize it some get all high-pitched and proclaim "OMG! No you don't! I think your head is normal-sized."  Lame.  Let's just laugh about it instead of offering me silly support like I cry myself to sleep at night because the back of my head is too big.  I'm fond of my overgrown head, and believe it deserves it's own happy birthday for hanging around for the past twenty-two years.

So... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOASTER HEAD! 

Brittani Pedersen

Money Lost

     When you leave a place, what do you check for every time? I always check for my keys and wallet.  Without those two things, I feel like my life is done.  My keys have my car key and house key from back home on it along with my mailbox and room key.  While being a student at Queens University of Charlotte, your room key and mailbox key are two things you do not want to lose.  To replace the mailbox key it costs $60 and to replace the room key, I think it costs the same.  I feel like Queen’s wants you to lose those things because they get so much money out of you. 

      My wallet has my license, social security card, my swipe card to enter my dorm, a picture of my girlfriend and family then last but not least my debit card.  Those things are very valuable.  If I lost my license, I would have to go to a DMV to get it replaced and once again pay more money.  If I lost my social security card again, first my mom would go up side my head because this would be the second time, but then I would have to call a lot of people to get a new copy.  My swipe card would cost $10 for a new one, but I’m still losing money.  The pictures could be replaced but I would have to go all the way home to get more.  My debit card could be replaced for free.  The good thing, if you lose your debit card, the person couldn’t use it because you need the pin the number.  However, if they went to a fast food place or something of that nature, they would have to swipe the card through and that’s it.  

     So basically make sure you check for your personal belongings when you go in and out of a place.  Losing these valuables can take forever to get back.

Antonio Stabler

The Ultimate Test of Friendship

            We’ve all experienced friendships over the years that we thought would last forever. Some friends move away, and others just grow apart. When 10,000 people were asked to share the most common way they had lost a friend, a shocking 57% said that it was because of Mario Kart.

                Mario Kart (the Nintendo 64 version) is perhaps the most ridiculous, adrenaline-pumping game on the market. Something about the game provokes the beast within everyone, and many people have a hard time controlling their animalistic desire for victory. When the green and red shells start flying, things can really take a “turn” for the worst (PUNS!).  If you've met someone who says they haven’t lost sleep over a traumatic experience on Rainbow Road… they’re lying… and most likely dangerous. Mario Kart can forge friendships that last a lifetime, or decimate a relationship between the best of childhood friends.  However, kids and adults can all appreciate the game because it has just the right amount of violence. Today’s video games are all about how realistic they can be, but Mario Kart is such a great game because it defies all logic. In absolutely no universe would a gorilla, a dinosaur, and two Italian plumbers be pitted against each other in a race, but Mario Kart makes that happen regularly!

                It is also the game that defines the 90s generation. Some critics say that the graphics are now outdated, but that’s just because they only play their fancy XBOXs on their plasma screens and whatnot. Running into a wall because it looks just like the road gives the game character, and it also makes it more difficult than some of the most advanced racing games being made today. Drafting, power sliding, and dodging giant banana peels are but a taste of the Mario Kart experience.

                So if you’re not sure who your friends really are, challenge them to race or two on Mario Kart. It will be easy to tell who your friends are, because they will be the ones not trying to run you over in a real car later in the day. 

- Eric Richard