Winter City Streets

     I love this time of year, the chill in the air reminds me of my winters spent in Hungary. I was born in Gyor, Hungary which is on the eastern side of Hungary; this is where I call home. We generally travel home every three years and it’s always been in the winter. This is why this time of the year reminds me of a place I call home. 

        The architecture inspires me to take photos over and over again, sometimes I feel like a tourist in my own country. It doesn’t bother me because the photos hold timeless memories for me. Walking the cobbled-stone city streets all bundled up with a cup of hot herbed-infused red wine, a traditional Hungarian winter-time beverage, keeps me warm despite the bitter wind chill coming from the Danube river, which passes straight through the city. I can feel it right now as I’m typing this, I miss home so much. 

    There is however one place I visit almost every day when I’m out in Gyor’s city streets, a 656 year old Roman Catholic Church. The primary denomination of Christianity in Hungary is Roman Catholic; there are as many churches there as Starbucks here. Alright, that might have been an exaggeration but churches are everywhere in Gyor! The one I visit the most was originally built in the 1100s, parts of that foundation still remain today. However, the church was demolished (unknown why) in 1241, then it was rebuilt in 1256 (where is still stands today) and went through three minor renovations from 1460-1480, 1635-1645, and 1912-1914. The architecture in breath-taking with hand-painted ceilings and walls, gold accents, marble columns, and unbelievable wood trim. This place to me is the most beautiful place in the world. 

     It’s not just the city though that holds beauty. I have family that live out in the country, where they grow their own vegetables and raise livestock. Venek, the town, or more like a village if anything, is composed of maybe fifteen homes, a small connivence store about half the size of a classroom, a bar, and one more thing... you can guess it... A Church! But what I love about Venek is that it’s surrounded by seemingly endless countryside. The Danube river also runs along the side of this town. Here you can collect stones out of the Danube which may have traveled all the way down from the Black Forest in Germany; that is where the Danube river begins. The forest is called the Black Forest because it’s so dense that at night the moon can’t even shine through. The stones could have very easily traveled down the Danube to Venek.

     There are not enough words in a day for me to explain how much I miss being back home, especially since we always travel in the winter. I hope to venture back again when I graduate. Since I’m living out of the house and pretty much on my own, I have to come up with the finances to travel back and have all my bills paid because when we go we don’t just go for a week, or two weeks, we go from three or four. I recommend everyone going on their JBIP to soak in as much as they can about wherever you go. It could be a life changing experience, it always is for me. 

Krisztian Martin

Who are we? Oh yea, AMERICAN’s

            The last few months have been some of the most hectic months I have ever been apart of.  From the Democratic convention being held in Charlotte, to the numerous campaign ads completely downplaying the other candidate’s credibility, to the world wide debates where the two presidential candidates squared off answering questions and questioning ideas.  All the past months led up to Tuesday: the day that America voted on which person this country was going to be President for the next 4 years.  As we all know now, President Obama was reelected and will continue to serve as our Commander-in-Chief.

            While all this hoopla was happening and people were cheering or booing, the thing that I caught onto and bothered me the most as I tried to sleep was how outrageous and embarrassing some people opinions were of the outcome.  I am not going to say who I voted for, because that should be everyone’s personal choice that he or she should not share to the world, but some of the twitter, facebook and responses in general were absolutely absurd.

            What people don’t understand is that at the end of the day, we are all American.  We have the same rights and everyone should respect and appreciate the American government.  Quite frankly I got sick and tired of hearing peoples negative outburst of how “This sucks” or “I am moving” or “This country is screwed.”

            While this election was an important step in determining which path the country was going to take in the next 4 years, people need to realize that no matter who won, the intentions of the United States remain the same, no matter who is in office.  So, I leave with you with this: whether or not your guy won or not, I hope that you and others will put your egos aside and at the end of the day not chant for either of the nominees, but come together as one and say proudly, “USA, USA, USA.”  That’s what’s made, and will continue to make this country the best country in the world.

Cheers,

CJ

What offseason?

       November 1^st of every year marks the end of the fall college golf season for men’s golf across the country.  For all the places we have travelled to and the school we have missed, from now until January 15^th is our time to be normal college students.  Yes, that means we will no longer have excuses to turn in assignments late.  Yes, that means we will actually be attending class more than once or twice a week.  It’s our time to enjoy college without the stress of the travel that comes with college golf.

While most people consider an offseason to be a complete time off from a sport, for golf, it’s quite a bit different.  To start things off, during the season, players and teams are so consumed with tournaments, traveling and qualifying that our entire practice schedule is changed.  During the season it’s a lot of playing, course management and short game.  Now that we have some time off, players will tend to actually put some good practice in.  The first couple weeks of off season is spent evaluating what we did good and bad during the year and come up with a practice plan for the next couple months.  Then players will get a chance to change certain things.  Golfers are constantly changing to try to get better.  If you aren’t trying to tweak something, you aren’t putting in enough effort.

Also, believe it or not, off season workouts begin.  For Queens, we are now going to be in the gym 4 days a week.  While many people believe golf is strictly for NARPS, our coaching staff has put together a pretty intense offseason program that will allow players to improve their strength and flexibility in their bodies, allowing them to hit it farther and swing the club more freely.

The next couple months are considered our “offseason.”  It’s to make sure we don’t fail out of school and enjoy our time as a college student.  However, the championship season and my last semester in college is coming up quickly, so don’t expect much of an off season from the Royal golfers.

Talk again next week,

            CJ

 

Halloween

Once a year it is not only acceptable but considered strange if one does not dress up in a ridiculous costume and go door to door asking for candy.  This day of the year is called Halloween, and falls on October 31^st every year.  If one ever tried to go door to door asking for candy on any other night, dressed up in a ridiculous costume it would just be considered weird.  But on Halloween it is perfectly acceptable and admired.  I feel as if Halloween costumes vary depending on age.  I remember when I was really little I would carefully walk from door to door clutching my mom’s hand afraid to leave her side.  As I got older I became more daring and I remember going house to house by myself for the first time with all my friends.  I was a little nervous at first but it was fun and I got a lot more candy because I was able to go to more houses considering the fact that I didn’t have to wait on my younger sister.  A few years later me and a few friends stayed at my house to hand out candy while my parents went trick or treating with my little brothers and sisters.  This became a fun tradition for me and my high school friends.  We would pass out candy on Halloween then go to the big Halloween party the following weekend.   College Halloween is similar to high school Halloween except I wasn’t living in a house so I didn’t pass out candy on the 31^st.  This Halloween has probably been my favorite.  Because I am now 21 I was able to participate in the bar crawl downtown I didn’t start at noon like some of my friends but I did go at 8 and then go to gravediggers ball.  I am now excited to hand out candy from my own apartment just like I did while growing up.   

-Anna Kirwan

Making Friends in College!

     Let’s face it; we’ve all been there. You walk onto the campus of a strange new place and you are alone. Every face is new, every person you pass holds his or her own history, and every step you take leads you further and further into your new life. You’ve started College!!

     Welcome to the how to make friends in college 101 blog post!! You see, that right there was step  Number 1: Be friendly. No matter what you were like in High School or how you think people will perceive you in College the best advice I can give you is to slap a smile on that pretty face and be friendly. People approach friendly people and they want to get to know them. Put aside any stereotypes you may have about your new classmates and be open to everyone, they may just surprise you.

     Number 2: Talk to people. It sounds easy but I promise you on those first few days, regardless of if you are freshman or a senior, you will be in a new class with some new people. Don’t be afraid to start up a conversation. I find that, “So what’s your major?” is a great conversation starter. Keep it to something that you are both experiencing… like college!

     Number 3: Lunch anyone? Ok, this one may sound strange and to be honest I thought it was weird when I first heard it but it works. Ask people to lunch. Girls, guys whomever. Everyone likes food in college and you all have to eat so towards the end of the conversation you have now started get that little burst of courage and say, “Hey do you have class after this? Want to grab lunch?” If they say no, rain check it, and if they say yes, then you are that much closer to completing the friend-making checklist!

     Number 4: Be honest and share. I am all for honesty and am definitely one of those people who will tell you my entire story without blinking an eye. No one likes to be lied to or misled, plus it really makes the whole leap from acquaintance to friend a whole lot faster if you are honest and open with the person. Share your story, let them know about who you are and don’t be afraid of how you may be judged. In other words “you do you’. If they don’t like it… that’s their problem.

     Number 5: Have fun! Friends are there for you to enjoy. Relax and enjoy the friendship that you have created. Go out, hang out, and goof off! Being a good friend is easy, it does take some effort and caring on the side of both parties, but I’m sure that if you can get into College, you can follow these five simple steps to not only meeting some lovely new people but to possibly making some lifelong friends!

Until Next Time,

Jenna Buthman

To Stay or Not to Stay?

For all of you Queens students that are considering the move off campus in the future, I advise you take a look at this.  I’ve found myself involved in debate of this topic quite a bit recently.  As a commuter who moved off campus junior year, I feel that I’ve got a valuable perspective to share.
Of course there are benefits to living off campus that make it a very tempting option, but is it really worth it?  It is important that you weigh your options and take the time to determine the right place for you to live.  When living on campus, there is a feeling of community that you just can’t find once you move out of the dorms.  In most cases, when living off campus you will end up with three or four roommates tops.  On campus, you’re living with a hallway full of other people.  Living with a hallway of people can be viewed as a good and bad thing.  Good, because there is always someone to hangout with.  Living off campus, your number of people to hangout with in close proximity is limited.  It is much less likely that my scheduled free time is the same as one of my four roommates.  When living on campus the number of people with the same scheduled free time as you are much higher. 

The café is our next topic of discussion.  Yes, there are the good and the bad days in the café, but the best thing about it is that it’s always there.  The café provides you with food that you do not have to prepare yourself, an option that is not available to you living off campus.  For those who like to cook, myself included, living off campus gives you the freedom to whip up your own meals in your own kitchen.  While this can be the best perk to living off campus, there are those days where the last thing I want to do is cook dinner.  The freedom doesn’t stop there when living off campus; there are many more freedoms available to you when you move off campus.  But with those freedoms you also pay a price.

That price comes to you in the form of gas bills and the monster we all know too well, parking.  Queens does not provide a very commuter-friendly parking infrastructure.  I always find myself wishing that I’d stayed on campus while circling the parking lot hoping that someone will be leaving.  Being a short walk away from all classrooms is a perk to living on campus that certainly shouldn’t be taken for granted.  There have been times that I’ve circled campus for over a half an hour trying to find a legal parking spot, which are very vital minutes. 

The parking issue is the most important thing to consider when making a final decision, but many factors need to be analyzed when debating the move from campus.  I urge you to weigh and re-weigh your options before browsing real estate. 

Jeremy Bugbee

Oh, to be 5 again...

As soon as I walk through the doors of the elementary school, Sophia sees me and runs to hug me around my 

Can I please go back to hot summer sprinkler days? 

legs. She bypasses her brother- my boyfriend- in the process, and his heart breaks a little every time. To her, I have now become her “sister” and was even put on the family tree she made in her art class and hung outside her Kindergarten classroom. 

To her, I am her fellow princess stranded in a castle far far away, her hair and nail stylist, or her subject for nail and hair styling (yikes!), her “pusher” on the swing set, and her friend to cuddle up and watch movies with. She also adores my two dogs, Wrigley and Lola. So much so that her parents are surprising her with her own dog on Christmas morning this year, and I couldn’t be more excited for her. She tells me all about the annoying boys in her class, especially Fernando who sits next to her, and added an extra “S” to the front of her name on a worksheet they were doing. “What am I supposed to do with two S’s?!” she says, frustrated and anxious at the thought of what was her biggest problem of the day. 

To me, Sophia is a reminder of the little girl I used to be. As the older sister of two boys, (Tanner, 20 and Casen, 11) I am delighted to play dress up and so interested in her little innocent imagination. Innocent. That is what I value most about Sophia. Her worries are so small, and can be cured with a lollipop or being tickled to death. With her, I go back to the days where I was a restless little girl in a world that was so much smaller than it is today. I see a world full of magic and happily ever afters and extraordinary dreams in her eyes that slowly dim as people grow older. She is my breath of fresh air, my fountain of youth, and my inspiration to see things from a child's innocent and curious perspective  every once in a while. I am so excited to watch and help Sophia grow, but secretly wish she could stay my five-year-old best friend forever. 

-Brittani Pedersen

Moving? Some advice.

     Painting a new apartment or moving into one, I'm not sure which is worse. Luckily for me, I have been given the opportunity to do both this past weekend and this upcoming week.  

     I've moved into apartments before with the utmost intention of painting all of the walls as soon as I get settled in. To me, it gives me more of a home feeling. My mom never allowed a white wall to enter any of our houses. Although my intentions were good, my dedication to paint  never followed through. So, now that I'm moving into a new apartment once again, I decided that buckets of paint,  paint rollers, brushes, into my place without any thing else. Not my greatest idea ever. 

     Five days and six buckets of paint later, I finally finished what I thought would only take two days, max. I even spilt half a bucket of green paint on my floor. I’m not exaggerating. Really, half a gallon of bright green paint tipped over as I tried to move a sheet I was using to catch the paint from hitting the floor. Figures, right? Words cannot describe the hopelessness felt as you take a towel to a carpet soaking in unforgiving BRIGHT GREEN paint! After scrubbing for about two hours and two bottles of stain removers later, the spot actually isn’t that noticeable, thank God. Oh, the life lessons that can be learned from moving into a new apartment.

    Now, I have even more work ahead of me as I move all of my furniture and stuff in. I know unpacking will take me forever, as my A.D.D. is way too bad to actually stay on task long enough to unpack an entire box of something. 

Wish me luck! ‘Cause this girl is going to need it. 

-Brittani Pedersen

The NBA is Back

Just another day in the life.  I am in a extremely good mood. Why am I so happy?  Is it because it’s past midterms, Halloween week has arrived or even that it’s the start November? Wrong.  While all these things are positive, the real reason why you won’t see a frown on my face is the fact that the start of the 2012-2013 NBA season has arrived.

While most people will sit here and ask themselves why I’m such a big basketball fan, it’s simple: the Bobcats.  They have a real chance of making a push at the NBA championship this year.  If you think I’m kidding, move onto the next blog.  Also, if you think I’m kidding, you are right, the Bobcats are brutal.  That still doesn’t decrease my excitement for basketball this year.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a die hard fan of the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Being from Minnesota, the hockey state of the country, I find it odd that I became such a big fan of the basketball team, especially being a hockey player back in my younger days.  I’m not going to sit here and preach about the Timberwolves and their schedule and their roster and coaching staff because quite frankly, I don’t think many of you will care. So, I am going to use the rest of this blog to ramble on about why I am excited about the upcoming season.
 

Unlike football, the NBA has ACTUAL refs.  The refs who have been refereeing the NBA for years are back in action this year.  That means two things: ESPN won’t be talking about the referee flaws all day and the high school refs well, can stay high school refs.

Also, unlike last season, the NBA will be playing a full 82 game schedule.  Due to the lockout last year it was only a 66 game season, which required teams to play a lot of games in a short period of time.

Lastly, the rivalries that have developed for this year's NBA season are unlike any other sport.  Comment on my post if you think I’m wrong, but think about the different rivals in basketball.  Kobe and Lebron, the Lakers vs. the Heat. Dwight Howard, the Knicks, the Nets.  There are so many story lines that make this year extremely exciting.

To all you college partiers that will be spending Thursday nights roaming the streets of uptown, I will be sitting on the couch, watching Thursday Night TNT Basketball with a warm fire and a nice glass of wine.  Well, maybe not the glass of wine.

Talk to you soon,

CJ