Call it a fluke in the system, but somehow I don’t have any classes on Mondays. So when I wake up on those mornings, I create a to-do list and try to accomplish most if not everything I write down as a means of starting the week off productively. Some Mondays, I accomplish more than others, especially if there was a heartbreaking game on the night before…
This morning as I was writing my list, I thought about my grandparents. I don’t know what sparked the mental image of them, but something deep within me wondered how are they? What are they up to? Still enjoying retirement?
And I likely already know these answers, as they always are answered the same way whenever I ask them, but it’s still nice to check in. And as nice as it is for me, it’s probably much nicer for them to hear from their granddaughter.
via Bustle.com
Plus, grandparents are awesome. They have already lived a life greater than yours, so you might as well take advantage of their wisdom. Listen to their stories about their wacky book club conundrums or their grocery store anecdotes. Maybe grandpa had a crazy run-in with his nemesis and ended up besting him in front of a large crowd, you know, normal grandpa stuff.
So sometime this week, whether you’re still coping with Sunday’s loss or planning a fun dinner with your loved one for Valentine’s, add calling your grandma to your to-do list. It will definitely brighten your day, and more importantly, it will brighten hers.
Maybe I was just a big Suzanne Collins fan as a child, but with the Grammy’s being this past weekend and the Paris Fashion Week happening at the end of last month I’ve really been putting the pieces together.
If you look at a map of Panem, Pennsylvania is District 12; with the coal mines and just the geographical placement of the district, it really is quite clear. There’s also a big emphasis on hunting, and while Philadelphia may not have experienced having off school on the first day of hunting season, many other PA cities and towns grew up doing so.
But, for the real evidence of my conclusion: the Capitol. Let’s take a look at some of the fashion from the previously mentioned events.
First up, Kylie Jenner with a (hopefully fake, but definitely real-looking) lion head on her dress. Like what?
via Page Six Style
Next, Doja Cat with 30,000 Swaroski crystals. As if that doesn’t scream ‘Wealth.’
via Page Six Style
Now, a little comparison for you. First, Miss Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games.
via eonline.com
And here, Lizzo from the 65th Grammy Awards. Like be effing for real.
via people.com
And we wait in anticipation for the next award ceremony to come around for the fits, like we aren’t part of the problem. And hey, the outfits and gowns are exciting, I agree, but all I’m getting at is that when we start choosing kids to fit to the death in an arena for entertainment, don’t be surprised. (That might be a stretch but you see where I’m coming from.)
So when March rolls around and you wait in excitement for the 95th Academy Awards, be a little more skeptical about how highly we admire these celebs and, of course, may the odds be ever in your favor.
First off, I’d like to say congratulations. I can only imagine how exciting it must be to be going to the Super Bowl after winning the NFC Championship on your own home turf, or so I have come to find out, your own home reinforced natural grass (a type of grass that uses artificial fibers to stabilize the grass blades and roots that is also known as “DD GrassMaster”). It would have been really awkward for Jalen Hurts to sing the Eagles fight song in San Francisco, where a significantly lesser Eagles crowd would have done their best to be heard all the way in south Philly, although I’m sure they would have figured it out. I can’t imagine how proud all of your mothers must have felt watching you all play your hearts out. It almost brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it. And now, Donna Kelce must be so excited to go to Arizona and see her sons doing what they love, together.
Second, I’d like to thank you on behalf of the city of Philadelphia. We, of course, went out to City Hall and wreaked a good kind of havoc, climbing greased poles and standing atop the Ritz-Carlton awning in a kind of solidarity that can only be found in the city of brotherly love. Never would I have ever though that hearing “Fly Eagles, Fly” six times on a subway car from Olney to City Hall would not annoy me, or that “Dreams and Nightmares” playing at overlapping times from three different speakers on the corner of Broad and South Penn Square would not confuse me, but rather bring an extraordinary sense of elation. Thank you for the sense of unity felt while crossing Ogontz and knowing that the cars honking at me are not doing so to catcall me, but rather to say “Go Birds,” a true term of endearment of the greatest city in the world.
And finally, I would like to personally thank you for allowing people of all backgrounds, sizes and creeds to feel the excitement of the city. As someone who did not grow up understanding the rules of football yet still watching what I thought to be a good team (sorry to the Baltimore Ravens, but do better), the comradery of the Philadelphia Eagles is extended to anyone sporting green, black and white. They don’t care if you’re from the city, they don’t care if you understand the rules of the game, and most importantly, they don’t care if you don’t like them. And that, I’ve come to learn, is what it’s all about. So thank you, and good luck!
Don’t get me wrong, at the end of last semester, I too, was ready to go home and take some time off from papers, readings, and what have you. But I’m from a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone, so running into people who know too much about you comes with the territory.
There’s a coffee shop, my favorite one, right down the street from my house. So when I would have to do work or wanted to catch up with someone I wouldn’t mind seeing over break, I’d set up shop there. This, however, is a tricky decision because it’s also the only coffee shop in my town that isn’t a Starbucks or Dunkin.
via YouTube
Maybe it’s just me, but when I knew I would be going out to any place that risked seeing someone I wasn’t friends with, I would mentally prepare myself for the following:
Oh my God! How are you? Where do you go to school again? You like it? Oh, good! Yeah, I’m good! I go to [insert any college ever] and I love it. I know, break is too short. Well, it was nice seeing you!
And that’s only those who don’t care to ask you what you’re studying, when you’re graduating, if you’ve done any traveling through school, etc.
So yeah, going home is great. But running into people you had no intention of seeing past diploma day is… well, I guess it’s a hazard of the job. And definitely not worth it, at least in my experience. If you have experienced this, and don’t really want to anymore, I recommend going out at the most random times of the day, on the most random days. If you’re avoiding current high schoolers, go while they’re in school. If you’re avoiding people from your graduating class, go on like a Tuesday at 2. But, keep in mind, you pretty much always run the risk of seeing someone. And for that, I’m sorry.
It’s that time of year again! The time between Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break; when relationships and situationships are ending. Rather than dwell on what was good and what will be missed, I hope that this article helps you realize just how icky people can be, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. All people are icky, and these situations might help you see just how icky that certain someone really is.
via StyleCaster
1. Chasing a Pong ball
No matter how nonchalant they try to be, it’s never graceful. And the ball just keeps rolling away, always much faster than the speed by which they’re going. It’s just never attractive and always embarrassing.
2. Putting on swimming goggles
The way it pulls the skin back everywhere on their face and the little snap that you hear when they let go of the strap. Not to mention how they look while wearing goggles, not the scuba goggles, those are fine. I’m talking the little, metallic lens-ed goggles. The kind you wore to swim practice during grade school.
3. Walking up the stairs on all fours
There is no need to do that. Our bodies aren’t meant to be in that position so of course they look absolutely ridiculous bent over, knees at a 45 degree angle, butt in the air, and for what? For what?
4. Getting a haircut
Actually getting a haircut isn’t embarrassing, I’m talking about the elements of getting a haircut: the little cape, sitting there with the towel around their wet hair, their wet hair, having the hairdresser pump up the chair… Literally everything that goes into getting a haircut is embarrassing.
5. Orange stains around their mouth after eating spaghetti
I actually gagged thinking about this. The thought of the stains that not even a damp napkin will wipe away. The have-to-scrub-off stains that linger in the corners of their mouths. And you know it only happens when they eat spaghetti like a feral animal, getting the sauce everywhere: on their mouths, shirts, laps, etc. Ew.
6. Waiting for the lifeguard to let them go down the waterslide
Picture this: they’re sitting in an inflatable tube, in some way that isn’t flattering and their body is all squished together, and now they’re at the mercy of some 16 year old who just wants a summer job. Waiting for the whistle to blow, the anticipation kills them. And yes, they are well over the age of where this is acceptable. Like, well over that age.
7. Waiting for the shower to warm up
They’re just standing, naked, next to the shower, arm extended, hand feeling the temperature of the water. If you really need to get over them, imagine that the water is too cold and they wince and pull their hand back so quickly. It’s just awkward, and nobody’s there to witness it, but you know this one has definitely occurred, if not multiple times a week.
8. Saying “someone’s in here” when somebody knocks on the bathroom door
They’re sitting on the toilet, possibly fighting demons, when somebody knocks on the door. The sheer panic that they feel wash over them, ‘did I lock the door?’ Yes, but now the hardest part. Their voice is quivering, ‘someone’s in here!’ And of course, they had to add that weird inflection, you know what I’m talking about, as if they aren’t already vulnerable enough in this situation.
9. Smiling with food in their teeth
They have literally no idea. No clue that there is a lingering piece of spinach in between their front teeth. Their confidence is unmatched, and yet, everyone they are talking to knows this little, totally obvious secret. But because everyone is staring, they keep talking, keeping the focus on this little green leaf.
10. Running after piñata goodies
Imagine the excitement that they feel out of this toy that is meant for children. And no, it’s not a moment of child-like wonder that they feel, it’s embarrassing because they get excited, then run towards the falling candy, pushing their little cousin out of the way because they want more Hershey’s Kisses. They drop to their knees to scoop up as much candy as their adult hands can hold. How embarrassing.
This week, Explorers from all over are leaving campus to spend some time with their loved ones, whether it be biological families or chosen families depending on how far away home is for some. I know personally, I love being at school and usually am sad to go home, but right now, there is one thing on my mind: food that isn’t from Treetops.
No vegetables doused in grease, no stir fry swimming in the sauce of my choosing. Just a nice home cooked meal. Arguably the nicest of all home cooked meals, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we are thankful for, and nothing will do that for me like not having to walk a mile uphill both ways to Trops in the freezing cold. Instead, I can sit next to my family and loved ones and eat mashed potatoes that aren’t completely bland and tasteless, turkey that isn’t covered in barbeque sauce, and green beans that are covered in every piece of black pepper ever.
No hate to Trops, but hate to Trops. But more importantly, thankfulness to my home for letting me not have to see Trops for a whole five days. And oh, what a blissful five days that will be! So, when the time comes to go around the table and express your gratitudes, make sure not to exclude the lack of dining hall food this Thursday.
This article is inspired by a conversation that was held on the mobile app ‘Citizen.’
I’m not saying that we were in the right, but we definitely weren’t in the wrong in any way. The alley isn’t on any property that belongs to people other than the students. We don’t have to worry about non-La Salle affiliates living in our neighborhood, especially considering that the alley belongs to us and not those who also pay to live there, too!
If for some reason people in the neighborhood forget that they live across from a college, they should probably pack up their entire lives and find a place that is way cheaper, you know, like anywhere in the increasingly gentrified areas of Philly. It’s not like the people who aren’t affiliated with La Salle plan on being here longer than four years. Haven’t they ever heard of seniority?
Plus, La Salle is a dry campus. I know that you’re probably wondering how they were serving alcohol on 20th this past weekend and at sports games if that sentiment is true, but trust me, no one is allowed to drink on our campus – just ask the security guards that don’t let the townies inhabitants bring in six pack after six pack through the gate! So, we have to drink in the alley – it’s quite literally the only place that alcohol is allowed to be consumed throughout our dry campus, not to mention that drinking in the alley is our God-given right.
And if your main concern is the littering that occurs, in a small amount may I add, don’t worry! Often enough for the people of Olney’s neighborhoods to notice, we hold trash bashes and community clean-ups to better the environment of our campus. If we aren’t in the classroom, we’re walking up and down Olney with trash bags in-hand!
As for our participation in the community, La Salle students are arguably more involved in the neighborhood community than they are in school-affiliated extracurriculars. We attend every single neighborhood-sponsored community outreach and community clean-up. We feel a strong connection to our neighbors and look forward to building this sense of community, offering them our personal beer, liquor and a bunch of food, and especially when speaking to them on threads about us on Citizen!
If you take one thing away from this article, I hope it’s that La Salle students view this neighborhood as way more than a place to use at the expense of those that live here, but rather as a place that we should leave better than we found it. And if you’re struggling to find my article to be a dependably accurate reflection of the feelings of those within the neighborhood of Olney, just check our Instagram pages, a social media platform (run by us) that is way more reliable than the voices of those who share our community!
Over the weekend, more specifically within a 24-hour window, Andrew Tate was mentioned to me three times. Mentioned might not be the right word, maybe discussed – because I was expected to respond with my personal beliefs and attitudes towards this man. Now, some of you, my readers, may not have ever met me or seen me, but I hope that I still exude the energy that I don’t really support Mr. Tate throughout my articles. And yet, somehow, this name that I have maybe uttered twice in my life prior to this weekend became a hot topic.
via Complex
I don’t really want to get into it within this article, but for sake of argument, just know I do not consider myself a supporter of Andrew Tate. What I would rather focus on within this article is to ask the question of why bring up polarizing topics if there is no real reason to do so? Let’s take a hypothetical polarizing election for example: it would make sense to debate the candidates with someone who has different views than you personally, as you could expand your knowledge on said candidates, issues and policies. But Andrew Tate… what does he have to do with anyone’s life other than those who listen to him and would take it to heart?
In my eyes, the only thing that bringing up polarizing topics (that don’t have any weight in the lives of both conversing parties) would do is piss someone off. And for no reason! Each party is most likely uneducated in some aspect of Andrew Tate and complimentary topics; whether you don’t know his business standpoints (guilty) or you don’t recognize the underlying messages that his stance on women holds in a societal view, it’s not like you’re going to listen and learn about the stuff you don’t know.
So why bring it up? Other than the sole purpose of being polarizing? Personally, I think you’d bring it up to piss off your ‘opponent’ and be entertained by their reaction. Which it’s like, why would you do that? If that’s what you’re doing it for, then admit to it. Don’t try to play it off like you actually want to discuss the subject, because what good is that doing for anyone? You’re making your relationship rocky, even if it doesn’t seem like it’s that big of a disagreement. I guess what I’m trying to say is if you aren’t actually concerned with why someone thinks the way they do, don’t bring up Andrew Tate. Seems simple enough, right? And the same goes for any topic that is known to be polarizing. That’s my two cents, at least, and I hope this resonates with at least one person out there.
At the end of last week, I got a text from my cousin out of the blue asking if he could visit for the weekend. Of course, I offered up our air mattress and went down to 30th Street with my roommates to pick him up, but it got me thinking. What is the right way to host someone in college? Especially someone who doesn’t know your roommates, friends, school, or city?
Like, we went to Reading Terminal, got a cheesesteak, of course, then we went back to our apartment and took naps. Exciting, I know. And my cousin was the one who said he needed a nap, but thank God he did because I wouldn’t have known what to do for those couple of hours. As we all know, there isn’t much to do in the daytime around here unless it’s to visit Frogro and that Game Stop that’s consistently locked up.
He claims to have had a good time, and I attribute that to my gaggle of friends who had special showings of their personalities after the hour of midnight, but seeing as Homecoming is this upcoming weekend and I have a friend coming to visit, it got me thinking. What would you do to entertain people on this campus (besides the obvious pizza and Pepsi, as Father Frank would say, once it gets dark)? What have you done to entertain visitors on this campus?
Should I show her the new commuter lounge? Maybe the miniscule view of the city that you can see in the back corner of Holroyd 355? How about the Packcity locker with our logo printed on it? If she seems bored, I could probably take her to the arcade games in Union. But actually guys, what do you show people when they come to visit? Feel free to send me an email with anything that may point me in the right direction, I’d really appreciate your input.
FYI: This is a personal list of the costumes I saw both in person and online, and if your costume ended up here, don’t take it personally. But also, do better.
Wearing a dress and one other thing
Whether it’s a crown or a pair of wings or a firefighter hat, there’s no creativity. You can’t say your favorite holiday is Halloween then not ball out, you know? Like a dress from Shein isn’t gonna cut it ever, not even this year.
Ski masks
This is mainly targeted towards my male readers, but if you are wearing a ski mask as your costume, just know you’re scaring any woman within your presence. And I get it, Halloween is supposed to be spooky, but if you have a bad reputation within the party setting on the regular, hiding your face isn’t a good call (and yes, this is definitely a call out to who you think it is).
Any onesie ever
Just a cop out. Be creative, do better.
A Vampire
To clarify, you’re wearing the Urban Outfitter’s corset top and fake blood. Not even an attempt at fangs. If you’re Count Dracula or the Count of Sesame Street culture, you shouldn’t be worried about this one.
Superhero Suits
I’m talking the skintight, can-see-every-curve-of-your-body tight. Noah fence to anyone who wore this, but when it comes to any private area of your body that I don’t want to see the imprint of on any given day, this doesn’t change on Halloween night.
Any costume where you self-tanned beyond your natural complexion
The La Salle Collegian 