Vice Presidential Pre-Speech
Written by: Hayley | April 9, 2014
Ski season wound down around a month ago (can’t believe it’s been that long!) and I haven’t really known what to do with myself. I can’t say I’m disappointed that snow finally stopped falling because walking* to class is both more pleasant and less dangerous. Somehow this season managed to top the last one. I’ve sat down and tried to type out a few different posts about the season but found myself dissatisfied with what I was writing because most of the time words couldn’t do justice to the things I saw and felt throughout this winter. Tonight I’m determined to get something out though. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Author | 1 Comment »
What TV Doesn’t Tell You About Greek Life
Written by: Jenny | April 4, 2014
Recently, I joined a sorority that is part of the Multicultural Greek Council, Kappa Phi Lambda Inc.! Prior to joining, there was so much that I did not know about Greek Organizations. There are so many skills and experiences that are not talked about!
Topics: Author, Student orgs | No Comments »
Going out with a Bang
Written by: Taylor | April 1, 2014
As it is my last semester, I assumed workloads, responsibilities, and opportunities would slowly dissipate and fall away as I cried myself to sleep that I will no longer be a student on Ohio State’s campus come May.
But…
Topics: Author | Comments Off
How to Do Chicago in Just 2 Days…On A College Budget
Written by: Katie | March 31, 2014
This past weekend, my boyfriend and I embarked on a spontaneous get-away from campus life. After a little (okay, a lot) of planning, some pretty strategic financing, and 8 hours of mind-numbing Midwest corn field driving, we found ourselves in the great city of Chicago. Now that I’ve had a day to readjust to the “real world,” I can confidently say that this weekend was the best of my life. If you think that college students can’t afford the time or money necessary to travel, think again: Here’s how to experience The Windy City on a tight budget and a tight schedule.
1) Never turn down a $1 ticket: Two Words: THE MEGABUS.
Book early enough and you actually can buy a ticket to many major cities (including Chicago) for just one dollar.
2) Save money by booking overnight trips
We left for Chicago at 10:50 PM on Friday, and arrived in the city at 6:30 the next morning. Not the most ideal sleeping situation, but we saved ourselves from paying for unnecessary nights in the city.
3) Stay in the HI Chicago Hostel!!!!
Hostels are designed for the young traveler; the HI Chicago hostel offers free breakfast, SUPER CHEAP nightly rates, dorm style rooms, an awesome location right in downtown Chicago, and it’s super international. Of the four people in my room, I was the only American. You’ll also get discounted tickets for many popular attractions at the front desk!
4) If you do one thing in Chicago, go to the Skydeck on the top of Willis Tower
This was my favorite part of the trip; the view is absolutely breathtaking and you’ll want to take tons of artsy pictures. A word of caution: get there EARLY! The wait can reach up to 2 hours if you go at prime time (around noon.) We got there at 9:30 AM and didn’t wait for a minute.
5) Save money by doing things that are free but fun
Chicago is a gorgeous city-we spent a lot of time simply walking around and enjoying the scenery! A few of our favorite spots were Millenium Park, (The location of “The Bean,” a giant bean-shaped reflective sculpture that is awesome for taking pictures) and the Navy Pier (best view of the skyline in Chicago; also offers plenty of restaurants, souvenir shops, and the iconic World’s Fair replica Ferris Wheel.)
6) Make it your mission to eat deep dish pizza-you won’t regret it
Our location of choice was Gino’s East-probably the most famous place for Chicago’s iconic pizza. Our tips? Get there before the dinner rush, bring a marker to write on the walls with, and check the weekly circulars for coupons. (We found a coupon for FREE garlic sticks!)
7) It’s okay to splurge a little when you’re on vacation….
My bank account wasn’t too happy, but my tastebuds sure were when we decided to live on the luxurious side for Saturday night’s dinner. Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, and Stone Crab: waitstaff to customer ratio: 1:1, and bow-ties galore. Our server brought me out another cup of sauce for my 100% crab meat crab cakes (which put all other crab-cakes to shame) before it was even half-way empty. Oh, and mention that it’s your first time at Joe’s and they’ll give you a complimentary slice of their to-die-for Key Lime Pie.
8) Visit the Magnificent Mile, even though you probably won’t be able to afford anything
Chicago’s famous “Mag Mile” is a millionaire’s playground; Nordstrom’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Chanel, Gucci…you name it, and it’s there! But don’t worry, it’s not all out of your price-range; there is also a Hershey’s store, an awesome Macy’s, and a giant shopping center in a building called Water Tower Place that houses all the traditional mall stores. If you’re like me, you’ll want to go into Ghirardelli Chocolates for a free sample, and relive your childhood in the giant American Girl Store.
9) Go to the Museum Campus and pick one to visit (or 2)!
Chicago is home to some of the best museums in the country-go to the Field Museum if you like dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, and other “Night at the Museum” type stuff. Another one worth checking out is the Adler Planetarium; they have a pretty cool to-scale model of the solar system that takes up a whole room, and their location on the water gives visitors really great views of Lake Michigan. We went to both of these museums, but saved money by using my boyfriend’s reciprocal membership with the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. If your family belongs to another science museum somewhere else in the country, you could also be eligible for free entry!
10) You can sleep in at school….wake up and carpe diem!!!!!
What made our trip so wonderful was how much we were able to do in just two days. But we couldn’t have done half as much as we did if we had slept in every day until 10 in the morning! If you really want to make the most out of a trip to Chicago, or any city, sacrifice a little bit of sleep and you’ll be able to do everything on your vacation bucketlist! All you need is some coffee, a smile, and the excitement of exploring :)
Happy travels, Buckeyes!
Topics: Advice, Author, Food, Personal, Recreation, Relaxation, Stress Relief, Student Life, Travel | 4 Comments »
I did it!
Written by: Julia | March 25, 2014
And I’m not just saying that I made a blog post… haven’t done that for awhile… but I did something that has been taking my time and focus away from other things such as blogging: I presented my original solo show for an audience!
Topics: Julia L., Research, Study Abroad, The Future | 1 Comment »
Regrets?
Written by: Julia S. | March 20, 2014
I’m graduating from THE Ohio State University in a month and a half. Which, by default, also means my undergraduate career is about to be over. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Advice, Julia S., Personal | 1 Comment »
Buck-i-SERV with Pelicans!
Written by: Jenny | March 20, 2014
For Spring Break, I went on a Buck-i-SERV trip to Miami, Florida! Though Spring Break on the Miami beaches may sound like one of the best Spring Breaks in the world, I was able to experience something even better. I volunteered at a Pelican Seabird Station, a sanctuary that specialized in Brown Feathered Pelicans.
Topics: Author, Student orgs, Travel | Comments Off
No Longer My Doppelgänger
Written by: Emily | March 3, 2014
Last year was my freshman year at The Ohio State University and I’ll admit that it was mediocre. And because pointing fingers is fun and sometimes necessary for moving on, I’m going to blame that lack of fulfillment not on myself, but on the true culprit:
Topics: Author | 1 Comment »
Oh, SNAP. $1.50 a meal is harder than you might think!
Written by: Cassie | March 1, 2014
Happy Saturday!
Well, it is now on Day 5 of the SNAP Challenge. Most OSU participants finished the challenge yesterday, but I started a day late and also decided I wanted to do a full week rather than just 5 days! So I’m gonna keep on trucking along :) I just thought I would update you on the realizations/perspective I have gained from the challenge so far.
Topics: Author | Comments Off
Why You Should (and Should Not) Join an Honors Society
Written by: Xu | March 1, 2014
In my previous blog post, I wrote about “Things to Look For Before Joining an Honors Society.” This is a follow-up to that post. Let’s say that you have researched a society and decided that it’s legit. Now the question is: how can it help you academically and socially? Before you jump the gun and enthusiastically mail off your dues, read on for several pros and cons related to joining honors societies.
Topics: Academics, Author, Campus Life, Honors & Scholars, Student Life, Student orgs, Xu | Comments Off
Things to Look For Before You Join an Honors Society
Written by: Xu | February 28, 2014
If you have been enrolled at OSU for at least a semester, chances are you will receive or have already received invitations to join various societies all promising lifelong achievement and connections. In high school, most people would have joined such organizations, such as the National Honors Society, right off the bat. In college, however, there are so many “honorable” societies that it’s pointless to join every one that sends you an invitation. Luckily, after doing some research and talking to several advisors, I have compiled a cheat sheet of qualities to look for before you send a society your hard-earned money.
Topics: Academics, Honors & Scholars, Student Life, Student orgs, Xu | Comments Off
Crew Love is True Love: Or My Experience With Leadership
Written by: Karen | February 28, 2014
I’ve blogged a lot in the past about my involvement in one of the best student organizations on campus: Off the Lake Productions. For those of you who don’t know, OTL is a completely student run musical theater and service organization. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Karen, Student orgs | Comments Off
OSU SNAP Challenge: $4.50 a day, the food stamps way!
Written by: Cassie | February 27, 2014
Hey everyone!
It’s obviously been a long time since I’ve posted, but I thought that instead of trying to catch up on what I’ve missed, I would instead get back into the groove by talking about my latest endeavor – the OSU SNAP Challenge! Put on by The Ohio State University Food Fellows (and backed by the College of Social Work and Mid-Ohio Food Bank, among several others), the SNAP Challenge is a method to raise awareness of the issues of hunger, poverty, and food insecurity in our nation. For those who are confused as to why I keep saying SNAP, it’s an acronym for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as Food Stamps.
The main idea of the SNAP Challenge is this: live off of the amount of money that a typical SNAP recipient receives for one week. That amount comes to about $4.50 per day. That’s $31.50 for a complete week – and that’s all you are able to spend on ALL of your food needs.
Read more to learn more about SNAP, the SNAP Challenge, and see pictures of how much food I was able to buy on this budget! It’s all I’ll be eating for the week! Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Author | Comments Off
SNAP Challenge: Day 3
Written by: Meera | February 27, 2014
I wasn’t able to blog about Day 1 or 2 of the SNAP Challenge, so I’ll start by recapping these past couple of days.
Day 1: I got my $27 worth of groceries the day before. This included milk, oats, rice, bread, peanut butter, tomatoes, lettuce, eggs, yogurt, 3 apples, and 2 bananas.
I portioned off a week’s worth of coffee as well (1 cup a day).
The first day wasn’t so bad, but I noticed that I couldn’t concentrate that well in my classes. By the end of the day, I realized I had less energy, but it wasn’t too bad.
Day 2: My lunch was salad with hard-boiled eggs and tomatoes while my dinner was a PB sandwich.
I didn’t anticipate that this was going to be the busiest week of my life, so I’ve had 12 hours days probably each day this week. My energy was definitely drained on Day 2.
Day 3: I had the same lunch and dinner and was possibly more tired.
I had trouble concentrating in class and trying to study outside of it. Whenever I studied, I became hungrier. I found myself thinking about food almost constantly during the day.
So, now we’re at Day 4. My breakfast has been oatmeal each day and my lunch and dinner will be the same.
Not having options when it comes to food is something I’ve noticed. I also think about food throughout the day. But, by the end of Day 3, I was doing better, so maybe my body has gotten to used to this change.
Only 2 more days to go and they’ll probably be pretty tough, but I keep reminding myself that there are those who live this lifestyle week-to-week, year-to-year.
Topics: Activism, Advice, Advocacy, Author, Campus Life, Events, nutrition, Personal, Personal Events, Student Life, Student orgs, Why Ohio State? | Comments Off
OSU SNAP Challenge 2014
Written by: Meera | February 25, 2014
Through my Ohio State experiences, I have become passionate about the issue of food and how it specifically impacts health.
My interest in food issues led me to develop the Food Fellows at Ohio State, a student cohort that educates its members about food-related issues, like food policy and agriculture, through research and service with community partners.
Because Food Fellows has focused on food policy during February, we are hosting a SNAP Challenge during this week.
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), once known as Food Stamps, offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, individuals and families and provides economic benefits to communities (USDA).
The Challenge at Ohio State offers participants a view of what life can be like for millions of Americans with low incomes who rely on food assistance on a daily basis. The main challenge is having toe budget your meals and spend only $4.50/day on food, or $27/week on food.
Part of the campus-wide event includes documenting your experiences throughout the week through social media, personal journals, and videos.
I will be posting for the rest of the week about the food I’ve eaten and my experiences.
Below is most of my week’s worth of food. I’ll be mainly relying on carbs to keep me going and not so much on vegetables, which is a BIG change from my normal diet.
The SNAP Challenge will be difficult, but I believe it’s a way to bring awareness to the issue.
Topics: Activism, Advice, Campus Life, Events, Food, Meera, nutrition, Personal, Personal Events, Student Life, Student orgs, Why Ohio State? | Comments Off