Celebrate the every day

Each and every day is cause for celebration! But if rays of sunshine and breath filling your lungs aren’t incentive enough to break out the party streamers on a daily basis, maybe filling your calendar with a few extra holidays will do the trick. Add these dates to your agenda – and enjoy the rest of National Virus Appreciation Day!

October 6

Find yourself a top hat and prepare your best riddle – October 6^th is Mad Hatter Day! The date for this nonsense day – 10/6 – is courtesy of Sir John Tenniel; in his illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Tenniel portrayed the Mad Hatter as having a slip of paper labeled “In this style 10/6” tucked into his top hat. The slip is generally believed to be a price tag, signifying a transaction of 10 shillings and 6 pence for the crazy milliner’s signature accessory.

October 14

october 14^th marks national lower case day, so prepare to do battle with your auto-correct (and your first grade teacher, if you happen to still  be in touch). and while you’re snubbing your grammatical nose at beginnings of sentences, proper nouns, and initials, take a few minutes to appreciate the poet who didn’t need a special day to disregard grammar: e.e. cummings. widely known for his unique manipulation of grammar, syntax, spelling, and form, cummings was second only to robert frost as the most widely read u.s. poet at his death in 1962. check out his poems today in celebration of national lowercase day.

Other

Need some additional cheer for your week? Don’t overlook National Frappe Day on October 7, National Moldy Cheese Day on October 9, or Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day on October 11.

By Nicole Ann Gorny

E.E. Cummings

The Big Bang Theory Recap

The Alien Parasite Hypothesis starts with Penny, Amy and Bernadette having dinner at a bar. When Penny’s exes, Zack Hohnson, walks in Amy’s attraction to Zack takes over and she starts emitting the noise “hu!,” especially when she sees Zach bend over. When it appears that Penny has caught on to Amy’s emotions, she plays it off explaining her odd reaction by saying, “Well it’s no mystery, I obviously suddenly have the flu coupled with sudden onset turrets syndrome.”

While Amy is busy hyperventilating, Raj and Howard got into a heated debate over who would be the best superhero, and who would be left as sidekick. This all started after they heard that a radioactive rat bit someone and Raj is disappointed that the victim did not turn into a superhero.

In an attempt to decide who would be the sidekick, Howard sticks his arm into a jar that contained a tarantula. Not his best idea. Instead, Raj and Howard decide to solve the matter by wrestling. Leonard is chosen to preside over the match, but he winds up falling asleep because the two spend more time swapping insults than throwing punches.

Back at the lab, Amy is perplexed by her symptoms the night before. She and Sheldon band together to analyze her reaction, but they discover the obvious. Amy was feeling sexual attraction. Penny tries to help Sheldon out with the problem, hinting that he should be the solution. Of course, typical Sheldon, he completely misunderstands and asks Penny’s ex Zack if he would be willing to sleep with Amy. It was pretty reminiscent of the earlier episode in which Sheldon tries to find a man for Penny so that she will get off of World of Warcraft and stop bothering him. Although that time he misread signals and almost got himself a date.

In the end Amy resists her urges and joins her place in the purely academic world and in Sheldon’s life. Raj and Howard continue to trade insults and never actually begin to wrestle, which I think proves they would both quite obviously be the sidekicks.

Favorite Quotes:
“Very well, if you die and donate your body to science I promise to slice your brain like Canadian bacon.” – Amy

“Sheldon, I am NOT going through menopause.” – Amy
“Are you sure? You said that with the testy bark of an old biddy.” – Sheldon

“That’s thinking ahead!” – Penny
“The alternative would be to think backwards, and that’s just remembering.” – Sheldon

By: Kayla Caldwell

Tofurky for the Holidays

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. For most people, this means a day of family, food, and relaxation. But for vegetarians, Thanksgiving is less of a holiday and more of a nightmare. Since turkey is usually the main centerpiece of Thanksgiving, vegetarians must tiptoe around the trays of food to find something vegetarian-friendly. Finding something to eat on Thanksgiving can be a daunting task for vegetarians, but if you prepare well, Thanksgiving dinner can be quite enjoyable. Here are some must-haves for this Thanksgiving:

1. Appetizers: Most families start off Thanksgiving dinner with appetizers that include soups and salads. While most salads are vegetarian-friendly, it’s difficult to tell whether a soup is made with a meat stock or not. Making your own soup is a good way to ensure that meat isn’t getting into your holiday plans. Soups such as potato soup, pumpkin soup, or squash soup are all made without meat stocks and can be easily incorporated into a Thanksgiving holiday meal. With recipes that can be found online, soup is a great way to start off Thanksgiving.
2. Main course: What would Thanksgiving be without a turkey? Vegetarians don’t have to go without the staple food item found on nearly every Thanksgiving dinner table. Tofurky, a company dedicated to producing vegetarian-friendly meal options, has a selection of holiday products to suit your turkey day needs. Specifically, they offer a loaf that tastes just like turkey, Tofurky Roast. Inside the loaf-shaped tofu turkey there’s wild rice and white-wheat bread crumb stuffing, along with gravy to pour on top. Cook the loaf for about an hour and you have a vegetarian friendly Thanksgiving dinner.
3. Side Dishes: You’re going to need something to soak up all that Tofurky gravy! Sides such as biscuits or mashed potatoes are fantastic options to fill up your plate and keep your stomach full. While most breads and mashed potatoes are meat-free, make sure bacon or other meat products haven’t slipped into your side dishes!
4. Dessert: There’s really no way to distinguish a vegetarian dessert from any other dessert, but since you’re already making a full meal for yourself, you might as well throw in a dessert! A nice warm apple pie or a pumpkin cheesecake are both fun options to try top off your meal. Want to be more adventurous? Desserts can be vegan if you use silken tofu, a specific type of tofu typically used in desserts.

Voila! Now you can impress your family and friends this holiday season with your entirely vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner.

By: Lauren Stefaniak

Getting home for the holidays

With the Thanksgiving holiday this week, students are scrambling to find ways to get off campus. For those who plan to leave campus, arrangements have most likely already been made for the trip. These plans typically include driving, taking a bus or train, or flying – none of which are inexpensive options for travelers. Though drivers won’t have a problem with this, students taking public transportation to have to figure out how they’re getting to the transit centers. If you can’t find someone to drive you, you’re stuck tacking on the cost of getting a ride to a stations. Taxis can be expensive and are another cost you don’t want to add to your holiday expenses. But there are options out there!

While your ticket prices are already set in stone, there is a way to get you to your transportation center without any extra expense. The Syracuse University Student Association has recognized the mass flux of students who need to get to the transit centers. On the days most students will be traveling, SA offers free bus shuttles from Schine Student Center to both the Regional Transportation Center and Hancock International Airport.

If you’re going to take an SA offered bus to a transit center, it’s always smart to plan ahead. There will only be one bus making the trips. So make sure you get to Schine early to ensure that you’ll be able to get to your transportation center on time. The bus will be picking students up on the hour and will arrive at the Regional Transportation Center at quarter after, and then it will continue towards Hancock International Airport and will arrive there 30 minutes after the hour. The last bus will leave Schine Student Center an hour before the listed time below.

Want to hop on a bus offered by Syracuse to get to your bus/train/plane?
Here’s a list of the times the buses will be running:

Monday, Nov. 22: 4-10 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 23: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 24: 6 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 28: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

By: Lauren Stefaniak

Protein

One of the biggest health threats to vegetarians is lack of protein. Since nearly all the protein your body gets is from meat. Vegetarians commonly have low protein levels. Here are some warning signs that you may have protein deficiency:

• Thin or brittle hair or hair loss
• Deep lines or ridges in fingernails and toenails
• Skin burns easily in the sun
• Weakness and lethargy
• Severe depression
• Lack of energy or desire to do things

In extreme cases, protein deficiency can lead to harmful, long-term health problems, like gallstones, arthritis, and organ failure.

Here are some foolproof ways to get protein and stay healthy at school:

1. Protein shakes or supplements: Yes, it’s true that some protein drinks are not very tasty, but SU has teamed up with Freshens, a foodservice operator that provides delicious protein packed smoothies. Freshens offers a large variety of smoothies including, strawberry kiwi, acai berry, and peanut butter. Most of these smoothies have a significant amount of protein in them and can help make up for any protein deficiencies caused by a vegetarian diet.

2. Eggs: While some vegetarians abstain from eggs, others don’t. Incorporating eggs into your diet as a vegetarian – if you choose to eat them – is a great way to maintain protein in your diet. Eggs are packed with protein and other important vitamins like vitamin B12. Fry up an egg for breakfast, or get a veggie packed omelet from the omelet bar in dining halls, and you’ve got your daily dose of protein before 10 a.m.

3. Tofu: While tofu can also be undesirable, it’s 100 percent vegetarian, so you don’t have to worry about any moral questions. All of the dining halls on campus serve tofu daily. With different flavors such as plain tofu, teriyaki tofu, or silken tofu, it’s easy to mix it in with a salad, a plate of rice and veggies, or a dessert like pumpkin pie. With the versatility of tofu, you can easily get enough protein in your diet at every meal.

4. Nuts: Nuts such as almonds, cashews, chestnuts, pecans, and walnuts are all great sources of protein that can be an addition to any meal. They can be eaten by themselves as a snack, cooked into a pasta dish, or thrown on top of a salad. They add the perfect amount of flavor and crunchiness to your dish that will probably make you enjoy your food even more, while making sure you get enough protein. Nuts are an easy go-to when it comes to getting your protein.

By: Lauren Stefaniak

The college students store to shop for less: Marshalls

Want to wear designer brands for less but can’t seem to find them anywhere? Marshalls, a nation wide department store, offers designer styles at affordable prices you probably wouldn’t find anywhere else. As luck would have it, Marshalls is conveniently located on Erie Boulevard. If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind pieces, whether it be a Free People sweatshirt to wear on a fall Syracuse day or a cute Betsey Johnson suitcase to bring while you’re traveling, Marshalls is a sure to have it without breaking the bank. And trust someone who knows- with almost 85% of my wardrobe and furnishings from Marshalls- you’re sure to find something that’s for you!

Clothing:
The clothing section at Marshalls can be a bit of a hassle, but nevertheless worth the time and effort you put into it. Clothing is sectioned by type, like, pants, shirts, sweaters, etc. Rifling through the racks does pays off – you can thank me when you finally find that piece you weren’t necessarily looking for, but perfectly fits into your wardrobe. Suddenly your Friday night out is a little more fashionable.

Shoes:
The Marshalls shoe selection is comparable to a mini DSW. Shoes displayed above a row of corresponding sizes, takes up a fraction of the store. High-heeled shoes, boots, and sneakers are all available. Although you may fid it trifling to find your size amongst the mini-collection of shoes, finding a pair that fits can be the highlight of your day. Want to shine some light on a rainy day with Coach rain boots? Check out Marshalls shoe selection.

Handbags and luggage:
The fashionista knows that style does not stop at clothes. Real fasionistas travel in style with the hottest handbags and luggage. Luckily, this is where Marshalls shines. Designer styles, like Dooney and Bourke, are interspersed throughout the color-coded selection of handbags and neatly lined-up rows of luggage. With very little effort you can find a unique bag you’d usually have to go to Nordstrom’s or a designer’s store to find.

Housewares:
Marshalls’ housewares section has it all when it comes to furnishing your home- or in our case dorm. The kitchen section is stocked with popular chef brands of pots and pans amidst a wide array of exotic and novelty foods that are imported. In the bathroom section you can find anything you’d need to furnish a bathroom, from a matching towel set to a new shower curtain rod. For the dull college room, Marshalls’ bedroom and living room section offers bedroom sets, bookshelves, and of course, Egyptian cotton sheet sets.

By: Lauren Stefaniak

The Big Bang Theory Recap

The 21-second Excitation separates the sexes to make for two unusual and uncomfortable nights. The guys and Amy were all planning to go to a midnight showing of an extended edition of Raiders of the Lost Ark. But when Amy hears Bernadette and Penny plan to have a girls night, she immediately changes her plans – much to Penny’s dismay.

Despite Sheldon’s warning, the guys arrive at the theater late and have to wait in line. This causes Sheldon to become so angry he forgoes the now useless “I told you so,” and moves on to “I informed you thusly.” Unfortunately this is only the beginning of Sheldon’s anger. The theatre fills up just before the guys are about to enter. Sheldon freaks out because earlier, his nemesis, Will Wheaton, was admitted even though he showed up late. When Sheldon questions the injustice, the movie attendant responds saying, “Because I’m the petty functionary with the clipboard, bitch.”

On the other hand, the girls are trying to get through a rather awkward night, as Amy takes the term girls’ night far too literally and talks non-stop about biological processes. Amy does finally get the hang of the slumber party during a game of truth or dare. But when Penny is asked how she would feel if Leonard were to move on, she has no response.

The personal question triggers some tough emotions for Penny, but of course, the Big Bang couldn’t leave it at that. Amy thinks Penny is upset because she lost truth or dare and tries to comfort her with another slumber party activity she found online – experimenting with lesbianism. Bernadette sits back and says she would have picked eating cookie dough instead.

Sheldon ends up losing his cool over the night’s events. He sneaks in the back and steals the movie reel insisting that if he doesn’t get to see it, no one does. They would have gotten away with it had they not run into Will on the way out. The guys all run out of the theater, as Sheldon sings the theme song from Indiana Jones.

Favorite Quotes:
“I have a feeling that tonight one of you will become my best friend forever.” – Amy

“Trouble is my middle name Leonard, actually it’s Lee, but I prefer trouble.” – Sheldon

By: Kayla Caldwell