Breaks in College

I feel like the vacations in college could be a little better spread out then they currently are. In my opinion, the first stretch of school is too long. As a freshman, getting adjusted is not easy, and I remember counting down the days until Fall break rolled around (sometime in October). From the start of the school in late August to the first break in mid-October, we have about eight weeks of school. That seemed like an eternity at the time. Now, we've been back at school for a while and I feel like I just came back from Christmas break. My point is that we should have about five weeks from the start of school to the first break that kids can get situated but not feel like their trapped. I would be more than happy to spend a longer stretch at school now simply because I almost feel like, at this stage in the game, IC is home.

Heat in the Dorms

In my opinion, it is way too hot in the dorm rooms. Night after night I find myself opening my window to avoid melting in my room. I think that school could save a lot of money by lowering the heat by three or four degrees. I also have friends at other schools who complain about the same problem. It just seems a little weird that this school which is supposed to be so environmentally friendly, is not really in tune with the students in this aspect. I almost feel bad opening my window at night know that all the heat coming out of the radiator is going right out the window.

Class on Presidents Day?

Obviously as a student I am going to be opposed to having class on this day but I think there is more to it than that. Tomorrow (February 18) celebrates the birthday of George Washington. For those who don't know, such as the people who decide to give students at Ithaca college class, Washington was the first president this country had. He set the precident for presidents to come. In my opinion we should honor this. Many might arguing that keeping kids out of school is no way to honor a president. But we do get off for Labor Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I feel like our first preident should get the respect that these days get. Honestly, I have no idea what Labor Day celebrates and I'm sure there are a bunch of people out there who also have no idea what it's all about. If we get class off for Labor Day we should definitely get off for Presidents day.

NBA All Star Weekend

Now this is a good event. In complete contrast to the NFL's poor excuse to an All Star game, the NBA really stands out. Throughout sports, the NFL is known for being the class act of all of the major leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL). In fact the NBA is supposed to be the poorest excuse for a professional league. Yet for some reason, it seems like this league does the best job of compiling its stars to make for an entire weekend of entertainment. Personally, I am not a big fan of the NBA but this is one event that I will take the time to watch. Although I think the NFL is a much better maintained league, I wish instead of a Pro Bowl game they had something more similar to the NBA All Star Weekend. No risk of injury, maybe no game at all. Instead, I would rather watch a competition with the best athletes in the game competing in skills challenges.

Facebook

At this point in my life, Facebook is nothing more than a way to keep in touch with friends from home who are going to different schools. It's a good way to compile random photos taken into one giant random album. It is also a great tool to help know when a friend’s birthday is coming up. But I know at a certain point some pictures of some people are going to be the downfall of their careers. Once the pictures are on Facebook, there is no telling who is looking at them. I can guarantee that our future president for the year 2040 has a Facebook right now. I am almost positive that this individual has pictures of themselves that they are less than proud of. Whether it’s underaged drinking or anything illegal in general, that future president is going to be in trouble once these pictures of them as a young adult are exposed. If the leader of a large corporation is shown in a picture with this person in a negative light, I can guarantee that that companies stock will plummet the following day. These pictures show weakness in the individual and that shows weakness in the individuals company. And if you're a person of high stature, you cannot afford to show any weakness.

NFL Probowl

This post is in response to Evan K's post regarding the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl in addition to future Pro Bowls. This year, Randy Moss and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and questionably the best quarterback-receiver tandem in the league have elected to stay home due to injury. But the real question here is are these superstars truly hurt, or are they just plain sick of football after losing to the heavy underdog Giants a week ago in Superbowl XLII. The NBA and MLB All Star games are privileges - a dream for any player in the mentioned leagues. So why does it seem like going to the NFL Pro Bowl is a chore for these players? In my opinion it is because football is a grueling sport- it physically hurts to play football. Many people say they should have less preseason games prior to the start of the season. Why not get rid of the Pro Bowl instead and reduce the risk of injury at the end of the season as well. One of these years (maybe even today) a player is going to have an injury in the Pro Bowl that causes him to miss a portion of the next season. Maybe a season ended or worse. Bottom line: Delete the Probowl.

Knicked and Dimed

http://bhaywood1.blogspot.com/

Couldn't agree with you more here, buddy. Heres my take:
Adding $300 to our tuition on top of $40,000 is nothing. So why not make it $40,300 for the year and include an internet service that works (the gold plan) as well as "free" cable. The difference between 40,000 and $40,300 is nothing and it's much less painful than getting a cable bill every month for $50. I know my brother goes to a school where all of this is included and my parents are much happier about it. From a business standpoint I am aware that they add all these costs on to the tuition but for some reason it makes the consumer (the students and their parents) a little happier and more content.

For me, I have no choice but to spend $50 a month on cable because without ESPN in my life, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Also without Run's House and Rob and Big I would be miserable. I know very few people who don't have the gold plan internet or cable. Hopefully next year the school will change and include these amenities in the grand total instead of nickel and diming us to death. This also forces my parents to pay for cable instead of me.