A Goodbye To Rutgers.

Tomorrow will be the last day of my undergraduate education at Rutgers University. I have had people tell me all year about how excited I must be to finally leave the world of academia behind. They are right, but I am also pretty anxious and scared of what the future holds. However, I am sure I will be able to make it through because of all that I learned as being a student here.

This last post is not going to be a long, sentimental note about all the things I learned here. Instead I wanted to part with some things that I want to share with anyone who is still a student enrolled here and those who may be coming here in the future.

College is supposed to be the best years of your life. It is the only time where you have one foot inside the” ivory tower” and one in the “real world”. You get to meet and learn about a lot of people from diverse backgrounds and places, and find and learn a lot about yourself in the process. You have the ability to grow as a person and figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. And if you don’t have the last bit figured out after four years, that is okay. You have made friends with a bunch of people in the same boat as you. For all you know, you could create something special with these people that could make you millions!

But how is doing all this at the Rutgers any different than doing it at some other college?

Well, the environment that Rutgers provides allows students the chance to be who they want to be. The classes that are offered are interesting, taught mostly by professors who really are enthusiastic about their jobs, and the students here are without a doubt helpful and friendly. Rutgers gets a lot of negative attention, but trust me. It is an awesome school, and I will cherish every memory I have made.

Just a few last tips for you guys that I have found the most important:

TIP #1: Have an open mind.

I didn’t apply to any other college. Rutgers was where I was told to go. I felt annoyed that I didn’t get to choose, but it worked out for me at the end. There is so much to see and do here. Do not judge Rutgers before you even give it a fair chance. You might miss out on a great experience.

TIP #2: Explore.

Rutgers is a big school, take a chance to see all of it before you graduate.

TIP #3: Get involved.

You college experience will be as fun or stressful as you make it.

And lastly:

TIP #4: Enjoy it!

Four years go by fast. Make it count.

I may be leaving Rutgers, but it will always stay in my heart.

 

Queens College Campus

Did you know that there are buildings that still remain on the Rutgers campus that were around when Rutgers was first founded?

If this is the first time you heard of this fact, don’t feel bad. I did not know about it either up until last week.

Basically, my professor for my Creative Non-Fiction class had decided to have our last class in the Kirkpatrick Chapel in the Queen’s College campus. The class was supposed to perform, aka. read out loud, a piece we had written specifically to share with the class. My professor thought that the chapel would be a better place to share them instead of the usual classroom in the basement of Murray Hall.

Not going to lie, it took me a while to find Kirkpatrick chapel. We were told that all we had to do if we were coming from Murray Hall, we would have to take a left, cross the street, go through the archway and find the chapel. My professor’s helpful hint: “It looks like a chapel.” My professor, who is actually a wonderful teacher, don’t get me wrong, didn’t realize that there were people (ie. Me) who don’t really know what chapels look like because they aren’t Christian.

Anyways, I just wanted to say that it was very pretty. Apparently, people actually do want to get married there, and have gotten married there. My brother’s fiancé was a Scarlet Ambassador and said that when she was a Senior (back in 2010), there was a waiting list of two years. Talk about school pride!

I am bringing this up to talk about because I feel that there is a whole other world that the students of Rutgers don’t really ever see. The places we go to are usually where we have classes and can hang out with friends. They miss out on the opportunity to see other cool places. Queen’s College Campus is one of those places. It holds a lot of history if you think about it. Our university is really, really old. There is a plaque that commemorates the people who had fought in the Revolutionary War. Why not learn about its history.

Not only that, but from what I hear (and I have no confirmed it for myself) but there is a wooly mammoth in Geology Hall, which is two buildings to the right of the chapel.

TIP: See Queen’s College Campus. It is quite remarkable to see even if it is only just five or six buildings. It may seem very inconsequential, but it is our university’s history. And that is what makes it amazing.

Just a little Rain.

So did anybody else have to deal with that massive rainstorm this past Wednesday?

I did. And let me tell you, no fun at all!

I had to go from Livingston Campus to Douglass Campus, and then to College Ave Campus that day. Unfortunately, I had left the house with my Spring jacket thinking that it wouldn’t be that cold out even with the rain. WRONG!! It was freezing and miserable and, obviously, wet! My jacket also did not have a hood, so I had to use my sweatshirt’s hood to protect me from the rain, as well as an umbrella.

Once I got to Douglass, I needed to get warmed up. Class was starting in an hour, so I had time to go to Dunkin Donuts in the Douglass Campus student center to get something to drink. Getting a hot, steaming cup of hazelnut coffee was just what I needed in order to make the rest of the day. Unluckily, I had classes until nine that night.

I don’t really enjoy going across the step bridge that goes from near Loree Hall to Hickman Hall on a good day. So you better believe I was annoyed to do so on one such as Wednesday was. While class ended earlier than it should have, it still took me a long time to get to College Ave.

When we were finally let out of class at around eight that night, it was ridiculous outside. It was still raining, and there were huge amounts of water outside Milledoler. We had to walk to the Scott Hall bus stop from the street on the right (I think that it is Seminary Place, but I could be completely and totally wrong). The wind was so strong that I was really close to pulling a Mary Popping. Not only that, but rain was flying into my face and it was really cold. I was also afraid that my umbrella was going to upturn. If it did, I would have been in a lot of trouble because it wasn’t really my umbrella. It was my older brother’s and I was borrowing it.

Picture taken by user

The picture above is what it looked like when I walked outside. Yes, we are part of the digital generation. We take photos on our smart phones of everything that happens. I am on the fence about whether that is a negative thing or a positive thing.

Either way, to bring this back to point. Why am I sharing this lovely story?

Well, the thing is, no one can predict when a massive rainstorm would cause flooding on campus. That sometimes things happen that make us want to pull our hair out. We just have to keep carrying on. So here is a tip for you all.

TIP: When life hands you lemons, don’t question it or do anything with it. Just take it with you and go.

Basically, just keep pushing through whatever situation you are in. You are strong and you can make it through, and feel ten thousand times better for the accomplishment. I promise.

My Rutgers University Bus Riding Experience.

This is a true story.

Back in my freshman year of college, I ended up traveling through all five Rutgers University campuses via bus in the span of two hours. I will always blame it on the fact that Livingston, where I usually get dropped off, was a warzone of construction machines, dirt, and mud. That was before it became the beautiful, buzzing place it is today. On that day, to avoid having to go through an obstacle course of crud in the road and ruin perfectly good shoes and jeans, I decided to go from Busch Campus Center to Douglass for class. And at the end of the class day, I would just go home from the campus center.

My brother, who was in his last year at Rutgers, told me that the REXB bus didn’t stop at the student center on Busch. So I waited for an H to take me to the Hill Center stop. The entire ride after switching buses went without a hitch and I made it to Douglas just fine. I got out on the Red Oak Lane stop to get to my class in the Loree Building (since being a freshie meant that I did not realize that I could have gotten off at the Cabaret theater and get to Loree quicker). The fun didn’t all begin until after class ended, which incidentally ended earlier than expected.

I ran towards the REXB at Red Oak Lane, thinking it would leave any second. However, the bus driver was outside hanging out with the F bus driver, talking with a cigarette between his fingers. Breathing a sigh of relief, I pulled out my Ipod and slipped the earphones into my ears. Immigrant States was the only class I had on Friday so I was done and could look forward to the weekend. The fact that the REXB had idled at the stop for fifteen minutes before it picked up its journey did not faze me. Even the bus drivers needed their breaks, especially from the monotony of driving the same routes over and over again.

Everything was going perfect: my school day was over, I got a great seat on a usually packed bus, and my Ipod was on a roll with shuffle for once. I should have realized that the other shoe was about to drop. And boy, did it drop hard. In my jubilation I forgot that the bus did not make a stop at the campus center at Busch. It wasn’t until the bus was going on the ramp to enter Route 18 again did I realize the mistake I made.

I didn’t want to be seen as lame by staying on the bus, so as soon as it stopped at the Cabaret Theater I got out. I then got on the very next bus that came by. It was the F.

“I could go to College Ave, and then take the H to Busch,” I thought. And with that, I went around the entire campus of Cook and Douglas for the second time that day. The bus waited a long time at Red Oak Lane this time around too, but my happiness from the first time was now one of restlessness mixed with embarrassment.

Unfortunately, when I reached the first stop on College Ave (the Student Activities Center), classes were just starting to let out. Trying to get an A or an H was damn near impossible, especially with how crowded the bus was before it even stopped. And to make matters worse, I really needed to go pee. Drinking that bottle of Lipton Lemon Iced Tea from the vending machine was not such a good idea after all. I looked up at the wait time for the next A or H, and saw that it would be another six and nine minutes respectively. I couldn’t wait that long. So I got on the first bus that was empty, which ended up being the LX.

As soon as the bus got the Livingston Student Center I rushed out of the bus, without even saying my usual thank you to the bus driver. After my pit stop, I got onto the B bus. Throughout my entire trip on the bus, since the B goes around the entire Busch campus before the campus center, I rode in silent fury. Despite trying to avoid Livingston like the plague, I ended up there anyway. I was so annoyed at myself.

Finally, at long last, the B bus had arrived to the campus center.  It was as soon as I got out of the bus did I realize how ridiculous the whole thing was. I was annoyed at myself, but I could not help but laugh at it all.

So long story short?

TIP: Even if you miss your stop and you don’t want to look lame by staying on the bus, it is a better alternative to what I ended up doing.

TIP: The REXB is Satan’s favorite mode of transport. It is best that you keep in mind that it DOES NOT stop at the Busch Campus Center.

TIP: Sometimes, you just have to laugh at yourself even when you get into situations like the one I did.

Rutgers Students’ Need to Refuel

As college students, especially from Rutgers University, we are very particular about what kind of beverages we drink to refuel our energy. After all, we need to make it through the whole class day and anything else that we may have to do. Therefore, not just anything can cut it.

Not only that, but depending on the time of day, we may need a different kind of drink. I mean in the morning we may need a coffee to wake us up and keep us up during classes, at lunch we may want an iced tea to go with whatever sandwich we may be eating, and possibly a latte break in the afternoon.

So where to get your caffeine, or really beverage, fix?

TIP: There are many places on the Rutgers campus where you can go.

1. The convenient store in the Student Activities Center (aka. The SAC), located on the College Ave campus.
2. The Rutgers store in the Livingston Student Center, located on the Livingston campus.
3. The café in the Livingston Student Center, located on the Livingston campus.
4. The Dunkin Donuts in the Livingston Student Center, located on the Livingston campus.
5. Starbucks, located on the Livingston campus, George Street (College Ave campus), and inside the Barnes and Nobles on Somerset Street (College Ave campus).
6. Au Bon Pain, located on College Ave campus near the Rutgers Student Center
7. The vending machines in Hickman Hall, located on Cook/Douglass campus.
8. A LOT MORE!!! THERE ARE TONS OF PLACES TO GO!!!

The good thing about the stores and café that sells coffee is that it is self serve. You can pour as much coffee as you want and add as much of anything you want. Therefore, your coffee will be exactly the way you like it, not problem. This is a really good thing really, if you think about it. No person will ever mess up your order because you are getting it all yourself. Cool right?

The Dunkin Donuts and Au Bon Pain is pretty great to go to because you can always find something to have with whatever drink you are getting. Whether it is an iced tea or a latte or a some kind of coffee, there is something. Au Bon Pain has so many different pastries and cookies to choose from. And just like the stores and café, your coffee is self-served. The difference here is that you can get iced coffee as well. My favorite thing to order whenever I go is the chocolate croissant. And their peach iced tea? SO. FRICKING. GOOD!!!

Of course though, if you want variety, Starbucks is the way to go. According to a bunch of people I know, they love Starbucks for how strong their coffee and other beverages tastes. There is also the fact that you can their fraps, and they taste so good. Mocha frap all the way!! Although quite recently, I have  come to really love their sweetened Tazo passion tea lemonade. Try it if you haven’t already. To get to any of the Starbucks on College Ave, you can use the EE bus.

The vending machines at Hickman Hall that gives you coffee must be pretty new or something because that was not there my freshman year four years ago. Or maybe it was and I’ve never noticed. Either way, it’s pretty cool. Just to be clear though, I have yet to try any of the drinks that the machine makes for you. Try it out and tell me how it goes.

Live-blogging a Rutgers Bus Ride

Having to get to and from classes on different campuses via bus could be quite stressful for us students. We have to deal with finding the right bus stop to get on the bus from, and try to beat out the other countless students trying to get on the bus as well. All the while hoping that we will not be late for class, may I add. Ergo, it is very stressful!

Best analogy I can give it? Picture the Hunger Games sprint to get the weapons at the start of the Game. The champions are the students and the weapons are the buses. Pretty accurate picture, in my personal opinion.

In order to describe the experience to get to class on a different campus via bus, I decided to document the press to the best of my abilities.

The following is my live-blog of getting from Douglass campus to College Ave. This transpired on Monday, April 14, 2014. Since I usually update on Sundays, I decided to post it on my usual day and not on the actual day I live-blogged.

MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014

3:26pm DOUGLASS, GIBSON BUS STOP

I got out of class ten minutes earlier than usual. Therefore, there aren’t that many people waiting at the bus stop as there usually are. Note, classes usually get out at 3:35pm on Douglass. The EE and F are the only buses that stop at Gibson. Usually, I take which ever bus I can get on, but the one that I go on the most often is the F.

3:31pm DOUGLASS, GIBSON BUS STOP

There are more people starting to come now, and there hasn’t been a bus since I reached the bus stop. I am starting to get worried if I will be able to get on one.

3:33pm ON EE BUS

Surprisingly, I got a seat on the bus. I will have to go through George Street instead of Route 18. That’s because I’m on the EE. I am a bit annoyed to be on the EE to be quite honest, but there isn’t much I can do. The person sitting next to me is starting to look at me weirdly since I am typing away on my phone. If I wasn’t sitting down, this live blog would not have been possible.

3:37pm DOUGLASS, COLLEGE HALL BUS STOP

Whoa baby! There are always so many people here!! It is insane!! The bus gets more packed, and now there are people squishing themselves inside the bus to make sure they get on it. The girl who is standing next to my seat has a massive purse that keeps hitting my shoulder. I am going to deal with it since there is no other choice, and I have an unusually large shoulder-bag backpack that hits people on the bus as well when I have the bad luck of having to stand on the bus.

4:04pm COLLEGE AVE, RUTGERS STUDENT CENTER

The bus is idling here. It always does. I wish it would keep going, but it doesn’t. The bus driver went outside to throw away some garbage. More and more people are coming inside with coffee cups from Au Bon Pain. I think I might get off and get some.

4:11pm ON EE BUS

I decided not to. Now the bus is heading towards Scott Hall. Classes just got out, therefore it is going to be a mess. We are waiting behind two cars and an H bus, since the students are crossing the streets to get to the Scott Hall bus stop. Sigh.

4:14pm COLLEGE AVE, SCOTT HALL

Finally made it. I crossed the road and am now walking along the way to my class at Milledoler. I would have blogged from there, but service at Milledoler is a bit sketchy. Now I just have to wait until 4:30pm for class to start. Oh joy.

Healthy Spots to Eat at Rutgers University

By: Guest Blogger

Photo taken by this user

Hello! My name is Kim and I will be the guest blogger for this week. I have been at Rutgers for three years. As a commuter, I usually bring lunch because it’s cheaper and healthier. I am also a part-time grocery store employee; therefore I have gained a great deal of knowledge about food and the importance of eating healthy. Not only does eating healthy help you avoid many illnesses in the future, but it also aids in your success at school! Having a balanced diet is important for your brain to function optimally. However, sometimes due to the hectic schedule of college, some students simply do not have the time to prepare lunches to bring to school. So in this post, I will suggest healthy budget friendly options you can find on various campuses.

Cook/Douglass

If you are on Cook/Douglass, there is a place called the Douglas Campus Center. The Douglass Campus Center is a great place for commuters to have their lunch or relax in between classes. Recently, this campus center just renovated and has more seating area and televisions. Whenever I don’t bring lunch and have classes on Cook/Douglas I would go to this campus center to get a taco salad. A veggie taco salad only costs $5.09, which is a really great deal. For a little extra cost, you can also add chicken or steak to your salad. At no cost, you can add as many toppings as you want. Toppings include olives, jalapenos, tomato, onions, Ancho finishing sauce, brown rice, black beans, cheese, and salsa. The taco salad is a good portion and I always finish it feeling satisfied. If you don’t like taco salad, they also offer freshly prepared regular salad that you can grab and go.

Busch

I actually can’t think of a very healthy place to eat on Busch. If you live on campus, I suggest just going to the dining hall because they offer a variety of healthy options, including a fresh salad and deli bar. The Busch Campus Center offers a pizza place called Gerlanda, a Burger King, and Chinese food. Out of those three places. I would suggest getting a Chinese food bowl, where you can choose brown rice, steamed vegetables, and teriyaki/curry chicken. One bowl of Chinese food will cost $5.75. If you don’t like Chinese food, the next healthiest option would be getting a whopper jr. from Burger King without pickles, ketchup, and mayo. Based on Burger King’s nutrition chart online, one whopper jr. excluding those toppings is only 220 calories and contains 290 grams of sodium. The cost of one whopper jr sandwich is about $2.00.

College Ave

On the College Avenue campus, the Rutgers Student center has a Subway. The best option at Subway in my opinion is the black forest ham foot long sandwich for only $5.00. I would usually choose that type of sandwich on a flatbread toasted without cheese. In case you haven’t been to a Subway, you have your choice of adding a variety of fresh vegetables including lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, olives, jalapenos, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, sweet peppers, and banana peppers. Usually the dressings they offer contain a load of sodium; therefore I complete my black forest foot long sandwich with oil and vinegar. If I am not eating the sandwich right away or know that I can only eat half of it for now, you can ask for dressing on the side. This way the dressing won’t make your sandwich soggy.

There is no healthier option than making your own meals from home. On my personal blog http://thecollegepantry.wordpress.com/ I offer healthy simple school lunch recipes, most of which you can prepare the night before. In addition, I also review healthy food products, which you can grab and take to school!

 

Rutgers’ Myths and Legends Part 2: Passion Puddle

Picture taken by user

Another Rutgers legend and/or myth that is quite well-known amongst its students is the one about Passion Puddle.

As the story goes, if a Douglass girl and a Cook boy go around Passion Puddle three times, they will live happily ever after.

Why specifically a Douglass girl and Cook boy? Well, back in the day, Douglass campus used to be a school just for girls. The Cook campus would be the one with all the guys. Considering the close proximity of the two campuses, it is no surprise how many of the couples were comprised of a Douglass girl and Cook boy.

Besides the urban legend associated with the place, Passion Puddle is a very beautiful sight to behold at the right time. The right time being at the beginning of school year and late in the spring semester when the leaves on the trees are still there. The green leaves contrast so beautifully with the color of the water in the pond. Moreover, when it is sunny, you can see the sun’s reflection in the water in such a way that it looks like ripples. In my personal opinion, depending on what time of the day you see it, it looks quite spectacular in an understated kind of way.

Besides the legend surrounding the pond, there are other things about that are worth mentioning. For one thing, Red Oak Lane bus stop is right next to it. It has all four buses stop at it: REXL, REXB, EE, and F. Also, if you cross the street, you can get to Loree, and thus be able to walk through Loree and go across the step bridge to Hickman. It is an ideal place to be.

It is a good place it sit and relax when the weather is nice. There are benches around where you can sit on to pass some time. My opinion is that Cook/Douglass is a wonderful place to be if you don’t have class, and Passion Puddle is one of my favorite places on that campus. Therefore, if you ever get the chance during your four years there, make sure you visit it.

It doesn’t even have to be with a Douglass girl or Cook guy.

Rutgers’ Myths and Urban Legends Part 1: Willie the Silent

As some people may not be aware of, Rutgers is a pretty old college institution. Founded in 1766 as Queen’s College, it has been around for a long time. Since that time, a lot of historical events occurred. The Declaration of Independence being signed ten years after the college was founded being a key moment. However, as students pass through and experience the “best four years” of their lives, different myths and legends spring up. Do they have any validity? Who knows really, but that is half the fun.

A pivotal urban legend that a lot of Rutgers students know is of the statue in the Voorhees Mall of William I, Count of Nassau, Prince of Orange1584). Or as we, Scarlett Knights like to call him, “Willie the Silent” or “Still Bill.”

Some key things to know about the statue, according to Wikipedia:

Picture taken by user

• It was installed in 1928 on the Voorhees Mall section of College Avenue Campus
• It is located along Seminary Place, a street at the western end of the Voorhees Mall, and is near several academic buildings, including the university’s Graduate School of Education, Van Dyke Hall, and Milledoler Hall.
•  The statue was donated to Rutgers by Dr. Fenton B. Turck to commemorate the university’s Dutch heritage.
• The statue has continued to be included in student life as the Voorhees Mall was used as the site of student and community events, including graduation ceremonies, pep rallies, festivals, and protests.
•  The statue is occasionally a target of vandalism in ongoing historical rivalry between students of Rutgers and Princeton University.

So what urban legend could some statue of a historical figure from the Netherlands be involved in? Well, according to Rutgers lore, the statue of Willie the Silent will whistle if a female virgin walks passed it.

How this legend came about and gained popularity?

The explanation that I could give is that someone must have been throwing shade, and it must have caught on. Instead of taking it for the shade it was, it could be possible that Rutgers decided to just accept it and run with it. While it hasn’t been reported on whether or not Still Bill has whistled in recent times or not, we can all still appreciate how such an urban legend has stood against the hands of time.

That is something to really admire about our wonderful school. While people have no problem saying bad things our school, they do not realize the countless positive things that could be said about it as well. What I have found to be the best part of our school is the attitudes we have when faced with the haters. We do not just sit back and let people say bad things, but instead prove through our actions that our school is actually a lot better than they perceive it to be. Even urban legends and myths based on petty remarks about the people that go to Rutgers are no match of the positive attitudes of its students.

Say what you want, but we are still very proud to call ourselves Scarlett Knights!!

The Joys of Expos-Revisited

This post is a response to my other post: https://ruhowtosurvivalguide.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/the-joys-of-expos/

In my previous post about Expos, I had mentioned some tips that I thought would help a person who had to take the class. I was using my own experience from taking the class and shaping it in a way that would benefit someone else in the same position. After I posted it, I kind of just tossed it aside from my mind. I didn’t dwell too much on what I wrote.

However, everything that I wrote seemed to come back the other day when I met up with someone that I haven’t talked to since Freshman year.

I was getting my sesame bagel toasted with cream cheese when I noticed the person standing next to me. This girl was in my Expos class three years ago. I wasn’t sure if she would remember me or not, but I thought, Hey. Why not strike up a conversation?

My anxiety over whether or not she remembered me or not was for nothing. She did, and remembered my name as well. We ended up talking a bit more, catching up with each other. Because Expos is a general requirement for every Freshman who did not get the AP credits for English in high school, an Expos class is filled with students from every major. My friend is finishing up her engineering major. She joked with me saying how Expos prepared her for how difficult all her other classes were. We ended up talking and catching up all the way until we had to leave for our next class. It was great to talk to her.

I was looking through my post on Expos and the tips that I gave. While I was writing the post the first time, I was wondering if many of the things I said would be universal or not. I was also worried if what I was saying was facetious. However, I can fully stand behind the tips I gave.

One of the tips I wrote was how the class could help you form lasting friendships. While this friend of mine and I had lost contact over the years due to different majors and therefore different classes, we were still able to connect after so long because we had to go through something that was challenging for the both of us. We used to get together at the Rutgers Student Center and read through each other’s papers, hoping our comments would help each other improve our papers. We moaned and groaned together over the readings we had to do, and how annoying it was to have to use the same readings over and over again. Pretty sure the two of us were so over factory farming by the end of class (our first reading for the class had to do with factory farming and it was horrible!).

I was glad to get reaffirmation that my tips weren’t off base.