“Anyone can find the bad in someone. Be the person who finds the good.” In my last blog post, I discussed how it is high time for us to love ourselves. We are all perfect in our own ways and we need to see that in ourselves, but we also must see it in others. Since the election, there has been so much hate spreading around our country from so many people. But I don’t care what political party you affiliate with, or what religion you are, or anything else really. It doesn’t matter to me what your views on specific topics are. The thing that matters to me is how you treat other people. How you treat your fellow human beings. We never know what is going on in another’s life so we should show them love and respect.

                Sometimes it is very hard to show love to other people depending on how they treat you or what beliefs they have, but you must try. Instead of passing judgement, just show love, they might really need a little. I read a quote once about how children who need love will ask for it in the most unloving ways, but I think some adults may do the same. Our fellow humans need us. If we are to work together as a country, as a world, we need to start forgiving others, respecting others, and loving others. Rebel against our current society full of hate and scorn by liking others instead. Be better humans. 

Delaney Ray '19 is a Psychology and Sociology double major with a minor in Criminal Justice. She works as a Student Orientation Leader and a Library Desk Assistant in addition to blogging for MU. She never thought she would be a blogger, and her dream job is to work for the FBI in the behavioral unit.

As I walk around campus, I feel a sense of rebirth and nostalgia. All of the amazing colors and different hues of red and orange somehow melt the stress of college away. Because it’s Indiana, you can expect the weather on a walk to be warm and humid, and sometimes cold and windy. Each day and each week, the leaves become browner, and my thoughts and cares become fully immersed in the truly eclectic atmosphere that is Manchester.

            My favorite place to walk is the woods behind the baseball field. Inside, there’s a secret magic world where thoughts and phones become silent. Out there, I feel like I am blank and I don’t exist. The sounds of Eel River cover the sounds of wildlife in the area. Near the shore, its muddy, but contains a whole ecosystem of organisms. Seashells gently decorate the area and the trees almost bend towards you like they’re trying to have a conversation with you or keep you company. Squirrels, rabbits, frogs, and crayfish are all animals that I have found in the woods. Outside is no fun if you can’t get your hands a little dirty.

My walks can range from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Even though North Manchester is small, there are a lot of places that one can go to. For quicker walks, I walk to the President’s house from the Switzer Center and back. For longer walks, I’ll walk to one of the two parks in North Manchester or CVS. Each walk, I learn something new about the city. In nature hiking, I was able to talk a few photos of historic houses and visit parks that were no longer than 30 minutes away from campus.

Walking clears my mind and is a great way to get exercise. If you ever are feeling stressed around campus take a walk. If you need somebody to walk with I am more than willing to walk with you. It doesn’t matter where we go, but please, let’s go without a purpose. 

Bolanle Oladokun ’18 is a Communication Studies Major. Since she was a kid, she’s always loved to talk and frequently got into trouble at school for talking so much. She loves making people laugh, recording videos, and hanging out with friends. She’s happy to be able to use her gift to put a smile on people’s faces.

Vibing. Noun turned verb. “Vibing” is when you just hang out with friends and listen to music. No matter what mood I’m in, there is always a song to fit my current situation. Whether we want to sing along to throwback hits of the early 2000s, jam to current hits, or chill out together on the couch, there is always the perfect playlist to vibe to. Here are my top 5 vibing songs this year!

1. “Call on Me” by Starley & Ryan Riback: This song is a great pick me up. It has an upbeat tune and instantly puts you into a good mood!
2. “September Song” by JP Cooper: A catchy ballad that will be stuck in your head for days.
3. “Rewind” by Wingtip and Sophie Strauss: The perfect “vibing” song. It’s great to listen to when relaxing on the couch. A pre-nap song if you will.
4. “Heartbeat” by MacKenzie Bourg: This is your typical love song. It has a sappy air to it, but will make any girl swoon.
5. “Current Location” by Lany: There is no other way to describe this song other than chill. It’s an extremely calming song with a captivating melody.

I hope you take a listen to some of these songs and like them as much as I do. I really believe music is the one thing in this world that can truly connect people. It’s the universal language that unites us all. Hopefully you enjoy some of these songs and check out other songs by these artists!

Katie Byers '18 is a biology-chemistry major & business minor. A member of the women's basketball team, she plans to study abroad in New Zealand in February 2017, and her dream job is to work at an orthopedic hospital. 

My roommate and I have been going a little stir crazy. Now that the shock of being at college has worn off, our routines are beginning to feel like less of a safety blanket, and more of a boring hindrance. Outside of clubs and work, I’m pretty content finishing my homework and chilling with Netflix for the rest of the day, but my roommate isn’t a fan of TV, or of sitting still in general. So to keep her happy, we’ve been trying new things and going to new places as often as I can manage. We thought it would be a challenge finding any place for a college student in a town as small as North Manchester, but with a bit of creativity, we’ve found a few spots.

The River
The Eel River runs along the east side of campus, behind the sports fields. There are a few trails that run along the side, and a bunch of rocks along the edge of the water that are perfect for cliché Instagram photos. It’s a very quiet, private place if you want to escape your roommate, think, read, or just enjoy being outside (and not studying) for once.

KenapocoMocha
The cafe’s name is a twist on the native name for the river. Just off of Main Street on North Market Street, the coffee shop is in a cute brick house. It’s pretty popular among college students, especially Mondays when they are open later than usual. They’ve got decent coffee and usually offer vegetarian meals. Most importantly is the cool atmosphere. It’s a nice place to take your homework and chill for a few hours without feeling like you’re being rushed out.

The Observatory
The Morris Observatory lies just north of the baseball field, and in front of the environmental cabin. It’s a small building nestled in a clearing, almost obscured by the trees from the parking lot. The evening opening times vary month to month, but are usually listed on the scrolling screens in every building. Like I said, it’s a little small, but a new thing is a new thing, right?

If you get bored and antsy like my roomie, make sure to check what’s going on on campus that week. Just this week, we’ve been to two basketball games, a play, and the International Fashion Show. There’s always something to do if you’re open to new experiences. And if all else fails, go exploring!


Kelleen Cullison ’20 is pursuing an English major and minors in Journalism and Peace Studies. She hopes to work as an editor for a publishing company, and hopes to help current and prospective Manchester students avoid the mistakes she is currently making.

This past weekend, a small group from one of my classes volunteered in Fort Wayne at a Power Soccer Tournament. The group consisted of 8 people, including my professor. All of us volunteered on Sunday, but one of my friends and I also volunteered on Saturday.

Despite having to be at the fieldhouse at 9:30am on Saturday and 8:30am on Sunday, it was worth the lack of sleep. Basically, the tournament was for those in power wheelchairs who wanted to play soccer. Before the players came onto the court, metal racks were bolted onto the wheelchair which is what they used to hit the ball. Watching them play was pretty exciting because I had never seen anything like it before. It was like a real soccer game, too. They had referees, flaggers, scorekeepers, coaches, and some teams had plays to run! There were also these people who sat behind the goals called ball runners; that’s what I volunteered for.

I sat behind the goal and whenever a ball was hit away from the court I had to run it down and bring it back to the court. The picture above shows you my view for a total of 6 hours for the weekend. You can see the referee and the racks the players used to hit the ball. Although I had to do some sprints when chasing down balls, I also had one of the better views of the game.

I believe this volunteer experience was a the first of many I’ll be doing in college. This is a part of facility/event management and it goes right along with what I’m majoring in, so just being there and looking around will help me get ideas for when I have to do something like this. And on top of everything that happened, my professor bought the volunteers Buffalo Wilds Wings, so you can guarantee we were happy about that!! Overall, of course I didn’t want to wake up that early and volunteer, but it ended up being really enjoyable (and getting unexpected free food is always a positive).

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

In addition to being a student blogger for Manchester, I also get the pleasure of working in Admissions as a Student Ambassador. It’s a job that I love doing. I love being able to meet future students at Manchester, showing them around campus, and taking them to lunch. I still remember when I first visited campus, and decided that this was going to be my home for the next four years. Now I’m a junior, and I can’t imagine choosing another school.

This past weekend, there were many visitors on campus. Friday alone, I gave two tours, two panels, and took two large groups of students to lunch. It was a stressful day, but I loved every minute of it. Friday afternoon, about 20 high school seniors came to campus to visit and stay the night with a current student. They wanted to see what the life of a Manchester University student was like, what they’re desired major would be like, and if Manchester would be the place for them. I had two girls stay with me: one interested in Criminal Justice, and the other interested in Peace Studies, my major.

Admissions had lots of activities for us to do, they gave us cards for all the prospective students to get dinner in Haist Commons in the Jo Young Switzer Center, and had planned for all of us to go to the MAC events on campus that night—an escape room and roller skating. Several other ambassadors were hosting students so we planned to do all the activities together.

We all went to dinner and got to know our students. We talked, told jokes, and asked each other questions about school. The prospective students were all very interested in our experiences at Manchester and what we like about it. From dinner, we went to the PERC for the escape room. While the prospective students did the escape room, we all sat and talked about the rest of the night.

After the escape room, we headed over to the Upper JYSC for roller-skating. MAC had brought in a giant roller-skating floor, and had skates for anyone who came to the event. They played music, and we skated around and just hung out. We also made our own Mannequin Challenge that you can check out on Instagram @OurViewOfMU.  

After skating, we decided we weren’t done hanging out. A few of the ambassadors decided to go to the Academic Center with our prospective students. We took over a classroom, moved the tables and chairs out of the way, all sat on the ground, and played Cards Against Humanity. We also spent a lot of time talking and still getting to know each other. At around 2 in the morning, we all headed back to our residence halls and went to bed. We were all pretty tired at that point.

All the prospective students left after lunch on Saturday. I got really close to one of my students, and am excited for her to visit again, and then become a first-year next fall!

Working in Admissions is really fun—I feel like I’m making a difference and helping students make the hard decisions about coming to college. I remember that time being really stressful and difficult, so it’s nice to feel like I may be easing the anxiety in some high school seniors.

Admission hires new ambassadors in the fall and spring. It’s a great job with flexible hours, great bosses, and amazing fellow ambassadors. You can find the listing on Spartan Jobs. 

Hannah Brown '18 is from Yellow Springs, Ohio. She is majoring in Peace Studies with a focus on Social Justice. She also works as a Student Ambassador at Manchester.

Playing sports after high school didn’t really cross my mind, but Manchester gave me that chance and I’m so glad I made the decision to be a student-athlete. Here are my top 5 reasons why you should play a sport, if you have the opportunity! If you don’t play a sport, I would strongly encourage you to join a club or organization!

1. Stress Reliever: As soon as you step onto the floor, court, field, mat or whatever it may be, your problems go away for those few hours. For a couple of hours every day, you get to do what you love and not worry about anything else. Sports are meant to be fun, so take advantage of this opportunity to do something you love.
2. Pride: Making it through 4 years of collegiate athletics is no small feat. The sense of personal accomplishment when reaching your goals is like no other feeling.
3. Automatic Friends: Freshman year I was so nervous when I first started school. Meeting the team and getting to know them before school started gave me friends right away!
4. Preparing for the Workforce: There are invaluable life lessons that playing a sport teaches you. Learning how to work with others (even if you don’t always see eye to eye), time management, leadership, and taking direction from peers and those above you are just a few skills I have learned so far.
5. Family: My basketball team has really become family. We look out for each other and have each other's backs. You gain a strong support system of people that will always pick you up when you're down! Between coaches, teammates, alumni, and community supporters, someone will always be there to help!

Katie Byers '18 is a biology-chemistry major & business minor. A member of the women's basketball team, she plans to study abroad in New Zealand in February 2017, and her dream job is to work at an orthopedic hospital. 

I'm getting sick, I think. It happens every year. It's never anything serious like the flu (my mom drags me to Walgreens for the shot the first day the temperature dips below 60), but annually I'll get a cold, and then inevitably, an upper respiratory infection. Gross, right? The only difference is that this year, my mom isn't around to get me over the counter antibiotics, or tell me when (and when I'm not) too sick to go to school. She's not here to make sure I'm stocked up on tissues and I most definitely don't have a heating pad in my dorm room. Mom isn't here to take care of me, and it feels like the biggest "Welcome to Adulthood" kick ever. So the key to beating the cold, the aches, the strep throat, and the overall crud in general? Beat it to the door.

1. Drugstore Run. NOW.

   I don't care if you aren't sick yet, because you could feel crappy at any moment, and I can guarantee you aren't going to feel up for a tissue and sleep medicine run when your head is pounding and you have to figure out how to steer the car with one hand because you have to blow your nose every 10 seconds (and with bathroom paper towel, because you didn't buy tissues beforehand). Grab the essentials, Nyquil, cough drops, tissues, and Tylenol. And call mom too, so she can lead you through the aisles via cell phone.

2. Prevention

   I know it's a long shot, but buy some vitamins. Take some Airborne-C. Start drinking a glass of orange juice at breakfast every day. Trust me when I tell you that the day you wake up with a running nose is not the day to start taking vitamins. It’s too late for that. And if you take this stuff, and still get the cold, it's going to soften the blow—I promise.

3. Probably go to class.

   It seems like the hardest thing you'll ever do. You've got a headache and a runny nose, and your whole body hurts. But can you focus? Are you actually watching the Netflix as you lay "dying" or is it just background noise? What's going on in class today? Weigh your options. If you can't get yourself out of bed, or if you tried going to a class earlier and you were so sick you didn't hear a thing the professor said, then okay, stay in your dorm for today. Email your professors (and get the notes from someone else, don't ask the prof for a recap), and take the day off. But if you can still get something out of class (and aren't contagious!), go. That way when you really are sick, your professor will most likely be much more understanding.

4. Go to Health Services
   It's not just an office. They actually want you to come in—it’s their job. If you're feeling sick after a few days, and it only seems to be getting worse, go. They're located on the first floor of Calvin Ulrey, and really nice. They accept walk-ins, but if everyone else is feeling as sick as you, they might ask you to make a later appointment. Also, every time I go in there, one of the service dogs has been in there. And nothing makes you feel better than a dog.

It seems like the end of the world (trust me, I'm the biggest baby when it comes to getting sick) but be proactive. The more you stay on top of your immune system, the less severe the illness will feel, and it'll be less likely your grades will take a hit. Plus, it'll impress your mom.

Until next time!

Kelleen Cullison ’20 is pursuing an English major and minors in Journalism and Peace Studies. She hopes to work as an editor for a publishing company, and hopes to help current and prospective Manchester students avoid the mistakes she is currently making.

“In a society that profits from your self-doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act.”

            I hear people talking negatively about themselves daily and it is time to stop. Movies. Books. TV shows. Magazines. These all tell us the perfect person we are all supposed to strive for; a person that does not actually exist. Nobody is perfect, and we need to celebrate our imperfections and “flaws” because that is what makes us who we are.

Stop comparing yourself to others. Comparison is the thief of joy. Don’t strive to look like the man or woman in the magazine – they themselves do not look like that. Don’t conform to norms if you don’t like them. We all learned from a young age that we were constantly compared to others. You might have been better behaved than the girl sitting beside you, but lower academically than the boy sitting across the room. We must be the ones who stop the cycle. We must stop the comparison. Another person’s beauty or success is not the absence of your own. We are all different, in our own beautiful and wonderful ways.

Do what you want to do. If you hate working out, then don’t do it! But, on the other hand, if you love to go to the gym and run or lift weights, then go ahead. Just don’t do it because society tells you to or because you are worried about getting a boyfriend/girlfriend if you don’t lose a few pounds or gain more muscle. Eat a whole cake if you want. Wear a bikini to the beach and display those rolls proudly. Put down the brand-name sweatshirt and put on the ratty, punk band t-shirt that you love so dearly. Turn up the radio and dance like a maniac in the middle of the hallway to see if others will join you. Say what you feel. Act like the lovable idiot you are. Just be yourself.

Stop listening to what the media thinks is attractive. Stop paying attention to what the scale says. Stop reading so much into what somebody subtweets at you. Nobody’s opinion of you and your body matters except your own. I think we all need to apologize to ourselves. You would not have said half of the awful things you have thought about yourself to your best friend or your little sister or your mom, right? Get up every morning and consciously think of two things you love about yourself, whether they be mental, physical, or emotional. This may be hard somedays, but I am sure you can come up with two things…. I’m really not asking for much here.

After researching this topic and trying to decide what I was going to say, I started to think about my own life and whether I truly love and accept myself or not. I scrolled through my Pinterest boards and saw that I had a full board dedicated solely to workout clothing and one to different workouts and exercises. I then deleted them both. I work out occasionally when I want to or for a little stress relief, but I know for a fact that the reason I had those boards was because I felt that I NEEDED to work out, not because I wanted to. Next, I looked through my motivation board to see if I had pinned anything about body positivity or to make me love myself more. Nope. My motivation board was full of pins advocating losing weight and even calling me names if I didn’t work out or gave up. So I deleted that board too. And I feel great about it.

-Signed your forever friend and admirer – someone who loves you for who you are.


Delaney Ray '19 is a Psychology and Sociology double major with a minor in Criminal Justice. She works as a Student Orientation Leader and a Library Desk Assistant in addition to blogging for MU. She never thought she would be a blogger, and her dream job is to work for the FBI in the behavioral unit.

1. The Anticipation - If you’re reading this and you are a senior in high school or have ever been one, you are well acquainted with the feeling of the anticipation of the unknown. College seems scary at first and the media portrays it in different ways. Specifically, the students in the media seem to have lots of free time, study for all their exams in a one-minute montage, and manage to pass. For most college students, this is far from the truth. We all have had at least one class where this was true, but for the most part you cannot pass a class with little effort. Likewise, at costume bingo no one knows if they’ll win or not. Yet, we all come with a single purpose. We come with anticipation to win a prize. In college, we come with the anticipation of achieving our goals and eventually graduating with a degree.
   
   
   
   
2. Some People Wear a Costume - Adding on to the idea of anticipation, some people have a sense of self when they start college and others do not. As a senior, I can attest to wearing several costumes before becoming my true self. Over the years, my costume was the perfect daughter and a future pharmacist. My junior year, my costume shed and I changed and became a Communication Studies major. We all wear different costumes to fit certain needs at given time. It’s up to the individual to decide what they are going to wear and how others receive them.
3. There is Not an Even Playing Field and That’s Okay - We all come to college with different strengths and weaknesses. From my perspective, I have an advantage over some people because both of my parents graduated college. Some students do not have that privilege and cannot ask their parents for advice in certain scenarios. Analyzing that further, my mother was the baby of twelve in her family and the only one in her family who went to college. She struggled working two jobs, graduated with a degree in social work, and was able to retire at 50 years old. Likewise, in costume bingo you can’t control which cards you’ll receive, but unlike the game you are able to choose to win.
4. It’s Fun, But Exhausting - Costume Bingo is a constant stress of almost winning. Several of my friends were either one or two spots away from receiving a prize. It’s frustrating when the announcer says, “Clear your cards!”. Yet, why I have I attended this event every single year at Manchester? It’s frustrating fun. Your friends console you, laugh at your pain, and congratulate you when you win. At college, this process continues on with heartbreaks, bad scores on exams, and late nights studying. Your friends are what keep you going through college.
   
   
   
   
5. Sometimes Carpet Wins - Yes, a student wrapped himself into carpet, duct-taped yellow hands on the sides, and won the costume contest. Others spent hours decorating their costumes and putting in maximum effort to win this coveted award. As a college student, I’ve realized that some of the best ideas are simple and not over thought. Confucius said, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Don’t stress out over the small things and you’ll win this game of college. 

Bolanle Oladokun ’18 is a Communication Studies Major. Since she was a kid, she’s always loved to talk and frequently got into trouble at school for talking so much. She loves making people laugh, recording videos, and hanging out with friends. She’s happy to be able to use her gift to put a smile on people’s faces.

On November 4^th I had the opportunity to attend a Sports Marketing conference in Indianapolis for my Sport Management class. Around 20 students from MU went to the Sheraton to listen to multiple top-level speakers share their personal stories and speak about networking. Listed below are some speakers we got to listen to:

• Melissa Hobley- Vice President of Marketing, ShooWin
• Chris Zeppenfeld- Senior Director of Business Intelligence, Charlotte Hornets
• Vic Gregovits- Senior Vice President, Home Team Marketing
• Brian Gainor- Vice President of Innovation, Property Consulting Group

When we arrived, we ate breakfast. Once everyone finished eating, the presentations began. We sat and listened for a couple of hours to a few speakers telling us about how they got to where they were, and we also listened to any advice they had to give us as mentioned before. Next, we went downstairs and listened to panelists about innovation. This was an hour-long presentation about different innovators and how their business started. After that, we finnnallllly got to eat. During our luncheon, we had the honor of listening to Len Komoroski, CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers, share his story (the food was amazing too). After this, we went back to our original room to listen to one more speaker.

Overall, it was a great experience. For this being my first conference and networking opportunity, it helped me get a feel of what the real world is like. After listening to professors, panelists, and guest speakers here on campus talk about networking, it was nice to finally get my feet wet on what it was really like. I know that here in my 4 years at MU and in my future careers, I am going to need my connections and utilize them at some point in time. Take my advice: network as much as you can and listen!! One of my new favorite phrases is “Learn in your 20’s and earn in your 30’s.” For me, although I am only 19 years old, my real-world networking started today thanks to MU. I’m happy my professors gave me this opportunity. I’ll leave you with little tips I learned throughout the day, but really can apply to anyone!

• Don’t apply for every job you see
• Cater your resume and cover letter to the position, and add key words
• Find something you like at a coffee place for those quick little morning meetings over coffee
• Be ready to move; as a first year in the field, you’ll probably need to move
• Be ready to be bare-boned; the first year is tough, but the years after only get easier
• Utilize LinkedIn and Teamwork Online
• For guys: Get a good suit and tailor it
• Practice your elevator speech
• Be able to answer the question: “What are 3 things you’re good at?”
• Practice your 30 second sales pitch
• Know who the interviewer/speaker is
• As a first year: get in and get your network so you can get where you really want to be
• Do anything that is asked of you
• Visualize your long-term goal, not your short-term one

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

Let’s see how weird Strat can get this week. So, I have almost a life philosophy dedicated to the thought that perhaps my life is a television show. It sounds crazy and bizarre, but sometimes that belief and thought does alter how I choose to live my life. I mean, think about it. You’re the main character of this grand production that we call LIFE. There is a creator or some higher-being who isn’t the writer of the story, but a director. Hold on ya’ll, this is where it gets deep...

In my head, I believe that I don’t have control of the plot of my story. I believe there is a director somewhere pulling the strings and making this really cool, unique story. A lot of people think that is really negative or believe that steals their independence and freedom away. I think people believe that because a lot of people don’t appreciate the dialogue in a story as much as they should. As a reader and a writer, dialogue (to me) is much more important than the plot. The sentences, stories, and interactions we share with each other absolutely matter. That motivates me even more not to have a boring show. The late and great David Bowie once said, “I don’t know where I’m going, but I promise it won’t be boring,” and that’s something I always want to promise myself. I never, ever, ever want to be boring.

So back to the whole crazy guy with depersonalization disorder signs... But yeah, I know it might be a little crazy to think that I might even have viewers who watch this show. Oh, oh – oh Gosh. I can’t imagine the things those people have seen... Yeap, I’ve hit a lot of squirrels while driving, people. PETA has probably been trying to get my show cancelled since I was sixteen. Really pumped that I haven’t been killed off or re-casted yet. I’d imagine Brad Pitt would play me; George Clooney would step in, in later years. Heck, I’d be fine with being Matt Damon for a few seasons. I’m sure I’ll even have a mid-life crisis where I’m played by Seth Rogan for a while.

Now, this all isn’t to say that our show won’t have its traumatic moments. Every great story does. Terrible things will happen out of nowhere, characters will be written-off and never seen again, and let me tell you, the main character will have their tragic hero flaws. No one likes a character who doesn’t develop over time and sticks to the same four catchphrases an episode. Our audience demands a character that gives them hope and is always on their toes.

The point of all this is that we should absolutely live our lives as if we’re being watched and cheered on by a fan base of people we don’t even know. Let’s live every episode as if we’re getting cancelled next week. LET’S MAKE OUR LIVES SO AMAZING THAT WE CAN’T BE CANCELLED. When we die, it means our show is over. Yes. But what happens when a show is over? The people who loved that show while it was alive continue watching it after it was cancelled through some other outlet (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc). Our memories are OUR outlets. Even after someone is cold and lifeless, their story continues to be told by those who adored them or even just their story. I just want to make sure I have a story worth telling.

Stratton Smith ’17 is an English major, hailing from a small town just east of Indianapolis. Stratton is the captain of the tennis team, co-founder of Academic Probation, Manchester's improv troupe, and Vice President of the Theatre & Society club.

Last weekend, I attended a conference in Washington D.C. that aimed to educate and end the Israeli occupation in Palestine. I was lucky enough to go with amazing, supportive people, and meet incredible activists, and spend 12 hours in a freezing van while listening to Palestinian hip hop. The conference began with a play called There Is a Field, by Jen Marlowe, and it was my favorite part of the conference.

            Seeing this play was a heart-wrenching way to begin this weekend. It is almost impossible to comprehend the fact that thousands of families go through the same kind of grief and trauma, and receive no outside support. Just hearing the one story was overwhelming. The message was overall somewhat positive, but mostly just demonstrated how urgently we need to act to stop this apartheid that is undeniably occurring in occupied Palestine. I sincerely hope that these talented and courageous people are willing to bring a reading of their play to Manchester University at some point in the future.

What struck me the most about this presentation was the discussion afterwards. JeNae’ Taylor, from BYP 100 DC, Ash-Lee Henderson, from the Movement for Black Lives, and Sandra Tamari from the US Campaign all joined Jen Marlowe onstage to discuss the reading and what we can gather from it about other movements happening currently. There are incredibly apparent parallels between the police brutality black people are facing in the US today and the brutality that the Palestinian people face from the Israeli police. The play could be easily transcribed to the story of Mike Brown, or Tamir Rice, or Trayvon Martin.

            This discussion helped me from leaving with a sense of hopelessness. These intelligent, incredible women are at the top of their field, making a huge impact on the world, and they have advice for how we can make a change. The right kind of solidarity, recognizing that we need one another, and being present and making connections all really can make a difference. These women are amazing speakers and activists.

            There were many amazing speakers and panels, and various options of workshops available so I was able to tailor the conference to my interests and knowledge levels. We learned about boycott, divestment, and sanctions across movements, art in occupied Palestine, American media bias, writing resolutions, talking to your congressmen, and we got to see Palestinian musicians perform. It was incredible to see that there is so much beauty that these people have to offer us, and we are funding the silencing of their voices.

            Going on a van trip to D.C. with people I had only known for a month and a half is something I never would’ve done six months ago. I would have laughed in your face at the thought of it. Or cried with panic. Probably both. But I am so glad that this is something I can do now, travel across the country with incredible people, who I know care about me. I know they care about me even if I haven’t met them, because that’s what happens at Manchester and it is amazing. Next weekend, we are going back to D.C. for the National Students for Justice in Palestine conference, because how could one conference a month be enough?

Check this link for an extended, in depth blog about what happened at each workshop, and some important links for getting informed!

http://www.manchester.edu/academics/colleges/college-of-arts-humanities/academic-programs/peace-studies/peace-studies-home/department-news/peace-posts

Virginia Rendler ’20 is a Peace Studies major, and is hoping to double major in English, as well as double minor in Spanish and Visual Art. She loves animals and is a Leo.

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of speaking to just over 100 East Noble Middle-Schoolers at Manchester. A fellow blogger and I took the stage as all of these students asked us question after question. Just as the mind of a middle-schooler works, the questions were scattered everywhere from, “What do you want to do after college” to “When do you guys eat lunch?” Nonetheless, time flew by quick because these students made the experience fun. Hilariously, I even was asked if I modeled by a little girl. AT LEAST SOMEONE APPRECIATES MY FACE. Sadly, I should’ve mentioned to the girl that the world doesn’t deserve to see THIS much beauty at one time. I pride myself on my humility.

As we moved along from question to question, I noticed we didn’t get THAT many silly question. All of these middle-schoolers were asking questions that I was asking just months before I made my decision to go to Manchester. It’s REALLY, REALLY cool to see the youth of America this excited and interactive about their futures.  I have a nephew in 7^th grade and it’s weird to think that he might already be thinking about college. *sheds tear about my widdle baby nephew growing up, but in reality I’m crying because I’m getting so old, but then PLOTTWIST; the tears I’m crying are tears of joy because I know I’m just THAT much closer to cashin’ in those social security checks and just straight-up FLEXIN’ on haters—Holy wow, that got out-of-hand. My apologies everyone.

Getting back to these mini-adults, it’s really reassuring to see them excited about education, because I don’t see much of that in college anymore. Several students come to Manchester for a sport. Truthfully, there is nothing wrong with that. I partially came here for a sport as well, BUT I have always made sure that I don’t define myself as an athlete, as opposed to a well-rounded human being that is just trying his best (coffee helps). Education and expanding/maturing your mind something we should all strive to do at Manchester, but so often we believe our four years at MU should be based around something we do on a field or court. It’s just super reassuring to see an abundance of young people be eager to further their education, while I’m not seeing as many living, breathing students making those strides.

Stratton Smith ’17 is an English major, hailing from a small town just east of Indianapolis. Stratton is the captain of the tennis team, co-founder of Academic Probation, Manchester's improv troupe, and Vice President of the Theatre & Society club.

 I want to talk about why I decided to come to Manchester. And I’ll be honest, it was not what I wanted to do. Manchester was bottom of my list—if all other schools burn down, last choice. I got accepted to every school that I applied to. (Except Northwestern, but they’re a bunch of nerds anyway.) I had my heart dead set on not going here, really for no valid reason. Mostly it had to do with the fact that my mom went here and I didn’t wanna be seen as someone who was just following their parent’s life plan. (Even though my parents have had really cool lives and if I could have even half of their intelligence and passion I would be set up for life.) And I really, really didn’t want to move to Indiana.

                So as I toured schools, I came to Manchester to humor my mom. I didn’t want to go to school in rural Indiana. I did not and I would not. I talked about it to my therapist, to my friends, to my dad. I would rather go the University of Minnesota, where I had gone for my past two years of high school, and live at home, than go to school in a cornfield. I toured Manchester pretty early on, and I liked it fine. I’d been to campus before so it felt familiar, people were nice, blah blah blah. I began to tour other schools. Loyola had a nice location, but they were much more accommodating of my diet at Manchester. Lewis and Clark and University of Colorado Boulder were amazing, but Manchester was much more affordable. Northwestern was okay, but the faculty at Manchester were much more personable. DePaul was cool, but Manchester was much more of a campus vibe. Portland State and University of Chicago were alright, but they didn’t have a strong peace studies program.

                So maybe someone who wasn’t blinded by bias against Indiana could see what was going on here. I was walking home from school with my best friend one day, discussing colleges, and I realized I was comparing everything to Manchester University. Manchester gave me everything that I was looking for and I was treating it like the gold standard, weighting every school against it, yet wasn’t even an option for me. And why not? They had clubs I cared about, faculty I knew, and programs that made me feel like I actually knew what I was doing with my life. So on that walk home from school I called my mom and said, “I actually think I’m going to go to Manchester.” At this point, I can confidently say it was the right decision. (I kind of expected her to throw a party and never have reason to be upset with me ever again but that didn’t quite happen. She did buy me Indian food though.)

                I did have to go through a period of convincing everyone that this actually was my decision. They kind of looked at me like I was crazy, given that I had been more willing to run away from home than go to Manchester a few days before. But I was able to explain to them that Manchester would support me, give me a family away from home, and that feeling of familiarity when I toured was actually a feeling of home. And now that I’m here, it’s impossible to imagine being somewhere else. I hate the thought of not knowing the people I know here, and not being involved in the things that I am. I could be happy somewhere else, but I think I am becoming my best self here. 

Virginia Rendler ’20 is a Peace Studies major, and is hoping to double major in English, as well as double minor in Spanish and Visual Art. She loves animals and is a Leo. 

For some reason, I always get a bad case of the Mondays.  Mondays are long, and stressful, and they just put me in a bad mood. Normally, Sundays aren’t much different from Mondays, long and annoying.

However, that changed this week. Sunday’s weather was beautiful. It was in the 60’s and sunny. Manchester always looks the prettiest on a sunny fall day, so I was already in an unusually good mood. In the morning, my roommate Taylor and I woke up and decided to make our Sunday productive and relaxing, so that we can start our week off right.  We went to brunch, cleaned our room, did all our homework for Monday in the study room, went on a bike ride around North Manchester, and watched a movie while eating dinner and studying.

In college, Sundays can be pretty depressing. Knowing that the weekend is ending and class starts bright and early on Monday can really bring you down. So you have to make the most of your Sunday. Whether it’s going on a bike ride, or just spending the day reading, Sundays are important. Sundays are a day to regroup, relax, and prepare for the week. It’s a great day to help your body and mind.  Sundays are my favorite day to do a facemask, take a nap, read a good book, and curl up in bed with some tea, as cliché as all that sounds.

“A Sunday well spent brings a week of content.”

But what’s the best way to spend your Sunday? According to Thought Catalog, there are a few things you can do to make your boring Sunday a little better.

• Have a leisurely breakfast or brunch. Cook, or go out and get something you don’t normally have. Don’t rush, savor your breakfast and pretend you’re in a cafe.
• Feel comfortable in your own skin. Have a spa day, and relax. Do something that makes you feel like your best self.
• Get out of your house. If you spend all day inside when you feel the onslaught of boredom, you will inevitably be more bored. You see your walls all the time. Go and look at something that isn’t your wall.
• Go to the library! Even if you don’t particularly like reading, libraries are still fun places. You can people watch, educate yourself about something obscure and odd, or you can lose yourself for hours in the travel section and just look at pretty pictures for a few hours. So go on, time travel!
• Write a letter to your family, long-distance friends, or to yourself. Jot down all your thoughts, feelings, or ideas, or just tell a joke!
• Have a nostalgia fest. One time, I lost two days of my life to a website about being a 90s kid. Remembering your childhood can be enormously entertaining.
• Be around animals. Borrow your neighbor’s cat for a couple of hours. Go to your local pound or animal charity. It’s hard to feel lonely or bored around furry things.
• Clean! I know sometimes cleaning sucks and is annoying, but it can also help you feel more put together. I love cleaning my room and redecorating or reorganizing; it helps me feel stress-free.

No matter how you spend your day, make sure to make it relaxing. We all hate the beginning of the week, so start your week off right, and have a happy Sunday! 

Hannah Brown '18 is from Yellow Springs, Ohio. She is majoring in Peace Studies with a focus on Social Justice. She also works as a Student Ambassador at Manchester.

As a student library worker, I have noticed that many students come to the library to hang out, get on computers, and work on homework…but, there are also many students who do not. So, to create some more interest in our awesome campus library, here are a few fun facts:

1. We have amazing student workers sitting at the front desk during all library hours to help with your every need. We may not be able to fulfill your wildest dreams, but we sure can help you find a book about them! We are great to talk to and may even tell you a funny joke like: “What did one book say to the other one?  … I just wanted to see if we are on the same page!” Hah, get it?
2. Our librarians are wonderful and are always here to answer tough life questions (about anything pertaining to the library or books, of course). Each librarian specializes in certain disciplines (ex: physical sciences, business, etc) so they are great resources when writing a paper.
3. If you need a comfortable place to study (or a nice place to nap) look no further than right up the library stairs to find a large sitting area with plush chairs and huge beanbags. In the back corner, there is a little nook called the “MU Nostalgia Corner” where you can hang out in a 1970s groovy atmosphere with records surrounding you. You can even get headphones at the front desk to listen to your favorite album on our new record player!
4. Bored? Come and see our huge selection! As a student you can check out books, movies, magazines, dry erase boards, laptops, and much more! Need to look through a class textbook? We have many set aside as course reserves for you to use!
5. This year is the library’s 50^th anniversary so there has never been a better time to head over and check us out!

So if you need a place to study or just want to see what the library is all about, come on over to see how we put the “Fun” in “Fun”derburg Library! (See what I did there? I told you that us library workers were hilarious.)

Delaney Ray '19 is a Psychology and Sociology double major with a minor in Criminal Justice. She works as a Student Orientation Leader and a Library Desk Assistant in addition to blogging for MU. She never thought she would be a blogger, and her dream job is to work for the FBI in the behavioral unit.

Whether it’s a Sunday night and Haist Commons is closed for dinner, or it’s a Thursday night and you’re looking for something to do, “Family Dinner” is something that has been special to me since my freshman year. At least once a week, my closest friends and I go out to dinner to de-stress, catch up, and spend time together. Here are our top 5 restaurants and why we love them so much!

1. Mainview: They have half-price apps Monday-Thursday 8-10. This is kind of self-explanatory—who doesn’t love half-priced food? My favorites are boneless buffalo chicken, fried pickles, and mozzarella sticks. 
2. Zook’s Café: This is the perfect place for an afternoon pick-me-up. Their smoothies are delicious and they have a wide variety of flavors. I love the plain strawberry smoothie and their stir fry!
3. El Mesquite: This is by far the best Mexican restaurant I know. My go-to item to order is chicken fajitas with a side of pico de gallo. The pico de gallo and guacamole from El Mez is by far my all-time favorite.
4. The Sandwich Cellar: This is located below the Time-Out and is open to all ages + it’s open on Sunday nights! I always get their endless spaghetti meal. It’s a great deal!
5. Omega’s Family Restaurant: This is located on State Road 15, drive down Main Street past Dairy Queen and keep driving until you come to a four-way stop, Omega’s will be right in front of you. I love their burgers and pancakes!

I know college students are on a budget and these restaurants won’t break the bank too much. They offer some pretty good deals and have decent prices! 

Katie Byers '18 is a biology-chemistry major & business minor. A member of the women's basketball team, she plans to study abroad in New Zealand in February 2017, and her dream job is to work at an orthopedic hospital. 

It’s that time of the season again- COLLEGE BASKETBALL! This week we had PrimeTime at the PERC, which is where we introduce the men’s and women’s basketball teams here on campus. This is a great way for us to see who will be on the teams for the upcoming year.

PrimeTime was very hype. Everyone walked in to music blaring and people handing us raffle tickets to be entered to win free drawings. There were half-court shootings, a tricycle race which involved water bottle flipping, shooting a layup from the tricycle, and a shooting contest with players from both teams! So many great prizes were given out, too. There were multiple gift cards given out, including a $100 gift card! Along with those, small and squishy basketballs and MU shirts were thrown into the crowd at random times. Also during PrimeTime, we got to see interviews from the coaches and players. This was pretty entertaining because, as a first-year student, I got to learn some facts about the players who I don’t even know yet. I thought that touch added by the staff was a great idea because it was pretty funny.

The best part of it, for me anyway, was when the teams were announced onto the court. I liked hearing the walk-out songs chosen because it gives everyone in the crowd a small glimpse of each player’s personality. However, there was one little 15 second time period that was my favorite. A men’s basketball player ran out to center court when he named was announced and did a water bottle flip. The video shows how hype everyone got over something so small. But hey, those are always the best moments!! Here’s the video: https://twitter.com/bih_enis/status/789279464689639424.

Everyone in Indiana this time of year always talks about Hoosier Hysteria for IU. Personally, I’m more excited about our Spartan Hysteria than the other one. We actually know our players and get to talk to them every day because of our small campus. It’s the personal connection we have with our players that make PrimeTime special for everyone. We all come together at one time to let our players know we back them and are excited for their season. Thanks to PrimeTime, I’m already really stoked for the MU basketball season.

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

College is a whole new ball park when it comes to keeping your life together. At least it is for me. I really don’t like feeling like I’m missing out when events happen on campus or clubs get together, so I tend to join pretty much everything. In some ways, that’s great! I get to be involved. People recognize me on campus. Making sure I’m busy keeps me from dwelling on being away from home, or on the fact that this is the first time I’ve been in a community where I haven’t known everyone my entire life, because that can feel pretty lonely too. In other ways though, keeping so busy can be completely overwhelming. It can feel like there’s nothing going on one week, and then EVERYTHING is going on the next. There’s schoolwork, and club meetings, and my jobs, and VIA’s, and not everything is due at once but it’s still due so half the time I just sit there procrastinating, thinking of everything I have to do, and not knowing where to start!

So I’m stuck between feeling sad when I have nothing to do, and totally overwhelmed when I do. It’s like I can’t win!

It’s what I want to do though. I want to be busy and involved, and so to do that, I’ve had to shift the way I organize; going from organizing just my schoolwork, to having to manage my entire life! It’s a work in progress, but I’ve had to come to some hard truths (finally!) in order to stay happy and busy (without going crazy)

1. I can’t keep my schedule in my head.

   I’ve always relied a lot on my memory to get me by. It’s come in handy in school, and for tests, and I’ve never had to worry about forgetting when something was due, because it was the only thing on my mind. That’s not the case at college. I never have just one test coming up, but three, plus a paper, and a blog assignment, and the list goes on. When I try to keep it all in my head, something ends up slipping through the cracks, and I won’t remember I had a paper to write until the last minute (or worse, as the professor is asking for it!).
   
   

   - Keep a To Do list in your phone

   - Keep a Planner

   - Keep a Sticky Note on your computer (I use Tabs for a Cause as my default, there’s a Sticky Note Setting on its customize page)

   - Keep Sticky Notes in your dorm

   - Keep multiple reminders everywhere and check them regularly. They work as safety nets, to keep anything from being forgotten.

2. Prioritize
   Sometimes you can’t do everything. There might be a club meeting and a VIA and one comes right after the other, but you also have a test the day after tomorrow. Will you have time to study tonight? Will you be okay if you don’t study until the last minute? It’s important to know yourself and how you study. I have to remind myself all the time that if I don’t make the grade, I won’t be around to do any of this other stuff.

3. Utilize your time wisely.
   There are some things you can’t schedule. Maybe you want to eat dinner with friends, but they have a class until 6 that day and you set that time aside to study. Maybe there’s a MAC event you didn’t know was going on tonight, but you have a test in the morning. Having to miss out on that stuff can be really disappointing. But, by taking the time to study instead of scrolling through your news feed in your free time while you have it, like that hour between Chem and Psych, you might not have to miss things in the evening. Making conscious decisions to do work while you can, can save you a lot of disappointment later.
   
   

   In some ways college is easier. You have less class time, and more time to work than in high school. But you’re also going to be given work to fill that free time, which YOU are responsible for getting done. Your schedule is going to need to be adjusted, just like everything else, once you get to college.