The greatest television show ever

By: Daniel Patrick Moriarity '14

This week I experienced what was hands down the most disappointing moment of my entire life. Almost every night this Term III my friends and I have had a movie night, but one night we decided to watch some episodes from the first season of what might be the greatest TV show of all time, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. When we were putting in the first DVD one of our friends came in, in the name of anonymity we will name her The Deprived One. The epic fail that she accomplished to earn this title was living 19 years without EVER seeing even a single episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As can be expected there was a good deal of shouting and pillow smothering followed by a visit from Anderson’s ever vigilant RA’s. When everything was cleared up with the Residency Assistants we showed The Deprived One the pilot episode and what might be the best episode in the first season, the one where Will and Carlton get arrested and later serenaded their fellow inmate in what might be the most beautiful baritone voice I have ever heard in my entire life. Needless to say there were many laughs shared that night, the loudest of which came from The Deprived One herself. However, despite her conversion to the cult fan hood of Fresh Prince I still will not Facebook her until she memorizes and can recite for me the theme song. Welcome to the school of hard knocks Miss Deprived.

Going Beneath The Cannon

By: Rachel Masselle '14

I promised myself I would never buy a Kindle. In my mind it went against everything a book offered. The smell of the pages in the book, the feel of the paper between your fingers, the rustling sound it made as you turned the page all didn’t exist with an e-reader. I felt like you got cheated out of some of the most delightful parts of reading. However, for a Term III class I caved and bought a Kindle.

Yes, all the stuff I mentioned before is lost when you’re reading off a Kindle, but there are also more options for a novel enthusiast when using a Kindle. For my Term III class, my classmates and I have to read novels that have gone out of print and are not considered “classic”. Our mission is to analyze these works and see why they have fallen out of favor.

Our findings so far are that there is no reason for these books to not have a high place of honor on the educational scene. All of these books have presented great insight into the time period they were written and given our class many hours of discussion about the importance it presents to our world today.

The bottom line in all of this: it doesn’t matter what you are reading, as long as you are reading something. Reading authors like Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Emily Bronte, and Oscar Wilde don’t make you any better than a person who has read Jodi Picoult, Louisa May Alcott, or George R.R. Martin. True, these authors are not hailed by educators as the crème da la crème of fiction. But they are still writers who have put their heart and soul out into the world and can be seen as valuable in one way or another. Going beneath the cannon has allowed me to renew a love of reading and to get me into new kinds of fiction that I never would have explored before.

As for the Kindle, all I can say is I’m hooked on the darn thing. I love how I can hold 3,500 books in one little tablet. I love how I can instantly download any books I want to it in a matter of seconds. And I love how all the books that are out of copyright are free, which means I can broaden my horizons for almost nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I still love books and still make weekly trips to the library in order to get my hands on those lovely pages. But I also have a portable way, a convenient way to carry my library and explore new literature wherever I go.

Spring On Campus

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14


After an amazing Spring Break of trips to museums, sleeping in every morning, and a big Easter dinner with family, I returned to Elmira College sort of sad I had to come back. I had gotten used to being at home, having homemade meals, and sleeping in my own bed. However, now that I have been back almost a full week I am glad to be here and enjoying every minute of it.

I spend my mornings in Fassett Commons working on my table for art furniture design class. The afternoons, however, are reserved for enjoying the warm weather. Last Thursday, I strolled around campus taking pictures with Cassie… and took a break at the fountain.



Campus is in full bloom, the grass is green, and the sun is shining! And Simeon Benjamin’s statue seems to be bringing in Spring.



So even if you have homework and classes to go to, be sure to get outside and enjoy Spring on campus!

A Successful Term II And A Much Needed Term III

By: Rachel Masselle '14

The end of Term II not only brings the end of finals, but also the end of Freshman Writing, Core, Community Service, and my first year of Encore. It brings a feeling of accomplishment and relief from the stresses that every freshman faces at Elmira College. But with these joyous feelings there comes a hint of sadness. The completion of all my freshman requirements means the end is near for my freshman year at Elmira, which means only three more years to make the most of my undergraduate college experience.

The second Term was very successful. I raised my GPA from a 3.2 to a 3.4, worked 3 jobs, made RA Alternate, lost some weight, and most importantly had the best time of my life! Yes it’s true, freshman year is a lot of work and you really need to step up to the plate in order to succeed. But mixed in with some of the craziness, are memories that you will never forget and a feeling of accomplishment that you can never replace. I worked hard Term II and even though I didn’t get everything that I wanted I feel confident in the knowledge that I did my best and it can only go up from here.

Despite how fun Term II was I am very happy for the upcoming Term III. This Term there is only six credits worth of classes and most of the day you are free to enjoy the beautiful weather and atmosphere that Elmira has to offer. Sure I’m working twenty hours during the week, but it will enable me to be able to save up some cash for summer and spend a little here and there at Elmira. Plus there’s so much to look forward to: the May Days Carnival, building a boat made of cardboard boxes and racing it in the puddle, and spending time with all my friends. Yes, I will still be enrolled in classes and working, but Term III allows me to take time out of my busy schedule to build relationships with my friends, make some money, and appreciate the life I am blessed to have!

The Wonderful Life of a College Student

By: Sarah Schwadron '14

Oh finals week. How I adore you. Oh wait. I actually don’t. Bummer for you.

Finals Week at the end of the winter term is probably worse than Finals week in the fall term. Then, the weather is horrible and all you want to do is curl up with a nice hot beverage and comfortable blankets and pillows and stay inside with a group of wonderful friends. Of course, this usually leads to more talking that actual work or studying, but hey. Studying through osmosis is a college student’s best friend.

Now, with the nice weather on campus (ok… so maybe not today with the rain we’ve been having) no one wants to stay inside. Walking over to work at the GTL on Monday was horrible. I got to see so many people outside on their laptops, chatting and laughing with their friends while had to go sit in the dungeon for the next two and a half hours.

My friends were among the groups of people spread out about campus, and they said they all got no work done. I didn’t either, but I earned money. So maybe it evens out?

Since we all have not been getting any work done, we have implemented a rewards system to basically bribe ourselves into studying. Whenever we are all done with studying for a night (usually coincides with someone yelling out curse words across the room, somebody else curled up in the fetal position, another person asleep UNDERNEATH a bed, and one other person making lewd gestures with a couple of stuffed animals) we’ll go out for meal. And it’s not just any meal. A big Denny’s dinner at 1 in the morning.

Since when do college students do anything at normal hours, anyway?

It’s always fun being there when the rest of the normal population is asleep. They don’t look at you weird when you start singing show tunes in the restaurant. Or throw things at each other. Or take out your laptop to finish the paper that was due at midnight (for my mom, who is probably reading this, no, that was not me =]).

Any which way you slice it, it was a great time. And a tradition for us now.

The only fun thing was not being able to open up my room when I got back to campus. My key would literally not fit into the lock. Thankfully, my RA was up and unlocked it for me (I have no roommate, by the way).

I guess there is a bright side to finals week after all…

Finals Week!

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14

It is typical for college students to be stressed during finals week, but, for me, the week before finals is much more demanding. I spent last week editing my freshman writing portfolio, putting together my philosophy of education paper, and completing two drawings. That meant spending a lot more time in the library… I finally figured out how helpful study rooms are!

So, last Wednesday, after going to Simeon’s with some friends for dinner, we all went over study room one in the library with laptops and stacks of books. After working for a few hours, I found myself writing lists of things on the side of my notes to put in my blog… I recently came across this list and thought I should share what I found:

As I write this it is 12:23am and I have spent the last two and a half hours working and laughing. My favorite three things about doing work with friends:

1. We can test insane ideas like, “What if you had to walk with your knees stuck together?” as mini-study breaks. (And in case anyone is wondering, if you try to run with your knees together it looks exactly the same as walking, but you will have a more determined look on your face.)
2. Rather than holding conversations with my laptop and assignments after having too much caffeine, I have real people to talk to.
3. I actually get more work done. (Don’t ask me how, I have no idea)

Next time I have papers to write and tests to cram for, I will be found in the library having way more fun than anyone should ever have doing homework.

Looking Back

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14

This past Saturday, I somehow got out of bed at 6:00am. Not because I am crazy and like to get up early, but because it was Honor Scholar Day. Having just received my congratulatory Gold Key letter in the mail a few weeks prior, I was on my way through the steps of training which included decorating for and working during Honor Scholar Day. So, I managed to get up, get dressed in my purple polo and khaki pants and walk to the campus center to meet up with other sleepy-eyed Gold Keys. Luckily, there were donuts and coffee.

Everyone was slightly more awake after breakfast and assignments were given out. I, along with half a dozen other people, was given the task of tying balloons together for the balloon arch. We were shown how two balloons had to be tied together. Then, the pair of balloons were to be twisted with another set. Sounds easy right? But try it while still not fully awake. There were a few balloons that tried to make a getaway, but, in the end, the arch was completed, the balloon centerpieces were perfectly tiered, and the posters were up.

Then came the difficult part: Mingling.

Okay, it isn’t that difficult, but when you have to approach high school seniors who are so nervous they can barely give one word responses the mingling can be intimidating. I just kept thinking back to last year when I was standing there surrounded by 150 other students as my mom teased me about trying to get me to take a picture with the Soaring Eagle. I was terrified of college. So, I understood the students who stood, looking around without saying anything. I let them take it all in and then asked them simple questions, like what award they received, what they planned to major in, or where they were from.

By the time lunch rolled around, everyone was more comfortable. I stood by my assigned table and waited to greet the families who would be sitting with me. Two girls sat at my table and for a while it felt like I was the only person talking. But I just kept going, asking questions and talking about my experiences at Elmira College. Then, all of a sudden, everyone started talking to each other. The students were talking, the parents were talking, and I was able to answer any questions they asked. It felt good knowing that I had an influence on one of their first experiences at EC.

By the end of the day, after decorating, cleaning up, going to lunch, answering questions, listening to speeches, and shadowing a tour of campus, I wasn’t sure I could manage to walk back to my dorm before falling asleep. As I sat in my room later that night, I thought about the day and how it was a refreshing view of EC. I was able to remember all the reasons that I talked about Elmira College constantly to my friends and family last year. In the midst of the stress and anticipation for Spring Break, it was nice to see so many students eager to come here.