'Friday' song is simply fun, fun, fun, fun

It's Friday

IF you haven't heard this song by now then you must live under a rock. I had no idea what the song was until my friends told me there was a video that I "just HAD to watch!" Personally I said "this is awful why do you watch this?" Which is true.. why are people making fun of a video that she had the right to make and we have the right to watch it or not to watch it.

Currently the official music video, with the "artist" Rebecca Black, has 40 million views and a lot more to come.  The lyrics have been bashed by almost every person who has listened to it. And the 339, 494 comments have ranged from "this is a hunk of crap i want to buy this so i can burn it" to "she sounds more manly then justin bieber." 

The Daily Collegian columnist Erin Rowley refers to the comment "“Go cut yourself” when she says, "Hurling insults like that at a middle-schooler is cruel and doesn’t do anyone any good. It’s one thing to criticize; it’s quite another to suggest Rebecca should slit her wrists as vengeance for your offended ears." I have to agree that this is not the best song that I've heard in my lifetime but what do you expect?

 13 year old Rebecca

The article 'Friday' song is simply fun, fun, fun, fun about the reviews of the song and the music industry in general. She made a lot of points that I have to agree with. "I don’t take baseball bats to the cars of cheating boyfriends. I don’t brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack. I don’t kiss girls and like it," (Rowley). We are criticizing this teenager when we listen to songs that have idiotic lyrics and ridiculous music videos. I'd rather watch Rebecca drive around with her less than legal friends than a video with girls shaking their asses on the hood of 50 cent's car. Hopefully you agree.

Enjoy revelry while it lasts, then grow up

The one word that I associate with college most often is "freedom." Each and every one of us has the  freedom to make our own decisions and deal with the consequences. This opinion article, "Enjoy revelry while it lasts, then grow up", discusses not only the famous State Patty's Day but also the temptations of college.

At Penn State we are not sheltered from situations where underage drinking occurs. State Patty's isn't the only weekend of the year where students take part in activities like beer pong or day drinking. It is one of many Saturdays in the Spring that drinking lasts all day. Rowley said, "There’s a lot of talk about how to get rid of State Patty’s Day, but even if that could be accomplished (and I don’t think it can) it won’t get rid of the attitude that spawned it. People don’t drink at 8 a.m. because it’s State Patty’s Day; they celebrate State Patty’s Day because they want to drink at 8 a.m," (Rowley). I completely agree with this statement because college students will participate in these activities if they want to partake in them. We need to learn from the outcome of our mistakes.


"Just like children who are kept inside are more likely to develop allergies than children who play in the dirt, people who are sheltered develop into weak people. People can’t be sheltered forever; eventually they have to deal with their own problems," (Rowley). I can relate this to some of my high school friends whose parents never trusted them stay out late or be unsupervised. Now, they've gone wild in college most of them with under ages or citations. I think that if their parents would have loosened the reins then they would have been able to control themselves in college and make better decisions. We can bring this to State Patty's Day and how if the school or police would just keep everyone safe then the students would learn from their actions. It's college, everyone needs their freedom before we are out in the real world dealing with consequences.



http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2011/03/04/enjoy_revelry_while_it_lasts_then_grow_up.aspx

Spring Break Tips/The REAL tips

"A week long recess from the cofines of rigid college life. Many students participate in such acts as: heavy drinking, pot smoking, having sex, tanning on various beaches, and generally passing out. These is often done with a large groups of friends who all want to party hard and have a good time, while simultaneously erasing all memories of academia (and all-night study attempts) from their lives. Many blackmail pictures ensue from this week-long trip, relationships dissolve, and grades slip another notch.," (urbandictionary.com).

If you can't guess already, that was the definition of "Spring break" according to the useless but humorous Urban Dictionary. And I don't know about you guys but I cannot wait for this week to be over. My head is about to explode from the exams, papers, and projects due before traveling away from Happy Valley.

This is why the article "Spring Break Tips" caught my attention this week. The article is extremely simple, the author just gives obvious tips about your upcoming vacation. For instance, "If you are going anywhere out of the U.S...I would make sure you stock up early on bottled water," (Elser). She continues to talk about wearing sunscreen and chapstick, bringing Advil, a little black bikini, and some shades. We have all heard these tips about going on vacation before. So, I'm going to give you some of my advice.


Last year my brother went to Cancun with a few of his notorious frat bros. They were buffing up at the gym for months before the big vacation expecting to have some fun in the sun with zero. What they did not expect was their friend to come back to the hotel without his wallet, a bloody face, and tears in his clothes. Of course, they were all under the influence and didn't understand what happened until the next day. His friend went to the convenient store in the middle of the night (no idea what he needed) he ended up getting mugged. He was outnumbered and lost all of his cash including his ID's and credit cards. Not so much fun. Moral of the story? If youre going on Spring Break, to the ladies especially, don't go anywhere alone especially while under the influence of alcohol. It will end badly, were not in Happy Valley anymore. So, thank you, Daily Collegian, for giving the real tips for a Spring Break. They were extremely helpful.

Former wrestlers sentenced to jail

As most of you may know, the Daily Collegian has been writing articles since early December about the two former who were convicted of severl burglaries. Eric Bradley, 29 years old, and Patrick D. Cummins, 30 years old, were sentenced to jail for seven counts of burglary and 17 additional counts related to those burglaries from December 2007 to May 2008.

They destructed fraternities properties and stole from the fraternities Phi Kappa Theta, Phi Sigma Kappa, Alpha Chi Sigma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Acacia, Kappa Delta Rho, Sigma Pi and Lambda Chi Alpha. The items varied from digital cameras, game systems, guitars, a safe, laptops, video games, televisions, $1,000 cash plus items of clothing! The police found these items in the defendants apartments and most of the items have been returned.

After the pair had numerous failed motions they pleaded guilty to the offense and were sentenced to "one to two years in county jail, a $2,000 fine and payment of their court costs associated with their confinement and prosecution...The defendants were also asked to pay $22,000 back in “restitution to all victims” who had their property stolen," (Greene). They waived their Miranda Rights and confessed to their crimes once they were arrested.

Ever since I have been at Penn State I have lost multiple ID cards and VISAS and each one of them have been returned to me. Plus, State College is considered to be one of the safest towns in the United States. I was surprised to read the articles about these two Penn State wrestlers who would steal from their fellow class mates.

I believe that in Happy Valley we are supposed to be a united community. Penn State has many things to be proud of and we should be connected by the accomplishments of the University. I have always been trusting of the Penn State community but these two men have made me rethink who I trust and who I don't. I do not agree with stealing anything under any circumstances.

Its cruel to take people's objects who may have less than you, I personally would not be able to live with myself if I took thousands of dollars worth of objects from my fellow students. I believe that the punishment is fair and these two Penn Staters should feel bad about themselves for the crimes that they have committed. Theft is under no circumstances acceptable and I hope that I can still trust my fellow peers not to take what is not rightfully theirs.

Couples kiss to raise awareness

Usually on Valentines Day, you receive chocolates or cards from a special someone or go to dinner with friends to celebrate the holiday. But, some students at Penn State honor the holiday in a different way. 

This week I chose the article "Couples kiss to raise awareness," it talks about an event that takes place in the middle of the HUB-Robeson Center. The event is sponsored by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies Student Alliance. Gay and lesbian couples "kiss out" to raise awareness about homosexual couples. The event has been going on for seven years thus far and this year, fifteen couples joined together to publicly display their affection for one another.


I believe that every couple should be treated equally and fairly regardless of their sexual preference. People should not have to hide who they care about especially on any day especially on Valentines Day! One student expressed that the Penn State Community has been accepting of his boyfriend.“In high school, people used to yell ‘dyke’ at me or throw things at me...But when I came to Penn State, I found a community. It was so much more accepting,” (Hartman). I went to a Catholic grade school and an all girls Catholic high school, needless to say, the administration was not accepting of any relationship between two girls. It was frowned upon and inexcusable to show affection for someone of the same gender. I am happy that at Penn State the student population is so large that each student can find someone or some group that they fit in with. These couples have the right to be with one another. They also have the right to publicly display affection without about being harassed. I hope that this event continues in years to come.

"HUB could expand"

Every University Park Penn State student has ventured over to the HUB-Robeson Center to study for an exam, eat sushi or pizza, meet some friends, grab a cup of coffee, raise money for an organization, or lounge around until your next class. The article discusses the $29 million project to renovate the HUB which will add about 35,000 square feet to the HUB and a potential addition to the White Building. Unfortunately, the HUB is constantly crowded, unless its early in the morning or late at night, I usually have a hard time finding a place for my group of friends to sit together. I try to avoid the HUB at certain times during the day when I know it will be jam-packed. For example, going to the HUB at noon is an awful decision, the lines for food are extremely long and almost all the tables are full. In addition, it is hard to even walk through the bottom floor of the HUB, people are rushing to class or darting to an open seat not to mention that it’s loud and busy, so trying to get some homework accomplished is often difficult unless your music is blaring through your headphones.

The problem is with the HUB is simple; it is not big enough to accommodate the many students who attend University Park. “As it stands now, Powers said the HUB –– 246,592 square feet –– doesn’t match up to student union buildings at other comparably sized universities.” We need a bigger place to gather with our peers to study, eat, or socialize. The HUB is meant to be a place where students can convene and it should not be a place that any student should avoid. The new HUB will have more student spaces, a renovated Barnes & Noble bookstore and a creative winter garden.




http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2011/01/31/HUB_expansion.aspx

"Disabled athlete speaks of obstacles"

Whenever the word athlete comes to mind, I think of a tall, strong, intimidating, and self-disciplined person. For example, Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning, and David Beckham all fit the criteria for an athlete. But, the image of a man sitting in a wheel chair never crosses my mind.

I have been playing sports for my entire life. I have learned that the amount of effort you put into a sport will determine your success. When you're an athlete you have been taught by coaches and team mates that you must always give 110% during any practice, match, or game. Through hard work and training, you will see results. Rohan Murphy fits the description of an amazing athlete. But, there is one thing that makes Rohan different than many other athletes because he was born with his kneecaps on the opposite legs.

This article gives inspiration for athletes everywhere. His disability is rare, but the fact that he overcame this obstacle is even rarer. I honestly cannot imagine being handicapped, let alone coping with your disability and then making an all-county team for wrestling. He started out as the team manager for soccer and wrestling in high school, he took a chance and became a wrestler instead of a manager.  Throughout his life, he struggled with his disability but he never gave up. That is the true definition of an athlete, failing over and over again until you succeed.

This article has changed my perception of an athlete. Some people are born with coordination which makes them proficient in sports. Others, like Murphy, are born without things that we take for granted each day, in his case, legs. He is a true example of an athlete and his story is uplifting. Murphy says that Mother Nature just dealt him a bad hand. Well, Murphy took his "2-7" hand and turned it into a royal flush. He triumphed.

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2011/01/13/Rohan_Murphy.aspx