Monday, December 3, 2012

Finals Week



ONEONTA, NY—The Stress of finals week is finally starting to settle in for the students at SUNY Oneonta.  The library “inmates” seem to be growing at a consistent rate as that dreaded week nears. 
           
             Five days and, often times, five tests.  This is an enormous amount of work, so everybody can understand the stresses that come with a week this hectic.
           
             Notebooks, textbooks, coffee, energy drinks, headphones, and computers are all some of the essentials for a successful finals week; however, allocating the time and being proactive about studying for tests ahead of time are some of the best strategies to pass those exams.  Do your best not to cram for each test the night before.
           
             Good luck during finals week and do your best not to become too stressed out.


The typical scene for students at SUNY Oneonta during finals week

Veteran's Day



ONEONTA, NY—Veteran’s day is an American holiday that pays tribute to all of the brave men and woman that have protected our freedom throughout the history of the United States.

                 Rebecca Goldstein, a Navy veteran, is a prime example of the hard work that the armed services commit to off the battle field.  Goldstein spent the duration of her military service at the Naval Airstation in Washington as a logistics specialist.  Unfortunately, she was medically discharged from the Navy after falling 15 feet off an airplane repair platform.

                 Although Goldstein never went overseas, carried a weapon, or fought on a battleground she is a clear example of the veteran’s that work endlessly in the background to preserve this beautiful country of ours.



Goldstein giving a speech about her time in the military during a Veteran’s Day ceremony

Never Forgotten



NEW YORK, NEW YORK—On September 11, 2001, an attack on United States soil occurred. The World Trade Center buildings, or the “twin towers”, were destroyed by Al-Qaeda terrorists. 

The World Trade Center buildings (1 and 2) were located in the lower west side of New York City and, for two years, were the tallest buildings in the world.  These towers were home to many financial firms from the 1980s until the buildings’ destruction in 2001.
 
               2,753 people have ultimately been determined dead as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, making it the deadliest attack on our soil in United States’ history.  It was an infamous day that will never be forgotten in the hearts and minds of all Americans.

Battle Wound



ONEONTA, NY—Whoever told you that precooked canned food was a simple dinner solution may have lied to you.

On October 4, just as a young woman named Sammy Hollander, 20, began opening a can of Spaghettios with a can opener, she sliced her finger.  What she thought would be a harmless simple dinner, turned into a night of 16 stitches. 
          
            “I was opening the can and when it didn’t open all the way with the can opener, I tried pushing the top off.  Blood immediately flew out all over my shirt and wouldn’t stop,” said Hollander.
          
             Hollander waited in the emergency room at Fox Hospital for four hours until she was finally patched up and sent home.

Hollander’s left thumb after getting stitched up

Halloween



ONEONTA, NY—Halloween in a college town, such as downtown Oneonta, is no short of madness.  This madness doesn’t just fall on the date of December 31, but rather the entire week of Halloween. 

Halloween comes from a group of people that lived in Europe over 2000 years ago known as the Celts. According to them, ghosts would visit their villages the night before the end of summer; therefore, the Celts would dress up like ghosts on the night of October 31 so these ghostly spirits would not hurt them.

Oneonta students wearing insect costumes on Halloween



Halloween is a unique holiday that everyone can truly express themselves without holding back, but this expression comes at a cost.  People that participate in these festivities often purchase costumes costing them a significant amount of cash. More money is spent in preparation for Halloween than any other holiday except for Christmas.