 Main campus is buzzing with news of room picks, and off-campus is quickly populating with parties now that the weather is nice. Now is the perfect time to remind yourself what being a good neighbor is all about. It isn’t hard and it doesn’t take much effort at all – it’s just about being considerate.
Be Friendly
Okay, so you don’t have to be best friends. But at some point, you probably want to introduce yourself to the people living closest to you, especially if you’re in two apartments in the same house. If you’re at least acquaintances, they’ll be more likely to give you a break if you’re loud once in a while or if you need to borrow cooking supplies. Plus, if you do become friends, you can invite them to your social events and guarantee that they’re not the ones complaining in the early hours of the morning. If it turns out that you’d rather not be the best of friends with your neighbors, that’s ok too. Just be nice and say hi when you pass each other on the street or the hall. Acting like a snob will not win you brownie points on the weekend.
Mind Your Volume
As neighborly behavior tends to revolve around social events, it makes sense that volume should be an issue. Before the party starts, stand outside your house and see how loud your sound system really is. Then think about people chatting on your porch, and assess your volume. A roaring party might be fine until midnight in the student-dominated areas off campus, but even some students like to sleep at 3 am. End parties at a reasonable hour, and try to keep your guests from being too loud on the way out.
Take Responsibility for Guests
The damage is done before you know it – a rowdy party guest pulled up some flowers, broke a window, or used the side of your neighbor’s house as a porta-potty while the line inside was long. Irresponsible behavior from guests isn’t even limited to a party atmosphere, sometimes people just so dumb things. But in any case, as the person responsible for bringing them into your neighborhood, be prepared to take responsibility if your neighbors come looking for an explanation. Keep in mind, your neighbor doesn’t know your guest or where they live, but they do know where you live. If they felt the need to call the cops, they would come knocking on your door first. But this is just the worst case scenario; hopefully the most responsibility you have to take is cleaning up a few beer cans scattered in the lawn.
These points don’t just apply to off-campus students. Even when you’re living in the residence halls, a little common courtesy goes a long way. Say hello when you pass someone in the hall, keep your music and guest volume down, and clean up after yourself in the bathroom. Your hallmates will be thankful that your neighbor skills rank near Mr. Rogers.
-Leland Strott
 With baseball season starting up this week, it’s as good a time as ever to review good sports fan behavior. Of course, these are guidelines that can be applied to any sport.
Know the Game
Generally, if you’re a fan of a game, you have some knowledge of what’s going on. But in case you’re invited to an outing of a sport you’re unfamiliar with, take the time to learn the basic concepts of the game. The Internet is a beautiful thing – Wikipedia the sport, learn the rules, positions, and maybe even a few players on the team. You can always ask the guy next to you for clarification, but you don’t want to be a clueless pest when it comes to the game.
Crank the Volume
With the exception of quiet sports like tennis or golf, louder is better. The noise meter shouldn’t have to tell you to crank the volume to 11 – bring your best heckles and prepare to lose your voice. But when it comes to heckling, remember that it’s not that serious. Everyone likes a good insult, but if you are unoriginal and obscene, you’re probably just offending everyone around you. Another rule of thumb – never cheer when someone is hurt, even if they’re your least favorite player. It’s good sportsmanship to stand up and clap when they get up.
Standing Room Only
In student sections especially, everyone should be on their feet while the clock is ticking. Standing up gets your blood pumping and makes it easier to cheer. Plus, if everyone around you is standing, it’ll probably be challenging to see the game if you’re in your seat. If people around you are all sitting, there is nothing wrong with being the lone warrior on your feet to show support for your beloved team. And especially if someone in front of you is blocking your view by standing, consider it a challenge to your fanhood. Stand up, cheer louder, and refuse to be the first to sit down.
Fan Relations
While you clearly want to be louder than the guy who’s rooting against your team a few rows away, it’s important to maintain some level of decency. He’s allowed to root for whatever team he wants, even if you think he made the worst decision ever, and even if he’s being the bigger jerk about it. If he’s really that offensive, stadium control will take care of him. If you take matters into your own hands, you’ll be the one asked to leave instead.
Team Loyalty
This should go without saying, but loyalty is key in the world of sports. You should support your team through good seasons and bad, and you should always defend your team’s ability to do well during the season, no matter how mad their record actually is. No one likes a bandwagon fan, and you will get no respect for switching teams every other year. To some, picking a team is a stronger commitment than marriage, whether you’re born into that team’s territory or you made the decision when you came of age. Don’t take the decision lightly. Also, once you pick a team, if you wear another team’s apparel for any reason, prepare for the worst. Die hard sports fans hate traitors. The only exception to this rule is losing a bet involving your team, but the solution is making sure you don’t lose to begin with.
For all you sports fans out there – what else do you think makes a good fan?
-Leland Strott
Last week we covered hosting, but what happens when you’re the one looking for a couch to crash on. Here are some tips for how to be the best guest ever and always get invited back. It all boils down to being respectful of your host.
Contain Yourself
When you first arrive, your suitcase will probably be tucked to the side of the room while you grab dinner, relax, and catch up with your host. But as soon as you start digging through your belongings for your pajama pants or toothbrush, chances are your stuff will sprawl. So especially if you’re camping in regular living space, make an attempt to fit your belongings back in your bags and keep your bags out of the way. Your host will appreciate the lack of laundry explosion in the middle of their living room.
Be Flexible
While you as the guest may be on vacation, your host probably has a daily routine they stick to. Try to wake up when your host does, eat when they do, and don’t stay up too late with the television on if they work early mornings. The more you adapt to their routine for a few days, the more time you’ll get to spend together too, and isn’t that why you came to visit anyway?
Come With a Plan
Don’t rely entirely on your host to shuttle you around the town and be your personal tour guide. While they may offer and have the time to take you to everywhere, if you don’t have any ideas for what you want to see, you might be out of luck if they have to leave for work one day. Have a backup plan for sights you can see on your own. Even if you don’t need it, it’s better than a backup plan of Judge Judy marathons while your host and tour guide is at work.
Don’t Overstay
Benjamin Franklin once said that fish and visitors start to smell after three days. But while your stay might be longer than that, it’s important to stick to whatever schedule you established with your host before you showed up. If you say you’re going to stay until Thursday but then decide to stay until Saturday, you might be interfering with plans your host made thinking you’d be gone already. So unless your host is really, honestly insisting you stay an extra night or four, leave when you said you would.
Other Tips:
Clean up after yourself and always leave things the way you found them. It doesn’t hurt to offer to help with chores either!
When taking a shower, remember that someone else pays for the hot water. Take care of the basics as quick as possible so you don’t run up the bill.
Bringing a gift (flowers, food, toilet paper, wine, etc.) is a nice gesture of appreciation. Even if you can’t afford something fancy, just offering to make dinner one night is a nice way to say thanks.
Never forget to send a thank you card!
Whether you’ve got a whole house or just a dorm room to offer to your friends, it only takes a little thought and preparation to be a great host.
Make Room
Before your guest arrives, clear out a space for your guest to put their bags and unpack. If they are planning to stay for an extended time, consider clearing out a drawer or making space in your closet for their clothing. If you’re lucky enough to have a guest room to offer, make sure it’s clear from the clutter that usually accumulates in an extra room.
Clean Up
If you don’t clean your room or house on a regular basis, tidy up a little before your guest arrives. At the very least, change the sheets in the bed your guest will sleep in. From there, judge the cleanliness of your space and vacuum or Febreeze as necessary.
Stock Your Shelves
Be ready to accommodate your guest’s needs – dietary or otherwise. It’s always a good idea to ask them for food preferences if you plan on feeding them. If your guest is vegetarian or vegan, double check which animal products, if any, they eat. For example, some vegetarians will eat eggs and fish, others will not, so check before you prepare a quiche or salmon for dinner.
In the bathroom, have extra towels clean in case your guest wants to shower. It’s also good to have some extra toiletries on hand in case your guest forgets a toothbrush or contact case.
Create a Plan
With out-of-town guests who want to explore, be prepared with a few activities or places to visit. They might come with an idea of what they want to see, but in case they don’t, you want to have something fun to recommend. Having a few suggestions is especially considerate if you have class or work, so that your guest doesn’t sit at home with no idea of what to do.
Take Your Own Time
No matter how long your guest is staying, make sure to take some time for yourself too. They might be your best friend or a relative you haven’t seen in a while, but after an extended period of time together, you’ll probably need a break. Suggest an activity they can do alone for a few hours, or excuse yourself for a nap. Once you recharge, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to resume your hosting duties.
-Leland Strott
 Even though St. Patrick’s Day is over, everyone’s looking to capitalize on the luck of the Irish. And with two Friday the 13th months in a row, luck seems to be on everyone’s mind. It might seem like a difficult task if you’re constantly plagued with black cats and ladders, but here are a few ways you can increase your good fortune.
Attitude
We all pay bills, go to work, and run into our fair share of obstacles in life. But the difference between miserable people and happy people is what they choose to focus on. Miserable people only see the bad things that happen, and as a result, their mood plummets. Happy people are more optimistic and don’t let the small stuff get them down. The same holds true for lucky people – they look at situations they face and find the luck.
Lucky Charms
Sometimes it helps to feel more fortunate if you’ve got a good luck charm, a number or a symbol on your side. It might have to do with your birthday – if you were born in 1987, the year of the rabbit, it’s the luckiest of the Chinese zodiac signs. You may have a lucky uniform number that makes you play harder, better, faster or stronger. A pair of socks you never wash, a rabbit’s foot, a clover tattoo, whatever it is, sometimes just having the external object to count on makes you feel luckier.
Create Opportunity
You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket. But while your chances of winning the lottery are very slim, there are smaller ways to create your own luck on a regular basis. If you have bad luck catching the bus to class in the morning – it’s too crowded or you miss the last one to get to campus on time, try waking up a few minutes earlier to catch an earlier bus. Yes, it involves a little work, but remember your attitude and think about your good luck when you get to campus with enough time before class to grab coffee!
-Leland Strott
All-nighters are a college essential. Chances are you’ve probably pulled a few already, and if you haven’t, the rest of us are jealous. It happens when you find yourself knee-deep in midterms or finals with three group projects, two essays, and huge presentation due within the week, and sleep is last on your to do list. But pulling a successful all-nighter isn’t just about chasing caffeine pills with Red Bull. By following a few tips based on your natural body rhythms, you can maximize every hour before dawn.
Early evening to midnight
If you know you’re going to pull an all-nighter, try to take a power nap earlier in the evening. This will help to push back the first wave of sleepiness past your normal bedtime hours. Later, as your body temperature begins to decline, resist the urge to turn up the heat. Warmth is more likely to put you to sleep, so grab a sweater and move to a cooler location. If you can open your window or step outside into cooler air throughout the night, this will help refresh you.
As you begin to feel sleepy, you’ll probably want to reach for the caffeine to get a boost. Just remember that too much will make you wired and antsy, which can increase anxiety. Space out your caffeine intake by the hour or switch to tea instead. Drinking cold water is another good option.
1 am to 6 am
Your brain will start to lose focus as the night goes on, that’s why it’s best to start with your toughest material first. Take frequent breaks to move around your space. Exercises like jumping jacks, dancing, or simply walking around your room a few times will refresh your mind. If you get hungry, reach for snacks like fresh fruits or vegetables, or anything high in protein – they will help you concentrate better than a carbohydrate-heavy meal. Around 4 am, the urge to sleep will be at its strongest. But shorter naps will do more harm than good, so resist the urge unless you can sacrifice an hour or two.
7 am through the next day
Finish up your work and take a shower. The water will wake you up and also help you relax. Then eat a high protein breakfast, which will give you more long-term energy. Go to class, give your presentation, turn in that paper, and take your exam. When you’re done, you can finally relax! Now is a good time to take a nap. Sleeping all day can further mess up your sleep cycles, so sleeping for an hour or two is best.
Other Tips
-Don’t work in bed or somewhere you could otherwise doze off comfortably, it will remind you of sleep.
-If you wear contacts, take them out so your eyes don’t get irritated.
-Work with good lighting.
-Find a friend to stay up with. The conversation will keep you alert and you can keep each other motivated.
-Turn of AIM and sign off Facebook. Since you’re probably pulling an all-nighter because you have a lot of work to do, excessive procrastination will only stress you out more.
-All-nighters put a lot of strain on your body and are difficult to recover from quickly. In the future, try to space out your work so you can avoid them.
-Leland Strott
In the hustle and bustle of college life, it’s likely that your living space is cluttered, disorganized, and crowded. The space you call home serves multiple functions, especially in a dorm room. It’s your bedroom, office, and living room all in one, but too much clutter in one area can clutter your mind too. Fortunately, the ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui can help you improve your life by changing the energy in your room.
Feng Shui is believed to use laws of astronomy and geography to help improve life by channeling positive Qi, or energy flow. Feng Shui followers believe that deliberate placement of objects, such as furniture, creates balance and helps achieve harmony in an environment. Even in a dorm room, by applying some basic principles, Feng Shui can be used to make the best of the living space you have.
To begin, draw a diagram of your room and split it into nine equal areas – each of these areas represents a different aspect of your life. Hold the diagram so the door is at the bottom. In the top row (left to right) the squares represent Wealth, Fame, and Relationships. In the middle row, the squares represent Family/Health, Tao (Center), and Creativity/Children. The bottom row represents Knowledge, Career, and Helpful People.
From there, you can use symbolic object placement to begin channeling energy. For example, move your bookshelf to the knowledge corner, and put pictures of family and people that inspire you in the helpful people area. In the relationships corner, boost your energy by pairing items, like two statues or two candles – red candles are especially positive energy. Live plants in any section represent growth, so place one in the career or wealth sections. A collection of rocks help restrain positive Qi, so place some in an area where you need more stability.
Keep clutter to a minimum. This is one of the simplest ideas, and often overlooked in the typical college room. Whichever area of your room is gathering clutter is likely to be the aspect of your life that feels cluttered too. Also, waking up to a mess can create stress and negative energy before you even start your day. Since you typically can’t paint the walls in a dorm room or rented apartment, use artwork. Colorful selections are best, but keep them to a minimum. Too much art on the walls can become cluttered and disorganized, again creating negative energy.
According to Feng Shui principles, to build wisdom point objects east. If possible, place your desk against a wall that faces east to channel the studious energy. The best bed location is facing the door, but not directly in front of it. A bed located directly opposite a door exposes you to strong energy traditionally called the “death position.” It’s also good to have your headboard resting against a solid wall.
These are just some of the basic principles of Feng Shui, but hopefully they can help you create balance and harmony in your living space. Try shuffling your stuff today and see what channeling positive energy can do for you!
-Leland Strott
Tattoos are forever. The decision to get one should not be an impulse, something you do to impress your friends, because you just want to look tough, or because you’re drunk. It requires a lot of consideration, time, pain, and money to get one that you will enjoy for the rest of your life. That being said, getting a tattoo can also be extremely meaningful and a rewarding experience. Here’s a guide to getting ink you can live with.
Obviously, the first step is deciding what you want to get. This is NOT the step where you walk into a parlor and pick impulsively from the hundred different variations of devils, butterflies, and Chinese symbols framed on the wall. These images are called flash art, and chances are that tribal design #457 isn’t going to be meaningful to you 15 years down the road.
Your best bet for getting the perfect tattoo is to work with a tattoo artist to design the image. Brainstorm ideas for things you want in the design, whether they’re certain symbols or just things you like, and take that list to the tattoo parlor you’ve chosen. If you have images that inspire you, take those as well to help the artist understand what you want. You can find many galleries online of completed tattoos, artist portfolios, and artwork to get ideas – just don’t try to duplicate anyone else’s tattoo.
Location will also be a consideration at this point. If you’re just starting out, your best bet is to get it somewhere easy to cover. Keep in mind that many people are quick to judge anyone with a tattoo. Just be aware how your tattoo could be perceived if it’s prominent on your wrist, knuckles, or neck.
Once you have ideas for the design and location, the artist will sketch some ideas for you. Their vision might not be exactly what you want right away, but continue to work with them to make sure the images and colors are exactly what you imagine. The artist won’t be insulted if you ask for a change – it’s artwork that will be on your body for life, you’re allowed to be picky. Once you think you’re in love with the design, take a copy of the image home and stare at it often for a few days. Make sure it’s something you will still like when you’re 25, 40, and 80. If you have any hesitations, make changes or find a new tattoo.
If you decide that your design is perfect and will withstand the test of time, it’s time to make your appointment to get it done! Eat a big breakfast before you go, and follow the tattoo artist’s directions for tattoo aftercare. And congrats – you’re inked!
Tattoo shops in Syracuse:
Scarab Body Arts: http://www.scarabbodyarts.com/
Halo Tattoo: http://www.halotattoo.com/
-Leland Strott
So you want to be a rockstar—not another American Idol audition reject. Stealing the spotlight at karaoke night is all about preparation and performance.
Pick the Song
The perfect song is the key to a great karaoke performance. As a general guideline, pick a song with some popularity – you want to be able to connect with your audience. Any song that comes on at a party and every girl yells, “OMIGOD, I LOVE THIS SONG!” is a good choice. For gentlemen, think classic rock, early 90s rock, and boy bands. Rap songs, no matter how trendy, are usually not good choices. You want to sing, not string together an unintelligible stream of words.
Ladies, your best bets are pop hits from the 80s on. Also, chose something within a reasonable vocal range. If you are hitting notes only dogs can hear, it’s probably not a good thing. In other words, do not sing Mariah Carey songs unless you are Mariah Carey.
Know the Words
Having the perfect song will mean nothing if you don’t know the words by heart. You don’t want to be staring at the screen for your next lines, because it will take away from your performance. You also want to know the melody really well. Since the music track is prerecorded to match the actual song, you won’t have any surprises with weird notes or key changes if you’re prepared for them. Practice singing your song in the shower or in the car, and ask for honest feedback from your roommates or passengers.
For extra preparation, watch the music video a few times to get an idea of how the artist really gets into their song. That will help you when it comes time to performing as well.
Rock it Out
Now it’s time to put all of your practice to work. Head to karaoke night and get your name on the list. When it’s your turn to go, remember that it’s all about stage presence. At this point you know the words, so look away from the screen. Make eye contact with your audience and loosen up. The more you get into your performance and have a good time, the more the audience will respond.
And that’s it! You’re a karaoke star!
Where to karaoke near SU:
Singers Karaoke Club: http://www.singersentertainment.com/
-Leland Strott
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