Keeping Peace on Winter Break

You are home for winter break and your boredom and frustration may be starting to hit you.  Here are some great tips on how to survive winter break.  Make sure to keep peace with your family and enjoy your family time.  It is pretty nice not having to pay for laundry and getting a free meal!

I was extremely excited to go home for winter break last year. Quality time with the family, no schoolwork, and holiday festivities were just a few of the things I was looking forward to.

What I didn't expect were the changes I would have to make to my lifestyle now that I was back living at home instead of in an apartment.

1. Money: When you were in high school, your parents may have footed the bill for things like gas, shopping, or eating out. Now that you're in college, your parents may be expecting you to pay for more of your personal expenses or to limit what you spend on nonessentials.

Being home for the holidays is great for a free meal or Target run here and there, but try not to take advantage of your parents—or their wallets.

2. Cars: Did your sibling inherit your car when you went away to school? This can create animosity when you're home for breaks, especially if both siblings have a fairly active social life.

Lay down some ground rules about who gets the car and when, and what will happen if both parties have a function at the same time.

3. Conduct: Certain habits that you may have picked up in college—such as messes, late night pizza orders, and use of profanity—simply won't fly now that you're home.

Keep in mind the company you're in now that you're home for break. Parents and younger siblings may not appreciate your inability to do laundry or stories about your college adventures. Keep this in mind before you pawn off your dirty clothes on Mom or dish to Dad about your craziest weekend of the semester.

For more information see USA Today.

Greeting Card Ideas

We love getting greeting cards during the holidays, and we are sure that you do too.  However, after the holidays no one really knows what to do with the cards that they have gathered over the past month or so.  Here are some great tips on how to save those memories without taking up a whole closet in your apartment.

1 Scan or Photograph: Keep digital copies of important cards. File them by year, occasion, or filtered in your digital photo album.

2 Turn into A Book: Send your greetings to Cards for Keeps and they'll transform them into a bound book. If you're feeling crafty, you can try doing this yourself by following the blog Something Turquoise's DIY tutorial.

3 Reuse: I love well designed greeting cards. So much thought has gone into the design, so why not turn it into something else? As long as you're okay with losing the greeting part of the card, you could frame it, cut it up and use it for another project, make it into a gift tag, etc. The options are endless!

4 Turn into A New Card: Much in the same vein as above, a card does not need to be used just once. If it's a folded card, cut it in half and use the front as a postcard.

5 Donate to a Charity: Before you toss any unwanted cards, consider donating them. St. Jude's Ranch for Children will recycle used greeting cards and turn them into new holiday and greeting cards. You can also purchase their recycled cards to support their programs and services.

For more information see Apartment Therapy.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Let's Go Pirates. East Carolina University will take on Lousiana's Ragin Cajuns in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. This news comes after one of the most successful seasons in East Carolina's history, and the news that they would be joining the Big East Conference in 2014. The bowl will be broadcast December 22nd at noon.

East Carolina take by SEC blogger Chris Low: The big news off the field this week was that East Carolina would be joining the Big East Conference in 2014. On the field, the Pirates enter the postseason playing some of their best football of the season. They’ve won five of their past six games, but were edged out by UCF in a tiebreaker for the Conference USA East Division championships. Both teams finished 7-1, but UCF won 40-20 back on Oct. 4.

The trip to face Louisiana-Lafayette in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will be East Carolina’s sixth bowl appearance in the past seven years. The Pirates, under third-year coach Ruffin McNeill, have shown that they can score points this season. In their past five wins, they’ve scored 40 or more points four times and ended the regular season with a 65-59 win over Marshall in two overtimes. Quarterback Shane Carden has rolled up 2,838 yards in total offense and accounted for 29 touchdowns. 

For more information see ESPN.

Make Your Apartment a Winter Wonderland

Do you want to decorate your college apartment for the holidays?  Everyone wants to be festive, but you do not want to spend a lot of money when you will be home for the holiday.  Here are some great inexpensive tips on how to make your apartment a holiday wonderland.

• Personalize and hang stockings for you and your roommates – this can be a fun project and very inexpensive. Purchase plain stockings and paint, glitter, felt, etc. and create your own designs for your stockings. You could even include some school spirit and make University themed stockings.
• Remember in Elementary School when you used to make paper snow flakes in art class.  Flashback to those times and make your apartment a winter wonderland with this easy art trick.
• Hang ornaments from the stairs and or ceiling.  Just make sure you do not damage the walls or ceiling while doing this.
• Use some ribbon and ties to put around chairs and lamps.  This adds some festive spirit to even the smallest furniture.
• Make a giant present out of your door by using some wrapping paper and a bow.  It instantly looks festive and adds so much holiday spirit to your apartment.
• Use holiday cards that you receive to decorate the walls in your apartment.
• Play Christmas music on your ipod or on Pandora!
  
  

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Spend some time with your friends and family and remember everything in life that you are thankful for.

Alternative Thanksgiving Plans

Do you not get to go home for Thanksgiving?  It is o.k if you can not.  There are still some great ways to enjoy the holiday, and get a break from the daily grind of classes.  Keep reading to learn some tips and tricks to enjoy your holiday away from home.

Many college campuses look like deserted ghost towns around Thanksgiving. The vast majority of students usually head home for some good food, R & R, and family time. But for those students who can't -- or don't want to -- go home, there are still some great options for how to have a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday.

1. Volunteer. No matter where you live, there are undoubtedly places nearby that could use volunteers on Thanksgiving Day. Check out women's shelters, homeless shelters, places that serve veterans, hospitals, and even local foster homes. Giving back can make you feel great while providing you with some great companionship -- and grub, of course!


2. Go home with a friend. If you live too far away to head home, try heading home with a friend or roommate. You can see an entirely new part of that person's life, have fun, and still get that fantastic feeling that comes from being "home."


3. Organize something on campus. Chances are, you aren't the only student on your campus not planning on heading home for Thanksgiving. Organize an event that includes a nice dinner, volunteering, or even a movie-watching marathon. It can be a great opportunity to meet new people and enjoy yourself while still feeling relaxed and like you're on vacation.


4. Offer to housesit for friends or others. Know someone -- a friend, a faculty member, an administrator -- who is going to have an empty house? Offer to housesit over Thanksgiving. You can enjoy the comforts of being out of the residence hall without having to deal with the inevitable drama that comes from having family running around. Additionally, you can always cook a nice Thanksgiving dinner in a great kitchen and have a few friends over for a nice, relaxing meal.


5. Take the day for yourself. There are some of us out there who enjoy being alone from time to time -- which is nearly impossible as a college student. Spend the day sleeping in, catching up on homework, watching movies, and doing whatever it is you wish you had time for when your schedule is crazier. Just make sure to treat yourself to some slow-cooked turkey and cranberry sauce in there somewhere!
   
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Cabaret at East Carolina University

The East Carolina University theater and dance program will present the musical Cabaret from November 15th-November 20th.  The famous musical that has won many Tony awards will be presented at the McGinnis Theater.  The show is about a cabaret singer working a club where anything is possible.  Make sure to get your tickets now for to see this talented cast perform at the University. November 15 - 20, 2012 Book by Joe Masteroff Music by John Kander Lyrics by Fred Edd McGinnis Theatre

Berlin, 1930, Sally Bowles, an American cabaret singer/dancer is working at the "Kit Kat" club where anything goes. Under the watchful eye of the Master of Ceremonies, she is pursued by a rich playboy and a melancholy teacher but can only choose one. Cabaret has garnered many Tony and similar awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Direction, Best Choreography, Best Costume Design, and Best Revival. Parental advisory.

For more information see ECU.EDU
Campus Towers 

INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES

General Public	$15.00
Youth (18 and younger) Current ECU Students	$10.00

PERFORMANCES

Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun Mat	Mon	Tues
Nov 15	Nov 16	Nov 17	Nov 18	Nov 19	Nov 20
8pm	8pm	8pm	2pm	8pm	8pm