Have Fun Around Your Apartment During the Storm!

 Are you stuck in your apartment, while we wait for Hurricane Sandy to finish her wrath?  Here are ten great tips from Apartment Therapy on what to do while you are waiting for the storm to finish.  We hope everyone at Campus Towers stays safe.



1. Take some time to focus on the the simple things that can make your home a happier place.

 2. Take some photos of your home and send them in to us!

3. Use an online program to make a plan to rearrange a room.

3. Take just a few minutes to clean one or two of these easy-to-forget about spots around the house.

4. Organize your books and choose a good one to re-read while you are at it.

5. Make some easy, bright new wall art. (Yes, you can!)

6. Cover a pillow

7. Get comfy and watch a few great documentaries on Netflix.

8. Do the laundry

9. Cook up something delicious.

10. Check out these great sites for DIY projects and get one started.

Stay safe, everyone!

DIY Fall Crafts

 Fall is a great season to craft and decorate your house.  Here are five great do it yourself craft ideas to make your apartment ready for the fall and winter seasons.  Try them out this weekend to decorate for your Halloween party.

While it's hard to deny the appeal of this season — the swirls of colorful leaves drifting down to the ground, crisp air outside and cozy fires inside, warm, spicy baking smells and the return of my beloved Pumpkin Spice latte — I am and always will be a beach kid from the golden coast and as such, you will always have to drag me kicking and screaming away from my beloved summer.
In an effort to embrace the season at hand I've rounded up five great fall DIY projects. There, I'm feeling cozier already.




1. Acorn Wreath from Martha Stewart

2. Flaming Foliage Candles from Martha Stewart

3. Burlap Pumpkins from Thistlewood Farms

4. Wax Paper and Crayon Leaves from V and Co.

5. Maple Leaf Wreath from Chez Larsson via Apartment Therapy 

For more information see Apartment Therapy.

Halloween Party Decorations

Are you having a Halloween Party for your friends this year?  If you do not have a lot of money to decorate, you can still have a spooky apartment for the party.  Here are six cheap do it yourself Halloween decorating ideas.

 This Halloween, get creative and use supplies found in your home for green-friendly Halloween decor.

 Planning ahead for Halloween will allow you to budget, as well as reduce the environmental impact of the festivities. Rather than purchasing every Halloween décor piece from the store, consider making your own by reusing supplies found right in your home. To go green this Halloween, read on for our suggestions of taking old things in your house and turning them into new, spooky decorations.

Mason Jar Pumpkin
If you have canning jar lids laying around, this project will give them a new purpose. Gather together lids of the same size. String the lids together, tying the string tightly. Evenly spread the lids around. Next, stick cinnamon sticks in the center. To create leaves, cut some out of burlap. This goes perfectly as a centerpiece on your dining room table or coffee table. It can also be placed on a shelf on top of books.

Head in a Jar
If you’re looking for creepier decorations, this one is perfect for you. Use a wide mouth jar for this project. You’ll also need a great picture that goes in the jar. It needs to be a flattened image of a head. Run a quick search on a search engine, and you should find some great examples. Print this image on thick and slick paper, making sure it will fit into the jar. Roll the picture and place it in the jar, making sure it fills up about ¾ of the circumference of the jar. Fill the jar with colored water. This can be placed in the fridge to creep out the midnight snackers. On Halloween night, drop a few glow sticks in the jar for added ambiance.

Tin Can Luminaries
To upcycle old soup cans, use them for luminaries. If you have several cans, create a design in the cans, from ghosts to spelling out “BOO.” To start the project, fill the cans up with water and stick them in the freezer. This allows you to hammer a design into the cans without denting the cans. Use a nail and hammer to create the design. Once the ice melts, dump the water and place tea lights into each can.

Mummy Cereal Boxes
Old bed sheets in your linen closet that don’t fit any beds in your home are perfect for this DIY Halloween craft. Cut the fabric into thin sheets. Then, take empty cereal or cracker boxes and cover with the white sheets. Once the box is covered, tuck the end in. Optional: attach googly eyes.

Halloween Garland
Take old cardboard paper towel rolls and paint them pumpkin orange. Then, slice them into thin strips and create pumpkin shapes. Use twine to string the pumpkins together and hang on your wall.

Bat Mobile  Head out to your backyard and pick up one or two sticks from the yard. You’ll also need clear thread, or fishing line. For the bats, you use thin cardboard, such as cereal or cracker boxes. Cut several bats from the cardboard, and hang the bats to a branch. Hang in various lengths.

For more information see Apartment Guide.

Magician comes to the University of Memphis

Magician Martin Lubcke will perform Wednesday at 5pm at Hendrix Theater.  The event is free and open to everyone on ECU's campus.   Come early to get the best seats to see the tricks and illusions from this legendary magician.

Title:	The Magic of the Miracle
Date:	Wednesday 10/10/2012
Time:	5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Where:	Hendrix Theatre
Summary:	Magician Martin Lubcke will perform illusions and magic at 5 p.m. Oct. 10 at Hendrix Theatre.
Details:	The event is free with open seating. ECU faculty, staff and students are welcomed. More information is attached and on this website: http://www.magischeillusionen.de/ If you have questions pertaining to this performance, please contact Prof. David Smith (smithdav@ecu.edu or 252.328.5524). Individuals requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should call 252-737-1016 (voice/TTY) at least 48 hours prior to the event. For more information see the East Carolina University.

Top 10 Tips to Ace Your Midterms

Midterms are coming up, and these times can be stressful for anyone.  Preparing is the best way to ace those midterms, so here are some tips to help you prepare.

1. Get a good night’s sleep before the exam.
2. An absolute must if you can: get prior years’ exams and, with a small group of classmates, prepare point form sample answers to share among yourselves.
3. Review your notes to see all the items the professor indicated were important. In some cases, s/he might even have hinted at exam topics.
4. Take a quick scan of the course outline – make a note of the topics the professor seemed to spend a lot of time on, or otherwise emphasized.
5. Take a look at the assignments if there were any – see if you can find topics, skills or techniques that were emphasized, especially those after the mid-term.
6. Did the professor comment on areas of weakness on the mid-term? These sometimes reappear on the final.
7. Make a set of study notes from your class notes and the text. Writing them down in condensed format aids in recall during the final exam, and in some cases, helps you identify items you need to clarify with a friend or teaching assistant.  Work with the group you formed to address point 2. If you like – this can increase the scope of your studying.
8. If there is a key item you need to remember for the exam, study it right before you enter the exam room. Right after the exam starts, write down what you know. A favorite is to list formulas (or dates?) that you need to remember. If you wait until you are freaked out by a difficult exam question, you might not remember them.
9. Make sure you have a meal that includes carb’s AND proteins before the exam. This will give you staying power. Take a granola bar and fluids to your exam desk if permitted.
10. In case you have forgotten the first, and very important point, get a good night’s sleep before the exam.

For more information see Top 10 Tips.

Get Excited for ECU's Homecoming!

East Carolina University's Homecoming is quickly approaching.  Homecoming will be held this year the weekend of October 12th.  There are events all weekend for students and alumni.  Keep reading to learn what events you can look forward to attending.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012
11:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.	Walking Tours of Campus Departing from Wright Plaza Bring your walking shoes and enjoy an informative stroll around Main Campus. ECU Student Ambassadors will lead you on a walk down memory lane while showing off ECU’s newest buildings and campus landmarks.
12:00-2:00 p.m.	Lunch on Campus The Croatan Green Room Experience new dining options available on campus to kick off Homecoming weekend. Dutch treat.
2:00-5:00 p.m.	Pirate Homecoming Jubilee Wright Plaza All alumni and friends are welcome to stop by and enjoy family fun activities, entertainment, games, and prizes hosted by this year’s Alumni Homecoming Committee.
5:00-8:00 p.m.	Freeboot Friday Uptown Greenville Stop by the Alumni Association’s table to mingle with members of the Alumni Homecoming Committee. Also, grab a few spirit souvenirs!
6:00 p.m.	Alumni Awards Ceremony and Dinner presented by Duplin Winery Greenville Convention Center Join us in recognizing alumni and friends of the University who have demonstrated outstanding merit and achievement, distinguished themselves as leaders for the University, and adopted East Carolina as their own. $40 for Alumni Association members; $50 for nonmembers. Registration required by calling the Alumni Center at 800-ECU-GRAD or online at PirateAlumni.com/register.
10:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.	Black Alumni Chapter's Homecoming 2012 La Reunion "Carte Blanche"
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012
9:00 a.m.	Alumni Homecoming Breakfast Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center Lawn Enjoy a complimentary breakfast sponsored by ARAMARK and visit with fellow alumni. Take a front row seat to watch the Homecoming Parade.
10:00 a.m.	Homecoming Parade Fifth Street Enjoy the many sights and sounds of this year’s parade and to celebrate ECU as “The Greatest Place on Earth!”
11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.	Black Alumni Chapter's Homecoming 2012 La Reunion "Day Dreaming: The Sequel" Homecoming Day Party
2:00-4:00 p.m.	Alumni Tailgate ECU Soccer Stadium Gather with fellow fans for a buffet lunch sponsored by Parker’s Barbecue and ARAMARK, Pirate beverages, live music, games for children, and a chance to win door prizes. $10 for Alumni Association members; $25 for nonmembers; free for children 12 and younger. Registration required by calling the Alumni Center at 800-ECU-GRAD or online at PirateAlumni.com/register.
4:30 p.m.	Pirate Football: Memphis vs. ECU Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Tickets can be purchased from the ECU Athletic Ticket Office online or over the phone by calling 800-DIAL-ECU. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for children if you mention the group code “ECU ALUMNI.”
10:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.	Black Alumni Chapter's Homecoming 2012 La Reunion "Pirates in Paris" Grand Finale

For more information see East Carolina University.

Bill Cosby at the Wright Auditorium

Bill Cosby is coming to the Wright Auditorium on Thursday.  This legendary comedian and actor is here with the S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series.  There are still tickets available so make sure to contact the box office.

Event Information
Title:	Bill Cosby performs
Date:	Thursday 9/20/2012
Time:	8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Where:	Wright Auditorium (map)
Summary:	Comedian, actor, author, educator and JELL-O spokesperson Bill Cosby opens the 51st season of the S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series on Sept. 20.
Details:	Cosby's lifelong contributions to American culture were recognized with a Kennedy Center Honor in 1998 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2002, America’s highest civilian honor. He also was awarded the Mark Twain Prize in 2009. He has touched countless lives through the Emmy Award-winning animated series “Little Bill,” his best-selling book “Fatherhood,” and his game-changing family sitcom “The Cosby Show.”  Cosby’s humor often centers on the basic cornerstones of our existence, providing an insight into our roles as parents, children, family members, and men and women.  www.billcosby.com   This performance is supported in part by the ECU Office of Equity, Diversity and Community Relations. Tickets are $60; $30 for students/youth.  For more information see East Carolina University.