There seems to be a holiday that year after year goes uncelebrated, even unnoticed. Every 5th of November comes, and here in America, Guy Fawkes Day goes unknown. I recall in high school when some students would spray-paint a giant number five in our school’s parking lot. Despite some people like these, most are not aware of the holiday here in America. It is more widely known and celebrated in England, and rightly so, considering that is where the holiday originated.
Photo credit: Kaila Gottlieb
Guy Fawkes Day, also sometimes referred to as Bonfire Night or Firework Night commemorates a vigilante, Guy Fawkes, who attempted to set off bombs in Parliament in order to stop the next king from taking control of England in 1605. Now, this may sound like a terrorist plot, often to which it is referred, but the reasoning behind Guy Fawkes’s intentions was solely to help his fellow citizens escape Parliamentary rule. Under this rule at the time, Catholics felt the burden of oppression when many of the enacted laws outlawed their religion. This conspiracy to overthrow the government gained an astounding number of supporters. Eventually the plot failed, but the attempt is still celebrated today in England and other places in Europe and is commemorated for it efforts to free oppressed citizens.
Guy Fawkes day is even the main plot idea in my all-time favorite movie, V for Vendetta. I urge all readers to see this movie not only for its historical references, but also because it is an amazing and thought-provoking movie.
Thanksgiving break is right around the corner and while most of us use this opportunity to catch up on sleep and eat to our heart’s desire, why not add a few other items to your to-do list? Here are a few suggestions to help you have the best Thanksgiving break yet.
1. See old friends from high school
Most colleges have the same Thanksgiving break so it’s a perfect time to catch up with old friends from high school. Whenever I go home, I love to reminisce with my friends about football games, school dances or other funny stories from our high school days. It’s also fun to hear how their lives are now and the exciting things they are up to at their own college.
2. Catch up with your family
It can be hard to stay in touch with family while you’re away at school. Utilize Thanksgiving break to catch up with your immediate family and all of the relatives you don’t get to see as often. Game nights are a great way to have fun with your family. For only 99 cents, you can download the app “Heads Up!” to play with your relatives. One person holds the phone to their head and a word appears on the screen. Everyone tries to help them guess the word in 60 seconds. It is similar to the game Catch Phrase except for one big advantage: the phone actually records everyone during the game so when you go back to school you have a silly and permanent recording of your family if you ever get homesick.
In previous Thanksgivings, my only contribution to the dinner table was a fork and knife to my plate! This year I have decided to prepare and offer my own dish for my family’s Thanksgiving feast. Check out Realsimple.com or Allrecipes.com for quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes that are sure to be a hit.
4. Find the best Black Friday deals
Last year was my first Black Friday experience. Needless to say, I was a little overwhelmed by the massive crowds marauding through the mall. This year I plan on being way more efficient. Download the free app “TGI Black Friday” to find the best deals at your favorite stores so you can enter the shopping madness a little more prepared.
With these tips, you’ll be sure to have an awesome break; you may not even want to go back to school at the end of it!
Finding a carpool buddy for an 8 to 12 hour drive to my hometown, sunny San Diego, was a challenge when I first moved to Chico a few years ago. I was still so new to the town and a majority of my classmates and friends were either originally from Northern California or the Bay Area. Luckily enough, my research on safe rideshare products quickly led me to the solution to all my worries — Zimride.
Zimride is a fantastic rideshare service that uses social networks, like Facebook, to enable real connections between drivers and passengers. Within seconds, I had my Zimride profile connected to my Facebook and a ride posted from Chico to San Diego for a trip home for a warm winter break. Potential passengers were alerted via email about my post and contacted me within hours. It only took a few hours before I found two friendly students who kept me company and paid me $100 a seat for rides to Southern California and back.
Katrina’s car has driven up and down the state of California at least 10 times since she moved to Chico from San Diego. Photo credit: Katrina Cameron
Here are my tips for using rideshare products:
1. Make sure to check the driver’s or passenger’s social media
Getting in a car with a stranger is probably against everything your parents ever told you. Make sure you feel totally comfortable riding with this person by scoping out their social media profiles on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter. One of the reasons why I felt so at ease using Zimride is because it requires that users sign up with Facebook because it adds credibility to a profile.
2. Exchange phone numbers and chat before making a decision
You might be too busy packing for the trip to meet in person, but a phone call also helps verify that the driver or passenger is credible. A casual conversation about where to meet up, what kind of music each other enjoys and where to grab a snack while on the road is usually enough to help me decide how I feel about a passenger.
3. Set a reasonable price
We’re all trying to save money here, so keep the prices reasonable. I typically ask for $50-$75 for a ride to San Diego from Chico, but it varies on the cost of gas and how many passengers I have. Zimride usually has a pretty accurate suggested price that most drivers and passengers use.
4. Pay or get paid safely
Ride payouts via PayPal are super simple and safe. Zimride requires that passengers pay drivers through PayPal, which protects them from flaky drivers. The passenger’s credit card is charged as soon as the driver accepts the request and can be refunded if the driver doesn’t show up. Drivers get paid via PayPal one day after the ride is complete.
5. Don’t be afraid to stay in touch
A car ride with a total stranger can sometimes lead to great friendships. Don’t be afraid to stay in touch with your new carpool buddy if they made the ride enjoyable. That driver or passenger will likely be heading to that same destination again, so let them know you’d like to save a seat for the next trip.
Don’t forget to leave friendly feedback! Seeing a thumbs up and recommendation after such a long drive or ride is very satisfying.
Find yourself spending countless hours on Pinterest, pinning crafts that you wish you had to decorate your house with? Well here are a few simple crafts that don’t take much effort or money!
Crafting is a great way to use your free time because it keeps you busy and you end up with great decorative accents for your house or apartment!
I never thought that carving a pumpkin would be so much fun. It’s even better if there is a prize for the best pumpkin design! So I decided to do a video blog showing my pumpkin carving skills. Did I win a prize? I guess you are going to have to watch my video blog to find out!
Oooooohhh. Oooooohhhhh. OOOOOOHHHHHHH! Did I scare you? I didn’t think so…
Halloween comes but once a year, so make sure you have the spookiest Halloween treats! Whether you are throwing a Halloween party or are just in the mood to be festive, these Halloween-themed treats are very tasty and extremely easy to make.
Let me know in the comments below if you made any of these festive Halloween treats or have any new ideas for me to try!
As humans, we all have different interests and experiences. Those interests and experiences are what shape us into the people we are today.
During my time in college, few things have been as challenging and as rewarding as my involvement in my sorority. Being a Greek taught me so many things and truly has helped me become the person I am today.
The upcoming holiday season is a time to reflect on all that you’re thankful for while spending time with loved ones. It’s also a time when many people will be entering your home to celebrate, so you might as well add some glamour and personality with themed decorations.
In this video I will be teaching you how to create a beautiful pumpkin and floral centerpiece. Display it in your home or give as a gift!
Supplies needed:
• Medium sized hollow pumpkin
• Medium sized vase
• Fall-colored spray paint of your choice
• Clear finishing spray paint
• Black acrylic paint
• Thin paintbrush
• Pencil
• Sharpie
• X-Acto knife
• Fresh flowers
With Halloween just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get creative and bake delicious treats! This video will show you five different ways you can decorate Halloween themed cupcakes that are sure to impress your friends and family. They are easy to make, look great and are extremely tasty.
With Halloween just around the corner, what better way to celebrate this beloved childhood holiday than with a bowl of candy and a great selection of horror movies. Now if you’re not a horror movie aficionado like I am, you may have some trouble selecting a horror movie that best fits you.
Horror is comprised mostly of films following two formulas: Generic and innovative.
Let’s talk about the generic horror films, which follow this horror movie formula:
• Shallow characters: Construction Horror blogger Jason Meredith says most generic horror films do not spend a great deal of time with character development, there is however one that “stands out as an obvious protagonist, probably the one who won’t do recreational drugs, won’t have premarital sex,” or didn’t want to go on whatever adventure with the rest of the characters. “More than often it will be a female protagonist who has deeper personal issues than the rest of the gang,” Meredith states.
• Illogical and predictable events: There is a certain level of stupidity that goes into a generic horror film. These events include characters splitting up or engaging in sexual activity when there is clearly a threat nearby. Although obviously illogical, these events allow audiences to get ready for the next scary moment.
• Over the top special effects: “You will see dismemberment, mutilation, gouging and fountains of blood when walking in to see one of these movies,” Meredith said. However, in generic horror films, “the formula doesn’t want to threaten its audience, the blood and carnage is often exaggerated to such an unrealistic level that blood will spray like Icelandic geysers, making the viewer turn their heads and go ‘Awwhhh that was gross!’ and laugh once again at the mayhem unfolding on screen.”
Now let’s check out the innovative horror movie formula:
• Special effects are realistic: The fountains of blood that are custom to generic horror films do not appear in innovative films. The gore is real and is not usually accompanied by any comic relief. Meredith says, “a fair amount of innovative horror films will keep the violence off-screen as long as they can, to have you make up the disgusting deaths in your own head.”
• Character Development: There is a good amount of time spent on giving you the backstory of the protagonist, so when they meet their impending demise or suffering you will feel more of a loss and fear.
• Logic and reality: Unlike generic horror films there is common sense involved when the characters make their decisions. Even when they do everything right they still suffer; Meredith says will “force you to take the onscreen terror outside the theatre with you. To have you looking over your shoulder as you walk home.”
• Unpredictability: Since these movies do not follow the generic patterns of other horror films, audiences are unaware of what may happen. Some movies goes as far as to eliminate the use of a soundtrack in order to get rid of the sound cues used to tell the audience how they should feel prepare for.
