Not up, but out

Pietro Alfano

Most schools pride themselves on how big they are, or on new additions to there school. Like many other issues AU differs from other institutions.

Aurora University, although very conveniently laid out. Pales in compression to other Universities its size. As you may know Aurora U does not have any building taller then four stories. "Aurora can't have any buildings taller then four stories, but that doesn't mean there not growing" explained A.U.S.A president Cody Fuerst. He explained that the university is actually expanding in the direction of Prairie. Adding a welcome center and building more building for groups to meet.

Another issues for AU is the field. Although almost every sports teams at AU use the football field, the absence of lights makes it hard for teams to put in that extra effort. No lights? You ask, on a college field? It's true, the community doesn't want the lights for whatever reasoning. Maybe there scared that opposing schools fans will act like Cubs fans after the games, using the community as an outdoor restroom.

Whatever the issue may be the university is doing its best to try and expand. Even if up is out of the question, they can always go out. So lets keep our fingers crossed and pray that there first addition, is as parking lot.

Final on finals

In what is likely to be the last installment of the Spartan Sorrows, I would like to focus on something that is not only unique to Aurora University, but to all college students nationwide.

It is that time of the year again, were students morph into rapid, angry carnivores that will kill someone just to have 5 minutes of free time.  That's right, it's time to take finals.

It's time for us to spend hours in our dorm room or library slaving away to come up with a 17 word sentence that will help us reach the requirement for our final paper.  Or maybe you're one of the shameless kids that is taking cheating to a whole other level by scanning test answers onto your Aquafina water bottle wrapper.  Risky, but clever.  Or maybe you're in the library pacing back and forth, calling and texting your partner because they aren't there yet to finish your PowerPoint together.  We have all been there.  Stress can change a person and make that point in there life not worth living.  There is hope people, and it's called: "Christmas Break."  You have to keep your eyes on the prize.

Just in case you are one of those people that can't handle stress, I have included some tips to try to remember during these tough times:

1. Avoid stressful people.
Stress actually is contagious. During exam week, resist the urge to have a study session with your super-tense friend, especially if they're complaining about all the work she has to do and breaking pencils all over the place. Their stress will only add to your stress.

2. Eat healthy and exercise.
This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s a wonder how many people forget it. Skip the sugar, which will make you crash, and go for snacks like granola bars, healthy cereal or fruits and veggies to keep your blood sugar stable. If you’re studying for a long period of time, eat some protein too. Also, try to get some form of exercise. Even a 10 minute walk will leave you calmer and more focused.

3. Just say NO.
I don’t mean to drugs, although I’m not recommending them or anything. What you need to say no to are the people who want to take up your time. There will probably be a friend who needs to talk to you for hours about her life, or a keg party the night before your final, and if you say yes, you’ll probably be tempted to blow off studying. Resist the urge. Say no to the distractions and be selfish for a day. You want a good GPA, right?
 
4. Force yourself to take breaks.
For every hour or so that you work, take a 10 or 15 minute break. Let yourself do whatever you want (check Facebook, check out the hottie sitting near by in the library, stare off into space, call a friend, etc.) for those 10-15 mins, then start working again. This gives your brain a little rest and will help keep you more focused when you are actually doing work.

5. Get plenty of sleep.
This is obvious.  We all know that being rested helps our minds to function better.  Even though you make think studying til 3 am will benefit you the next morning, it probably won't.  The difference between 6 of hours of sleep and 8 hours of sleep is unreal.  Try to get between 8 and 10 hours of sleep, not just the night before the test, but all week as well.

Fellow classmates, I believe in you.  Follow these steps and use some common sense and you will be fine.  After it's all over reward yourself.  Get yourself that pair of shoes you've been wanting or a new video game.

It's been fun exposing the dirty laundry of AU this semester to my fellow classmates.  Good luck on finals everyone, and try to not drink yourselves to death after you find out if you passed or failed.

-Jordan Spurling

Going Greek

Pietro Alfano
Column

Revenge of the Nerds, Animal House, and Old School are three great movies. What do all these movies have in common, aside from describing what the AU campus is like; all three movies focus around Greek life on campus.

As mentioned before these movies actually have no similarities to Aurora University. If you walk around our quant little campus you will notice there are no fraternity/sorority houses on campus. Don’t become discouraged so quickly, there are fraternities and sororities you could join. I would guess that the initiation process doesn’t consist of the binge drinking, the hazing from older members, and the other random acts that are required for you to prove yourself worthy. But hey, the good thing is after whatever exhausting tasks you are asked to perform you can relax at the frat/sororities meeting place. Which depending on what rooms are being used on campus could possibly be the McDonalds down the road, no doubt you be loving it.

It is all AU’s fault however, like most private school a lot of the money they need to help improve the campus comes a lot from donations. When your top donator decides he is going to give the school an insane amount of money, if they do not allow any Greek life housing on campus; how could the school say no? Let’s face it, it’s not like they also requested that all the buildings on campus have red roofs…..

A valuable lesson can be learned from all this, to take your degree form AU and become as successful as possible, then donate it to the school and make your mark on campus. Who knows? Everyone says skies the limit, maybe one day student will attend Alfano University.

Come Get You Fix

Jordan Spurling - Column

It’s 11:24 a.m. and you need your fix.  You grab your iPhone and send a quick text to your friends asking if they want some too.  You leave your dorm room and meet up with your posse outside, then out on your way to get the goods.  You sprint up the stairs, noticing the void in your body is stronger than ever.  You open the door and find out that you’re not alone.  Thirty other feens stand around, huddling together wanting the same thing you want. You reassure yourself that there will be plenty to go around, but let’s face it; you want the fresh stuff, not something that other people have had the chance to dig through. There’s an awkward silence in the room.  Everyone just stands around saying nothing, not moving their heads, only their eyes.  Then suddenly, to break the silence and anxiety, a quite but yet ear piercingly loud “click” is heard.  Everyone begins to file towards the door, grabbing at their wallets to pay to get their fix of satisfaction.  You see the dealers standing inside, looking at you, knowing their time to serve has come.  Get ready for the rush people; it’s lunch time.

Why not pay more, for less?

A 4 pack of Amp Energy cost $6.99. A single can in the spot $4.83

Live, Laugh, Lib

Pietro Alfano

For some people, studying in there room is next to impossible. Your room is full of people, you are overwhelmed by all the distractions, or on rare occasions your internet is not working.

Now for most people going to the library is the solution to their problem. It is a calm and relaxing environment where someone can be at ease and just focus on their studies. Now on a more realistic note the library could be those things, but for a lot of students that’s not the case.  It is almost guarantees that every time you step foot in the Phillips you are going to find a group of people that you know, You tell yourself I’ll just go say hi and talk for a minute. 45 minutes later you realize that the clock is ticking and your homework is still untouched.

So you have reminded yourself and everyone you have talked to that you’re swamped with work and just ready for this semester to be over. Now, you start to look for the right spot to sit and start the production of your academic genius, you walk around downstairs but all the tables are taken. You take a walk upstairs and see that there are no open seats either, this is not always the case sometimes the open seats just don’t feel like the right spot to produce the greatness that is going to be your homework.

This is not always the case, for some this is a common occurrence. For these students they find themselves back in their room and the only solution to be taking a nap to try and sleep on the problem.  

No thanks, I'd rather buy a car

Jordan Spurling

The beginning of every semester brings high hopes and optimism to all students.  They print their syllabuses off, get new note pads and pens, and talk to their friends to see if they have the same classes together.

In the midst of all of this excitement, a daunting reality hits you in the face.  You have to buy text books.  “For the first two years of my college career, I had the wool pulled over my eyes and thought it was mandatory to buy all of the textbooks that my teachers told me about.  Some of them I didn’t even use!” said senior Bryce Carey.  Of course there are some classes that actually require you to use them, but it’s rare.  “I only bought one book this semester, and so far I am doing just fine,” said Carey.

According to scholarships.com, the average college students spend about 1,100 dollars on text books per school year.  Realistically, your average student will open each one of those books twice.  With the internet, students have all the knowledge they need just a few clicks away, so why waste the money on the book?

If you just have to have the books, there are some cost saving alternatives.  More than likely, you will be able to find a used version of the book you are looking for, for a reduced price.  You will just have to deal with some tears or scratches on the cover.  Also, students can rent books from various companies; you just have to be willing to pay monthly renewals.  You could also rely on my personal, all time favorite money saving tip, and just have your study sessions in the campus bookstore.

More than likely, these publishing companies are just asking ridiculous prices for their books because they know that it’s only a matter of time before the iPad runs them out of business.  I just pray that the app for that isn’t $249.99.

Sammy Spartan Scares Me

Column
Jordan Spurling

Last year, the official Aurora University athletic logo was changed from Sammy Spartan and the letters “AU”, to just simply “AU Spartans”.  Some of you have noticed this and some of you haven’t.  The reason however, is probably not very well known.  It wasn’t done because the athletic department just wanted a change.  It was done to accommodate our politically correct society.  University Administration claimed that the original logo was too “barbaric” and “violent.”  Excuse me, and I may be wrong, but I thought the whole idea behind athletic intimidation was to seem like a dominant opponent?  Since when did we fear that our logo might suddenly jump to life and climb out of the computer screen and murder an innocent by stander? But honestly, I shouldn’t be over reacting about this, because I have heard rumors that next year we are changing our colors to pink and baby blue and changing our mascot to the Aurora University Fluffy Cupcake Princesses.  On the bright side, I can say that I am pretty sure that no one will go to sleep tonight in terror hoping that Sammy the Spartan isn’t lurking underneath their bed.  Don’t worry liberals, we changed the mascot for you.

 One of these are terrifying....

Unable to (ever) connect!

9 times out 10 this is what you see when you try to get on the Internet.

Dorm Life

Pietro Alfano

It can be expected that your college dorm room is not going to have all the luxuries of home, but a few would be nice. For some campus residents of Aurora University the dorms leave a bit to be desired.

When you think of dorm problems, you probably think of small rooms or having a roommate who you may not get along with. In some of AU’s dorms those are problems people would gladly trade for. “At random times the toilets will start leaking. From all floors all the way down to the basement, then all the floors start leaking water.” Said Davis Hall resident, Julius Lagrone, now to some people that may not seem like a problem; but everyone knows what happens in toilets and if you don’t mind that water leaking into your hallway and rooms then more power to you.

Alright so you get over the fact that you have bipolar toilets. Now you’re in your room and its 100 degrees outside, time to turn on the A.C…or not. “There’s no A.C so you would just lie in bed and bake. You would think the winters would be alright, wrong again. You don’t control the heat so you’re at the mercy of whoever is controlling it” said Jenks resident Derrick Powell. If you’re looking for a good way to lose weight maybe this is the place for you, but if you don’t want to look like you just came out of a cool water commercial every time you leave your dorm then this could be a problem.

Alright now these dorms are kind of old so they have an excuse. If we take a look at the Taj Mahal of AU, we still see things wrong. “Don’t get me wrong the dorm is beautiful, but at two in the morning when I can hear my neighbor talking that’s a problem.” Said New Hall resident Nick Brown

Of course, these are things that are out of the student’s control and I’m sure there are actions being taken to fix all of these problems. In the mean time we just have to keep our hopes high with our overwhelming love for our University and all of its great qualities 

Bullet hole in cafeteria window?

Yeah I remember the last time we had a shoot out in the caf

To skip, or not to skip?

Column
Pietro Alfano


Your alarm goes off and immediately you have a rush of positive emotion, you leap from your warm comfortable bed and rush to get to class out of pure excitement.

Now it is possible that not everyone has these feelings when they wake up in the morning. So what else could possibly be going through your mind? Well maybe you are thinking, it’s just a lecture day or we aren’t going to be doing anything important maybe I should just skip class; it is college.

Were just going to hit the brakes on that idea from the get go. Even if it is college and we are all supposed to be adults and be able to make our own decisions, there is one that is made for us. Aurora University has a very strict attendance policy. This may get under some peoples skin but let’s take into consideration the benefits of this policy.  

First, you are not cutting yourself short of being able to absorb any useful information that your professor is willing to instill on you that day. Second, you don’t have to worry about missing an exam that could dramatically affect your grade. Lastly, college is not cheap and if you’re going to pay that much for school why not go to class?

However, everyone has their own opinion on the importance of going to class. Since we do not get Veterans Day, Casmir Pulaski Day, or remember the Alamo day off school some might think they deserve a few personal days.  Regardless, 3 missed classes and there’s no going back, your grades about to go down.  So don’t be a sad Spartan, be cool and show up to school!

Treasure hunting- I mean parking

Where’s Waldo? Hide and go seek. I spy. If you think of any other games that are like looking for a parking spot at Aurora University, please leave in the comment box below. 

You can continue to loop around the parking lot, nothing is going to change.  I have the luxury of living close to campus and do not have to worry about finding a parking spot, but, I know how vicious of a world it is here at AU.  If a car’s white reverse lights come on, the Daytona 500 might as well have started, because that is what it is like watching cars make a B-Line to the almost empty parking space.

It’s no secret that parking is a HUGE issue here at AU, maybe even the biggest problem.  Campusprowler.com gives AU parking a D- on their scale.

The following is a direct quote from Aurora University’s website: “Parking is available on campus. If campus parking lots are full, parking is available in the neighborhood surrounding the university…Please plan to arrive in sufficient time to find parking prior to the start of the ceremony.”  Now, let’s break this down.  First of all, props to university officials for trying to make it sound a lot better than it actually is.  “Parking is available on campus.”  That’s correct AU, parking is available on campus, but for only 25 percent of the university community.  “If campus parking lots are full, parking is available in the neighborhood surrounding the university.” Oh, absolutely correct once again, that is only if you accept the fact that you’re probably going to make some nice little suburban family angry and get a ticket by the Aurora Police Department.  And oh yeah, I forgot to mention, you’ll have to hike to class.  (probably in the snow as well).  As for the last part of the statement: “Please plan to arrive in sufficient time to find parking prior to the start of the ceremony.” Is class considered a ceremony now?

Bottom line, AU need’s to step up its parking game.  If you’re lucky enough to find a parking spot within 5 minutes of looking next day you have class, enjoy yourself, and realize, it will never happen again….

You don't get your baskets back until we get our dang quesadillas in under 4 seconds

Commuters are forced to kill down time

It’s 12:50 pm and Sarah Tarchala has a big decision to make.  Does she walk to her car and drive back to her home in Naperville only to return in one hour, sit in the Dunham Atrium and find some way to entertain herself, or go treat the driver seat of her car like a mattress for an afternoon nap and pray that people that pass by don’t take pictures of her? This is a very typical scenario that all commuters face many times a week. 

 Campus residents see this every day: the lonely distraught commuter wandering around campus pretending like they have something to do.  Just take a stroll behind the football field in the mid afternoon and glance in a couple of cars; there are backpacks being used as pillows in every car with a diligent student waiting for their next class.  Some students are proactive and lounge on their laptop in the library or The Spot, but come on, there’s only so much “pinning” that can be done on Pinterest between classes.

When speaking to Tarchala, she said that she typically passed time between classes by, “taking advantage of the down time by doing homework so she would not have to do it at home, or just bore myself on Facebook for hours.”

Commuters are asking that the university provides more study space and more parking space.  Obviously parking is a whole other issue that will be touched on later, but the extra study space would certainly help.  Every time I peep into one the computer labs that isn’t having a class, I envision a watering hole in the middle of the African Desert with a swarm of animals fighting for seats or room at the printer.

Aurora University commuters will continue to find ways to entertain themselves between classes.  Just remember; always crack your windows when sleeping in a running car.

Sorrow in the Spot

Bittersweet is one word that could be used to describe the Spartan Spot. After a beautiful renovation and with some of the friendliest employees you could possibly ask for one would think where exactly does the bitter part come in?

Having to wait 45 minutes for a six piece order of chicken nuggets, to some this may seem a little outrageous. If we take a closer look at why someone could pass out from famine before getting there food we see that it is not the fault of anyone in the spot at all.

While speaking to Debbie Potter, who has been in the food industry for 20 years and knows her way around a kitchen, about the reason it takes a few extra seconds for an order is, in fact the number of people they have on staff at certain times. “On an average night we will serve 400 to 700 people” said potter from the hours of four to eight p.m. the spot has seven people on hand, from eight to 10 p.m. they have five on hand, from the hours of 10 p.m. to two a.m. they only have three people in the kitchen. Now on average they have 350 of their daily orders coming from the 10 p.m. to two a.m. hours, when they only have three people working you can see how it could take a minute.

With 350 orders coming between the 10 p.m. and two a.m. hours, and only having three cooks valiantly trying to full-fill these orders it makes sense that sometimes it takes a little long. Not everyone understands what it is like to be in Hell’s kitchen, so students tend to get a little upset.

After hours of brainstorming and crunching numbers, there are some simple solutions to this problem. We could flip the amount of people working so the employees increased throughout the night instead of decrease. If that is not an option, and it may not be possible due to the other two food distribution places on campus, then students could try combating the problem other ways. First, they could meditate and take advantage of the calming effect of the low light levels in the spot. Second, they could take advantage of the pool or Ping-Pong table. Third, if the two above do not seem appealing you could watch TV or express yourself in interpretive dance and possibly make some new friends!

So when you think Spartan Spot from now on don’t think it’s going to be the second coming before you get your food, think the people in the kitchen are working as hard as they can to please us. So I’ll take advantage of this free time and find a way to utilize it.