Undergraduate admissions look to be flourishing

It seems like for the past few years, Medaille has boasted nothing but increasing numbers in terms of enrollment. It has become common to hear about record-breaking incoming freshman classes as the college increases its reputability within the community. But will the economic difficulties that our country is currently facing affect this growth?

According to Greg Florczak, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Admissions, the proactive approach that Medaille has taken in response to the current economic situation seems to be paying off. “We’re on the same path as we were a year ago,” said Florczak. “Last year we brought in our largest class ever and we retained the most students that we had ever retained in the history of the school. This year versus last year, we’re seeing similar trends.”

Appreciation for natural beauty seems nonexistent

These days, it’s no surprise why girls of all ages have issues with body image. Society’s definition of “beauty” can be found on TV screens and magazine pages all across the world, promoting the idea that to be beautiful, you have to be skinny, flawless, and basically perfect. The thing that most girls don’t realize is that the media is, in a sense, false advertising.

Though I scrounged around trying to find exact numbers, I was unsuccessful; but I can only guess that a very small percentage of the images you see in magazines and on television are unedited. What’s really unfortunate is that young girls, in particular, don’t realize that the majority of the photos they see are digitally enhanced; they are tricked into believing that people can actually look like that.

Fans of all ages drool over Meyer’s vampire series

It’s a sure sign that if you haven’t heard of the ever popular Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, you have probably been living under a rock. As each day passes, the series only continues to grow in popularity, with readers all over the world falling in love with the love story of Edward and Bella.

“It’s not like any other love story. It’s so different, so unexpected,” said Brittany Jardine, a freshman veterinary technology major. “The fans love the connection Bella and Edward had from the very beginning. I think most of us envy that… we all want that kind of relationship.”

Technological advancements can hold us back

I’m probably too young to be able to say this, but times have changed since I was kid. Sure, I’ve never known what it’s like to go without televisions, computers and cell phones, but it seems to me that technology has become so commonplace nowadays that children are missing out on valuable childhood experiences.

When I was growing up, I spent most of my time outside playing, as long as the weather permitted. Even when I didn’t want to, my parents told me I needed to “get the stink blown off of me,” and outside I went. All the kids on our street would gather and play hide and seek, running across the span of our yards, getting what most kids these days don’t: exercise.

Pit bull charm defies common stereotypes

I’ve never been much of a dog person.

I never had been, anyways, until I met my boyfriend, who is most definitely a dog person. It was around that time, when we started dating, that frequenting pet stores to play with puppies became a regular occurrence. Before I knew it, his love for animals began to grow on me.

Medaille looks for benchmark

Does anyone remember life before green, yellow, and blue recycling bins? It’s only been one year since the True, Blue and Gold Leadership students implemented a campus wide recycling initiative, but already, recycling has become part of the routine at Medaille College.

To keep things exciting, Medaille will be participating in Recyclemania, a ten week national recycling competition, for the second year in a row. According to its website, Recyclemania is “a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities.” Last year, Medaille was the eleventh ranked school at the end of the competition.

Vicious weather can’t ruin Buffalo’s outlook for 2009

It’s about this time, when the snow is no longer simply a complimentary addition to Christmas, that Buffalonians begin to question why in the world they live here. It’s funny, isn’t it? How people who live in a city like Buffalo can complain so much about such a defining aspect of the community. Do they forget where they live? What do they expect?

Now, I wouldn’t classify myself as a particular fan of cold weather, but it’s part of the Buffalo package. I don’t ski or snowboard. I don’t snowmobile, ice skate, or snowshoe. My favorite winter activity is staying warm, which normally means hanging out indoors – preferably with blankets and hot chocolate. But that doesn’t mean I don’t accept winter for what it is. When I look beyond the below-freezing temperatures and the hazardous driving conditions, I can actually focus on how pretty the snow is when it first falls and no one has trudged through it yet.

Watching Flight 1549 take a dive in the sky

US Airways Flight 1549 made plenty of headlines when it crash-landed into the Hudson River Thursday January 15. Chances are you might have watched the footage, saw the 155 passengers safely rescued from the floating airplane. But you were probably comfortable, on your couch at home or at a friend’s house. Perspective Calendar Editor Brianna Broad, on the other hand, watched from her seat on Jet Blue Flight 8.

After a four-day vacation in New York City, Broad and her family went to John F. Kennedy International Airport where they boarded Flight 8 to return to Buffalo. It was on that airplane that Broad stumbled across the news on Channel 2 and saw the image of Flight 1549, floating in the Hudson River. “I’ve never experienced anything like that,” said Broad. “To be so close to that when it actually happened was really frightening.”

Student success shared by advisor

Three months ago, the fall semester was just beginning. For some reason, that feels like yesterday. Suddenly, it’s December. I should expect it, but it’s always a surprise to me. When schedules get hectic, the semester flies by. Now, I’m preparing for spring semester.

Of course, I can’t do it alone. At the end of every semester, students meet with their academic advisors to plan for the following one. I consider myself very lucky, because my advisor, Deb McLoughlin, has been a tremendous help to me from day one of my Medaille experience.

Greater cause drives club

Daniel Biljanoski, of Auburn NY, has a lot to be thankful for this year. At twelve years old, he is one of only two children in the United States to be diagnosed with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT), a rare, high grade brain tumor. But after five months of treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Daniel has returned home, and is currently cancer free. 

Children like Daniel and the work done at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are the reason behind a new club on campus, Up Til Dawn. According to the St. Jude website, Up Til Dawn is “a student-led, student-run fundraiser hosted by more than 180 campuses nationwide.” Through letter-writing campaigns and other fundraising activities, the club exists to raise money for St. Jude and concludes with an event called “Up Til Dawn,” which celebrates a year’s worth of fundraising efforts.