Christmas

So Christmas time is here, and the 25th is getting closer and closer. Although the weather doesn't make it seen like Christmas, lights are up every here and there in west chester, and the holiday decorations are set for all to see. A must see though, for all ages is the christmas display at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa. Longwood Gardens is famous for their simply unbelievable floral landscapes in the spring/summer months, as well as shows and other displays during the various seasons. Iv'e only been there once during the summer and it was truly an amazing site. You don't have to be interested in flowers, or landscaping, or anything of that nature to enjoy this place. I've heard the Christmas display is just as good. I'm taking my girlfriend on Saturday night and I'm pretty excited. They have somewhere around 20 rooms filled with decoration and lights and all that good stuff. Tickets can be bought online for certain time slots during the holiday season (the time slots are an effort to prevent huge lines and a packed house during the holiday season, you can only enter at a certain time, but can stay as long as you would like). Check out their site at http://www.longwoodgardens.org/.

TV Shows

One of my hobbies, I guess you could say, is to watch tv series during the day, since there is NOTHING on until 5pm. I follow many tv series, some of them being It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Office, Parks and Recreation, The League, LOST, V, True Blood, Greek and some more. I just wanted to recommend some shows to those who are looking for something to watch. All of these can be found online as well. LOST is one of my favorite shows all time and will sometimes make you cry, others it will make you smile, but most of the time it will make you cry in sheer enjoyment as to how brilliant the story line is. V is the new show on abc which involves an alien race coming to earth to live among the humans. These "visitors" claim they are at peace with the human race. It is only 5 episodes into the first season and it's been awesome so far, as the story unravels and we start to question why they are really here. So try to check out one of these shows if you want to watch something new. The link I provided has some shows in near hd quality, the others can be "googled" and found on a random site.

www.hulu.com

Doing grown-up things...

So i decided to go home last weekend to relax and get away from all the work I've been having to do for my classes. It was nice to hang out with mama and papa dukes, and to be away from everyone. Sometimes going to bed at 11 on a friday night in a quiet house is nice, especially after a long period of time being away from home. But soon to follow my arrival in Marlton, NJ, was a conversation with my dad about me getting a credit card. I know I should have had one by now, but I hated the idea of me carrying a card that allows me to purchase items without having the money to pay for them at that time. He reminded me of how crucial it was to establish credit for myself so I can eventually rent/buy my own place, buy or lease a car, or do anything else when I get out of school. So i decided I'm going to apply for a bunch and see what happens. I don't understand though, in order to be approved for a credit card, most holders require a person to have good credit. I applied for one at Wachovia and was denied, because I didn't have any credit. How am I supposed to have credit, when I can't get a credit card to establish a good credit score in the first place. I know there are other ways, and the only other way is the comcast bill under my name for a year. So I have to continue my quest to find a company who will trust in my weak credit score as of now, and give me some good news, because that 46" plasma tv will look pretty good on my wall in my place next year...

Greek Life

Okay, so I was catching up with some of my friends at home friday night, and the topic of being in a fraternity sparked my friends into "50 questions" mode about being a "frat guy". I'm going to attempt to clear up some of the misconceptions regarding the greek life here at West Chester University, why, because i feel, no i know most people think they know about what being in a fraternity/sorority is all about. But if they only knew what really went on, at least with my fraternity here, their feelings may be swayed a little, but it's better than nothing. Some may find this, I guess you could say "rant" (but not in a bad way) pointless and boring. Others may be involved in the greek system here and hopefully they feel the same way. The rest may find it very interesting and learn a little. If anyone has any questions regarding this topic or hey, maybe even be thinking about joining a fraternity/sorority, I wouldn't mind answering their questions and give more insight about what it's like to be greek.

1. "I'm not . to have friends at school"

Oh I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard this. Yes, you do have to pay "dues" to be in a fraternity. My only answer to this is that all the experiences you go through, the friends you do make in the process (not just the brothers), the benefits of being in a fraternity when your out of school looking for a job, simply outweigh not being in one. No one forces you to be friends with anyone in your fraternity, in fact there are some of my brothers I don't prefer to hang around. I don't have to like everyone of them, and the ones I don't like I'm still cool with when they're around.

2. Greek Life is a fast paced, binge drinking, drug using life.

I defiantly believed this as I watched movies like Animal House and American Pie: Beta House, but reality is it's nothing like those movies. Of course we like to party when the time's right, but in no way are we mixing beer with our cereal in the morning, or partying every night of the week. In our fraternity, there are people who don't drink and they are never pressured to. No one is going to lock you in a closet and not let you out until you finish a bottle of vodka, or force you to smoke (and if they do, walking away would be the best thing you can do, no one needs to be around people like that). The bottom line is school comes first, when it's time to be serious we are, and when it's time to relax we do that as well, just like any one else does on campus.

3. Joining a greek organization inhibits academic performance.

For some, it may, but for most it certainly does not. Last year at West Chester University, students involved in the greek system had a higher average cum. gpa than the rest of the student body. Like I said before, school comes first.

4. Greek organizations don't help improve any skills like leadership or communication.

When i first decided i wanted to pledge a fraternity, I was not aware of how much politics was involved. Leadership, communication, organization skills, as well as time managing skills are all gained from being in a fraternity. There are many positions to be held, ranging from president, vice president, social chair, treasurer, community service, and many more. Each person has their own set of tasks and responsibilities. There are programs brothers attend, and many community service/philanthropy events held to help raise money for our philanthropy. There's so much more I could write about but I'll just leave it at that...

I could go on in greater detail about he rumors of greek life for probably another hour or so, but for the most part I think these are the most common beliefs. Any questions? Want me to clarify anything? Just let me know.

Fly Guys are back baby

Finally, after one of the longest off seasons I've ever experienced in my 22 years on this earth, the Philadelphia Flyers have kicked off their season, and in a satisfying fashion. There will be a lot of posts about the flyers this semester but I can't help it, all the years I've played hockey and traveled around the U.S. has made me a DIE HARD flyers fan. I want nothing more than to see the fly guys hoist Lord Stanley's cup in late April/early May...besides an 09 black corvette Z06.

This season looks promising for many reasons, one of the biggest reasons being the addition of Chris Pronger, perhaps the most feared, meanest looking defenseman in the league. The additional of new, young talent in James Van Riemsdyke and Claude Giroux, who will play his first full season with the flyers, can only help the Flyers in their quest for the cup.

More to come later on, I gotta catch up on the studying...