How to Plan the Perfect 'Gal'entine's Day

Happy ‘Gal’entine’s Day! The day before Valentine’s day is for celebrating the love and friendship between you and your girlfriends. According to Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec, the founder of Galentine’s Day, “It’s only the best day of the year.”

The best way to start the celebration is to decorate. Target has an amazing selection of ‘Gal’entine’s Day decor, from cute love balloons to ‘Gal’entine’s Day banners, at very affordable prices. The decorations are perfect for dorm rooms, houses or apartments.

The next step is to plan the perfect brunch. And where else would you eat brunch at than Turning Point? Enjoying avocado toast, waffles, and coffee with your ladies– nothing else could be better.

After brunch, you and your friends could venture out on a shopping spree at Molly & Zoey. Your whole squad could purchase matching bear coats or cute outfits for a fancy dinner. ‘Gal’entine’s Day is all about you and your friends, so “treat yo self!” Shopping really stirs up your appetite, so after you each get your outfits you could walk down to Playa Bowls and enjoy a bowl or smoothie on the beach if it is not too cold.

Those stylish ensembles you purchased are perfect for a gal’s night out. You and your ladies could have a fancy dinner at a restaurant on the beach, like McLoone’s or Tommy’s Tavern and Tap. The slightly cheaper route could be a sushi restaurant where you share a variety of rolls.

Paula Echeverria, a sophomore criminal justice student, said, “My idea of a great ‘Gal’entine’s Day would be going to a new and fun restaurant with friends.” After eating, you must take fabulous girl squad pictures of all of you in your new outfits to post on Instagram with a clever ‘Gal’entine’s Day caption.

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Professor Spotlight: John Morano

Throughout life, everyone follows a different path. The road to success may not be easy, but through hard work and sacrifice anything can be achievable. John Morano, Professor of Communication, reflected, “I never thought my life would work out like this. I never thought, not in my wildest dreams, that my career would go where it took me and where it is right now.”

“I’ve worked really hard to get here. If you asked me when I graduated college if I’d be a journalist and professor at Monmouth University, nature novelist, and doing some of the other things I do, I would have laughed and said, ‘I don’t think so,’” Morano continued.

At Monmouth, Morano’s courses include:  Newswriting, Feature Writing, Writing the Review, and Introduction to Journalism. He has also served as the faculty advisor for The Outlook for 30 years. Outside the University, he is the author of the Morano Eco-Adventure Book Series, and is an owner of Bubbakoo’s Burritos franchises in Wall Township and Toms River.

Morano’s journey began by taking a film course in college and being a film critic for the school paper, during this time, he realized a passion for analyzing film. After earning two bachelor degrees in English and film from Clark University, and a masters in journalism from Penn State, he became the managing editor of Modern Screen magazine, which was the nation’s oldest movie magazine. Morano held the role of lead film critic for Modern Screen. He later served as Editor-in-Chief of ROCKbeat Magazine (Los Angeles) and Senior Editor of Inside Books Magazine (New York).

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I Posted Every Day on Instagram in 2018

This is How I Felt by the End

Ever since its creation, social media has been used as a place where people share their thoughts and memories with friends, family, and in some cases, random people from around the world. It gives us a window into the parts of a person’s life that we may not see on a regular basis, especially that of celebrities. Actors, athletes, and supermodels may screenshot moments from their day and upload them for others to like and respond.

In addition to owning two personal Instagram accounts, Werlhens Francois, a junior communication student, runs several accounts dedicated to promoting his own shows, including “Balling in the Zone” on Hawk TV. “Social media can literally change lives,” Francois explained. “If you post content that people like and you post it consistently for other people to follow, you can become a celebrity overnight.”

While some people like Francois use Instagram to promote their business, others use it for more recreational purposes. Hania Sarsar, a junior communication student, uses social media to post pictures of her flowery, patterned artwork for the general public to view. “I think it branches you out and you get to see what other people like,” Sarsar said in response to keeping her art account public.

However, she has different feelings about making a personal account for her everyday life. “I find it weird if people know what I’m doing all the time, and I just don’t know if I want other people to know what I’m doing. I don’t even know what I would post – maybe a selfie?” she explained.

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How to Be Your Best Self in 2019

Striving for self-improvement has never been easier than it is at the beginning of a new year. A look back at 2018 gives motivation to make healthy changes, and the transition into 2019 offers opportunities to do so. The new year is a fresh start with opportunities to achieve those goals that were once left on the back burner.

Exercising more often is the most common resolution, usually associated with losing weight and becoming fit. Although focusing on physical health is essential for self-improvement, the benefits of exercising don’t stop there; frequent workouts can improve mental health as well. Focusing on happiness and stress management is vital to becoming our best selves, something not many people take into consideration when entering a new year. The burning sensation that arises in muscles while running on the treadmill or lifting weights indicates one step closer to fulfilling a new year’s resolution.

Skill-building is another essential part of becoming your best self. Taking up a skill you would’ve never imagined and becoming thoroughly dedicated will produce endless gratification. Fun, stimulating hobbies to undertake in the new year include learning an instrument, baking, reading, and painting. The arts have a unique way of reducing stress as well. There’s something about producing peaceful strokes of paint that relieves the mind of stress, just like there’s something about getting lost in a fictional novel that reduces stress.

Everyone can appreciate the self-expression that comes with art. Sophomore health studies student Cameron Oakley said, “Although I’m not an art major, I want to take more time for things that I love. Not necessarily what my career’s going to be, but something I enjoy. [Painting] is a stress-free activity that gives me the chance to take my mind off of school completely.”

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Tips for Making This Your Best Semester

The spring semester has just begun, but here are some easy tips to make it your best semester yet.

Wake up to a song that makes you smile.

From personal experience, I’ve learned that it’s almost impossible to wake up to an alarm that doesn’t fill your body with dread. Plus, the winter time is even worse since the sun rises later in the morning and nobody should have to wake up before the sun does.

However, by setting your alarm to one of your favorite songs, it softens the pain of waking up to attend your responsibilities, whether that be to go to work, class or basketball practice.

Use a song with happy lyrics and a calming melody so the light bulb in your head is peacefully turned on and the first thing you wake up to is something positive.

Evan Orsini, a freshman biology student, follows this idea by listening to music throughout the day to stay upbeat and energized in between classes. “Music keeps me in the zone and helps me focus on homework,” Orsini said.

Wear something that screams confidence (even if you’re faking).

Oversized sweatshirts are always welcome, and nobody plans to turn their backs on those magnificent, portable blankets. However, in order to perform your best, you must feel your best.

You can accomplish this simply with a necklace, a jean jacket or a new pair of pants.

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How to Combat the Winter Blues

As we are slowly moving into the new year, there are many changes developing in most aspects of our lives. One of them happens to be changing the clocks back. Daylight savings time is over, which brings on a widespread and severe epidemic: the winter blues.

For many, the cold weather combined with the added darkness can cause feelings of sadness and a lack of motivation. However, there are several ways to get back into your usual groove and most of them can be done by a simple change of habits.

While it seems really obvious, opening curtains and blinds will instantly allow more sunlight to shine into the room. Being in a bright space has a direct correlation to our moods because our minds perceive certain colors to be connected to certain behaviors.

The quickest and most relieving way to release sad energy from the winter is by focusing your mind on something else. Bury your head in a book, whether it is a physics book for class or a novel by your favorite author. Reading is an amazing escape and can help you to relax your mind as well as re-adjust your focus on other parts of the world.

Another speedy solution is to listen to your favorite playlist. Spotify makes personalized playlists so if winter jams and slow songs are not your thing, there are plenty of summer songs to listen to. This will definitely cheer up someone who is stuck in winter.

If you enjoy laying in the dark watching Netflix, that is okay too. This is because of an upcoming trend called a Himalayan salt lamp. Aside from being fashionable and aesthetically pleasing, these lamps absorb indoor air pollutants.

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Alumni Spotlight: Michael Venezia

When you think of home, it is a place that’s relied on for comfort, equality, and growth. Lifelong Bloomfield resident and a Monmouth alumnus, Mayor Michael Venezia, makes sure his town is prepared for everyone to feel welcomed.

As any newcomer in politics, Venezia had to get his feet wet and work his way up. “I was always involved locally in politics and government in Bloomfield which kind of geared me to run for council in 2010,” said Venezia.

Upon graduating Monmouth University with a political science degree in 2005, Venezia felt prepared to embark on his successful career within politics. To begin this journey, he took the opportunity working for Congressman Bill Pascrell as a way of becoming more involved in politics.

“I started off as a staff assistant, which is the lowest level position. I used to drive Bill and answer the phone; it was a very demanding job because you would always be on the other end of an angry constitute,” Venezia said.

A couple months later, Venezia moved up to Field Representative concentrating on Essex County becoming the link for most of the local government to the Congressman’s office.

Venezia later began working as Projects Director for former U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg for over five years. When Lautenberg passed away, Venezia went on to work for Essex County and the County Administrator’s office as an assistant administrator and is currently the Director of Human Resources for the Essex County Schools of Technology.

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Professor Spotlight on Maria Simonelli

Thirty-eight years ago, Maria Simonelli, Ph.D., arrived in the United States for the first time from a small town in the mountains near Naples, Italy.

Her arrival to America began after an earthquake in Naples, but her journey to Monmouth as a lecturer of Italian and Latin, the Department Coordinator of the Italian Program, and the Advisor of the Italian Club took some time.

“I was teaching in Italy— Italian, Latin, and Classical Greek. I came here, and I didn’t teach right away because I didn’t feel comfortable with my accent. I tried so many things but the only thing I really loved was the classroom,” shared Simonelli.

“I was trying here and there, doing different things that didn’t mean much to me really. It was a good experience, though. I got to meet different people, I got to understand the dynamics of society here, and finally I went back to teaching,” she added.

Simonelli’s story of becoming a professor in America is a perfect example of finding what you were truly meant to do.

Gianna Petrone, a junior criminal justice student in Simonelli’s Elementary Italian class, said, “One of my favorite things about Dr. Simonelli is her enthusiasm for teaching. As a student in her class, it’s been a privilege to see her passion for the Italian language and culture.”

Simonelli’s understanding of the American culture was accompanied by her learning of the English language. “I learned how different it was. There’s so many differences in cultures, especially with school,” Simonelli said.

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Some of the Best Chanukah Traditions

Chanukah, the miracle of lights, is celebrated among many students at Monmouth University. It is a celebration of one day’s worth of oil lasting eight days, when Jewish soldiers thousands of years ago were forbidden by ancient Greeks from practicing Judaism in the holy land. Together, with the warmth of family, the lighting of the menorah each day symbolizes the miracle of how many days the oil lasted.

Chanukah traditions keep the joy of the holiday alive each year. Matthew Cohen, a sophomore computer science student, shared his favorite tradition. “The lighting of the menorah because it’s a visual way to remember history and reenact the story of Chanukah thousands of years later,” he said.

Cohen loves being able to embrace his Jewish heritage at Monmouth with Chanukah. Having this on campus is important to him, “It’s good because a lot of other kids are Jewish here and it’s cool to see a lot of us come together, especially this past Tuesday, for the lighting of the menorah and appreciate and experience our culture together.”

The joy of the holiday is spread on campus with Chabad of Monmouth University, the on-campus organization that provides a tight-knit community for Jewish students.

Rabbi Yaakov Greenberg, adjunct professor of Intro to Judaism and advisor of Chabad, shared his favorite Chanukah tradition. “It’s definitely finding Jewish people who weren’t planning on celebrating the holiday and giving them a menorah enabling them to observe the holiday of Chanukah,” he said.

He encourages students here at Monmouth to get involved with the traditions by “sharing with them the beauty, relevance, meaning, and importance of their Jewish heritage and tradition.”

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DIY Gifts? DIY Gifts.

College students do not typically have the luxury of driving to the mall to pick up gifts for their loved ones. While they may not have their car on campus, they may not have the funds either. Gifts are expensive, and your total can quickly accumulate, especially when there are numerous people on your shopping list.

A new trend is DIY gifts. They are convenient, creative and they establish a personal connection to the gift that cannot be mimicked through a store-bought gift. Rebecca Berzins, a freshman marine biology student, stated, “Making your own gifts requires more thought and effort than just buying something.” A quality gift does not have to be expensive nor elaborate, as long as the person you are giving it to will like it.

DIY gifts can be made right from the comfort of your own dorm, because many of them require just a few items that you most likely have laying around anyway.

However, some of them might require cheaper items that help to complemte the gift such as a mason jar, ribbon, or a basket to put everything in. These items can be purchased at any dollar store.

Let’s be honest – we all have some shaving cream lying around in our shower caddies. Shaving cream is the primary ingredient for slime, a rapidly growing trend amongst younger children.

This is the perfect gift for younger siblings or cousins. The other ingredients consist of water, borax and glue, depending on what type of slime you want to make.

Children get ecstatic over slime (college students do too, it’s fine), and it can be made in a variety of different colors. It’s easy to make, not expensive and can be packaged presentably in a container with some ribbon.

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