Last night was the U.S. Presidential election. So if you didn’t know why there was a somber/shocked tone on campus today now you do!
Pennsylvania was a swing state, which means that the results in this state were very close and it was predicted to be a tight race.
Read the Snapper newspaper article below, written by one of our very own international students, Titilayo Farukuoye, on her thoughts on the implications of a Trump Presidency. Which we now know is reality.
As we head into the second to last month of the year, you may have noticed that the days are awfully shorter than when you first arrived or began classes. Not only does winter bring dramatic weather changes, but it also brings with it the change of time. Daylight savings time is old news to some countries, like North American and European countries, but an entirely new concept to Asian, African and South American countries. Whether you’re ready for it or not, daylight savings time is ending.
This past Sunday, November 6 at 2:00 am, daylight savings time officially ended and everyone set their clocks back a full hour. If you have not done so already, it is time to set back your clocks that do not automatically reset, like the one on your car radio, clocks around the house like on your microwave, and wrist watches. It is important to set these back one hour. An easy way to remember this is “fall backwards, spring forward.” In the fall, we set the clocks back, and in the spring, we set the clocks forward one hour.
A few things will happen as a result of DLS time ending. Possibly the most upsetting part of DLS time ending is that the days start to get dramatically shorter. As if the sun setting at 6:00 pm was not early enough, the sun will now set around 5:00pm each night. Until the Winter Solstice on December 21, the days will get shorter and shorter by a few minutes each day. The predicted sunset on December 21, the shortest day of the year, is 4:32 pm. That’s right; the sun will begin to set before most people are even done their day jobs. Luckily, after that date in December, the days will very slowly but surely get longer by a few minutes each day until we set our clocks forward into spring in March. Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we still have a very long, dark, and predicted snowy winter to get through first.
Although we may not have as much sunshine and daylight as we would like in the next upcoming months, there are plenty of things to do and to look forward to. Whether we like it or not, Pennsylvania winters are just something that we all have to deal with. I think this is why they save the best holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year, for the winter months; to give us something to look forward to. Make sure you check out our articles on important information for thanksgiving break, as well as fun indoor things to do now that the weather is getting colder.
As you may have noticed, it’s getting cold out and will continue to get much colder. With winter just around the corner, you may be wondering what there is to do when it becomes unbearably cold outside. While there is nothing wrong with sitting in bed on a Friday night and catching up on your favorite show on Netflix (See our article on all of our favorite Netflix shows to binge watch), there is also plenty to do with friends that does not involve freezing your limbs off.
Luckily for us, the winter months are very popular times for new movies to come out. An easy way to avoid the cold while still getting out of the house is to go to the movies. The local movie theater right down the road has student priced tickets, as well as recliner seats so you can kick back and relax while you watch the latest cinema hit. However, if you’re planning to go on a Friday or Saturday night, it would be wise to buy tickets ahead of time here, to avoid the line or having to sit in the front row looking straight up the entire time you’re watching. If seeing a movie is not in your budget, have a movie night in with friends. Pick a movie on demand or on DVD, turn down the lights, wrap up in a blanket on the couch, and pop some microwavable popcorn. It is just as good as the theater, for a fraction of the price.
Board games are another great indoor activity that is anything but boring. You can find gently used bored games at the local goodwill, or, if your American friends are anything like me, they already have a pretty impressive collection of board games for rainy/snowy days. Some classics include Monopoly, card games, Sorry, Jenga, Life, Twister, Pictionary and so much more. The more people you have, the more fun these games get! Have everyone bring over some snacks and you have one warm, exciting night in the works.
If you really want to get out of the house, there are plenty of MU sponsored events that are cheap and fun to go to with friends. Millersville’s ice hockey team plays at the local ice rink in Lancaster. Dress in layers because the inside of the ice rink may be cold, but cheering on our MU hockey team is a great way to spend a Friday night. Look here to find out when they play next! If cold hockey rinks are not your idea of a fun Friday night, Millersville’s basketball team also plays their home games on campus at the Pucillo Gymnasium. The gymnasium is a lot warmer than an ice rink with an exciting and fun atmosphere while they play ball. Check out their schedule here!
As the weather gets colder, you will find more and more ways to avoid the outdoors and still have a great night with friends. If you are bored and tried all of the above activities, ask a friend who is used to north eastern winters, they are professionals at staying indoors while still having fun!
If you’re like me, you may not be a fan of being outside in the cold unless it is snowing. Luckily for you, we as Pennsylvanians have had our fair share of experience with long, cold winters and we have come up with ways to cure your premature winter blues. If you have not done so already, be sure to check out our article on entertaining things to do indoors as the weather gets colder.
American millennials favorite past time is binge watching Netflix. For $8 a month, you can have access to stream thousands of TV shows and movies anytime, anywhere (as long as you have Wi-Fi.) Here is a list of the top trending shows on Netflix according to Digital Trend that will have you canceling plans and spending a lot of time in front of your computer screen.
These are just a few of the top shows on Netflix right now. Netflix provides a variety of shows from documentaries, to cooking shows, to house fixer upper shows, to dramas, comedies, and more. If you are not ready to be emotionally invested into a show or simply do not have the time to start one, pick from one of their hundreds of movies offered to stream as well. With Thanksgiving break coming up, there is no better time than now to pick a show, take a break from school work, and enjoy staying in.
