10 Songs To Get You through the Day

Each day I like to start my day with some music. And depending on the mood I’m in, the music changes and will change. So, here are some songs that should be on your playlist right now.

1. “FourFiveSeconds” - Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney

This is a new song from three out-of-this-world talented singer-songwriters. The song has an upbeat tempo that’ll get your booty shaking. There is a vital combination of rap and upbeat melody. Of course, there is also McCartney’s always flawless guitar playing.

2. “Masterpiece” – Jessie J

This is the ultimate self-confidence song. I love it! It’s like, probably one of my favourite songs of all time. And, it has a great beat to keep you listening to the end. You’re all masterpieces, ladies!

3. “Chains” – Nick Jonas

So, I just recently came across this song. I had been listening to “Jealous” which is also a good song, but will not appear on this list, but I felt instantly connected to this one. It’s a deep song - and even if you don’t like the song, Nick Jonas is beautiful to look at.

4. “Style” – Taylor Swift 

A playlist would not be complete without Taylor Swift in there. This song is perfect. Even without the James Dean reference you kind of have to love this song. It’s slow but its tempo is the perfect morning song when you brew your morning coffee.

5. “Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift 

Yes, another Tay Swift song. But, this one is a good motivator. Shake off the negative emotions, shake off the haters, shake everything off and start the day.

6. “Make It To Me” – Sam Smith 

This song is soft and slow. As most of Smith’s songs are, but the strong positive vibe about love in this song could make anyone happy. He’s confident there is someone out there for him. You just have to “keep your head down, and make it to him.”

7. "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars 

Of course this is on my list. What a great song. It’s so catchy and it's got such a funky vibe. Don’t believe me, just watch!

8. “Shut Up and Dance” – Walk the Moon

What a great dancing song. As Meredith Grey would say, it’s time for a 30-second dance party, right? 30 seconds: go.

9. “Sugar” – Maroon 5 

Maroon 5 is, like… everything. They are like my favorite band. So of course they are on my playlist. This song is terribly cute, and “punny.” So, why not? It’s a fast-tempo song which makes it great anytime of the day.

10. “Love Me Like You Do” – Ellie Goulding

Last, but certainly not least, is "Love Me Like You Do." It’s from the ever-popular Fifty Shades of Grey movie. This song is on the top of the charts, for obvious reasons. Ellie is a beautiful singer and she adds a great quality to the song. It's an overall great song!

Sometimes we just need a little music to change our day. Rock on, dudes!

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Review!

Shows like Parks and Recreation, The Office, 30 Rock, and Arrested Development are comedy gold. These will no doubt go down as brilliance beyond their time.

But, have you heard of the new show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt? It’s a Netflix original series, and my recommendation this week.

From producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, comes a show starring Ellie Kemper, Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess.

Kemper plays Kimmy Schmidt, who is rescued from a doomsday cult and ends up trying to start a new life in New York. Kimmy becomes a New York nanny for Jane Krakowski, whom you might know from 30 Rock, and learns how to live as a free woman in the 21st century.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt really deserves the hype it's getting. Fey and Carlock have created a comedic masterpiece.

Kimmy has to learn to live on her own. What makes this show so great is Kimmy’s newfound sense of independence. This woman has been locked in a bunker for 15 years and she manages to get a job, do math, learn how to be social again and go on a date, and even use a “Macintosh."

Kimmy is awkward, she makes old references from before she was in the bunker. Insert MC Hammer joke here.

References to old music, an appearance from The Babysitter's Club series, and light-up sneakers make this show gold.

But, we learn other things from Kimmy. We learn that we can overcome circumstances beyond our control.

She teaches us that we do not have to be dragged down by the things that have happened to us in the past. We're as strong as we choose to be.

She teaches us that being weird is not a bad thing. We must embrace who we are.

And most importantly, she teaches us that life changes very quickly. One minute you can be in an under grown cult bunker, the next a nanny to a New York socialite. Life is unpredictable as hell. But, “women are strong as hell."

I give Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt five out of five stars. I already cannot wait for the next season!

And of course, there is Titus.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt © Universal Television

10 reasons why Olivia Benson should be every girls role model

If you're not watching Law and Order: SVU you should make the point to do so!

The lead role of Sgt. Olivia Benson is played by Mariska Hargitay. SVU has been on the air for sixteen years and just announced a seventeenth season. I have watched Hargitay since season one, and though the content of this show may be harsh at times, it’s definitely real.

Olivia Benson is totally a strong female character that every girl should look up to. Let's just say, there's a reason Taylor Swift named her cat after her!

1. She is kind to everyone

One of the things I can say about Olivia is she's kind. I’ve seen her even be kind the people she is meant to put away. It takes a special type of person to be kind to everyone despite his or her faults.

2. She helps the victims

A lot of our culture is centered on blaming someone. Olivia pushes the boundaries, and fights each episode for the rights of the women and men she meets. We are always looking for reasons why things happen, but Olivia does a great job of putting aside the unnecessary and focusing on what's important - the victims.

Her victims are the most important people. She is a natural listener. And in a world of people with opinions, and some always having something to say. It's a great quality to have.

3. She doesn’t take crap from anyone 

One of Olivia’s most prominent characteristics is her attitude. She is a woman in a male-dominated field - she broke the gender bias! She doesn’t take the bullsh*t that the other characters throw at her. Instead, she shows them she is just as strong and establishes herself as a presence. Every girl should be confident in that way.

4. She is proud of who see is, naturally

Even when she's covered in blood, she manages to be flawless! Yes, I realize how awful that sounds but the statement cannot help but be true. Around here, we're used seeing cops in complete uniforms. That's not the case, at least not in most Law and Order shows. She pulls off "Sergeant" extremely well. She doesn't feel the need to conform to what society might think is pretty. She is just one cop trying to save the world.

5. She is loyal

Loyalty is a hard thing to come by these days. It’s a rare quality and those who posess it are special. She was a partner to Detective Stabler until he retired from the SVU squad. She stood by him, regardless of his sometimes erratic behaviour. Some fans even speculate she loved him. But, who wouldn’t? Have you seen Detective Stabler?

6. She's amazing with children [Spoiler Alert!]

Olivia doesn't just deal with adult victims, but children as well. Despite all the stress in her job, one thing you can tell about Olivia is that she loves kids. She puts aside her own childhood issues and aims to help those little kids. Recently, Olivia met a little orphan boy named Noah. Now, he's her own son!

7. She's dedicated

Olivia Benson is one dedicated person. She will do anything to help someone, even if that means putting herself in danger. And sometimes, that isn’t always a good thing (I'm not recommending you do that). But it does show how far she is willing to go to help her victims. There are several episodes where Olivia is ordered to go home and rest by her commanding officer. Why? Because she is freaking dedicated!

8. We aren’t invincible, and neither is she

Olivia has been through some tough stuff on SVU. She is a child of rape. Her mother was an alcoholic, and she has been victimized more then once on the show. Still, she manages to work through her troubles. She has showed that we are all affected. We can all feel sad and helpless at times. But, we must fight back. One of the most classic examples is her fear after being held captive for four days, of returning to her squad room and being treated differently. We all feel that way sometimes. Fear of being seen a certain way, right?

9. Mariska has been married to Peter Hermann for 11 years!

Though Olivia has been unable to capture this sort of lasting love, the actress herself has it down to perfection. These days having a lasting relationship in the celebrity spotlight is hard. Mariska makes the best of that by staying true to herself, her husband and her three children. She is a working woman who manages to keep her home life stable, and her fans impressed. What makes this even more awesome is that Peter Hermann and Mariska Hargitay met on the set of SVU!

10. Mariska's Joyful Heart Foundation

Inspired by the work she does on SVU, Mariska has an foundation called The Joyful Heart Foundation. The mission of this foundation is to educate, heal and support sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse victims. What a woman!

So, to recap: kindness, strength, selflessness, and love. This is why Olivia Benson - and Mariska Hargitay - should be every girl’s role model!

Law & Order: SVU © NBCUniversal

Valentine's Day Alternatives!

Valentine’s Day Alternative!

By Nathalie Sturgeon

Feeling a little blue about Valentine’s Day? Getting annoyed by all the cute fuzzy animals that stare into your soul as you pass the produce section at Wal-Mart?

How about Galentine’s Day?

Originating from the show Parks and Recreation, the holiday is celebrated on Feb. 13.

Ladies, ditch your gentlemen friends, single ladies included. Grab you best girl friends and let these tips help you celebrate Galentine’s day.

1.    Grab a lot of snacks.

Grab as much junk food as you can find. Popcorn, several kinds of your favourite chips, candy of all kinds, even the Valentine’s oriented kind they are selling these days. Lay them out, and enjoy them. Cupcakes are my personal favourite, homemade sundaes are the best.

.    Share your funny dating stories, or, sad and even your best romantic ones.

Yes, that’s right. Share it out loud. Whatever you are feeling. Tell stories about the funny ones, the bad ones, and the good ones. This is a ladies version of Valentine’s day. Sometimes sharing stories in a group can help a person move on, and especially if you are single and you just want to gush over the details of yours friends really cute relationship.

3   .    Line up at least TWO romantic movies.

I love watching romantic comedies. And there are several to pick from. Try to avoid the ones where one of them dies. That might put a damper on the evening. My two recommendations are When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride.

.    Do a small homemade card exchange.

Yes, we all know that sometimes Valentine’s day can be fairly overrated but a nice card with a small joke inside would make anyone’s day! You can also a gift exchange but this is both budget and sentimental.

5 .    Remember: Valentine’s day is a special day, and not just for couples.

Yes, we all know Valentine’s day is Hallmarks traditional day where we celebrate the “couple” – however, you can celebrate it with whomever you want. Tell someone you love them; either on Galentine’s day or Valentine’s day.

  

“That day, she was amazed to discover that when ask he saying ‘as you wish’ what he meant was ‘I love you.’”

The Princess Bride 20^th Century Fox.

Off-Campus Survival Rules

If you live off-campus, chanced are when you leave your house in the morning you literally have to bring your entire life with you! In the morning, you pack everything necessary as if you are moving out of your house and you head to school (usually for the entire day).

So why not make it easier on yourself? Here's a list of tips to help you deal with the complexity and inconveniences of living away from campus.

1. Prioritize

We tend to overpack - literally. We overpack just in case. After all, you never know when an emergency might happen. So at night before bed, make a list of things you really need. You need your books, your lunch, computer (only if necessary), writing utensils and extra snacks, your bus pass, and your wallet. That covers your basics and leaves no extra stuff to add to the weight you have to carry.

An extra tip: if you are not expressly told to bring your textbook, don't bring it. They are massive and just not necessary!

2. Separate into different bags

Personally, I have two bags I carry to school. One is an over-the-shoulder, and the other is my book bag. This also helps distribute the weight. I use the over-the-shoulder for my computer, my lunch, and my water bottle, plus any small items I need like hand sanitizer, hand cream, and my wallet. I use my backpack solely for school books. This allows you to separate you weight and makes things much easier to carry!

3. Take the bus 

Yes, that’s right. Take the bus. I live a ten minute walk away from campus, but some days you just need to take the bus. But, for those of you who cannot or do not have the option to walk, take the bus. You pay for a bus pass, so use it like your life depends on it! Even though the bus schedule is hard to read and understand, take the time sit down and know the times and where you're headed.

4. Always take the earlier bus 

Speaking of buses! This will save you from the embarrassing walk into class late. Say you have class at 5:00 PM and you can take the 10N Carlisle to campus; catch the bus at 4:00 PM.  The bus will get to campus at 4:35 PM, so you have extra time to get yourself organized and prepared. I've made the mistake of catching the later bus many times - just avoid this situation as best as possible (and say good-bye to sleeping in).

5. Dress warmly

Yes, the bus is convenient, warm and fast. But sometimes it’s late. This time of year, you may find yourself standing out in the cold for a little longer then you expect. Always have good waterproof boots. I recommend wool-lined boots that can withstand -32°C weather. You can find boots like these at SoftMoc.

You'll also need a good jacket that can withstand the strong wind and the freezing temperatures. You will want a jacket that is extra-long and covers your back. Book bags tend to make your coats ride up, leaving your back exposed. You can find these at relatively good price at Walmart and will last you a couple of years. Of course, a scarf, hat, and mitts are necessary too. Do your best to avoid having your face over-exposed. Sometimes wrapping your face with an extra scarf can prevent that ice-cold cheek pain.

6. Pack a well-balanced meal

For this tip, I’ll just give you a recipe I would make to take with me for a long day on campus. This meal gives you protein and vitamins so you can deal with a long day on campus:

• 1 cup of white rice (cooked)
• 1 boneless/skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup of frozen vegetables
• 1 ½ tbsp. of teriyaki sauce (or sauce of your choice)

Directions:

Cook the chicken and rice separately. Cook veggies in the microwave and combine with the chicken once it’s cooked. Add rice and sauce.

Some snack suggestions: an apple (with some peanut butter for extra protein), two granola bars (one for now, one for later), a dessert (perhaps a cookie), and a refillable water bottle. Finally, make sure you carry some cash on you in case you need a little something extra!

How to treat a girl on her birthday

Recently, it was my 21st birthday. So I comprised a list of things to do on a girls birthday.

Birthdays are many people’s favourite time of year. I mean, you get a whole day to celebrate your life up until this point. For me, and I am sure many others, it's hit and miss. There are things you want to happen and other things you just do not.

1. Do not remind the woman of her age

Yes, we know how old we are. We have been counting and stressing over crow's feet since we learned what they were. So please, don’t yell across the table at the party and say, “Oh my god, I can’t believe you're 21,” because frankly, neither can we.

2. We want cake 

Don’t assume because we have some food regiments we like to follow, does not mean we don’t have an appetite. We LOVE cake (and cupcakes and anything else that's sweet). Women are just as moved by cake as flowers (or at least I am). Cake is the way to my soul, especially on my birthday.

3. Bring presents, or don’t

We love to receive gifts, but what we appreciate more is your company. We love to be surrounded by friends and we love to hear a funny story about how crazy we are when we're drunk.

4. Please don’t use the “I was going to buy you a present but…” (directly related to 3)

We are college students. We're on budgets. We're poor. Don’t give excuses, because chances are I’ve either made them myself (not realizing how awful they are), or I understand your level of poor.  Seriously we get it, hug us and enjoy the party!

5. Stick together

On birthdays, it's common to go out drinking. Do not leave. You never realize how drunk you are until you're looking for your friends, the room is spinning and you have to pee. You should try to stick as close to your friends as possible. This is a general drinking rule. To make the most of everyone's night, the time you spend together will be the best. Then tomorrow you can make fun of each other as much as you want, because why not?

6. Don't make a big deal

This one follows the age rule. Yes, we want to have a good time on our birthday, but we also do not want you to make a spectacle. We are coping with some sort of change here. Make the birthday gal feel comfortable, and most of all make sure she's having fun. Whatever level of spectacle she might enjoy, it’s better to check first.

7. If you have never spoken to me in person, do not wish me happy birthday on Facebook. 

Chances are if you don’t recognize my name under your birthday notifications., then 1) You probably shouldn't have me on Facebook, and 2) Do not make a fake “Oh my God, happy birthday, wish we hung out more,” post.

8. Do not reveal huge secrets on birthdays (not bad ones anyway)

It should be a general rule not to reveal anything life-altering on a birthday. Some secrets are worse then others. but I assure you, most of the time aging is horrifying enough.

9. Don’t make silly birthday jokes

Singing “You look like a monkey, and you act like one too,” will probably earn you a, “Haha. Get out.” Don’t make silly jokes. We are all mature here. Or at least, some of us are. We are all up for some random humor, but birthday jokes are kind of annoying.

10. Most of all, enjoy your day!

Yes, you are a year older, but think about this way, you are much wiser. Or at least, believe you are. Birthdays are meant to be fun, so go ahead. Have fun, collegiettes!