TUESDAY
december
PAGE 9
4, 2012
the daily orange
the sweet stuff in the middle
Students gather for Hanukkah
PULP’S
By Amanda Day CONTRIBUTING WRITER
By Jarrad Saffren and Ashley Siu THE DAILY ORANGE
F
inals week: A week full of draconian examinations or, as comedian Daniel Tosh calls them, “those things where we test what you actually know.” At this point in the semester, students switch into “holiday mode,” feeling apathetic toward coursework when time can be happily spent planning a relaxing Winter Break. But they stress over looming deadlines for final projects, papers and exams before making the journey home. Although it may seem difficult to preserve one’s focus and motivation during these last two weeks, this Finals Week Survival Guide has several tips and tricks from upperclassmen to keep their eyes on the grade. jdsaffre@syr.edu assiu@syr.edu
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Actually study. Seriously.
Residence halls also put in extra effort to help students focus. But residence halls also encourage socializing in controlled environments. Lawrinson Hall, for example, is hosting several study sessions for students who want to study in groups with snacks and drinks throughout the next two weeks. Students don’t need to sit there and read straight out of a textbook. Make studying fun with interesting mnemonics to memorize facts. By applying learned material to everyday life, students are more likely to know the facts rather than trying to cram information into the brain for the sake of a test.
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Stay BYU sober
This is the cardinal sin for college students. But save for the diamond-inthe-rough pothead, no one is more cognitively productive when high or drunk. For one week out of 52, we must all make like our brothers and sisters at the 15-time defending “Stone Cold Sober” champions of the Princeton Review: Brigham Young University. Be mindful, however, that the Onondaga tap is about as clean as Lil’ Wayne’s follicle test. That stream is a cesspool. Stick to the good old American bottle manufacturers. Nothing stimulates the brain like some icy, cold water spiked with capital accumulation.
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Take periodic 15-minute Facebook breaks
Oftentimes, nothing makes students feel better about themselves than the distressed hyperbole of your 510 closest friends. When you make yourself a fly on Facebook’s wall during finals week, you at least spare yourself the hypocrisy of posting status after status after status while complaining that you do not have sufficient time to study and write papers. By using Facebook for entertainment and not as your personal newsreel, you are efficiently conserving your cranium capacity for school-related activities. Do not feel guilty for animalizing your studies with a treat.
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Keep a fresh Wiki page on tab
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The last supper
At some point in your studies, you will have to look up nouns. As much as grade school teachers and professors loathe admitting this, Wikipedia is the encyclopedic mecca of people, places and things. Save yourself the extra time. Google the free encyclopedia once at the beginning of your first
If Guy Fieri went on a dining hall tour, there is no question Ernie would be a stop. What other dining hall has already upgraded its ice cream to froyo? A meal at Ernie is always three, if not four, five or six, courses. Amid tests, papers and general hell on Earth, don’t cop out and order Jimmy John’s. After all, Mommy and Daddy — or possibly Syracuse University if you happen to be 6 feet 7 inches and giraffe-limbed — are paying for it.
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Be Cocky as hell
I am appalled when I talk to people during finals week who have absolutely convinced themselves that they are going to earn a zero on every single test and paper. I guess that is President Barack Obama’s mindset when he wakes up every morn-
study session and do not close out of it until you are traveling home for Winter Break. The only Wiki drawback? It’s the anti-Facebook. Nothing makes you feel worse about yourself than reading about people who have lapped you 10-15 times on the relevant scale. Just steer clear of entries whose opening sentence ends in “Philanthropist.”
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Doodle
The day of the exam, you may still have jitters. You know everything there is to know. But if you have trouble focusing during a test, try chewing gum to relieve the stress. “I put a piece of gum in my mouth right before I start the exam because I’m a person who starts to doodle when I get frustrated,” said Kaylah Wicks, a sophomore nutrition major. “Instead of (doodling), I focus on chewing the gum.”
ing, too. But don’t fret. Finals are no different from any other tests, other than their wildly inconvenient collective arrangement on the calendar. So take a deep, long breath out of your mouth and nose. If you do fail miserably, the world is ending in 17 days anyway, so don’t sweat it.
For one night a year, the cafe students know as Funk ‘n Waff les transforms into a holiday celebration with Funk ‘n Latkes. “This is an event that people look forward to every year,” said Zach Goldberg, Hillel president and sophomore policy studies and economics dual major. On Monday night, Hillel held its annual Funk ‘n Latkes event to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah. Dozens of students showed up at Funk ‘n Waffles, a popular Syracuse cafe, to celebrate the holiday, eat waffle latkes and listen to live music. This year, Hillel partnered with SU Records to bring in musical groups to perform in honor of the holiday, Goldberg said. Goldberg, who put the event together, described the event as a challenge to plan, but a night that is worth the hard work. Before the event, students were treated to latkes made by waffle iron and sat down to celebrate Hanukkah. They eagerly waited for the night’s many musical performances. The holiday fell right around the time of stressful looming finals, but that did not stop students from showing up to take a break and celebrate. “It’s weird because it’s finals, but I like how there is a place to go and celebrate,” said Rikki Schneiderman, a freshman magazine journalism major. Schneiderman said she appreciated the familiar aspect of celebrating with friends at school, describing the event as homey. The event began with a performance by the a cappella group Oy Cappella. The group opened its performance with a rendition of “Hanukkah, Oh, Hanukkah.” All of Oy Cappella’s performances have a Jewish connection, with all songs written and composed by Jewish musicians. After Oy Cappella’s performance, David Kimelman, religion vice president of Hillel, came onstage and led the lighting of the menorah in honor of the first night of Hanukkah, which is on Dec. 8. Once the menorah was lit, more bands took the stage to play and add to the high-energy atmosphere of the celebration. The bands Funk Collective, Diverze and Miraculous all gave electrifying performances that kept the audience excited. Students at the event showed their appreciation for Hillel and for being
SEE HANUKKAH PAGE 10