Former College Lifestyles Interns: Updates, Career, and Staying Classy

Reconnecting with interns past has opened up a Pandora’s box of success stories and plenty of definitions for College Lifestyles’ coined term: classy co-ed. Thinking about interning with us? Make your decision easier by checking out what a few CL alumnae have been up to below!

 

Questions for The Classy Ladies:

1. How have you continued to live by College Lifestyles’ motto of being a “classy co-ed” post internship and/or post graduation?

2. In what way have you benefited the most from your former internship with College Lifestyles? 

3. Now that you are CL alumna, what have you done professionally since interning for College Lifestyles? 

Stephanie Hardiman Simon

1. I have continued to be a classy co-ed by following a rule that was ingrained in me in college: always try to be the best-dressed person in the room. Doing this conveys a level of professionalism and people take you seriously. I’ve also worked to volunteer my time to both my sorority and alma mater, Washington and Lee University. I don’t think there’s anything classier than working to help improve the things that mean the most to you.

2. More than anything, College Lifestyles forced me to write regularly, and as a function of that, to always brainstorm and think about the next “story.” Journalism moves fast, and you always have to have a foothold on a new project. I also learned about the anatomy of a good blog post and writing for the web, which is an important skill for anyone in communications today.

3. I graduated from Washington and Lee University and worked a handful of different reporting jobs. In the last year, I have been working for the Chicago Tribune, mostly as a web producer in the local news division. In June, I will have completed my masters degree in journalism from DePaul University. I’m also an alumnae adviser for the Pi Beta Phi chapter at Millikin University and a volunteer admissions interviewer with my alma mater.

Maggie Young

1. I have continued to strive for what I am passionate about while embracing the ups and downs that occur. Above all, I treat myself and others with respect and friendly character.

2. I learned that I can do what I want in life. Shelly really emphasized that you can take small ideas and turn them into a big reality.

3. I am a recent CL alumna, but I am now an intern at Parents magazine in NYC. I also founded Get Fit Get Life, an online magazine with a mission to empower young women to live with a healthy lifestyle.

Deirdre Cunnane

1. When I first started my internship with College Lifestyles in December 2009, I saw a classy co-ed as someone who works hard, takes time to enjoy herself, is open to trying new things, and goes forth in achieving her dreams. That description still rings true. The way in which I most try to live up to College Lifestyles’ motto is by being unafraid of change.  I moved to the Channel Islands last summer on my own and learned a lot about myself by doing so. We need to step outside of our comfort zones when the opportunity arises–it’s how you get a better perspective about life.

2. Hands down, I benefited most from the community of interns that I was a part of.  I’ve learned so much from these girls and I’m glad to say that we still keep in touch via Twitter and Facebook.  All of us are from different backgrounds, colleges, and even countries, and we wouldn’t have been brought together if it weren’t for College Lifestyles.

3. I’m a law student. Professionally, I have done a lot of work towards my goal of becoming an Irish-American attorney-at-law.  My third year of college was spent working full-time at two large law firms and the experience was invaluable.  I was so proud of having my work published in a professional periodical. I have tailored all of my final year subjects around business law which I’m now certain is what I want to specialize in. My head is currently buried in revenue, banking, and employment law books 24/7, but what can I say?  I’m loving it!

Rebecca Alberico

1. Being a classy co-ed is more of a lifestyle choice for me. Before I was a part of College Lifestyles I considered myself a classy co-ed, but once I signed on as an intern, it increased since I was working with such amazing ladies! I try to live by CL’s motto everyday — I put on a smile and my can-do attitude!

2. I have benefited the most from a past College Lifestyles internship with the connections and friendships that were created. I have friends from all over the country now! It’s not unusual for Deirdre [Cunnane] and I to tweet about our Diet Coke obsession. Just last week, a few of us were discussing the newest season of One Tree Hill! I was introduced to some wonderful girls, and I am so grateful for it!

3. After a full year (summer, fall and spring) with College Lifestyles, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, I worker in retail for the summer and fall and then finally got a job in my field. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been working as an Account Coordinator at a marketing communications firm in my hometown in Erie, PA. I absolutely love it!

Kaitlyn Kline

1. To me, living by the CL motto of being a classy co-ed just means always trying your best and being happy with yourself. I try to do both of those things in my everyday life! 

2. Before joining the College Lifestyles team, my plan was to go to graduate school for industrial/organizational psychology. After about a month with CL, I knew that would’ve been a mistake! I applied for a Journalism/Communication grad school program and realized it was the place for me. CL had sent me down a new path, which is where I was meant to be!

3. I have about seven months left in grad school, so that’s really exciting! I’ve also been doing some freelance work for Warner Brothers WBWord Division and that has been fun. I’m also a social media intern at Smith Brothers Agency and I absolutely adore it! It’s pretty much a dream come true.

Tiana Blue is a Senior Writer for College Lifestyles™. This fourth semester sophomore at Penn State is a print journalism major with a penchant for food, stilettos, and the city that never sleeps.

Jersey Shore 2/16/12: Who Ate The Cake?

In the living room, the Meatballs are being encouraged to make an apologetic gesture to Danny for their recent behavior while on the clock, so they make him a delicious cake with a nice message on it.  They cover the cake and leave it on the counter overnight.

In the morning, Ron and Sam wake up early for work, but Ron has to wake up Deena.  They eventually migrate to the kitchen and notice there is a considerable piece missing from the corner of the cake.  Questioning who it is, they decide it must have been Mike.  Deena has to take the cake to Danny anyways, and she feels really bad because their gift is missing a piece, but Danny appreciates the snack still.

At the house, Nicole calls the doctor’s office because her UTI is hurting and she is starting to wonder if there is something else wrong.  She schedules an appointment and brings Jenni along.  The doctor puts her on medication and tells her she can only have one drink during each sitting while on the antibiotics.

Back at the store, Danny gives Deena a break, so she decides to get a sleeve of henna tattoos done.  When she gets back to the store, Danny shares the cake with all of the coworkers.  He asks Deena if the cake has an unusual odor, so she smells a piece, falling for his trick, and he shoves the cake in her face.  Deena was a good sport about it.  Ron, Sam, and Deena finish their shift with no further drama.

In the evening, Mike, Jenni, and Nicole are scheduled to work, however Mike is the only one who shows up on time because the girls are still at the doctor’s office.  Not knowing where they are, Danny calls the house and speaks to Vinny, who fills in the boss.  When the girls do show up (about an hour late), they have doctor’s excuses, but that doesn’t cut it.  Danny makes them do extra work and lifting heavy boxes.  Near the register, Danny asks Mike if he really ate the cake, but Mike swears it wasn’t him.

At home, everyone else is having a good time when Pauly confesses something to Deena.  He said that after everyone went to bed, he smelled the cake from his room, tried to resist (but failed), and ate a few forkfuls of cake.  Deena laughs it off, as do the other roommates.  Mike and Deena run into each other and she tells him about her cake-eater theories making Mike mad that she was accusing him.  Scanning the area for eavesdroppers, Mike calls a friend, looking for The Unit.  The friend says The Unit is still away but should be returning the next day.  This pushes off Mike’s plans to ruin Nicole and Jionni’s relationship.  The group decides to spend the night dancing at Karma.

When they get there, Mike runs into Paula, who says her birthday is the next day.  Hearing this, Jenni buys a round of shots to celebrate.  Nicole takes one, despite her doctor’s orders.  She then decides not drinking is too hard for her, so she drinks…and drinks…and drinks.  When the club closes, Mike invites Paula over for the night.  In his confessional, he says she is his “main squeeze” and that he “can’t find anything wrong with her.”

The next day, Pauly and Vinny complete their typical GTL and go to lunch.  At the restaurant, Vinny misplaces the car keys, but with the help of an employee, they find the missing keys.

That night, the group decides to check out Jenks.  Deena calls Joey to invite him to go.  He agrees to meet them there.  Nicole says Jenks will be boring, so she chooses to stay home, Jenni is sleeping, and Mike is napping as well.  The only ones to go to Jenks are Vinny, Pauly, Sam, Ron, and Deena.  There, Ron gets extremely intoxicated (have you missed drunk Ron?) and Sam is loving every minute of it.  Isn’t it refreshing to see those two lovebirds in a healthy relationship?

At the house, Mike wakes up and is smoking on the party deck.  Nicole brings the mask to her bunny suit to be Paula, so Mike has a companion.  She asks him to go out with her, but he isn’t in the mood…to go out.  He is in the mood for Nicole though.  He tries creeping on her, saying they should hook up and “have fun.”  There’s a situation, huh?  Nicole is completely turned off by her roommate’s offer and leaves him alone.

Pauly gets home earlier than the others who went out, so he plays a joke on Deena (who is having Joey over for the night).  He takes all the dirty dishes from the kitchen and puts them on her bed.  When Deena gets home and sees them all, she asks Joey to wait in the living room while she cleans.  In the living room, Jenni and Nicole keep Joey company.  Nicole continuously says, “merp.”  When Deena is done, she and Joey go to her room to have sex.  Still in the living room, Nicole says she is bored and goes to watch Deena and Joey.

The next day, Mike calls The Unit.  The conversation is short and not much of anything important is said, but Mike wants it to be known that he is not a liar.  That night, Roger is coming to visit.  Jenni opens the door wearing a skimpy black dress with gold chains dangling on the sides and a small strip of fabric in the middle to connect the top and bottom halves.  She leaves little to the imagination, but Roger loves it.

 

When the group gets to Karma, fights are breaking out everywhere (not between anyone on the show).  A guy is messing with Jenni, touching her and trying to get her to come spend time with her.  Roger calmly asks the guy to back off, but the stranger does not and punches Roger in the side of the head.

How do you think Roger is going to handle the situation?  Is The Unit finally going to tell Jionni the “truth?”

 

Jersey Shore 2/9/12: Does Pauly Have Another Stalker?

The phone is ringing.  Mike scans the room to make sure no one is within earshot.  He is waiting for someone to answer on the other end.  Finally, The Unit says hello.  Mike asks Unit to do him a favor.  He wants Unit to come to the house and tell Jionni the truth about Snooki’s alleged cheating.  Unfortunately for Mike, Unit is in Miami, so the two continue to do some gossiping, when Unit reveals that Mike’s older brother, Frank, has gone on a date with Deena’s sister, Joanie and they smushed.

Then Snooki says goodbye to her Dad, outside, completely unaware of the conversation that just happened inside.

On the party deck, Jenni is upset about Roger and Deena tries to comfort her by telling her she has pretty hair.

The group gets to Aztec, but Mike chose to stay at the house.  At Aztec, the party is hopping.  There are tons of dancing people and the music is blasting.  Jenni is in a funk because of her suspected relationship problems, so decides to leave shortly after arriving.  At the club, Vinny meets a girl, Deanna, who he rates as a 5 or 6.  He decides to keep her as a backup, just in case he doesn’t spot someone higher on the scale.  Luckily for Vinny, he meets Nikki, a 7 or 8.  He ditches Deanna, but she shortly returns, seeing Vinny with another girl.  Deena takes Deanna to the dance floor so Vinny can be with Nikki.  Snooki is bored and confused with Jenni, so she walks home.

When everyone else leaves, Nikki and Deanna are with the group, along with a random blonde girl Pauly picked up.  At the front door of the house, Nikki says she is a lesbian and will not be going inside.  Deanna, though, is inside with Deena.  Vinny and Deanna spend some alone time together, as do Pauly and the blonde girl.  They share the room as they smush their girls.

Jenni finally gets ahold of Roger, who claims his friend broke his phone at the beach and he called off work the past few days because he didn’t have a phone.  Jenni does not believe this story at all and is furious with him.

In the morning, Snooki wakes up, still drunk, and tries to get on the hammock on the party deck.  In a confessional, she says she needs AA and that the sun is too bright outside, so she should go to Arkansas because it is always dark in Arkansas.  She goes inside and falls asleep in the smush room.

In the afternoon, Jenni gets a call from Roger who is supposed to be there at 4:00 for an afternoon at the beach.  He calls and says he won’t be there until close to 5:30.  He asks to reschedule, but that isn’t sitting well with his girlfriend.  She freaks out on him and says she does not feel like a priority in his life.

Pauly and Team Meatball head to the Shore Store for work.  Pauly is the only one actually doing his job.  Team Meatball is literally chasing each other and running around the store, like children.  They then decide to just leave work altogether, upsetting Danny.  In the store, Pauly notices a girl who he has been seeing lately.  She is sitting on a bench, just staring at him.  He said he first saw her a few days ago because she bought something from the store, but she did not speak to him at all.

When Team Meatball gets back to work, a woman approaches Snooki about bars on the boardwalk because she is celebrating her bachelorette party.  The meatballs sneak off with this woman to drink. For the second time in one shift, they have angered their boss.

At the house, Mike wakes up from a nap and is angry because everyone left without him.  He is feeling left out, so he crawls back in bed and falls asleep.  Snooki eventually wakes him up and asks him to go out with her and Deena, and he agrees.

Meanwhile, Pauly and Vinny are at a pool hall playing pool and chatting up a nice girl.  Out of nowhere, Pauly’s stalker comes up to him and introduces herself, her name is Vanessa.  Vinny takes the nice girl and they leave Pauly alone with Vanessa.  When Pauly makes an excuse to get away, he does, and goes to find Vinny.

At the bar, Mike says he is keeping his friends close and his enemies closer.  Team Meatball does not realize what Mike is doing.

In the morning, Pauly tells Deena that Danny is really mad at them for running off a few times.  Ronnie suggests that she goes to the store and apologize, but Deena decides to cowardly call him instead.  She apologizes and asks if he is going to fire her (meaning she would have to leave the house).  Danny says, “We’ll see what happens.”

At dinner (they are having Chinese food), it is brought up that Frank and Joanie have gone on a second date.  No one really knows the scoop, but they joke about Mike and Deena being sister and brother in law.

Mike sneaks off to call Unit again.  This time, he wants info about Frank and Joanie.  According to the Unit, Frank is planning to hit and quit Joanie.

Almost immediately after, Joanie calls the house.  She asks Mike about Frank, where he says he may have his guard up because he recently got out of a nine year relationship.  Mike also asks Joanie to deliver a message to Deena the next time she talks to her: He is a nice guy because Deena think he is the devil.

While working out, the guys run in to Roger, who is discussing his recent phone call with Jenni.  Vinny agrees that Jenni is being immature about it and that she needs to man up and call her boyfriend to apologize.  At home, Vinny casually slips in that she should be the bigger person with Roger, so she called him.  He tells her that he didn’t do anything and isn’t going to apologize for it and that she needs to learn to trust him because he hasn’t done anything to disobey her.

5 No-Meat Super Bowl Treats

Celebrating your favorite team (Go Giants!) doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a healthy diet. Here’s 5 healthy Super Bowl snacks that’ll set your football gathering away from the rest!

1. Hummus dip and tortilla chips- Hummus is a delicious snack packed full of protein and vitamins. It’s the perfect complement to tortilla chips or even pita bread.  Create your own version by adding different ingredients like tomatoes or feta cheese.  Hummus is something you can either buy at the store or prepare yourself.  If you’re expecting a lot of people, sometimes it’s better to make it from scratch to get more for your money.

2.Trail Mix- My personal favorite- I’m a big fan of salty snacks, and I love a trail mix full of spicy, sweet and salty tidbits mixed together . If you’re looking for a sweeter taste, add Chex Mix Cereal and your favorite sweet snacks like M&Ms, skittles or chocolate chips. Trail mix is simple recipe that adds color to a table full of food!

3.Dried Fruit- Dried fruit is a great snack, and another edible table decoration! Try a colorful mix of dried apricots, bananas and kiwi. It’ll light up the table andtame your sweet tooth rather quickly.

 

4.Pizza bites- One blog gives you the option of re-living a not-so-healthy childhood treat by having pizza bites. Well, the author also lets us know that pizza bites don’t have to be unhealthy! Veggetarian pizza bites are a delicious option for a snack that’s a little more filling—just fill them with your favorite cheeses and vegetables.

5. Organic “No Meat” Meatballs- This healthy snack might be a surprise to you if you’re not familiar with all the great no meat options out there for vegetarians and vegans. Although it’s probably more convenient to find no-meat meatballs at your local natural food store, there are some pretty awesome recipes out there.  If decide to make them at home, make them as big or as little as you want! If you choose a traditional no-meat recipe you can even whip up a savory dipping sauce.  Delish!

So if you’re a vegetarian,  a green enthusiast, or just looking for a change, these snacks will be perfect for your party. Check out CL’s last minute super bowl party post for more ideas!

 

Martha-Raye Adjei is an environmental studies major with a concentration in Sustainable Apparel at the University of Delaware. She hopes to become a journalist and sustainable apparel designer. In her spare time she likes to read, swim and watch TV

Jersey Shore Recap: 2/2/12

To kick off this episode, the roommates got back to the shore, Vinny included.  At the house, Pauly fills in Vinny, making a point to comment on the strange niceness coming from Mike.  Deena suggests that they all go out to Karma that night to celebrate the eight of them being together again.  Before going out, Jenni thinks there is something wrong with her and Rodger.  She gives him a quick phone call, but he does not answer.

On the party deck, Mike says he wants to get a tattoo that says, “Loyalty & Betrayal.”  Ronnie jokes about how Mike knows everything about Betrayal and nothing about Loyalty.

As soon as the group arrives at Karma, Mike goes off and does his own thing while Pauly and Vinny play wingmen for each other.  Later at Karma, Snooki pees her pants.  She goes to the bathroom to, “freshen up,” which actually means spraying incredible amounts of perfume on her, to mask the smell.  This is, apparently, called a “shore shower.”  When they get home, Deena says goodnight to all the boys.  She then says, “I love you,” to Pauly and Vinny and asks that they return the favor.  The guys laugh and don’t reciprocate.  This upsets Deena.

In the morning, Snooki wakes up before everyone else, still in her red dress and black heels from the night before, walks to the kitchen, and takes off the dirty underwear and throws it away.  When Deena wakes up, she realizes her fused extensions and her clip-in extensions have gotten tangled overnight.  She goes to the bathroom to try to solve her problem and ends up wetting the extensions and blow drying them to help untangle them.  Using the blow dryer, Deena accidentally electrocutes herself.  She was fine.  She told Sammi she just felt the current running through her arm.  The two girls discuss their theories on electricity, which of course, are brilliant.

During the day, everyone wants to go to Jenks, an outdoor restaurant and bar.  Before going, Jenni tries to call Rodger again, but he ignores the call.  While getting ready, Snooki decides to wear two pairs of underwear, “just in case.”  When the groups gets to Jenks, Mike runs into two random friends, which makes the other guys wonder if they are actually friends or just people Mike met at a club before.  At the bar, Snooki says she needs to go to the bathroom again and it really hurts, so she says she has another UTI.  In order to stop the pain, her solution is to take shots of tequila.  She gets a number of shots for herself and Deena.  After spending a few hours at Jenks, the group decides to go to batting cages, but Mike says he is having a good time and chooses to stay.

After the batting cages, the group meets up with him again and Snooki, Deena, and Mike ride in the cab together.  In the cab, Mike alludes to how nice he has been lately but he still feels like he is the odd man out.  The girls say that may be because he rarely hangs out with them; He prefers to do his own thing.

When they get back, all of the bathrooms in the house are occupied, so Snooki urinates on the back porch.  She covers it with shorts.  On the party deck, Snooki, Deena, and Mike are together, where Mike tells them he does not have a hidden agenda for his sudden niceness, pursuing the topic yet again.  Snooki tells him that the roommates don’t really trust him.  This upsets Mike, leading him to want to confront the rest of the roommates.  Asking the guys to be honest with him, Mike asks if he has done anything to make them angry.  They say no.  Pauly speculates that Mike was just intoxicated.

That night, the group decides to hang out at their house.  They are hanging out on the party deck when Team Meatball decides to play a prank.  They go inside, while everyone slowly migrates back inside as well.  Snooki dresses in the bunny costume and one at a time, she ransacks her roommates.  With Pauly, she pins him down and makes suggestive gestures.

Back outside, they play a game called, “Warm Beer,” which is actually not a game, but a joke to be played on Snooki.  In the “game,” they tell Snooki that it is a memory game and involves drawing pictures on the face of the person to your left.  What is really happening is that Ronnie is putting soot on Snooki’s face.  She has no idea until she goes inside to go to the bathroom.  Though she finds the prank funny, she wants revenge.

Mike goes to bed early because he has a headache.  Snooki puts on the bunny mask, climbs on Mike (in his bed), and wakes him up, scaring him.

At work in the morning, Deena makes a pair of underwear that say, “I Jersey Turnpike,” so that when she Jersey turnpikes, they are visible.

At the house, Jenni and Snooki are getting their hair done when Snooki’s dad shows up.  She forgot he was coming today, but doesn’t mind sending him to the store for cranberry juice.

Mike is on the boardwalk after work one day when he runs into Rodger.  When he gets home, Jenni is talking to Snooki’s dad about her suspected relationship problems, and Mike informs her that he just ran into Rodger and that he was going to the beach with some buddies.

While Snooki and her dad are spending time together, Mike says he thinks Snooki is the real trouble maker of the house, not him.  He also admits that he is going to call the Unit to finish the “unfinished business.”

What do you think is going to happen with the Snooki-Mike-Jionni-Unit frenzy?

Jersey Shore- 1/26/12

The beginning of the most recent episode of Jersey Shore was with Danny, the gang’s landlord and boss, coming to the house giving them some bad news: He had a deal that there would be eight people living in the house and working for him and because Mike did the dip, no one works very hard, and Vinny is gone, he is going to find two new people to live there.  Not one person was ok with it.  Shortly after, Mike comes back and gets filled in by JWOWW.

Mike admits that he isolates himself on purpose every year on his birthday just to see who will go out of their way to make sure he ok and to say happy birthday.

Next, Pauly, Deena, and Snooki are at work, and actually working hard, hoping to avoid new roommates.  After work, they all get fake tattoos.

At home, Deena calls Vinny to invite him to the surprise party being planned for Pauly and Mike and to tell him about Danny’s visit.  Vinny says he is “working on” coming back to the house and won’t be up for the party, but he is appreciative of the invite.  Later in the day, the girls go to Karma (where the party is being held) and discusses the strippers with an employee.  The male employee creeps all the girls out because of the way he talks to them and the things he asks about for the party (at one point, one of the girls comments that they aren’t trying to direct a porn film, just want something for their party).  The girls decorate Karma for the party, that night.

Later that day, JWOWW shows up for work on time, while Ron and Mike are late.  The boys know they are running late and they feel like jerks for it, especially because of the talk they had with Danny.  Danny is really angry that they are late, and decided to post “Help Wanted” signs throughout the store.  The signs receive a lot of attention.  There are a lot of women who approach Danny about the signs.  Shortly after, JWOWW sees the signs and rips them down.  Danny notices his signs are down and makes JWOWW make him a new one.  JWOWW is livid about the possibly of having someone new come in.  Ronnie chimes in, saying that if they get a new roommate, he or she will not be welcome and will never feel comfortable in the house because the roommates have been through so much together.

At the same time, the meatballs decide to go get more supplies and decorations for the surprise party.  They end up with balloons and bunny suits.

Rodger arrives for the party and soon they are right out the door for the surprise party.  When they get to Karma, Pauly and Mike are surprised as heck.  Neither of them had any idea and assumed they were going out for “a regular Thursday night.”  Snooki and Deena handcuff the birthday boys into wheelchairs and watch the strippers put on a show.  After the show, everyone is dancing and having a good time.  Mike is spending time with one of the strippers and Pauly met a brunette girl who was just at the party.  Both women spend the night at the house.

At home, Ronnie and Deena call Vinny and he ignores the call.  The two decide to just sit outside instead.  When they are on the porch, Ronnie gets emotional about Vinny.  It looks like his eyes are filling with tears.  Deena, sounding defeated, says she doesn’t think Vinny is going to return.

The next day, the group decides to do a “couples night.”  Deena calls Joey, her friend from last episode, and he agrees and will meet her at the house around 7:30.  Deena goes to find Snooki.  They try on their bunny costumes and then decide it would be funny to play a practical joke on JWOWW.  Deena tells her that she needs help getting something from underneath her bed and Snooki hides in the bathroom, dressed as a rabbit.  When JWOWW is in the bedroom, Snooki jumps out and they all have a good laugh, and JWOWW has a scream.

At some point that day, Jionni comes to visit, bring his girlfriend a dozen long-stemmed red roses.  The two decide to occupy the smoosh room and then fall asleep.  Everyone else goes out for couples night.  In the car, the girls raise concerns that when Jionni is there, Snooki never wants to go out.  Within five minutes of being at the club, there is a fight.  A girl fight.  Sam is involved.  Sam got kicked out of the club, along with the other women who were fighting.  Sam told her friends that someone came up behind her and pulled her new weave.  Deena wore fairy wings out.  They all went home.

Deena and Joey were trying to “spend time together,” but couldn’t because of an alarm clock that kept going off, even after Deena unplugged it from the wall.  Paula is over, and Mike had her stay the night.  He admits in a confessional that is really into her and hasn’t found anything wrong with her yet.

Pauly is just kind of walking around , not doing much, and says he is getting in a funk without Vinny around.  The roommates decide the only thing to do is to drive to Staten Island to kidnap Vinny.  First, they stop at the shore store to make shirts that all have “Vinny” sayings on them.  Mike’s says, “Vinning,” and Pauly’s said, “Free Vinny.”  Danny is really excited for them to get Vinny and bring him back.  When they get to Staten Island, they go crazy pounding on the doors and windows.  They barge in “like a S.W.A.T. team.”  Vinny is upstairs and they all hug him and show him love and affection.  He shows them a new tattoo he got across the top of his chest.  It reads, “Let Go, Let God,” in fancy cursive writing.  They ask him to come back, and he agrees.  In a confessional, he says he isn’t 100% better, but he thinks he can do the rest of his recovery at the shore.  He throws some belongings in a garbage bag and is on his way, but not without saying goodbye to his very upset mother.  The roommates are all together and going back to the shore.

Next week we can expect more bunny costumes and some unfinished business from Mike.

What do you think his unfinished business will be?

Jersey Shore: 1/19/12

Thursday’s episode picked up right where last week’s left off: Vinny was in a cab heading back to Staten Island, leaving Pauly D to head to the club to inform the roommates of what just happened.  When he got there, he told the girls, leaving Deena in tears and JWOWW to console her in the bathroom.  Early into the night (early as far as the roommates are concerned), Mike and Pauly bring girls back to the house.  The rest of the roommates follow.

We then switch over to Vinny, the only time he is in the episode, and see him getting comforted by his mother.  This lasts about 30 seconds.

Back at the shore, Deena and JWOWW are sitting outside, where JWOWW is still comforting a crying Deena.

The next morning, Deena seems to be doing fine because she and Snooki decided to go day drinking at Aztec.  When they are there, the meatballs run into Deena’s sister, Joanie and a few of her guy friends.  They all take shots and Snooki takes more than the rest of the group, leaving in Snooki having to be held up by the men as they walk across the boardwalk.  There are cops around, but they don’t say anything about Snooki’s condition.  At some point, Snooki and Deena (who seem to have sobered up enough to be able to walk unsupported) return to Aztec where they have a mini dance off with some random guys.  Everyone is having a good time, but then the girls fall and decide “there’s no coming back from that now” so they return to the house.  At the house, Deena has a problem.  Her weave/hair gets tangled into a huge knot, because of all the dancing.  Pauly rips the weave from her head.  As usual, JWOWW is to the rescue.

After that, they all go to Aztec again.  This time, Jionni joins them.  In honor of Vinny, Ronnie wears skinny jeans.  When they are there, the group runs into the Unit, which sends Snooki into panic.  At the bar, Pauly meets a woman with a lot of tattoos and they go home early, much earlier than the group.  Also in honor of Vinny, Pauly and the tattooed woman occupy his bed (seriously).   Back at Aztec, Mike wants to confront Snooki, but when he is on his way to her, a brawl breaks out in front of him, causing the Unit to be kicked out of the bar.  Bummer.

The next morning, Mike is working when he meets a Bosnian woman who eagerly gives him her phone number and tells him she wants a grilled cheese the next morning.

That afternoon, the group calls Vinny.  He says he is taking it day by day but doesn’t plan to return soon.  Everyone is really sad without him, but they are giving him their support and hoping for the best.  JWOWW says they are being selfish if they are not doing that.

That night, the group goes to Aztec to celebrate Pauly’s birthday, which is the next day.  There, Mike runs into the Bosnian woman and is dancing and spending time with her.  Then, he sees Paula.  Forced to decide between the women, Mike passes the Bosnian woman to Pauly and keeps Paula to himself.  On the other side of the club, Deena runs into an old friend, Joey.  Joey goes home with Deena, Paula goes home with Mike, and the Bosnian woman goes home with Pauly.  The other couples are having some alone time (this is around 4:00 a.m.) when the Bosnian woman asks Pauly if they can just talk in his room.  Pauly says he doesn’t have time to talk to a girl at 4:00 in the morning so he calls her a cab.  The woman then returns to the house (a few minutes later) and says she wants to hang out with Mike, who is busy with Paula.  Eventually, Mike goes outside with the Bosnian woman (Paula is taking a shower) and she asks him why he is with Paula.  Mike says they connect really well and always get along.  Mike also says he loves to have a girlfriend and thinks he could get wifed up.  Eventually, the Bosnian woman leaves.

The next day is Pauly’s actual birthday.  His whole family surprises him at the house.  His gift was his hometown barber who gave him a haircut.  Pauly has not been this happy since Vinny left.  They make plans to go out for dinner and Pauly invites the rest of the guys.  Pauly is 31.  Mike, who is also celebrating his birthday, misses his family and wishes they had come to see him too.

Meanwhile, Snooki and Deena want to plan a surprise party for Pauly.

At dinner, Mike is sulking because he thinks Pauly’s family should be making an equally big deal about his birthday, which they are not.  Mike excuses himself from the table and falls asleep on a couch near the table.  Ron takes icing from the cake and puts it on Mike’s face, which wakes him up.  Mike didn’t receive the joke the way Ron hoped he would.

The girls are home and baking a cake for Pauly, but not one for Mike.  When the boys get home and see that there is only one cake, Mike gets upset again.  In a confessional, he admits that he is jealous and starting to realize he is usually the bad guy of the house and rarely the good guy.  The roommates are starting to get suspicious of Mike’s behavior.  Mike leaves the house and doesn’t say where he is going.

The episode ends with Mike’s departure.

So what do you think?  Was Mike in the right for being upset about the lack of celebration for his birthday?  The girls said he is such a jerk that they didn’t want to celebrate his birthday.  Should they have done something for Mike?

 

What to Expect During Sorority Recruitment

If you are interested in joining a sorority at your school, you are going to first have to go through recruitment.  During the recruitment season, there are a few things to expect:

 

1)      Getting overwhelmed is ok and normal.  The events you attend are going to be overwhelming (in a good way).  Choosing which organization would be the match for you can be a tough decision.  Attending multiple events in one night or in a few days can seem like a lot to handle, but it hopefully will help you narrow down your choices.  I would encourage attending as many events as possible (from multiple organizations as well) because it will help you learn the most about each sorority, which can help you when you need to decide who you wish to join the most.  There are a lot of factors that go into this lifelong decision.

2)      You are going to meet a lot of new people.  You are going to meet a lot of new people in each organization.  Remembering names can be tricky, so really observe the women you talk to.  Don’t feel embarrassed if you have to ask her to refresh your memory.  Remember, they were once on your end too, so they can definitely relate to how you are feeling.  It’s ok if you become friends with an individual and do not wish to join her organization.  You can still be her friends, and rightfully should.  You are also going to get a lot of friend requests on Facebook.

3)      Hearing unfamiliar words, such as “Panhellenic,” “philanthropy,” “Bid Day,” and “PNM.”  The Panhellenic Council is the governing body of 26 recognized social sororities.  There is also “Pan-Hellenic,” which is equivalent to Panhellenic.  They each govern different social sororities.  A philanthropy is a service event that raises money for a specific cause.  For example, Alpha Sigma Tau’s national philanthropy is Pine Mountain Settlement School.  The various chapters of Alpha Sigma Tau hold different kinds of fundraisers and donate the proceeds to Pine Mountain.  Each sorority does multiple kinds of philanthropic work for a number of different philanthropies.  Bid Day is the day in which sororities can start handing out bids (bids are invitations to join a sorority).  You can receive a bid from multiple organizations, though you can only officially join one sorority.   “PNM” is a potential new member, which is what you are considered while going through recruitment.  A new member is someone who is a member of a sorority but has yet to be initiated.  Therefore, a potential new member is a person who is going through the recruitment process.

 

Though it is an overwhelming process, sorority recruitment is meant to be fun and enjoyable.

 

Jersey Shore Recap: 1/12/12

Last night during MTV’s Jersey Shore, the show continued to be nothing short of dramatic, and at times, emotional.

The episode started with more celebrations of being back in Seaside Heights for most, but Vinny continued having feelings of homesick and anxiety.  Ronnie and Pauly D did their best to make Vinny feel better, like taking him to the boardwalk for some arcade games, or a boys’ day at the salon for pedicures (seriously).  Their attempts were definitely recognized and appreciated by Vinny, but his feelings weren’t cured.

Meanwhile, at Aztec, Snooki and Deena acted like Snooki and Deena (you know, wholesome and sober), while Mike “The Situation,” ran into a familiar face.  Paula…she fell down the outdoor stairs at the house in season one.  Paula and Situation spent the night together.  Coming home from the club, it started to pour.  Not a light rain, a downpour.  When they all got home and clothes were soaking wet, poor Jionni didn’t have an alternative outfit, so Situation slyly offered him something to wear.  I’m sure he had the best of intentions.  As a further attempt to seem like a nice, genuine friend, Situation cooked an egg muffin sandwich and bacon and brought it to Jionni, who was upstairs with Snooki.

In case you have missed the recent episodes, rumor has it Snooki cheated on Jionni with Mike while the show wasn’t filming.

The next morning, JWOWW and Sammi went to work (at the Shore Store), while Vinny skipped out on his shift…at least for the first few hours.  He was hoping that being at work would help him feel better, but Danny noticed Vinny wasn’t being himself and they went for a walk.

On this walk, we get to see a side of Vinny that not only have we not seen before, but makes him seem more relatable to those of us who don’t party until 5 a.m. most nights.  Vinny admits to having been diagnosed with clinical anxiety when he was 16 and that he is suffering from another episode.  He told Danny that being away from home for such a long time and the late night partying and nonstop drinking has proved to be too much for him right now.

Because there were no tanning beds in Italy, Pauly decided to tan over and over again.  First, his face was sunburnt and peeling.  Then, he exfoliated and burnt the skin that was sunburnt.  Pauly was in clear pain.  This was so bad that Snooki suggested he lay off the tanning for a while.  Yep.  Snooki.

Everyone was prepping for their first night at Karma since arriving at Seaside Heights.  Almost immediately after arriving there, Deena ran into her old friend, Damian, and asked if she could kiss him.  He said yes.  Snooki had a little too much to drink, fell off of a table or bar that she was sitting on, and Jionni got mad at her again.  He knows he is dating Snooki, right?  Vinny, who did go out, walked around alone most of the night.  At home, he and JWOWW were the only ones sleeping alone.

Pauly and his girl took the smoosh room so Vinny could get some sleep.  Pauly left to call her a cab after they were finished, and the girl was caught on camera stealing his diamond gold chain and putting it in her shorts.  When her cab was there, she couldn’t find her shoes anywhere, so Pauly said they were in the cab.  The girl left.  Pauly was upset about its disappearance and tore the house apart looking for the chain.  Snooki insisted the girl took it on purpose and wanted to use it to her advantage so she had an excuse to see Pauly the next day.  For once, Snooki said something intelligent.  The next morning, the girl showed up at the house with the chain around her neck.  She gave it back, pretending she didn’t realize she took it.  She asked for her shoes, but she and Pauly still couldn’t find them.

That night, Pauly and Vinny stayed at home while everyone else went to Karma.  At the house, Vinny called his sister for a ride, but then decided to just take a cab back to Staten Island.  The sadness in Pauly’s face was truly heartbreaking.  He wanted Vinny to stay more than anything, but he was helping him pack his belongings.  What a good friend…

The final scene of the episode showed Vinny getting in a cab, with all of his belongings, and Pauly not knowing what to do next.

Do you think Vinny will return this season?  Did Snooki cheat on her boyfriend with The Situation?

 

On The Fifth Day Of Christmas CL’s Giving You… 5 DIY Decor Tips!

DIY is appropriate for any time of the year, especially if you’re looking to save some cash around the holidays. Need a few decor tips? No problem! For all of you last minute decorators, CL’s created a list of affordable and savvy DIY projects to jazz up your humble abode this Christmas.

Fuzzy Snowflakes —  This is a fresh spin on classic paper snowflakes. Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need:

• Felt fabric
• Scissors

What You’ll Need:

• Gingerbread Man cutouts
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Assorted art supplies (glitter glue, ribbon, craft puff balls…)

Gift-wrap Your Home – Everything’s a present waiting to be opened with this tip.

What You’ll Need:

• Ribbon (different lengths and thickness)
• Scissors

How self-explanatory is this DIY? All you have to do is take your ribbon and have fun wrapping it around different items in your house! From lamp shades to door knobs, legs on a chair to the handles on your fridge, wrap and snip your ribbon around whatever you’d like. Add some charm to your ribbon decorations by tying a bow.

“Kissball” Ornament — Push your mistletoe to the side for this clever ornament drawn up by Goodhousekeeping.com.

What You’ll Need:

• Styrofoam balls (suggested: 4-inches)
• Fabric
• Rubber bands
• Ribbon
• Scissors

Can’t get enough of my DIY tips? Wait until you check out Debra’s article–she shows you how to create a themed party filled with hot chocolate drinks and candy cane party favors. Happy holidays, CL readers!

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