POETRY CORNER
Procrastination
by Lane Fuller
I don't know why I put things off.
It can be anything really,
Class work, sleep when I need to get up,
Chores at home, leaving on a long drive…
No matter what it is, it seems like I leave myself as little time
As possible, like I'm testing myself to see if I can finish it.
In my case, the classic is schoolwork.
I guess as long as I feel like I will still have time
To finish something I can keep putting it off.
The weekly cycle goes something like this:
Okay, it's Monday and I just got my
English assignment,
But I worked all day and then went to class, so I'm tired now
I'll just go to bed and start on this
tomorrow.
I got tomorrow off work, so I should havetime to do it.
It's Tuesday and I don't have to work
today,
But I have history class tonight and I put off last week's assignment
So I have to do that now, and I won't get back until around ten
So I'll have to go straight to bed so I can get up for work tomorrow.
Today is Wednesday and I just got back from work.
I still have Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to do this,
And I have work Thursday and Friday, so I should
Take it easy while I can to avoid getting too stressed.
Now it's Thursday and I still haven't
started that assignment,
But I've worked two days in a row now,
And I still have Friday and the whole weekend.
I'll just take it easy for now.
I'm back from work on Friday.
Man, I'd start that assignment if I wasn't so tired.
It's okay, I'll take it easy today.
I still have the whole weekend without work to do it.
Okay, it's Saturday now, and I somehow slept in until 2pm.
That's okay, I still have all day and
Sunday.
But my brain feels like mush since I just woke up,
So I won't be able to write anything good…
Now on Sunday a sense of urgency
sets in,
But I always end up feeling so nervous that I can't write,
I don't really understand why, but I
almost never start.
By around 10pm Sunday, I really start
to panic.
I'm not sure I even remember what I'm supposed to do anymore!
I can't do this assignment If I don't know what it is?!
Why don't I ever take notes!?
I can't stay up late doing this! I have work tomorrow!
Hold on…It's okay…I get out of work
at 3:00,
And I don't have class until 6:00.
If I can come up with something while I'm at work,
Then I'll have about two hours to
write it!
I'm out of work, but last night I was so nervous about whether
I was going to be able to finish this or not that I couldn't sleep.
I feel like a zombie…I can't come up with anything…
I knew I should have started this sooner.
Anyway, in the end I usually manage to crap something out.
What a relief, I finished my homework!
I got more at the end of class,
But I'm so worn out from last week's work there's no way I'm doing it now.
No problem. I still have all week to do it.
Back to Top
The Ugly Duckling
By Stephanie Kartheu
She wore bright colors as a child
Unable to spread her wings
Unable to express herself
For her mother had chosen the clothes
As a teen she had more freedom
More black than yellow
In fact
No yellow
No pink
No white
No lime green...
Just black
She got piercings everywhere she could
Inked every available spot
By 30 she limited her piercings to two in each ear
Forked out hundreds of dollars in ink removals
And adopted more color in her wardrobe
From duckling to ugly duckling to swan
Back to Top
Being A Leader
 By Dylan Patterson
Staff Writer
On October 18th, I was one of many students invited to a Leadership Luncheon. Being promised a free lunch, which came in an insulated lunch bag that we could keep, was a nice incentive to attend too.
After eating our lunches and having time to meet and greet the people at our tables (we were all assigned random seating), we took a short questionnaire to determine what leadership style we each possess. There are three types of leadership styles called Autocratic, Democratic (aka Participatory), and Laissez-fare (aka Delegative, Free Rein).
Autocratic is a leadership style that is more direct and controlling and tends to be more orientated towards productivity and goals. Democratic is a leadership style that requires input from others and tends to be more concerned about the process of how decision are made and that everyone has a voice. The Laissez-fare leadership style leaves colleagues to get on with their work and is more relaxed and supportive.
How can you become a good leader? Try following these steps:
• Talk early and often
• Know more and share it
• Offer your opinion and welcome disagreement
• Listen more than talk
• Shift focus from becoming a leader to serving the group
Being a good leader is important, but you also need to be an effective leader by modeling leadership behavior (confidence, competence, trustworthiness), motivate team members, manage group processes, and make decisions.
If you would like to get notes on leadership styles and find out what type of leader you are, contact Student Life at studentlife@kellogg.edu
Back to Top
Campus Photo Play
By Justion Latimer
All photos are altered for your
enjoyment.
 
  
Back to Top
Dr. Destiny
Dear Dr. Destiny,
What steps can a student take to insure they get a decent job out of college in this down economy?
Dear Student
I would highly recommend an internship in your chosen field whenever possible. It often opens doors to full time employmend (if they like you, that is!).
If you do not know what course of studies you want to pursue, take some of the free tests the counseling office offers to see your abilities, strengths etc. and then look at the Occupational Outlooks Handbook, published by the U.S. Government and available through our library website under resources. In that publication are lists of thousands of job titles (some of which you may have never heard), the education needed, the job requirements, the salary AND the predicted need of people with those skills over the next ten years.
Good for you for thinking all of this through before you accumulate debt and have no job. Read the October 31, 2011 issue of Time magazine for the article "I Owe U: Student debt is on track to top $1 trillion this year. What happens when diplomas stop opening doors?"
Dear Dr. Destiny,
If you were a flying animal what would you be?
Dear fly boy,
I would be a flying squirrel because no one expects to actually see one, and if one does, it scared the sense out of a person! I seem to scare people senseless in this lifetime, so why not in the next incarnation?
Dear Dr. Destiny,
On a scale of 1 - 10, what color is your house? Explain.
Dear Scaler Aficando,
My house is a 5. You do the explaining . . . it was your odd question!
Life is a 5.
Dear Dr. Destiny,
Is there any food that helps your manifestations of destiny predictions?
Dear Food Critic,
Definitely not sauerkraut, but heavy doses of fiber can improve most things in one's life. And if they don't improve, at least the fiber provides another activity one can participate in alone.
Dear Dr. Destiny,
I'm thinking about retiring. The preparations are so daunting that I might as well continue working. What's the easiest way to prepare for retirement?
Dear Retiree,
Save money. Don't retire. Let them cart you out or find your dried carcass in the locked bathroom some day. That'll provide some gossip at the least.
Back to Top
|
div>
Rock of Ages
 By Ann Michels
Editor
Rock of Ages (musical play) in Chicago was the Student Life trip in November. If you did not get a chance to see the play then, you may have a chance in December on your own time. The play was awesome. Growing up in the eighties, I could sing along to all the songs, much to the dismay of the twenty year old seated next to me. Personal song favorites included Anyway you want it, Here I go Again, I Hate Myself for Loving you, Wanted Dead or Alive, and More than Words. Who am I kidding? I loved all of the songs. Warning, Rock of Ages may not be suitable for your grandma (who loves musicals), unless she likes hard rock and scantily clad women dancing on stage.
~Ann Michels loves musicals, art and photography.
(5 time nominated musical) NY times is,"Impossible to resist
photo By Ann Michels
Back to Top
Are you a Leader?
By Ann Michels
Edtior
Some people are born leaders, assigned leaders, and some have yet to reach their potential. A leader is somebody whom people follow: someone who guides or directs others. Leadership is a quality defying exact measurement. There are three common leadership approaches; Trait, Situational, and Style theories. I am going to concentrate on the Style theory is based on what comes naturally in someone personality.
• Autocratic style tends to be more direct and controlling. Productivity and goals are the main focus. Their strength is to get things done and make quick decisions. Autocratic leaders take authority and go headfirst in solving problems, like drill sergeants. Effective during a crisis, when time is limited and in situations where group members need a lot of direction. Although this style may negatively impact group morale and long term productivity. Decidedly, not the best style in romantic relationships.
• Democratic/Participatory style requires input from others. Making decisions can be a slow, thoughtful process. Often, these people are cooperative with good listening skills. They invite other members of the team to contribute to the decision-making process, and then make the final decision. Group members have more satisfaction, loyalty and higher long run productivity. Often a skilled leader is needed to keep everyone involved and moving towards goals. Many leaders adopt this style.
• Delegative style (Laissez-Faire/Free Rein) leaves colleagues to get on with their missions. This style is relaxed and supportive. Details are not a concern. Things will get done. They are comfortable with teamwork and group activities. Good communication and positive group morale with a sense of ownership over the tasks are often created. Nicknamed Lazy Fair, these leaders find it hard to be decisive when required.
• (Model Leadership Behavior) Confidence, competence, and trustworthiness.
• (Motivate Members) Good leaders guide, support, defend and inspire group members
• (Manage Group Processes) Groups can view this as the most important function of leadership. Groups need to have organization and information to be effective.
• (Make Decisions) Be willing and able to make appropriate, timely, responsible decisions.
Now you are armed with a better understanding of what it takes to be a leader, take the knowledge to a new level. Be a great leader. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and adjust accordingly. Leadership can be rewarding in many ways. There is sense of accomplishment for leading a group or team toward a common goal. If you are not a leader, take a chance. You might enjoy the results
Leadership luncheon table talk
photo by Ann Michels
Back to Top
Procrastinator's Pleasure
By Dylan Patterson
Staff writer
Mutant, and proud!
On September 27th, developers Silicon Knights and publisher Activison released (X-Men: Destiny) to the gaming masses. The storyline for this game was written by Mike Carey who is also the writer for the X-Men: Legacy comic book series by Marvel Comics. In this release, players are presented with one of the key designs in this game; choice.
While I found (X-Men: Destiny) to be a fun experience, I must give these words of advice; this is not a video game for the casual gamer, it is specifically targeted toward fan of the X-Men universe and, to a lesser extent, those who like superhero games. The game play is similar to the style used in X-Men: Legends, its sequel, and the spin off Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and its sequel. If you've played any of these previous games, then you have a basic understanding of how this game will play. Outside of game play, the graphics of the game have been criticized for not being quite up to standards as other current game releases and others have thought the game itself was short (how "long" a game is calculated by how many hours it takes to complete it). Here are the specifics of the game.
Your first choice is to choose between one of three available characters created for this game: Aimi Yoshida, Grant Alexander, and Adrian Luca. While each character has their own personality and background, which character you choose to play as only effects how you character speaks and reacts to the other characters in the game.
Once you've chosen your character, you then will decide on one of three core powers: Destiny Control, Energy Projection, and Shadow Matter. Each core power has its own fighting style and animations. While defeating enemies, you gain points you can spend to upgrade your powers and you gain additional powers and combos as you progress through the game.
Before you start thinking that you have been limited on what powers your character can have, you might just be happy to learn about X-Genes. In X-Men: Destiny, you will come across these X-Genes as you play the game. Each X-Gene you pick up is random (never in the same place twice) so you never know what you will get.
X-Genes come in four different categories: Suit (a costume you can wear that also might have a special function), offensive, defensive, and utility. Each X-Gene you acquire is based upon one of the iconic heroes or villains from the X-Men universe and will augment your powers in a specific way. For example, a defensive X-Gene from Emma Frost will allow your character to gain a diamond skin, allowing protection from damage and can be upgraded to even deflect projectiles back at enemies. An offensive X-Gene from Pyro will add burn (fire) damage to your basic attacks, adding damage over time (enemies continue to take damage after you've hit them) and can be upgraded for more devastating attacks.
Now, what happens if you collect all four X-Gene's of one mutant? If you equip your character with all four X-Gene's from the same mutant, you gain access to what is called X-Mode. X-Mode is essentially a super power or ability (depending on which mutant the X-Gene's are based upon) that your character can use. Wolverine's X-Mode, for example, will increase the rate at which your character regains health and increase the speed at which to can attack your enemies.
So, while it might not be worth the current $60 price tag (the standard price to newly released Xbox 360 and PS3 games), if you are an X-Men fan or fan of superhero games, X-Men: Destiny just might be worth a try. X-Men: Destiny was also released on the Wii and Nintendo DS systems.
~Dylan Pattersion Is an avid gamer
Back to Top
|
