This semester I learned…

• That though college is difficult and stressful at times, no one is really out to get you. There are so many opportunities for extra help and so many people in general that are just happy to give their assistance. If you look for help, you’ll find it. And not only that, but you have to help yourself too. Give yourself a break. Don’t stress out too bad and just know that if you gave it your all, then there’s nothing more you can do.
• Just because you’re in a large lecture class, doesn’t mean that the professor will never know your name and that you’re just a face in a sea of people. It helps to go up to them. Make them remember you and ask questions. At first I was almost afraid to ask the professor questions and would wait until recitation or ask someone in the class. Then I realized the professors are here for us and most of them actually do care and want you to pass.
• Use every resource! At orientation they would always say “do this it’s free” and then would follow up with “well technically you are paying for it” (with tuition) but this is so true. We pay to go here, we chose to go here so why not use everything given to us? Just by going to the help rooms and signing up for a tutor and visiting office hours, I boosted my confidence in the classes I was struggling with. The same goes for the Rec Center and the Library. We really need to use and just try everything offered here.
• Don’t underestimate yourself. After the first round of midterms, I was seriously debating on dropping down to an easier physics class. I spoke to an advisor and got all the paperwork and then I thought to myself: “are you really gonna give up just like that?” I mean it wasn’t like I did horrible on the first midterm, just not as well as I would’ve liked. I made the ultimate decision to stay in the physics I was in and scored better than 60% of the students taking that course on the second midterm. You should always believe in yourself and when something gets overwhelming, ask for help, see your options, but remember that hardwork will always be rewarded and that if you put limits on yourself, you’ll never find out what you’re truly capable of.

Throughout my life, family has been the most important thing. Growing up with an older brother, my mom would always tell us that no matter what happened, no matter how many friends we had or didn’t have, we would always have each other and that we needed to cherish that. This really shaped me into the person I am today. I also have a very large extended family that I’m very close with. Of my 18 first cousins on my mom’s side, I talk to almost everyone of them. We all meet multiple times a year for holidays and birthdays and in between those events I always hang out and remain in almost constant contact with them. This has also influenced my life a great deal. It was part of the decision to come to Stony Brook- I wanted to always be there when someone needed me or something happened in the family. The thing about my family is that even though we may get annoyed at each other and not talk for a little while, there is nothing that can tear us apart. We all have such a strong connection and even though there are so many of us it really is as if we all grew up together. There’s nothing in this world that I value more than family and just relationships in general. You can have as many friends in the world, but your family is supposed to be the ones that you don’t have to think about. You don’t have to remember their birthdays, you can go to their house and clean out their fridge, you can say what you really think and no matter what you’re bonded by blood. You’ll always have each other for the rest of your lives.

It’s kind of obvious now that I also have a very close relationship with my brother as we spent a lot of time together as kids. I never wanted to play with dolls or wear pretty dresses. I wanted to build bionicles and play video games. I still don’t know if that was because I actually liked it or if I just wanted to do everything my brother was doing, but either way I always enjoyed it and I still do without him so I guess there’s your answer. Another thing that’s been a huge passion throughout my life is cooking. Whenever my brother would have friends over I’d always be in the kitchen making cookies, brownies, grilled cheese, pretty much anything they wanted. Again this was partially to gain acceptance from them, but also because I just love to cook. Food is the one thing I think about almost every second of the day. The day I first stumbled upon Food Network was the day my family wanted to disconnect every TV set in the house because that’s all I ever wanted to watch (and do still to this day- I drive my boyfriend nuts sometimes). I have actually debated pursuing a career in cooking but, like many childhood dreams, I’ve packed that one up and am saving it for later (maybe I’ll open a restaurant someday- I’m not sure if I can completely let go of this dream). Where I think this passion stems from is really my obsession of creating. I love drawing, coloring, painting, anything that takes something and transforms it. There are endless possibilities when you are the creator. From flour, butter, and sugar I can make a cake. From paper, some pigment, and a brush I can turn something plain into something that catches the eye.

The Spanish language has also been a great influence in my life. Of course we’re all required to take another language usually starting in middle school, but for some reason Spanish has just stuck with me. I picked it up right away and was one of the best speakers in most of my classes. Because of this I’ve decided to continue to learn Spanish in college and hopefully become fluent. I’m also thinking about taking another language course. This also influenced my decision to come to Stony Brook as well. Due to there great study abroad program, it just seemed like the obvious choice.

I have so many dreams in my life. So many things that I’m passionate about that sometimes it’s hard to truly know where my life is heading. All I know is that I’m going to do the best I can with what I’m given and always have fun with it. With my 18 cousins behind me and the rest of my amazing family I can’t help but feel that there’s nothing in this world that I can’t do.

For me, my experience with Stony Brook University started my junior year of high school. Throughout my entire schooling career I had always loved learning, speaking, and reading Spanish. Junior year, Stony Brook provided a program to my high school to take college level spanish and receive college credits at a discounted rate. Of course I would apply. After paying for the course, we were taken to the campus to receive our official Stony Brook ID cards which was already exciting as only a junior in high school; at the time it felt very special. Upon arriving to campus I was stunned by the size of it. We were taken for a tour and saw the Student Activities Center, the Rec Center, and the Library. Walking through each building, seeing all of the students studying together and collorborating I just knew that Stony Brook was where I wanted to be.

Come senior year, Stony Brook was the only school I sent an application to- my decision had already been made. When I received my acceptance I almost wasn’t surprised even though I’d been so nervous waiting for the letter. I knew it was predetermined that I would be a Seawolf.

Being a commuter, the first week was a little bit depressing. Seeing that so many people had already made friends through roommates or moving in day or just being on campus all the time I felt discouraged. With everyone walking together, different languages filling my ears from every angle, it was as if I had entered a new universe that I wasn’t sure if I belonged in. I saw a few familiar faces from high school and orientation which boosted my confidence, but I really wanted to meet new people and truly get the “college experience.”

I think the first break through was in my Leadership and Service class. Everyone was smiling, the instructor was funny, engaging, and really made the class get involved. I’ve made a lot of friends in that class and after that it seemed as though I just kept meeting people. The thing that we all need to understand is that even though we may have different interests or different personalities, we’re pretty much all going through the same struggles with classes and studying and so on. Actually, I feel like studying has been the main connection between myself and the people I’ve befriended here. Connecting in the help rooms or meeting for study groups has actually been really fun and has allowed me to meet a lot of new people. Another place is the Commuter Lounge. Being a commuter I obviously have spent my fair share of time in the lounge and after seeing people all the time you just get to talking and within a few weeks I was remembering peoples’ names, what classes I have with them and so on. I feel like I have a pretty outgoing personality which helps me make new friends, but for others the school also offers so many other opportunities to meet people with the same interests and just great people in general. Even being outgoing as I am, I wish I had gotten more involved in these things and definitely plan on doing so next semester.

Throughout my first semester at Stony Brook, I’ve learned that being a Seawolf isn’t about how long you’re on campus or how many people you know even. It’s about how you get involved and how you feel connected to the university. Though I didn’t have time to go to many meetings, I plan on attending many more clubs next semester and really getting involved in all of the great things that are going on around campus. I really am proud to be a Seawolf.

The song “Love Me or Not” by Dub FX is somewhat of a typical break-up song about someone who is having a hard time coping with the recent end to a relationship. Within the song, the lyrics talk about how you never know what tomorrow will bring and no matter what happens today, tomorrow will be another day. Though this is somewhat of a typical breakup song, it is much more uplifting and focuses more on what the artist is doing to move on with his life instead of the actual break up itself. What I like about this song is that though it is directly referencing lost love, the message can be applied to any situation. The lyrics say that even though you may not want to move on, time doesn’t allow you to stay dormant for too long. Each day the sun rises and sets and you can either decide to embrace each day, or not. With this he is also saying to embrace your feelings. He states that though you can never forget the memories you shared with this person and that they will always have their part in your story, you ultimately have the decision to turn the page. This is an extremely nice, mellow song that is easy to listen to and also easy to connect with. In essence, I really am a fan of this song and Dub FX in general.

This song also has a really great combination of music and lyrics. The song begins very softly with the deep backup vocals almost giving the feel that the sun is rising and that something new is about to begin. The backup vocals also give the song almost an African feel which could tie into the artist’s Australian roots. The entire time the singer’s voice just has a certain sound to it that allows you to feel what he’s feeling-if you’re not already-and connect to him in a personal way. You can tell that this song is most likely based on a very personal and real experience of the singer. Just the fact that the lyrics are revealing such emotions and blatantly stating how hard the break up is with “I’m not getting used to this new solitude,” and “I’ve got to keep my emotions together” allows more of a connection to develop between the artist and the listener which is very important in the music industry. The lyrics lead you to believe that maybe this isn’t the first time that this couple has broken up and that this time is different making it harder for both parties involved. Though the song is very soft and still has a sad tinge to it, it also has hope intertwined within it and is on the verge of upbeat showing that life isn’t over even if a relationship is.

Dub FX is the stage name for Benjamin Stanford, an Australian street performer who is mostly a one man band. Stanford takes almost an a cappella approach to his songs by recording one beat and having it play on repeat while recording another beat on top of it in order to create the sound of the complete song. It really is extremely cool to watch and hard to imagine how he can create each part of the song only using his mouth. There are many videos of him doing this very thing though he also incorporates different interesting instruments to add texture to his songs. Though I’m not sure that this was the inspiration of the song, Dub FX is pretty much known to always be with his girlfriend who also appears in many of his songs and videos. I can’t help but wonder if he is referring to a break up between the two of them.

I would recommend Dub FX to anyone who likes upbeat, almost reggae-like music. For people who don’t like this kind of music I would still strong recommend watching the videos of Stanford creating the sounds because it truly is an amazing process and really entertaining. In particular, this song is inspirational for someone that is trying to cope with a difficult break-up, but also for people who just need a little motivation or need to move on from something.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCTdKiIhdVk

Song Making Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiInBOVHpO8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bioYs6oAD8g

Lyrics: http://www.elyrics.net/read/d/dub-fx-lyrics/love-me-or-not-lyrics.html

The song “Rich Man’s World” by Immortal Technique is also known as “1%” because the lyrics talk about the richest “1%” of the world and all of the corruption that circles that small group of people. Immortal Technique is a rapper known for having extremely graphic, real songs about controversial topics going on around the world. Even though some of them may even be too gruesome to listen to, I can seriously respect all of the truth that Immortal Technique incorporates into each of his songs. First, “Rich Man’s World” starts out with a speech from the movie Network in which it is boldly stated that “there is no American; there is no democracy.” Immortal Technique then starts speaking to all of the petty criminals in order to allude to the fact that the big business men are the real criminals of the world. He touches on topics such as unfair bailouts given by the government, using politicians to control the government, the outsourcing of jobs, and the fact that this very small portion of the world is living so much better than the rest. I happen to think that this is a really great song. I feel that many of the points brought up have a lot of truth in them and that the song brings light to a lot of things that people don’t want to accept as true.

In this song particularly, the music really does complement the lyrics. The very “in your face” beat gives the right kind of power to the song that Immortal Technique is referencing to in the lyrics. The whole beginning of the song just sets the mood and gives a great feeling. With the small introduction that tells the listener what the song is about and then the complement of the music coming in strong with the cash register sounds in the background is just really well done. Immortal Technique’s voice itself also really complements the song. His voice has a rough, hard quality to it and the way he almost spits the words out allows you to picture a skeezy big business man that doesn’t care about a thing in the world besides himself (especially with the evil laugh in the beginning).

This type of song is very typical of Immortal Technique. He is extremely opinionated when it comes to the government and the way that people are treated throughout the world. Growing up in Harlem and being a member of a gang (not sure if he still is, but he used to be affiliated with at least one), Immortal Technique feels that he has seen what people have to go through on a daily basis just to survive. Many of his songs tell stories about experiences he’s had or things he’s seen in the streets. What I like about Immortal Technique the most is that he’s not a typical rapper that talks about girls, money, drugs, and getting laid. Well, maybe he does a little bit, but in a more respectable, educational way. He talks about the truth in all of these things. Instead of talking about a girl’s looks he talks about the way she acts or the hard mask she has to show the world. If he talks about money he doesn’t talk about how much he has or wants, he talks about how it ruins people and how the world revolves around it. You can feel the lyrics and each song is like a story that you don’t know whether to believe or not but something in his voice makes you know that it’s real.

Unfortunately this song is definitely not for everyone. Though it has an awesome beat, great lyrics and a controversial, interesting topic, some people simply wouldn’t like all of the profane language and possibly the fact that it’s a rap song. For people who don’t mind curses and want to hear a great story about the possible corruption of the government and how the other half lives, this song is definitely a great choice though perhaps not on repeat.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2NETSIzFr8

Lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/rich-manas-world-1-lyrics-immortal-technique.html

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