Oh, sweet November—overnight, Starbucks has switched to holiday cups, Christmas-themed commercials are beginning to air, and I’m starting to get a serious hankering for turkey. I can’t wait to get a spiffy new pair of mittens—maybe designed by Lady Gaga?—and enjoy my last winter in college.

In the meantime, though, this week has given me a lot to think about. Here’s what’s been on your favorite CC writers’ minds over the past seven days:

- Even though getting old might mean that Halloween gets a little less fun, it doesn’t mean that you have to get any less awesome. Unless you join the National Parents Council.

- Hot men covered in cheese? Sounds surprisingly delicious.

- We hope our girl Rihanna isn’t opening up now for less-than-noble reasons. Either way, we’ll still listen to her music—even if there is more ridiculous stuff out there.

- There’s no better time than now to get over your lipstick-phobia, put on a pair of heels (or not), make the first move on the first hottie you see, and take him back to your place for a little one-on-one that’s sure to please. Just don’t be that girl. Please.

That’s right, ladies, if you are addicts of shows like Sex and the City and Gossip Girl, you are going to get pregnant.

Kind of.

A study published in November’s issue of Pediatrics showed that teens who watch shows that portray only the good, fun side of sex, and not the risks and responsibilities that come with it, are twice as likely to get knocked up as teens who watch less sexually driven T.V. (Um, is there any?)

As a dedicated fan of both SATC and GG, after reading this article I started to wonder if my sex-drive was not self-induced, but really the doing of Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass’s steamy encounters.

Answer: um, no? Read More »

Days as a Freshman: 98

Mood: Feeling weird

“So, how was your Thanksgiving?” Justin ran his finger over the dark, thick spines of books that looked as though they had been down in the stacks for centuries, the archaic gold writing worn away with age, the leather worn and tearing in places. We were in a far corner reserved for old English texts, big, dense volumes our grandparents were probably bored by in the early 1900’s.

“It was fine. A little weird…” I leaned against the opposite shelf, dropping my backpack by my feet. “Some kid came over accidentally. I mean… I accidentally invited someone over for dessert who I didn’t know that well…”

“Who?” Checking a small piece of paper gripped in his fingers, Justin locked onto a particularly giant volume and pulled it out, leafing through the thin pages. “And how do you accidentally invite someone over?” Read More »

Days as a Freshman: 83

Mood: Totally unable to concentrate

The November wind pushed itself under my scarf, biting at the skin on my neck. I pulled my jacket collar up as high as it would go, wishing I had worn a heavier sweater.

Coming from Maine, you’d think I’d be better prepared each time winter touched down, but every year it caught me off guard, snaking through my window and startling me with it’s freezing nights and frozen mornings. Some people were built to appreciate winter. I was not one of those people.

Crashing through piles of leaves, I made my way through the quad, the campus still asleep at 10 AM on a Saturday. Part of me wished I was still asleep. Still warm under my comforter instead of rushing with wet hair toward the Soccer House, a place I had no desire to even look at, let alone spend hours studying in.

Sasha had asked me to come over that night at the coffee house, pleading with me to help him with the chemistry problems he had missed going over with Daniel B. My initial reaction had been to make up an excuse; to come up with anything to keep me away from sitting alone in the Soccer House with Sasha, but standing in front of him, feeling his gaze and the extra pressure of his tall, silent friend, I ended up smiling and saying sure. Sure I’ll help. Sure I’ll do whatever you ask. I’m Grace, the pushover loser. Read More »

Ah, November. The banging pipes above my head at 4 AM signify that it is indeed fall, no matter how warm it was a few weeks ago.

Now that we’re safely into our fall school schedules, fall sweaters, and fall sleeping patterns (staying up too late doing work, waking up too early to go to class), I think its high time to share a few of my favorite televised reasons to push away that term paper.

In no particular order of awesomeness:

• Chuck – Monday nights at 8/7 central, NBC – It’s very rare that a TV show makes me laugh out loud on purpose (I mean…Caveman? That just hilariously awful), but every week that I tune in, Chuck manages to make me chuckle.

The Mild-Mannered-Geek-Turned-Superspy plot allows for lots of explosions and cool fights, but it’s the interpersonal relationships between Chuck and the people around him that make this series truly pop.

Whether he’s stumbling awkwardly around his hot co-spy Sarah, dodging his sister’s (and lovably odd boyfriend’s) questions, or dealing with fellow nerd Morgan, Chuck’s life is never boring—so neither is the show.

Joshua Gomez stands out as the entertainingly awkward Morgan, and Adam Baldwin wins points for making his tough as nails spy John Casey funny when it counts most. As chuck’s sister, Sarah Lancaster is stable and adorable, while Yvonne Starhovski plays hot-spy-masquerading-as-a-wiener-girl Sarah with poise and just enough charm to be likable.

While everyone in the cast carries their own comedic weight, Zachary Levi is definitely a primo reason to watch Chuck in the first place. Read More »

Days as a Freshman: 74

Mood: Stressed out

I peeled my apple slowly, concentrating on taking off as little of the inside part as possible. I kept my eyes on my hands. It was easier to talk to them this way.

“So he told you?” Crystal asked, leaning over my shoulder as though the answer was in my lap.

“He really told you?” Naima leaned in as well, pulling her jacket closer as a cold breeze pushed our hair and the leaves in the trees around us. Today was one of those rare November afternoons where it was still warm enough to sit outside in the sun, and Crystal, Naima, Rebecca and I had left our notes in the library and come out to the steps for some air.

“He told me. Probably not everything, but enough.” I handed the apple skin to Crystal who promptly ate it. She hated waste of any kind. Especially food. “He told me about MaryAnne’s cousin. And at least what he remembered about that night.”

“Wonder why he told you” Crystal mused, her mouth full. “He must really like you.”

As a friend, I thought, almost slicing my thumb with the knife I had stolen from the dining hall. I’m a great friend. And that’s all. Read More »