It’s time for some teen talk. There’s a whole new generation of teenybopper superstars, and it’s time for us college ladies to get aquainted with them. Miley Cyrus seems to be at the crest of the fame wave, but can Taylor Swift be far behind?

While Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus has been on the radar of the ‘tween set for quite some time, she really became a mega-uber-superstar in the course of the last year. It’s been a good twelve months since I first started hearing her single, “See You Again,” blasting from every room on my hall.  She made headlines when famed photographer Annie Lebowitz shot questionably tasteful photos of her for Vanity Fair. With a fiercely devoted fan base, bestselling albums and a movie and memoir in the works, you’d think Miley was the certified Queen of the Teenyboppers, pink tiara and all.

But not so fast, Hannah Montana. There’s another gal in town who’s ready to knock the spurs off your rockstar cowboy boots. Taylor Swift has been garnering press left and right about her sophisticated music and style. She’s been called the “most remarkable country music breakthrough artist of the decade,” and has upheld the honor by promising not to end up in rehab like some of her musician peers. And while she’s determined to stay out of the tabloids, she hasn’t always been successful–her tumultuous breakup with Joe Jonas has been providing intense gossip fodder this week.

So who is really on top of the tween rock scene? Billy Ray’s daughter steals the spotlight with her fun and kitschy persona, but Ms. Swift commands attention with her sweet and sincere lyrics. Who’s more likely to be rocking out on your iPod earbuds?

Sure, I’m glad that the semester is more than half over. Sure, I’m happy that the holidays are fast approaching. Sure, I’m glad that it’s my favorite season. But with all the awesome things that this time of the year brings along, there’s something that I just can’t stand, something that always comes around, and I sure as hell don’t mean the premiere of Redemption Song or the Law and Order marathon.

I mean being sick.

Not just “being sick,” though. Not just having a little cough or a small sniffle. No, I mean being sick as a dog. Having bronchitis. Having a box of tissues in one hand and pockets full of throat lozenges. When you’re on a small campus, one person’s cold is everyone else’s cold. Being stressed doesn’t help matters, either, so of course there are tons of other people in the boat with me – and not just seniors. And call me sadistic, but watching everyone suffer makes me feel a little less awful.

But my loss is your gain, folks. From my week-late thesis chapter, paper due on Friday that I still haven’t written, and a few other delayed things, I’ve learned some pretty awesome techniques to combatting exhaustion, delirium, sickness, and even lack of alcohol. Read More »