[The following is the final installment of a five-part series I'm calling "The Top 5 Things You MUST Do In College." Everyone's already heard about buying flip-flops for the shower, stocking up on veggies to avoid the Freshman 15, and to steer clear of mojitos before midterms, but there are other tips for enjoying college that the experts might have neglected to tell you about.

This series is meant to provide advice for getting the most out of college, rather than just getting through it. So far we've already discussed having a professor as a BFF, checking out what's going on in your college town, joining new clubs, and living with strangers. Now, in the final post, we wrap it all up with one important piece of advice: write for the paper! ]

College is supposed to be the best time of your life, but nothing is ever perfect. Whether you’re dissatisfied with your campus’ food (let’s face it, caf pizza isn’t exactly Domino’s), or you’re peeved about your school’s guest policy (can’t have overnight guests?), or maybe you just don’t like how you’re forced to take core requirements in philosophy when you’re paying big money to get your degree in engineering. Whatever the gripe may be, everyone has one.

But does anyone want to hear it?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes.

There are a group of students on every college campus who would LOVE to hear what you have to say: they are the staff of your college newspaper and everyone who is reading it.

Writing for the school paper is much easier than you think. If you’re really uncomfortable with submitting your writing, or you don’t think you’ve got enough words to fill up a whole article, write a letter to the editor. They don’t have to be as formal as your typical article, and you can say whatever you like. If you want to go all the way, though, just talk to the editor of the paper. Usually, editors will work with you in formatting a piece that you are both comfortable sending to press.

And what’s in it for you?

Well for one, your voice will definitely be heard and those that agree with you may join you in your crusade for change. If it’s changing your campus meal plan that you’re after, you can band together with other students who are dissatisfied and petition administration to change your food service. And while you may not see immediate results (and it may seem hard to believe), your school’s administration will pay attention to student opinion. You’re the ones who are keeping them in business.

You may also discover a newfound love of writing for press or social change!

The American college campus is a microcosm of the rest of society. You might never again have the potential to have such a large impact on your community by doing so little. A simple letter to your school’s paper can have a tremendously weighty impact on your campus. By contrast, if you try to write a letter to the editor to a large paper like the New York Times or the Washington Post, there’s a far smaller chance of it getting published. So please, if you do nothing else before graduation — if you’ve read and hated all of the other suggestions in this series thus far — write about what’s bothering you for the paper! You may not win a Pulitzer, but your voice can make a difference.

[You can also write your gripes, complaints, or just general thoughts and feelings on CollegeCandy's Facebook page!]

[Photo of MTV's The Paper courtesy of observer.com]

Hezbollah has taken over the western portion of Beirut the capital of Lebanon. This recent violence stems from the Western-backed (read: US-funded) government’s attempt on Monday to shut down Hezbollah’s telecoms network calling it a threat to state security.

According to eyewitnesses, the takeover occurred on Thursday at 8am with widespread Hezbollah roadblocks. Witnesses report street fighting involving machine guns, RPGs and tanks throughout the city. Civilians, apparently, have been forbidden from exiting their homes or even standing out on their balconies. Foreign nationals are desperately seeking a way out of the city.

It is feared that such violence will spiral the country back into civil war. The first Lebanese civil war occurred from 1975-90.

Meanwhile, the situation in Myanmar (Burma) continues to deteriorate. As many as 100,000 dead or missing and thousands facing homelessness and disease, yet the government remains incredibly reluctant to allow foreign aid into the country.

On Friday, the UN World Food Program suspended operations when its’ first plane was impounded by the government. Aid flights will hopefully be resumed on Saturday.

According to the US government, Myanmar will allow one aid plane to land on Monday.

Therefore, despite significant aid pledges on the part of the international community, (UK $10m, UN $10m, Japan $10m, US $3m, France $3m, Australia $2.8m), it is doubtful how much will actually be allowed into Myanmar by the military Junta.

On the US political front, it seems to be simply a matter of time before Hilary Clinton admits defeat. By securing North Carolina and nearly taken Indiana, Obama is increasingly being viewed as the apparent democratic nominee. The Washington Post’s blog The Trail’s headline today even reads “The Real Race Begins”—arguing that the news coverage should be focusing on the Obama vs. McCain contest rather than the floundering Clinton campaign.

Further evidence of the erosion of Clinton’s position as a viable contender came today as superdelegate Rep. Donald M. Payne left the Clinton camp this morning for Obama. Three other undecided superdelgates also joined Payne in declaring their solidarity with the Obama campaign.

And Now For Something Completely Different… Taser Parties!

Move aside Tupperware and Avon- Taser parties are the latest and greatest home parties. According to the BBC, such “parties” are becoming more and more common in the US. Companies are especially targeting women, marketing the taser as the perfect tool for personal protection. They even come in cute colors—leopard print, light pink, red, etc.

On a personal note, my mom has actually tried on several occasions to give me something like a taser but I’m quite uncomfortable with the idea. Check out the BBC’s story, which is pretty hard on our American desire for such protection, and then tell me what you think.

That’s the news. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you on Monday!

Here’s how it would go. They would befriend some poor homeless guy, put him up in an apartment, and get him to sign a life insurance policy listing them as the beneficiaries. After waiting a couple of years (as an immediate death would raise the insurance company’s suspicions), they would drug him senseless, run him over with a car that — presumably — would not be traced back to them, and claim the payouts.

Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt evidently did exactly this in 1999, and got away with it. Then they did it again in 2005 and got caught. Even weirder — both women are in their 70s! These are serial-killing grannies we’re talking about!

Serial-killing grannies with expensive habits, evidently: A letter from Helen to Olga talks about Helen’s plastic surgery (at age 72!) and how painful it was. Since this letter was written in 2002, it was probably the first man’s murder that paid for said plastic surgery. Morbid to think about it, isn’t it?

The article in the Washington Post talks about how the story is just like something out of Arsenic and Old Lace, except without Cary Grant. That was before my time, but the point of the comparison transcends generation: This sounds like something out of a really twisted movie.

Actually, that’s a great idea for Helen and Olga’s next ‘rocking chair fund’ (or ‘get out of jail fund,’ as the case may be): selling the movie rights to their story!

That random question headlines an even odder website, stuffonmycat.com.

What is this website all about? Well, it’s a little place in cyberspace dedicated to pictures of cats with stuff on them. Cats with teacups on them, cats with shoes on them, cats with baby clothes on them…just pictures and pictures of cats covered in stuff.

It sounds strange, but once you go there, you’ll find it hard to look away. Most of the cats are adorable. Some are freaky. All of them have owners who have found time to throw things on top of them.

Lest you think stuffonmycat.com is a passing fad, the website has been mentioned in The Washington Post, Elle Girl, and GQ magazine (among others) and gets an average of 50 comments a day on a single post. There are also Stuffonmycat calendars, mousepads, sweatshirts, postcards, and a glossy coffee table book.

What are we dealing with here? Why is this site so popular?

Who knows. It could be the randomness of the idea (their tagline: stuff + cats = awesome), the cuteness of the cats, or the thought of being semi-famous yourself when a picture of your cat one day appears. Whatever the equation, stuffonmycat.com has been saved in my Favorites List for years, and I have no explanation as to why.

Apparently, the makers of Sugarest read my mind. These tablets supposedly rid you of your sugar cravings for 20-30 minutes after you place it in your mouth for a few minutes. The main ingredient causes sugary foods to lose their sweetness. Sounds like a pretty sweat deal right? Anticipate a need for a treat, pop a pill, suck on it, and voila! You have conquered sugar.

The Washington Post reported that “the taste-blocking effects of the active ingredient, gymnemic acid, have been known for some time, but the herbal tablet was introduced to stores in New York just last month.”

The pill is also claiming to help cigarette smokers quit their addiction, because cigarettes contain sweeteners. Now, is it just me or are smokers addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes and not the sweeteners?

Regardless, I would be surprised if Sugarest actually carried out its diet claims. But, hey, it’s worth a shot and who knows, maybe it will be the magic potion I am looking for.