The Route One for Life Project

Spring Break Blues

Rohit B — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:59:23 +0000

With just a few days left for Spring break to begin and the weather being fabulous, everyone is eager to get started on the best week of the semester, Spring break. Yes, it is that time of the year where you get to party in a tropical paradise, dress up like a jersey shore wannabe and show off your Miami abs. Well, there is more to Spring break than partying. If you have not made up your Spring break plans yet, here are some last minute pointers:

1. Road trips: Road trips can be an enjoyable way to spend quality time with a select few friends while enjoying the diversity and variety of different towns you pass by. It is cheap on the wallet too and extremely fun.

2. Last minute deals on cruises/ exotic getaways: It is going to be difficult to find a deal now. However, feel free to check these websites: www.studentuniverse.com and www.statravel.com. I use these websites regularly and get good student fares.

3. St. Patrick’s day in NYC: You definitely have to experience this. It is definitely a fun time to be in the city. Check out this website for more details: http://www.st-patricks-day.com/st_patricks_day_parades_united_states_new_york.html

4. Atlantic City/ Ocean City weekend getaway: Try getting in touch with that friend of yours who has a beach house and do offer to pay. This way, you can work for better part of Spring break and make money to pay for your Atlantic City/ Ocean City weekend getaway.

5. Ultra Music festival 2010: This is the mother of all dance concerts. Every big DJ is going to be there and it is all going down in Miami. Check out the website for the ridiculous lineup. http://www.ultramusicfestival.com/. The good thing is it falls on March 26 and 27, a week after Spring break. So, if you have not made up your plans yet, you could get a temp job over spring break and make money to pay for Ultra fest in Miami.

6. Productive: Spring break could also be a great excuse to pursue your creative element. You can do things which you always wanted to do like work on a painting, a business idea, and music video etc. whatever excites you and you are passionate about.

7. Make loot: You could make good money over Spring break to pay for your textbooks next semester. People often need help during Spring break and you can always let people in your community know of your availability to work during break. A good step would be to contact a local temp agency, ask parents or even the company you interned last summer for a job over the break.

8. Alternative Spring break: This has been extremely popular among students as it is cheap and a good way to give back to the community. It is late to apply this year but you should definitely apply for it next year.

9. Sell your stuff: Do you have lots of stuff in your closet and your room back home which you no longer use? Well, get on ebay and sell them.

10. Shamrock festival: A great way to jump start Spring break. Check out the website for more details: http://www.shamrockfest.com/2010/

For all those ballers heading off to Spring break, here are a few safe pointers:
http://www.safespringbreak.org/safety-tips/

Have a fun, safe and awesome Spring break!

-Rohit

RIOTS ON ROUTE ONE!

Roshan S — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:04:19 +0000

LET’S START A RIOT! Last night on route one was the craziest night college park has seen since 2002. What up guys, I’m back after a nice break from blogging. After the Terps beat Duke, students flocked to route one cheering and dancing. They were full of spirit and excitement and so high off of adrenaline. The students blocked off route one and screaming cheers for Maryland–with countless “Fuck Duke!” chants. It was a great night to be a Terp…until the cops came. Officers on horse back lined up in the streets and started coming towards the students. S.W.A.T guys filed up and marched towards the kids, banging their shields, holding riffles filled with rubber pellets, and carrying mace that they would use against anyone in their path. That’s officially when chaos broke out. People were being arrested and dragged to the center of the street being beaten by clubs. At the end of the night, 27 kids were arrested, and 2 suffered minor injuries. I myself got tear gassed, and my eyes were burning and tearing, while my lungs were on fire. I was coughing for about 3 minutes straight.

One kid burned a Duke jersey on a tree and the branch caught on fire. We were all chanting and the SWAT kept coming and we kept running. We ended up at Mckeldin Mall, where people lit trash cans and dumpsters on fire. At this point, the cops had hooks on the end of their sticks, which were used to reel any collegiate in sight. The kids tried flipping a bus, but that didn’t really work out. All the emotions every Terp was feeling was contagious. They threw snowballs at the SWAT, but they had full body shields. If this doesn’t scream CHAOS, nothing does. There was one kid trying to climb up a lamp post upside down!

This is definitely one of the best college experiences I have ever participated in. it was mayhem ever, with fireworks just going off everywhere. And all of this is because we beat Duke! I’m damn proud of Maryland, and last night, I had the most severe case of Terrapinitis~!

Keep on rockin,

Rosh

Who is superior at Turtle…Guys or Girls?

Roshan S — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:56:49 +0000

…And here we go! What up guys? I’m back with a nice new issue on nightclubs. In women’s studies today, we discussed who was superior in nightclubs. We debated for the entire time period, but really it was just me arguing my point against all the bro-haters. The girls in class were arguing that they were subordinate to guys for many reasons, including have free cover and drinks from guys who come up to them. Are they really complaining about this? Let’s go to Turtle once, and I’ll prove all my points with clear evidence…Alright, first off the girls were saying there’s a hidden message that they’re subordinate to men because the guys have to pay for cover. This is because they have more financial power, and girls are seen as weaker in many different aspects. Are you kidding me right now!? I’d love to go into a nightclub or our own personal sleazy bar Turtle with the knowledge of free cover. If I didn’t say what was on my mind, I would’ve exploded. Then they were arguing that guys buy them drinks, and creep on them without asking them to dance. Apparently, we put our hands on their bodies without permission, and they don’t like it. Now granted, many guys at Turtle are creepers and go up to girls dancing provocatively, without asking them to dance respectfully. BUT LADIES, NOT ALL GUYS ARE LIKE THIS! You don’t understand that there are decent guys out there, and not too hard to find. You just have to open your eyes.

The girls were then blaming us for putting them up on the pedestal. Well, if you’re gonna dress the way the generic girl at Turtle dresses, then yeah you will get attention. It’s not our fault you’re barely wearing any clothes and you’re looking good. But when we genuinely want to talk to you and are interested in you, some of us are intimidated to go up to you when you’re in your pack of girlfriends. So we offer to buy you a drink so we can get a little alone time and small talk. You brush us off and reject us when we ask you to dance, sometimes to stroke your ego.

Don’t tell me that girls are the ones who are weaker in this situation. In clubs, girls have the power. Guys can advance all they want and buy them all kinds of drinks and shower them with attention and pick up lines ,but if the girl doesn’t want anything to do with it, then we lose. Girls can reject drinks, walk away, make up excuses on the spot, or flat out just say no. If a guy calls a girl a “bitch” or “ho” to his dudes, it’s only because of a defense mechanism. Now I don’t agree with that form, because no girl should be called those derogatory terms because she wasn’t feeling him, but let’s be honest. Some girls dress up and go with their girls to feed their ego, get the love and attention they desire for one reason or another, and then leave the club with confidence. This confidence can translate into “bitchiness” when it carries on in daily life such as in classes or the diner.

But some guys are just trying to meet some girls where they know it’s okay to be a little sexual. In daily life, when guys go up to girls, girls immediately assume they have a hidden agenda. Sure the girl may be cute or hot, but perhaps the guy wants to really know the girl first because she seems cool and down to earth. THINK ABOUT THAT…perfect example is the movie Hitch with Will Smith. Girls, I suggest you watch it.The girls were then arguing that the guys always make the first move and all that. Now I’m laughing hysterically at this. I know for a fact that guys would love a girl who makes the first move. It’s one of the greatest feelings when a girl across the room gives you a little cute smile or goes up to you and starts chatting, or asking to hang out later on next weekend. Girls can make the first moves too, they’re just too scared to because it’s against the social norms. Well I say forget all that, and BE A NONCONFORMIST! If you like a guy and you want him to notice, make it happen. It’s all on you

That’s all I got for now ladies and gents. Remember, not all guys are creepers and there is equality out there. Girls, please try to understand my point of view. I’m not attacking nor subjecting you, merely trying to make you understand my own personal thoughts based on experiences. Share your opinions, I’d love to see what you all think.

Keep on rockin,

Rosh

You Are What You Eat… [But I Eat Chicken.]

Jonelle A — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:29:30 +0000

Maybe you crave extra cheese. Perhaps you can’t live without shredded barbacoa. Whatever the case, Chipotle could easily be considered a corner staple of the average UMD student’s diet. As I enjoy my delectable burrito bowl, garnished with heaps of chicken, rice, corn, mild salsa, e maize, I can’t help but wonder if Chipotle isn’t just satisfying my hunger, but also teaching me a valued lesson about my own personality and relationships. You know, that Freudian stuff that you might learn in PSYC100, without the heavy textbook and possibly monotone professor. Bizarre to the mind at first, but if you really think about it, you could subconsciously learn a thing or two about yourself in between every bite.

Let us begin.

What Your Food Choices Say About You

Beans vs. No Beans	Hmmm… Bean consumption definitely elicits a lot of risk-taking. You know the consequences, but you value temporary taste-bud euphoria over possible bowel discomfort in the future. Eating no beans shows your need for normalcy.
Pork & Chicken vs. Beef & Steak	And no, this isn’t just women vs. men. This author knows plenty of women who can handle a whole steak, and plenty of men who love lean chicken! This category is really dependent upon how often you get the same thing. Switching up your meat selection shows your versatility and willingness to explore new things.
Mild vs. Medium vs. Hot Salsa	There are obvious connotations with this category. The hotter the salsa, the spicier the persona. The fact that there is salsa at all in this concoction speaks volumes about your tolerance of un-easy situations… or people.
Corn vs. No Corn	Corny vs. Not corny.[Being corny ain’t so bad sometimes.]
Cheese vs. No Cheese	Cheesy vs. Not cheesy. [Cheesiness makes our world go 'round. It makes us all smile in its effort to be cool.]
Guacamole	Since this author is biased… no guac! [Just kidding, the avocado has many positive effects on the body]. If you enjoy this slightly unattractive, green paste, it says you look beyond just the exteriors of others, and you really go for what’s inside.
Romaine Lettuce	Lettuce tends to be a filler of sorts. It does add a nice, healthy crunch, but for the most part it just takes up space from other ingredients that might not be so healthy for you. All in all, if you like lettuce in your meal, you probably also enjoy having a lot of free & frivolous time during your day – which can be very good for you, since it helps to prevent you from becoming overwhelmed with other, heavier stuff.
For Here vs. To Go	What are you running from? Who are you running to? There’s nothing wrong with living life on-the-move — just be careful about taking your food To-Go too often, lest it get cold and unappealing… Those who take a moment to savor the meal might be just as busy as the To-Go’s, but somehow they find time for peace. And for all you who fall in neither category of too-busy or too-nonchalant… you might order your meal To-Go, but end up staying for a few minutes anyway, just to add a little variety to your day.
Burrito Bowl vs. Burrito vs. Tacos	Perhaps you prefer the solidity and order of a burrito, methodically wrapped for maximum control? Be careful of always wanting to live an airtight-mess-free life, for there WILL be an occasional spillage of mishaps [just be prepared with fork and spoon handy]. Or, maybe you just want the vast expanse of a bowl so as not to be overwhelmed by too much punch in one bite? Just be careful of always wanting to be in control – with the bowl comes no bread, so at times you might feel that something is lacking. This author’s opinion for best solution: Burrito Bowl con Tortilla.

So there you have it… a brief synopsis of about half the Chipotle menu and what it could mean to you. Perhaps we can delve more deeply into the remainder of the menu when I have more of an appetite again…

Stage 5 Clinger at Turtle

Roshan S — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:07:52 +0000

What up guys? Time for another blog but this time I’m gonna shift gears and talk about one of UMD”s most prominent experiences. This entails going to the Thirsty Turtle, a local sleazy bar where many students go to have a good time and get a little crazy. What I’m about to describe is not the norm at Turtle, but then again I wasn’t too surprised. Now on normal days at the ol’ Thirsty Turtle, menfolk huddle around the dance floor while masses of underage women provocatively shake their hips. Once a man has fortified himself with enough liquid courage, he ventures out into the arena of perspective female partners where he will most likely have his ego bruised and be sent off with a waggling “Dikembe Mutombo finger.”

However, there is a rare breed of Lady Terrapin that will INDEED accept an offer to dance– she can’t wait for you to ask her! And it won’t even cost you a drink… only your soul! I speak, of course, of the Stage 5 Clinger. Beware this succumbus, my friends, and be ever vigilent. For indeed this clinger seeks your soul. Hear my cautionary tale:

I went to Turtle one night with my boys. We were just hanging out downstairs in the side bar for awhile, until we decided to go upstairs to check out the scene. We were not amused, since the entire dance floor was packed with girls and guys dancing. People were dancing right outside the bathrooms for crying out loud! We decided to go back downstairs and headed for the back bar. That’s when I saw her. A pretty cute girl who caught my eye and smiled at me. And like a fly into a spiderweb, she drew me into her trap. I went up to her and we started dancing. I had already lost. She started by asking me general questions of small talk such as what my major was and what year I was, which I didn’t mind. That should have been a red flag, but I didn’t sense it quick enough. Pretty soon I was walking her back home when she asked me for my number. Now when a girl does this, I’m flattered because usually I’m the one getting the digits. She asked me what I was doing the next day, and that’s when I wanted to escape. I had met the rare breed that I have heard so much about, but had not encountered prior to this night. I said I was watching football because it was the playoffs, but she doubted my response. I confirmed that I was and gave her a confident nod. I thought the nightmare would end there, but I was wrong. She asked me what my schedule looked like on Monday, and when I was free. I hesitated and decided to lie, determining to appear to have my first day of classes booked. On top of that, I met her roommate in a very awkward fashion - since she was in her bed with a guy. I couldn’t believe this girl and thought in my head, “SHE HAS NO LIMITS!”

As soon as I dropped her off, I ran. I felt like Forrest Gump. I crawled into bed and was thankful to have survived. I did not talk to her after that night, nor do I hope I ever encounter a girl like that. Beware fellas, for I had met…THE STAGE 5 CLINGER!

Keep on rockin,

Roshan

Students Celebrating Black History

Kandyce J — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:03:41 +0000

It’s black history month and before the snow hit student organizations were off to a great start celebrating.

The Nyumburu Cultural Center and the Black Student Union kicked off the first day of February with a soul food dinner and performances including the singing of the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

They also invited motivational speaker Steve Birdine, four-time International Polaris of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. to discuss the state of black affairs.

Birdine spoke on various topics but the main piece of wisdom he imparted was the importance of changing our focus as a people.

“If you change your focus, you change your life,” he said.

Birdine, also, talked about how black people focus too much on the negative and how as result we stop thinking about the positive completely.

“We are the only people in the world that put our worst stuff on CD and sell it.” He went on to say that we must “regather the ability to love each other” so that we can be in a relationship with ourselves and our culture more than twenty-eight days out of the year.

The next event of the night was a panel discussion hosted by the Pan Hellenic Council.

They invited alumni from 1970s, 80s, and 90s to discuss the ways in which black Greek life has changed since they joined their respective organizations.

Each member of the panel touched on the topic of unity.

They referred to all members of the PHC as “the family” and talked about how they road tripped, stepped, and co-sponsored programs together.

Shaila Jackson, a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, talked about how every other school wanted to be like UMCP. “It was the most exciting time of my life,” she said.

“We had a sense of community,” said Anthony Harris of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, “we stuck together because we had no one else.”

Overall the theme of the first night of black history month seemed to be the importance of unity. An important message to both the black community and the university as a whole.

And suddenly, like light in darkness, the real truth broke in upon me; the simple fact of Man, which I had forgotten, which had lain deep buried and out of sight; the idea of community, of unity. ~Ernst Toller

Viagra and Birth Control Pills

Roshan S — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:31:51 +0000

I never thought I might actually get kicked out of a discussion class on the first day of school…or the second. But in Women’s Studies, it seems like that might happen eventually.

The class has many females, considering it is all about women. There are about 5 guys in the class, and rarely do we all have the chance to speak up and share our thoughts. Our discussion time ends up ultimately in heated arguments and debates of gender issues.

Our latest topic was why pharmaceutical companies insure viagra but not birth control pills. There were many reasons brought to the table including discrimination, economic reasons, and even the usage of the two. At the very end of class, one of my guy friends responded to a question and he got attacked! Every girl in the class just turned around and stared at him and started arguing about how he was wrong. You could see the fire in their eyes that I started slouching back in my chair a bit, just so that the flames wouldn’t pierce me. Man I have never had a class like that before, but I know I’m going to thoroughly enjoy it. For anyone whose curious, it’s Women’s Studies 200 and the class is very interesting. Now that the snow is finally clearing up and school will most likely resume this week, my next worry can only be that I make sure I don’t say anything outrageous in that class or else I’ll get the boot. That’s all for now guys. Join our fanpage on Facebook, support our website, purchase our tees, but most importantly, keep coming back to my blogs. The stories will only get better from here.

Keep on rockin,

Roshan

Must-Have Items for School : Snowboard and Sleds!

Quy N — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:18:03 +0000

With the weather patterns that we are having recently, students should add snowboards and sleds to the list of things to buy for college. Thanks to a snowfall totaling up more than 20 inches, school is closed and everyone is free to play. Enjoy your day in the snow but don’t be trick by these snowflakes! They seem fluffy and fun, but prove to be a dangerous slippery mess. Walking on my way to north campus I carefully planned out my steps trying not to fall. Sadly, in the end I fell victim to the evil slippery ice near the stadium and had a nice little slide down the hill. I’ll leave everyone with a quote, “I went to Target just to buy a sled but there weren’t any” -Aaron Wong

Quy

leave comments =D

Maryland Basketball: UMD vs. UNC!

Roshan S — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:57:28 +0000

I went to the UMD vs. UNC game, and didn’t believe how great we were. We were never down, and ultimately didn’t blow the lead resulting in another victory. UNC came close, but somehow we pulled away and at one point had a 20+ lead. Our defense was incredible, and Greivis Vasquez only did 1 shimmy in the entire game! This calls for a celebration. That’s all for now folks. Stay classy College Park.

-Roshan

ATTENTION Terps JOIN R.O.F.L and GET FREE T Shirt

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:26:07 +0000

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