More snow falls over SRU

A common theme has progressed over the month of December on Slippery Rock University's campus. And no, I'm not talking about students panicking over finals. I'm talking about snow! Over the entire month of December, Mother Nature has provided the campus community with a plethora of snow fall.

Sunday, December 12, began the change in current weather trends with rain in the early morning. As the day progressed temperatures declined and the rain turned into a frozen mix. Quickly conditions for roads worsened, and SRU professors e-mailed students to update them on the possibility of canceled classes for the next day.

Monday morning SRU students awoke to about six inches of snow covering the campus and nearby community.



Classes for SRU begin daily at 8 a.m. Despite this information, with the rapid amount of snow that was still coming at that time, roadways were unable to be cleared. Main Street, which is used for a majority of commuter students to get to classes, had poor conditions.




As many students joke around that the name of the university should be changed to Snow and Rain University, the recent weather conditions have supported this. So, with the upcoming weather forecast will students have more to worry about during finals week than just exams? Additional snow accumulation throughout the week will be prevalent. Although, Tuesday and Wednesday will only have accumulation up to an inch on each day. Thursday and Friday show no snow accumulation at this time. 

Students and community members of Slippery Rock are more than used to the weather that is common in this area. Many local members of the community purchase four wheel drive vehicles to cope with the amount of snow that this area receives.

Students of SRU should get used to the snowfall. A typical Spring semester at SRU includes multiple months of snow storms.

Last Holiday, Kwanzaa

The last stop on our journey of the holidays is Kwanzaa. Like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, is celebrated over a span of a few days, seven to be exact. The celebration begins on December 26 and ends on January 1. It was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 and has been celebrated with each passing year since then.

Kwanzaa celebrates what is known as the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. These include; unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of these principles.

Like Hanukkah one of the traditions of the holiday is to light a series of candles, one on each day. Kwanzaa celebrators light a kinara, which consists of three red candles on the left, three green candles on the right and a black candle in the middle. Each candle symbolizes one of the seven principles, the red and green candles are lit alternately starting from the outermost candle. The black candle symbolizes the African race, the red symbolizes African bloodshed and the green represents African land.

Like Christmas, Kwanzaa celebrators take part in decorating their home for this holiday. Decorations use the three colors of the candles in the kinara, red, black and green. Decorations include; African art, baskets, harvest symbols and cloth patterns. Like with the other two holidays, it's all about each families traditions and how they make the holiday special and unique for them. Jessica Gordon, 21, celebrated the holiday in her childhood.

From Kwanzaa

Gordon explains the traditions that her family practiced during the holiday. Each night a new family member was the spokes person for the principle that was being expressed.



Although, Gordon practiced this religion when she was younger she no longer celebrates the holiday. After speaking to a few people, I found that many of them celebrated when they were younger and no longer do.



Gordon explains whether or not she will celebrate Kwanzaa with her family she will have someday. She explains it depends on the values and principles of her future husband.



This concludes my exploration of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. Despite having multiple differences, each embraces the traditions that each family has to make it their own and unique.

In the Spirit of Christmas

So, now that you are all educated on Hanukkah and some of the traditions, it's time we look at Christmas. Christmas takes place on December 25 and celebrates the birth of Jesus. Many people say that Christmas has gotten away from the religious aspect, but in many Christians' minds the religious aspects are still very prominent.

Unlike Hanukkah which is celebrated over a span of eight days, Christmas just takes place on the one day. However, planning for this special occassion starts around Halloween. Each year stores seem to be pushing the holidays on consumers sooner and sooner. Christmas shopping for most people starts the day after Thanksgiving on the popular, Black Friday.

Like Hanukkah there are traditions that almost everyone who celebrates the holiday takes part in. For Christmas celebrators this includes decorating their home. Christmas trees, lights and nativity scenes are all popular decorations for people who celebrate this holiday.



Like with any other event that college students take part in, we look to do things on a small budget. For students on a budget typically a lot of handmade decorations are created. In the pictures above some students at Slippery Rock University gathered to create personal ornaments.

Finally, like Hanukkah the true holiday is what you and your family make of it. Every family has their own traditions for the holidays that they celebrate. Morgan Ricketts, 20, and a student at SRU, explains a simple tradition that has been in her family for as long as she can remember.



Carly Stevens, 20, and also a student at SRU, recalls the tradition of attending mass on Christmas Eve. Many churches offer a mass on Christmas Eve, and it is a tradition of many Christians to attend and celebrate the birth of Jesus.



Finally, Stevens explains a tradition that her family takes part in every year on Christmas day. Traditions like these help make the day more special.



Like Hanukkah it is up to your family's traditions to provide a clear definition of what the holiday really is. Each family's traditions help to morph the holiday into something truly unique.

Check back early next week for my final update which will discuss traditions of Kwanzaa.

Handler Takes On Pittsburgh

Chelsea Handler, who is best known for her E! television comedy show, Chelsea Lately, performed at Consol Energy Center Saturday, December 4. The Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang Tour named after the New York Times Best Seller has traveled to many cities across the United States, but Handler said that Pittsburgh was her biggest show.

From Chelsea Handler

Handler has written two other books that have hit the New York Times Best Seller List along with Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang. These include her first book, My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands, a memoir of her sexual encounters she's had in her life, and Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, which is a collection of hilarious essays covering a variety of topics.

Her show, Chelsea Lately, which appears on E! weeknights at 11, provides viewers with a feeling of belonging to her circle of friends and "in" on her inside jokes. Each show features a roundtable discussion consisting of Handler and three other comedians that change from show to show. Chelsea Lately has a guest on each show and finishes out the episode with an interview of them.

From Chelsea Handler

Handler's opening act was fellow Chelsea Lately comedian and friend, Heather McDonald. McDonald also has a book on the New York Times Best Seller List called You'll Never Blueball In This Town Again, which is a collection of personal experiences she had before giving up her virginity. McDonald is well known for hilarious impressions of celebrities.

From Chelsea Handler

Handler has a well known sponsorship with Belvedere vodka, and from what viewers could see at the show she was in no short supply of it backstage. Handler willingly talked about experiences of her own and openly bashed multiple celebrities throughout her routine. As a college student in my final year at school the show provided a great breath of fresh air before I enter finals week.

The Festival of Lights Begins

Despite the recent ruthless jabs from Mother Nature, three popular holidays take place during the month of December. Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa all have stories of how they have come about, but it is up to the people who celebrate them to truly provide depth and creativity to each of these holidays. Over the pages of three blogs I hope to share with you the stories of each of these ancient holidays and the traditions people practice to make them unique.

Hanukkah, which is also known as the Festival of Lights or its Roman name Chanukah, is a Jewish holiday celebrated over a span of eight days. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. Lucy Ainsman, 20, and a Hanukkah celebrator, explains the story behind the creation of this holiday, and the tradition of lighting the Menorah. A Menorah consists of 9 branches, one for each night and a raised middle branch for the purpose of lighting each of the other candles.



This year Hanukkah began at sundown on Wednesday, December 1. Ainsman and Rachael Green, 22, celebrated the holiday by cooking traditional Jewish dishes and reciting Jewish prayers. Ainsman and Green prepared latkes or potato pancakes, matzo ball soup, challah a traditional braided bread, and shuk shuka a traditional Israeli dish consisting of tomatoes, garlic and eggs.



Ainsman carries on traditions of many Jewish families like braiding the challah.




On the first night of this holiday three blessings are recited in Hebrew before the lighting of the candles on the Menorah. On all other nights only the first two are recited. Ainsman and Green recite some of the blessings prior to the candle lighting and their meal.



Although being an hour away from home, Ainsman still smiles while reflecting on the traditions of her family from her past. She explains the tradition of the dreidel bags distributed to family during their Hannukah party.



Typically Hanukkah takes place before students who are away at college are dismissed for winter break. Students such as Ainsman and Green make compromises and reflect the Hanukkah traditions of their parents and grandparents even when away from their families. After having the opportunity to enjoy the traditional Jewish dishes Ainsman and Green prepared I have to admit it was hard not to be in the spirit of Hanukkah.