The Special People in Life

              You know that one person, who after you meet them you see that the world is better because they live in it? They just give off an atmosphere that makes feel better about yourself and better about how the whole day looks. Ever feel like today falls under the worst day of your life category, ready to quit everything? After one conversation with this one person you realize its not as bad as everything

seemed. A complete stranger, or your very best friend. Maybe the woman who puts the produce away at your grocery store or your best friends mom. Some describe it as rare to find many of these types of people, so when you meet one it you've encountered truly a great person.

           Michelle Riegel, a woman who: lives in West Chester, Pa, celebrated 50 years on this earth and happily married for the past 25 years.  She owns a boat and a bay house in Sea Isle City, NJ. A woman of many talents, she learned ho to juggle, drive a boat, open water bottles without a struggle, pick up a basketball with one hand and so many other things. She graduated from York College of Pa with a bachelor degree of Phycology. Right now she works as the proud business owner of her company called Riegel Resources. The type of work her company performs mainly  consists of landscaping, along with: power-washing, snow removal, and hauling Tri-axle dump trucks full of dirt. Because she successfully developed a woman owned business she falls into the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. The program exists to ensure that small disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) can compete fairly with other contractors. Along with owning her own business she also works for a company called Edens Corporation. She takes care the books there. She used a system called Quickbooks: a computer system that helps a lot with keeping track of all money that goes in and out of the Corporation. She also acquired the title of a Massage Therapist. She massages more like a hobby then a job she only keeps a few clients that she sees maybe every other week. Safe to say she appears as a very busy woman. 

 
        Her morning starts with the load, most displeasing screeching sound imaginable. She hits the snooze on her alarm 3 or 4 times. Then she sits up sleepily in her white plush king sized bed. Her husband, gone since 6:00 am, so his side of the bed feels empty though the shape of his body is imprinted on his side. The scrapping noise of nails on hardwood floors opens her eyes up. Her two dogs, an over weight black pug, with legs to small for her body and a tan and white French Bulldog  that likes to jump up on her to early in the morning, come running in to the bed room. They lick at her feet and start to bark getting excited. She ignores them as she slowly and drowsily stands and walks to the bathroom, shutting them out. They wait patiently for her to emerge one again. By the time she comes out the cat, who just like the Pug is over weight, is sitting on the bed. All looking up at her, she heads out of her bedroom and towards the kitchen and they all follow her. She goes straight to the coffee maker and turns it on heating the water. She then goes to her toaster across the counter. She puts 2 pieces in, then goes back to the coffee maker to put the coffee ground in the machine. The bing of the toaster goes off and she walks back over. She pulls one piece of toast out and butters it slightly. She rips it in 3 pieces, taking one of the pieces and ripping it in to smaller pieces. She bends down to find her

cat sitting in between her feet and gives her the smaller pieces of toast. Then she turns around and looks at the two dogs sitting behind her, watching her. she gives each one a piece and then takes the last piece of toast and eats it her self. She takes her coffee and heads back to her room to take her shower. Once she is all done and dressed she goes back into green bathroom and blow dries her short layered brown hair. Once it is completely dry she picks up her purple bottle of mousse and squirts it in to her hand. It looks like white marshmallow and smells like hair product. She rubs it around in her hair until she acquired her desired mount of volume.  Then she starts on her makeup routine. She first cleans her face with a cleansing wipe and then puts on lotions after lotions. Each one attains their own purpose. One keeps her eyes from getting puffy, one makes her wrinkles go away, another prevents her makeup from effecting her skin badly. After she is done moisturizing and lotioning then she puts her actual makeup on. She a simple woman just plain black eyeliner and mascara.  If she hasn't already finished her coffee then she takes the last few sips. She walks out of the bathroom leaving the light on and heads back out to her kitchen. She makes another cup of coffee but this time she puts in in a to go mug. She walks around her house making sure she collected all her things, all the while she talks to her mother on her cell phone. She makes sure the cat and dogs are within the kitchen before she locks a gate preventing them from getting into the living room while no one is at the house. She slings her purse and briefcase over her shoulder and walks out her her mud room making sure to turn off the lights before she locks and closes the door. She sits in her grey Jeep Grand Cherokee and turns it on. She sits in her driveway for a while while she warms up and gets her bluetooth set up so she avoids hanging up on her mother while she drives. Finally she pulls out and carefully drives out of her neighborhood. 

              "Sensible, smart, caring, friendly, intuitive, admirable...those are the words i would use to describe my Aunt Michelle" her nephew said when asked to describe her. "She always care about what you are doing in life. Even if it is the smallest thing. She always remembers everything you tell her. And she always gives the best advice. When I didn't know if i wanted to go college or not she helped by showing me online what different options I could look at." When her family describes Michelle, only the greatest compliments emerge . They all adore her. "Michelle has been my friend since elementary school. She has been there with me through all the up and downs of life. From not knowing how to tell my mom I got detention for chewing gum in class to being my maid of honor at my wedding. She is one of my daughters God mother, and she is still the person I go to first when i need a shoulder to lean on. She is one of those friends that will be there for life and you never want to loose her." Her husband described her by saying "She's a little crazy, And when she gets mad, you best leave her alone. She gets spastic and can be stubborn..but she is also is the type of person who when her uncle needed a new water heater went and bought him one even though she new he couldn't pay her back. She takes him to his doctors appointments when his own daughters wont. She is forgiving and will do anything to help her family." 

      Her and one of her daughters established a special kind of relationship "My mom is my best friend. She really is. I call her anytime I need to rant or complain or if I'm super excited and I need to tell someone she is the first person I call. When I'm upset all i need to do is hug her and all my problems go away." She obtains love and appreciation by everyone. "She is like the cool Aunt that you can talk to knowing she wont go run an tell my mom." Says one of her nephews. "I had this problem when I was younger..with drugs. I was kind of the embarrassment of the family. I did some very bad things that I regret, some of them I did to Aunt Michelle. Instead of responding like I did her wrong or that there was no hope for me she sat and just let me spill out everything to her. things I've never told anyone not even my own mom to this day. She never judged me or old me i was an idiot. she helped me get in to a rehab and I'm clean now and have made things better in my life. If i didn't have Aunt Michelle I'm sure i wouldn't have changed. I am grateful for having her as my Aunt."

Who's ready to be a college student?

   The first question we all ask ourselves within the first week of college seems to be, What did I get myself into?! How am I supposed to adjust from high school to college? How am I even going to survive?! Well Bloomsburg University took care of these questions with an amazing collaboration of programs and classes. I am referring to the university's College success initiative. In order for freshmen to succeed in college, they need to figure out their everyday habits, strengths, weaknesses, stress and time management. Freshmen at BU are required to take a course known as College Success, and to have a meeting with their academic coach within the first few weeks of college. They mainly serve undeclared freshmen, but are offered to any student on campus at anytime.

   The enormously tall red/brown bricked building called Simon Hall, holds the office of a young, caring and vibrant academic coach known as Virginia Larson. Simon hall resides on Bloomsburg's lower campus for easy access to all the students. Pandemonium occurs on every floor because of the strong fluctuation of students on a daily basis. Prior to students walking in they notice a sign above the door labeled Academic coaches, Math Lab, Conference room, and UTS Secretary. Once a student walks in they see a group of students collaborating and hear the comments of numbers and problems.These students are mainly Math lab groups and tutors. The students range from upperclassmen to new freshmen. After walking around the first corner of the building the first door to the left is Ginny's. The door is labeled coach in neon pink lettering. Her office is full of her personal items and her two degrees on brown shelves. One small blue chair sits directly in front of her desk for any student that has an appointment. You can expect a big grin and a smile followed by a handful of questions, "How has your semester been going? What can I assist you with today? How are your grades looking so far this semester?"Any student that comes for an appointment or check up with Mrs. Larson can expect a successful meeting. 

      Virginia Larson prefers to be called by her nickname Ginny. She was born in Ohio, yet grew up in Bloomsburg. She attended Bloomsburg University where she earned her B.S. Buisness Administration, and later on her Masters in Education with a focus of college student affairs. She teaches the first semester freshmen course known as college success. She loves BU and cannot see herself relocating any time soon. Overall she has been an academic coach for 3 years. 

     So what exactly does an academic coach do here at BU? Their main goal would be helping undeclared freshmen with their transition to college from high school. They help students with completed assignments, study techniques, and provide connections on campus. They meet with students usually day to day and appointment to appointment. They meet with freshmen students that receive a D or lower by midterms of their first semester. As well they offer student internships that are revolved in their line of work. Ginny explains, "So a lot of the time, we'll say we are a guidance counselor for college, but don't schedule classes for students like the academic advisers". Ginny also added in that they now have a site for the academic coaches. Alongside students coming to see her, she comes to them by instructing the College success course. This course is designed mainly for undeclared freshmen and transfer students. The class promotes a positive transition from high school to college life, by the exposure of campus resources, self exploration as a student, and helpful tips and guides to everyday situations. Ginny teaches two of the college success courses this current semester. The class usually runs for about 45-60 minutes. Ginny explains, "there are a vast amount of speakers that come in for my courses. The university provided this course to students so that they could become more involved with the campus as a whole." The speakers could be anyone from the university that offers a certain program or curriculum. Some examples would include diversity instructors, university tutor services, residential living, Greek life, and fitness instructors, or in this case upperclassmen. 

       It was the late afternoon in Bakeless 211 on Wednesday February 4th It was a small tan room with about 30 grey desks. There was a projection of the daily schedule for the current class, and what's expected for the next. There were students of different ethnicity, gender, and age. The majority were undeclared freshmen.They were all there under the universities requirement for freshmen and transfer students. Ginny made her small announcements as to what was going on in the class for the day. "Everyone remember to set up your next appointment with me. This appointment will be about your major exploration project for the course." She introduced her upperclassmen student panel who came to talk to students about college life. Each stated their year, major, and reason for being there. They all came back from negative situations and turned them into positive. They gave advice about college study tips, getting involved, speaking to professors, One student named Brendan Kelly explained one of his major tips, "Take classes during the summer and winter. They can be beneficial to your GPA and can guide someone to graduating on time". Anyone sitting there could feel the vibe of the classroom change. Everyone wanted to ask a question that could be beneficial to their needs. One female student sitting in the far back of the small room asked a question about majors and minors. "I am thinking about majoring in marketing and minoring in psychology. Will that be too much work?" Gabby Nisiolos replied with a few quick short answers. "Take your courses seriously now. Take as many courses as you can handle. Know your boundaries and explore your abilities on campus." The positive responses from the upperclassmen's mouths made an evident impact in the freshmen's minds. As the class concluded, the upperclassmen offered their emails for any student looking for assistance or advice. Ginny ended the class with a small reminder. "Make sure to check your BOLT account for the event I am going to post. Have a great day everyone!"

      Overall Bloomsburg's initiative to make college freshmen lives more successful has been a major achievement. Using academic coaches to instruct the college success courses has built relationships with freshmen and faculty to  new level. Freshmen are examining their everyday habits and adjusting to change. Their transitions are smoother in comparison to those before them. College life seems to lose it's intimidation on new incoming students. An occasional visit to your academic coach like Ginny can change your whole college experience. I highly recommend any new incoming student to stop by Simon Hall and set up an appointment to see Ginny. That one visit could change someones entire life!

What a Job!

                  

Joey- Keepsakes Farm

          Keepsakes Farms is perched atop a small snow covered hill in Drums, PA. Upon arrival, clients are greeted by the welcoming committee on the other side of the fence, especially this little guy, Joey.  The barn homes 10 horses, each with their own set of individual quirks. The responsibility of providing all necessary care lies in the hands of a single woman, Amy B. She prides herself in keeping a clean ship, therefore the first whiff of the area comes from pine shavings that smell crisp in the winter as the stalls are bedded. Abruptly the sound of broom bristles sweeping across the concrete isle of the barn is heard. The interior of the blue and tan bilco building appears to open up twin fold once inside. It takes a couple of minutes until eyes to adjust after being outside in the snow with the sun shining. Six 12x12 stalls and a tack room are organized beyond belief. Every item retains its very own nook or hook on the wall.  The two horses in stalls bang their knees off of the stall doors which results in Amy crying out, "Knock it off!"

Amy B.

     For some reason, Amy appears to be stressing out, rushing around like a chicken with her head cut off. She is wearing a pair of deep purple overalls and a grey jacket overtop. The glasses she wears are also purple. Her hair is wild, short hair blown out by fun natural curls. "Are you dressed warm enough sweetie?" are her first words. Then she explains why she has been vigorously rushing around. A little girl and her family will be arriving soon to take her first lesson on a horse at the barn. "I am just trying to make sure it all goes perfect," she explains. Not only does she enjoy the environment of being around horses, she has a love for helping others learn, especially kids. Amy gives the cheapest lessons in the area which aids in attracting a energetic young bunch of children. Then she dives great lengths to describe all of the positive features of the season. Beautiful trails rides are at the top of her list, appealing to her more experienced boarders. In winter, "the trails twist in and out of the woods offer beautiful scenery, the area has so much to offer," she concludes. 

     Shortly into the conversation, the little girls arrive. Each one is wearing a little jacket brighter than the last, resembling a walking rainbow all on their own. Their laughter and excitement filled the barn. After the initial excitement settled, Amy dove into teaching mode with the young girl. She demonstrates everything from how to groom the horse to tacking up the horse. In addition to this, the other 3 girls chase the barn cats, giving them the attention they always crave for. Another young lady, Caitlyn, was there to ride Koal (pictured below). With the 4 girls, their parents, Amy, Caitlyn, and an additional boarder, the full barn was bustling. 

Koal-Keepsakes Farm

     Later in the day, Amy was able to continue discussing her passion for horses. "I've had a horse since age 7, but as I got older I knew how important it was to me to take it to the next level." Amy is now a certified trainer, has completed two years of veterinary school, competes in dressage and jumping competitions,  and owns her own barn. "I do what I can to make sure every horse and every customer has everything they need." She describes her relationship with the boarders at the barn to resemble that of a family. There is open communication and a free flow of thought between everybody. "It hasn't been easy," she continues, talking of how financially unstable running such a business is. To elaborate she speaks of a story about a recently injured horse on the property. Horses are not cheap animals to maintain, and injuries usually result in deep financial burden. Her responsibilities grow ten-fold when an issue arises. Among the things she mentiones were extra shavings for stalls, constant check ups, washing leg wraps, changing blankets, adjusting dietary needs, picking out hoofs, and administering medication.

     What ties her to all of the responsibility? "The horses, and the horse people," she replies. She goes on to describe how rewarding it is to share her passion with others, create new experiences, and have support during the tough times. "When I'm alone, I could just stare out my window and watch them horse around for hours," she concludes. Her passion shines through the grueling winter days filled with icy conditions and unforgiving temperatures. "I have never trusted someone more than I trust Amy with my horse," adds a long time boarder, Gene. Gene retains olympic equestrian training experience and demonstrates a crisp inflection in her tone, but rests her faith in a single woman to care for her beloved animal. Amy creates a environment free of hesitation or anxiety concerning the care administered to these majestic beings. 

Meet me at the Sizzle

       "I am really in the mood for a chicken patty today I think I am going to get one." This comes out of the mouths of many people as I walk by people in Scranton Commons. Commons has this feeling about it when you go inside the building. When you walk in you instantly have a craving for certain foods due to the aroma that slaps you in the face. As the people come flowing in through those glass doors with all the smudge marks from greasy hands, the aroma of subway wafts up the double set of stairs. Approaching the podium where the card swiping business takes place, you think to yourself what shall I have today? (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Card swipe in

That soothing sound of your card swiping through the system. The new renovations made it look as if it was the new diner on the block. Everything is bright and clean but then you take a look at the tables and the booths and they have crumbs from the previous people. The look of the constant flowing water fall is mesmerizing, the flowing water between those two panes of glass could keep a person entertained for hours. While you are deciding on what you want to eat, all around you the sounds of timers are going off. Pots and pans are banging together and the popping of grease on the grill of all the meats being prepared at the "Sizzle" line. (figure 2).
        When going through the food lines you sometimes get a smiling face and other times you get a glare. "The worst part of my job is when I have to deal with kid's attitudes," explains Maylyn who is a student worker at commons. "They don't understand that I am also a student." She continued to explain that she enjoys seeing peoples faces and serving them their food but she gets irritated when people are rude to her. There are some students can become a bit short and blunt which can get annoying. Normally students get a chipper hello and a meaningful your welcome when they proceed go through the line which much more pleasant than a cold sharp glare. The amount of time and effort that is needed from every worker is profound. It is neither fun nor easy to be grilling burgers and chicken patties all day along with making sure that the fries get done properly. It takes a surprising amount energy for the workers there to do what they do all day. When the workers get to work before a big meal begins, they need to clean and prepare foods for over 45 minutes then student workers get there for the remaining ten minutes before students are allowed in. Then, after the meal period is over the workers stay after to clean up everything and make sure things are good to go for the next meal or next day. The workers at Commons don't get recognized for their hard work, all they get is complaints that students had to wait an extra 2 minutes to get their French fries.

Figure 2 "Sizzle" line

        Maylyn also explained that there were a few things that students probably would not know about commons. There are still a few mysteries about commons that students do not know about. Commons also makes their own creamy ice cream themselves that sits in a crystal clear show case that shows off the magnificent colors of the different flavors. The ice cream is so rich in decadent flavors. They are proud of their masterpieces that they create. Most students might think they go to the nearest Turkey Hill to get their ice cream.
        Commons' set up is much like that of any buffet restaurant, they have different lines and show cases for different types of foods. For example, the "World Food" line exhibits foods that can be found from the furthest corners of the world. The "Home" line is what it sounds like, the delectable home cooked foods that your mom used to make at home right there. The "Sizzle" line is a crowd favorite due to crispiness of the chicken patty and the juiciness of the burger. Each with a toasted bun to go on either side to complete the perfect back yard barbeque foods we all love. It can be a difficult decision to make whether or not to eat a crunchy golden chicken patty or have a crispy salad. Once the food has been chosen, the next decision to be made is what beverage will indulge in. The "Beverage" section is where all kinds of drinks come into play. This is where it gets to be irritating at times because one does not simply choose one thirst quenching beverage. They offer drinks all the way from chocolate milk to Sobe Life water to fresh fruit waters. (Figure 3).
        Out of all the places on campus to eat, Commons can be the best bang for your buck. Once you swipe your card to get in, you can eat anything you want and as much as you want. It gives you a lot of freedom to do what you want. There is many healthy options there such as the large salad bars which give large assortments of vegetables and greens. On the other hand, you can also have a meal that is very bad for you as well. It may taste phenomenal but the glorious chicken patty has numerous factors in it that make it superbly unhealthy. A balance is a must when dining at the Commons. The commons can make for a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner experience.

Figure 3 Fresh fruit waters

 

Mama Mia!

Mama Mia!

Seven hundred to one thousand people walk in and out of Bloomsburg's most well known pizza shops, Tri Pi, a night. If you're wandering around Bloomsburg on a weekend night  looking for a slice of pizza, almost everyone will recommend them. Tri Pi serves everything from pizzas to strombolis all the way to their infamous pretzellinis. 

The pretzellini originated from the owner of Tri Pi, Joe, "I wanted a sandwich on a soft pretzel, but the ingredients kept slipping through the holes," he explained. This got him thinking, and that's when the magic happened. Pretzellinis come in various forms ranging from the classic, to the buffallini, all the way to their numerous dessert pretzellinis. The melt in your mouth pretzel buns come stuffed with all sorts of concoctions. Each comes individually wrapped in hot tin foil thrown in a brown paper bag. The best seller, the buffanllini, also comes with a small plastic container of ranch dressing for dip. Peeling open the tin foil unleashes a cloud of steam unveiling the salted pretzel bun while the smell of the ingredients circulates through the air. Massive cubes of chicken marinated in spicy hot buffalo sauce, topped off with mozzarella cheese swells from the buns. 

Hip-hop music blasts from two humungous speakers planted in the walls. It can be heard from a block away anytime the open sign is blinking red and blue. Red bricks cover each wall, and shiny wooden bars with black trim features line them. Customers sit on black and silver barstools, laughing with friends, eagerly listening for their name to be called while others dinning in sit and devour their meals. Three wooden rectangular tables line the middle of the shop on weekdays, but with the huge amounts of people coming in and out on the weekends they are moved to the back. Seven televisions hang from the walls, all playing the same channel; which is usually ESPN. A big black chalk board on the back wall reads, "Welcome to Tri Pi Pizzeria" scribbled in green, white, and red chalk to represent the Italian culture. A claw machine labeled "TREASURE HUNT" in big red letters rests in front a glass display container for children to occupy themselves. A silver stainless steal shelf sits in the glass container showing off the many different pizza options that are premade. 

On a weekend night kids find themselves winding their way through a sea of dozens of hungry college kids waiting restlessly to order a cheap yet delicious late night snack. "Students from Bloomsburg University make up about seventy percent of our customers," Joe said. Over one hundred pizza pies, including slices, and two hundred to three hundred pretzellinis are sold a night. These all range from pick up, eat in and delivery orders they receive. None of this will break the bank either, pretzellinis start at just four dollars and go up to six fifty. Pizzas vary more because of toppings, and because you can walk out with just one slice.  They're also willing to serve the night owls of Bloomsburg, especially Thursday through Saturday when they stay open until four am! 

Joe came from New York wanting to bring their pizzeria style to Bloomsburg. He loves making food in general but he loves Tri Pi for reasons you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. He loves the atmosphere of all the college kids and seeing all the crazy things they do from dancing along to the music or just seeing how they get more and more rambunctious as the night progresses. He loves rushing around the kitchen trying to make everyones food as the order slips pile up on top of each other. 

Although Tri Pi is mostly famous for their delicious pizza and original pretzellinis they do serve a variety of other things. The starter portion of their menu consists of munchies, it has everything: garlic knots, mozzarella sticks, boneless wings.  They even have a special spot on their menu for just nachos: buffalo, loaded, pierogi, pulled pork. Yum! Salads also hold their own spot on the menu, which most people find strange considering if you're eating at a pizzeria you usually aren't trying to watch your weight. These salads are no ordinary salads though, they come loaded with lots of unique toppings to match the salads name. The Mexican salad for example consists of mixed greens, sprinkled with salty corn chips, salsa, cheese, olive thrown in and its all topped off with a dollop of sour cream. 

The number one goal of Tri Pi is to make their customers happy, and I have yet to find someone who has ever been disappointed. Yes, the wait may be long, but it is one hundred percent worth it. If you haven't been there yet you better get going! Getting through the whole menu will probably take you a while, but once you have one amazing experience you'll want to try it all.

Power to the player

      Power to the player is slogan of one well known store around the country that is specialize in video games and any piece related to gaming .In buck horn plaza next Walmart there is a store called game stop where it considered gaming land where you can find almost every title of games that out there.This game stop surly not the only store that sell video games but it has some perks over other stores.

    something unique about any game stop around the country making it different from any other electronic store, three colors green,blue,and white each color stand for gaming platform. the green represent Microsoft for both Xbox one and 360. right next to it blue for Sony PlayStation family  and lastly the white for Nintendo products. each wall has games ,controllers, and cams and for every one of them a TV where any one can grab the controller and try out different games.for ever ship there is a captain also known as the store manger standing behind the wheel giving answers for the shoppers. one the is distinctive about game stop is the sliver color TV in the upper  right corner or left in different game stop but it in every one around the country.      

    Growing up in late 80s video games was not a part of life but few years into the 90s i have started playing them but to some sort of limited time .back then video games were simple all around in terms of graphics and concept but all that have changed when the Sony PlayStation have reached the market and me ending up getting one all of that have set sail for a journey of playing video games which started back with PS1 all the way to PS4 . 

      

     Finishing up high school in Saudi Arabia and moving to US for higher education have introduced me to gamestop. 

I haven't herd of the store before in my life and one day I was shopping in a mall and came across one store that have got my attention as being a person who loves electronics in general so have got closer to it not knowing what is exactly at first thought it was electronic store with wide selections of cellphones.For every single step that I have walked got  me hoked with that name and looking for it whenever I change cities.

   

        it's important to realize that i'm not the only one who show up at gamestop or even stand in a line waiting for a game there is more to it. I think competition between video games studios and publishers has set the wheel in motion that got millions hoked to Gamestop.

      An industry that grown rapidly in size and revenue and became hard to ignore as part of entertainments it seemed like wild fair where started small with some dry grass to be so gigantic that every one noticed that wild fair which is the gaming industry. studios around the world have started to grow bigger in number and in size creating games to be sold in market and reached by consumers.

 Reaching out consumers have spawned game related store specialized in video games.Game stop have been around since the 80s and ever since the store chain have  reached over 6,000 stores around the world . 

            The idea of gaming have expanded from one player or at the same room to use the power of the Internet to make online gaming possible. Online multi-player have increased sales of consoles and games that features online connectivity. In mid 2000s  gaming industry have picked up on the idea of making most title to be playable online with that games like halo and call of duty popular and not only that but players start to pre-ordering them and going to stores hours before midnight just to pick them up. Moreover it became an exciting event that when asked gamestop manger he said"whenever I see long lines in front of the store I get pumped and I don't see that as abnormal change in our culture".
     
       Additionally you would think being in a close proximity to school area that would shoot the number of customers higher. At first I thought the locations of gamstop near bloomsburg will be effaced generally by the number of students during school time and and after but instead it surprised me the store get even busier when less students are around. I found about that after i had conversation with the manger of the store he said "the location of the store is weird we got busy over the summer when the are no students around".
       
   
         
            

Music in the Community

Music in The Community

The Founders with Kappa's Council  

  When you first hear the word sorority, many will instantly think of drugs, alcohol and parties.  As a member of Tau Beta Sigma, those words mean nothing to the sorority. Tau Beta Sigma is a National Honorary Band Sorority that doesn't support or promote alcohol. This organization was created back in 1946, during World War II. At this point in time, no one knew this organization would be created because of this historical event, so these women had to have great ideals and have a great purpose that would make the Grand Council of Kappa Kappa Psi (National Honorary Band Fraternity) want to let this happen. In the end, they let the women become a "sister organization" and they share the fraternal publications.

  Tau Beta Sigma's soul purpose is to promote honorary service and recognize leadership, but still be able to hold the key ideals of social, educational and positive experiences women in the band need. Being apart of this sorority, one must have a love for music and it's community. Over the years this sorority has became out of the most recognized band organization. This organization later became a co-ed sorority as did the fraternity. Tau beta sigma is also a non-hazing organization and doesn't promote alcohol, being a service sorority not a social sorority which most people associate Greek life with.   

 In May 1971, was when Tau Beta Sigma was charter at Bloomsburg University. It helps the music department here in many ways. "We assist the marching band with uniforms, including taking them to the cry cleaners and organizing them after the marching season. We also fit every member of the Maroon and Gold band with the uniform they wear during the season. We provide snacks for the band during halftime of home and away football games. We set up chairs and stands prior to rehearsal and tear them down at the end of the rehearsal" answered Coleman. Shelby Coleman is a junior Chemistry major here at Bloomsburg University and she is the chapter president of Delta Omega  and is on North Eastern  District council as Parliament. She also stated " this organization is important, especially here at BU, because it would be nearly impossible for the band program to operate without our assistance. Football games and uniform return require the help of our Sorority to operate efficiently. The sorority is an integral part of the success of BU's music program."  As being in multiple band activities, I agree with Coleman on this topic sometimes there is just to many people for one band director to handle and there is a lot that need to get done before Marching Band season starts especially when in comes to uniforms. 

   Tau Beta Sigma assists both Maroon and Gold Bands. This groups are the marching band which takes place during football season and the concert band which happens during spring semester. Whenever other band organization here at Bloomsburg University needs help they always take the time out of their day to come out. Also, the sisters extend their offer to the high school in the area.  In the past semester, both Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi went to Central Columbia High School and became an aid by telling bus were to go at an exposition night. Tau Beta Sigma also lend a hand to coming out to county band auditions. The guided students to the room and told them what part of the music they had to play.  

One of the sisters helping with chairs 

The bright light and beige colored walls of the band room located in HAAS tells the location of the sisters. Even though the sounds of complaining over power the banging on the chairs and stands, most who are participating couldn't be more happier to help out. Every Monday and Wednesday before concert band the sisters set up the five rows with roughly 60 chairs total they talked about how their days were and random stories or they just joke around with each other. 

    From what I saw,this organization promotes team work really well and Coleman answer about this topic is shown throughout everything they do. "The process of joining this organization fosters strong relationships between its members. The process requires potential members to work together with other Sisters and converse with them on a daily basis in order to uphold the ideals we represent. We also work together throughout the semester in meetings, service projects, and band; this creates a lot of opportunities to work together and learn how to interact with others in a beneficial way." For example, when they were setting chairs and putting away. They take the time to ask each other "How many chairs are in this row?" Also, they pass out stands and chairs in an assemble line formation and when they put away the chairs and stand they put them in a group so it is easier for the one or two people to put them away.

Sister at the Big Event

  Being a member of Tau Beta Sigma, I get to go to meetings, this meetings are very important for everyone Meetings are help every Sunday in Kehr, all of the sisters get to sit at a big oval shaped table and notify each other about good news or projects that will be happening the the near future. 

 As a member, one get to participate in many service projects ranging from the Big Event to Relay for Life. The Big Event takes place in the Spring every year, it is a time for when the people give back and help pick up the community.The Delta Omega sisters participates in this event every year. I also asked Coleman what musical service they do and she stated "We also participate in two events that involve local high schools: Jazzfest and Stringposium. These events, held each spring in Haas Auditorium, require preparation before and during the actual events. We assist the directors by leading bands to and from their performance rooms, providing them with lunch, and working together with workshop coordinators to make sure that high school students understand the importance of college band programs." I personally feel that the organization does a lot for the community even though most of the work is more for the music community every little thing counts. 

 Many may think that being in a sorority is just all fun in games but for the members of Tau Beta Sigma it is a lot of hard work. This organization has proven that the stereotypes held over them from the Greek life are not true and that the achievement is always breaking from the other social sororities many associate them with.