My Blog in a Nutshell: The Final Farewell.

Over the course of the last three months this blog has been a part of my life as a student here at Syracuse University. As I began to share my thoughts on various issues such as the “Syracuse Slide,” and the “Beer-less Carrier Dome,” I began to feel a sense of attraction between my blog and I; a pulling between the “Post” option and my thoughts. This blog has been connected to my thoughts on various issues prevalent mostly in the Syracuse community, but moreover the world in general.

Through this blog, I have learned to develop fuzzy and unclear pictures that take up space within my mind into a thought that is ever so clear and appealing. I also learned how to expand my interests amongst communal and domestic events. I believe this sharing of my knowledge on the various issues posed has lead to the attraction between my blog and I. I cherish this blog, and moreover, value my thoughts in conjunction with their comments.

In retrospect to my blog, I can now relate to bloggers worldwide by engaging in situations that I had not seen myself partaking in. The internet connects people, and through this blog I have broadened my perspectives on worldly issues that affect and connect the world we live in.

As my blog comes to an end I must take the time to thank all of my followers, blogger commenters, onetime stop-and-go visitors, and movememotivation.com for reading, engaging their thoughts into my work, and providing me with the quotes to get my points across in an influential and appealing manner.

With such being said, thank you once again movememotivation.com for providing me with the quote that perfectly sums up my experience as a first-time blogger…

‎”Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.”

-Unknown

With this being my first ever blog I was hesitant to post at first, but even then I learned that without trying new things, one will not learn at all.

I hope this blog has broadened your knowledge on various topics and moreover, taught you as much as it taught me.

Farewell, مع السلامة, adéu, 再会, and 안녕.

First Penn State, Now Syracuse?

As I routinely tuned in to a late-night edition of ESPNs “Outside The Lines” in Sadler six, my eyes shot out of my skull in unison. As the headlines, that are normally geared toward attracting their viewers, the headline that stated Bernie Fine’s alleged sex scandal had me glued to fibers of the couch.

This is what I saw…

Outside The Lines: Bernie Fine Allegations

Bobby Davis, who is now 39 years of age, told ESPN that Fine molested him beginning in 1984 and that sexual contact continued until his late 20s. As ball boy for six years, Davis had stated to officials that the abuse occurred at Fine’s home, within the Syracuse basketball facilities, and on the team’s road trips; including the 1987 Final Four. Additionally, Mike Lang who is now 45, Davis’ stepfather also stated that Fine molested him during his ball boy career.

With Penn State’s Sex Scandal occuring just weeks ago, I find this very hard to believe. Furthermore, I feel like this guy is out for the money. As you may have seen throughout the report above, Davis does not stop stuttering as he tries to explain what happened. I know he may be scarred as to what had happened to him (If this happens of be all true). As I was watching, to be honest, he aggravated me. Although I may be naturally biased in favor of Fine due to my current enrollment within Syracuse University, I feel as if this man is a fake. Ok I’ll give him the stuttering because he was scarred, but if someone is molested, why would you hide it from the world until decades after!?!?! Wouldn’t you want the person who molested you to be in jail and punished for his actions towards you? This right here remains as the underlying question that still has not yet made any sense to me.

See what Jim Boeheim had to say about it all.

The Final Draft of My Letter to the Daily Orange (Just to Follow Up!)

My final draft is officially complete. It is crazy how the writing process can drastic change, and additionally lead to a work of art totally different from the start (speaking of “work of art,” I really hope you realized my clever rhyming skills). With such being said, always remember…

“The first draft of anything is shit.”

-Ernest Hemingway 

Enjoy the posed topic, and I hope this really benefits all you students with final exams just around the corner!

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Test-Wiseness: The “Three Ps” that Mislead

Within a moment’s notice, the final assessment that determines your grade for the semester will be in the palm of your hands. As the Fall semester approaches the end of the tunnel with two and a half weeks left, these next upcoming assessments—a cumulative final exam, non-cumulative final exam, or simply just the last exam of the term—will heavily influence your grade for the semester. With such a challenge approaching at the end of the “academic tunnel,” how will you begin to prepare for this exam?

Many students study in accordance to the traditional idea that diligent practice, practical planning, and a positive outlook will ensure the “A” that they have earned. However, such ideas are essential to your overall success in the adverse challenges a college semester includes, recent studies have shown that test-wiseness should be valued equivalently. In fact, without test-wiseness, similarly to walking into a room blind-folded, your potential to do well is actually minimized by not knowing what the test will be composed of. 

According to the authors of An analysis of test wiseness—an educational and psychological analysis on test-wiseness out of Cornell University–test-wiseness is one’s capability to utilize the test’s formats and/or the situation of the test to earn a higher score.

Amongst the current student body today, test-wiseness is generally neglected and, moreover, seen as if it can be compensated for with adequate practice, planning, and positivity. According to the Cornell study, majority of the time students spend studying for exams in the traditional way is wasted because they aren’t practicing what they’ll have to do on the test. In addition, the authors—Jason Millman, Carol H. Bishop, and Robert Ebel—collaboratively stated that “Test-wiseness is logically independent of the examinee’s knowledge of the subject matter.” By positing such a powerful statement, it is essential for all college students to understand that practicing what they will be doing on the test is independent of the knowledge you have obtained, yet equivalently important to the traditional ways of study.

Further evidence on the overall importance of test-wiseness is clearly shown within the investigations on the problem-solving styles of different students. In a study conducted within Princeton University in 1965, 10 tests were administered to 50 male high school students enrolled in a college preparatory program at the university. Amongst the tests given, each one incorporated a series of questions each individual faced. After an in-depth analysis of each student’s test-taking strategies, the researchers concluded that there seemed to be extensive evidence that tests do not measure the same things for all people. Therefore, two students with equal academic ability may have different results with tests, based on their test taking abilities and test-wiseness. The tests may be able to highlight and praise the aptitude of one student, while disparaging and diminishing the skill of another.

As test-wiseness is consistently proven to be a major component of the test-taking process, the keys to establishing this test-efficiency can be easily overlooked. Some of the major keys include: going over previous tests, and utilizing the teacher’s study guides in reference to potential test questions. In addition, other test-taking mechanisms such as the process of elimination, elimination of the extreme answers, and using the test to answer the test can most certainly be useful in efforts to stimulate one’s test-wiseness.

With finals and major course-concluding exams around the corner, the next time you will be in a weighty test-taking situation will most likely be soon. Take into consideration the concept and keys to test-wiseness in addition to the three proportionate ideas of practice, passion, and positivity, but don’t forget—knowing the test will yield success.

The 1st Draft of the Article that I am Submitting for Publication!

So, here it is. However, this is only my first draft and is subject to drastic change.

Please feel free to critique any aspect of my article as it will help me to productively work through the writing process. #ThanksForYourHelp!

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The “Four Ps” to Successful Test Taking

          Are you always nervous, scared and instantaneously shut down whenever you come in contact with a huge exam? Don’t worry so am I, and in fact, majority of us are. Thousands of students across the country suffer from test anxiety; the inescapable distress or uneasiness over test taking which most often affects their overall performance. However, after reading into research conducted by prolific individuals on test-taking and test-wiseness from across America, I have been influenced by their work, and moreover have derived a system, based on their conclusions, on how to potentially overcome such anxious feelings while test taking.

          Test taking is a skill. The full potential of any skill cannot be maximized without diligent practice, practical planning, the passion to do well, and a positive outlook. Such ideas are essential to your overall success in any challenge a college semester may include. The “Four Ps” are the key to doing well and minimizing the pessimistic uncertainties that flood the anxious  and jittery minds in the presence of an exam. With practice, establishing a foundation on the material that is being assessed becomes second nature, and the planning in order to organize effective times of study positively influence one’s character and work ethic. Additionally, the passion to do well—providing the fuel in order to strive to be the best, and the positivity to remain optimistic within a test taking environment indicate the initial stride on the path to success.

          The old adage “Practice makes perfect” is frequently referred to, unfortunately however, majority do not take this statement of truth into consideration while studying. The truth is, the harder you work, the more the results will fall in favor of your expectations. In fact, the authors of An analysis of test wiseness—Jason Millman, Carol H. Bishop, and Robert Ebel—an educational and psychological analysis on test-wiseness out of Cornell University, collaboratively stated that “Test-wiseness [one’s capability to utilize the test’s formats and/or the situation of the test to receive a higher score] is logically independent of the examinee’s knowledge of the subject matter.” With this in mind, frankly, there is no other way to ethically do well other than to study the concepts in a timely fashion and to become knowledgeable of the subject matters at hand. One’s input is proportionate to the output. Believe it, live by it, and work by it—your passion to do well will grow positively.

          The passion to do well is derived deep within the soul, and heavily influenced by the way one practices. When you see yourself do well, its not only a great feeling, its the feeling of wanting-to-do-well-more-often that diffuses through your the pores of the brain, essentially stimulating a passion for specific subjects. With such being said, many people take the word practice differently. Although the methods of practice amongst students heavily differs and is dependent on the way one coordinates his/her time, the overall time that is put into a specific subject is guaranteed to be reflected within one’s grade.

          Planning to study for exams, on the same note, may or may not be a strong side for some college students. As Dr. Hunt states in his book Studying Smart, “Planning is the key to putting order into even the most fragmented life,” the messages portrayed within such a short statement shows the importance of such a characteristic. However in addition to Dr. Hunt’s statement, planning is crucial one’s overall success in the classroom and moreover, in the real world. College–in my perspective–is viewed as a window of opportunity, and day by day that window becomes smaller and smaller. By taking advantage of the time within the window and organizing the “fragments” of life that lie amidst all of our lives, one can take advantage of the time spent in college; ultimately defining a scholarly and dependable student from one who is not-so-dependable and not-so-scholarly.

          In retrospect to all, simply, nothing can be done without a positive mentality and the indestructible power to believe in oneself. The belief in oneself to do anything despite a given situation is proven to be one’s ultimate source in maximizing the potential of a positive outcome. Go in believing you can, and you will. Go in believing you cannot, and you won’t. Just as Henry Ford once said,  “Whether you think, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” 

          With finals and major course-concluding exams around the corner, the next time you will be in a tense test taking situation will most probably be soon. Take into consideration these three proportionate ideas of practice, passion, and positivity, and moreover think to yourself, “I have done well, I want to do well, and I will do well,” and your road to success will illuminate amongst your actions influenced by theses “Four Ps.”

*With such in mind, the “Three P’s” are in the order of importance, so don’t forget to also study!*

The Google Takeover: “What is the capitol of the United States of America?”…”I don’t know, just ‘Google it.'”

Upon recollection of the history of the world (for you historians out there), rulers have seemed to come and go at a steady pace. From Emperor of all Romans, Julius Caesar to Byzantine Emperor, Justinian the Great, they both have something in common; both rulers did not rule forever.

Within the present 21st Century, the prevalence of Google has acted as the ruler from a technological perspective. Similarly to the patterns established by historical rulers, how long do you think Google will rule?

With Google recieving about a billion posts daily (yes, one billion), its odds of diminishing in terms of popularity are highly unlikely. With 450,000 servers racked up in clusters all over the world, I as well find it very unlikely for such a successful corporation to fade into darkness over the course of the next decade.

With people growing more and more dependent on google’s capabilities, I see the company only growing. Today, google offers a wide variety of options as opposed to being one’s generic search engine that matches key words or phrases with other websites. With such versatility, I believe this is the main reason for Google’s success amongst society.

So, with such being said…what do you think about Google’s future?

The Beer-less Carrier Dome?

Just as students, alumni, and local residential fans anticipate, Syracuse’s move to the glorious Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2014 will be accompanied by new teams, rivalries, stadiums, and more importantly, regimes. Amongst all current ACC teams, not one sells beer within their sports facilities.

Within Syracuse, however, the presence of beer within the Carrier Dome has served as part of an SU custom, especially amidst alumni and older fans as opposed to underage students. The potential banning of beer may be of no importance to some. However, this would upset others who feel it correct to drink legally and and responsibly during a Syracuse sporting event.

Some have hypothesized that in the future, post-ACC entrance, the pressure will build on Syracuse and their current beer-in-the-Carrier-Dome culture to actually allow beer within such a facility. But by the prohibition of beer within the Carrier Dome, this will not stabilize the underage drinking that goes on at games anyways.

Along with the drink limit, limited windows for buying beer and strict identification enforcement, most students feel as if it is pointless to buy beer there. Students instead drink heavily before the games and, regardless to whether or not beer is present within the dome, will continue to do so anyways.

By prohibiting the presence of alcohol within the dome, this could most certainly encourage upperclassmen and legal drinkers to binge drink before games. As the vast majority of the undergraduate population is underage, the prohibition would affect the hometown fans, returning alumni, and the SU faculty as opposed to really affecting the students.

With all the change that SU fans anticipate within the next year—the rivals, branding, paraphernalia, distance to away games—they can most certainly add the change of Carrier Dome’s alcohol policy amongst their list. Whether it is for the better of for the worse, change is on its way.

Click here for more information from The Daily Orange, the independent student newspaper of Syracuse, New York.

The “Three P’s” to Successful Test Taking

Are you always nervous, scared and instantly shut down whenever you’re about to take a huge exam? Don’t worry, so am I, and in fact majority of us are, so don’t feel ashamed. Thousands of students suffer from test anxiety. However, over the course of the last three days I’ve somewhat learned how to overcome this inconvenience. Test taking is a skill. And along with any skill, the full potential of that skill cannot be maximized without practice, the passion to do well, and positivity. The “Three P’s” are the key to doing well and minimizing the pessimistic uncertainties that flood our minds in the presence of an exam. So, next time you’re in a tense test taking situation, take into consideration these three ideas, and moreover think to yourself, “I have done well, I want to do well, and I will do well.”

*With such in mind, the “Three P’s” are in the order of importance, so don’t forget to also study!*

Open Letter to MTA’s (Metropolitan Transportation Agency) Chairman and Chief Executive in Regard to the Cleanliness of Subways.

October 19, 2011

Jay H. Walder

MTA New York City Transit: Paratransit Division-Customer Relations

130 Livingston St.

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Dear Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Walder:

In my most recent visit into the city of New York, “the city that never sleeps,” the overall cleanliness of the city, especially within the subways, was the only thing that left me sleepless. The subways, which act as the primary means of transportation through and within the city for a vast amount of citizens, seem as if they have never been cleaned before. The overlooked refuse that accumulates on the subway station’s floors, railroad tracks, and trash bins fuels the population of rodents within such systems and the city itself. I feel as if the MTA in conjunction with the Department of Sanitation is not working to its full potential to clean the subway stations in a balanced fashion, which may be a result of the MTA staff cuts. The MTA’s 2010 and 2011 budgets eliminated 254 subway car-, track- and station-cleaning positions, and as documents show, the projected annual savings approaches $21 million. The limited budget of such an agency, especially in the current economical struggle, is understandable and intelligible, however, to cut such a vital asset at such significant amounts was costly to the overall maintenance and appearance of the subways. With a smaller current staff, how can you assure their effectivity when working throughout the subway stations to be equivalent to the past? Such a problem needs to be fixed, and as a local resident of Fort Lee and a recurrent visitor of New York City, I suggest that this issue is addressed immediately.

According to news station NY1, City Transit records show the MTA’s eight garbage hauling trains missed more than 900 of their scheduled stops between June 14-21 of 2011. This poses threats to the individuals who are dependent on the subway as their use of transportation. Such threats include the accumulation of bacteria and viruses, and an increased population of rodents. Fox News also stated in a recent article that an aggressive rat bit a woman on a Manhattan subway platform. The rodent issue is an everlasting one that cannot fully be resolved overnight and as a rational individual, I understand, but actions such as staying on task with garbage hauling trains, and monitoring the garbage levels within subways can most definitely be taken to improve on the rodent infestation within subways.

As a frequent visitor to the city of New York I am dependent on the subway as my only means of transportation, and have witnessed the trash and rodent issue before my very eyes. To me the subway is one of the greatest means of transportation out there, and within the city of New York the MTA does an outstanding job in assuring each train is punctual. However, the negative connotations I have established, in response to frequent subway riding, will remain embedded into my memory forever. By having a means of public transportation within the city, whether it is bus or subway, I believe that this should be one that is appealing to the general public, not repulsive. I know, as Chairman and Chief Executive of the MTA, you have been exposed to such images when traveling within the city. With that in mind, I hope you realize its time for a healthier, and a more appealing change.

With regard to the city of New York, visitors from adjacent suburbs, and most importantly domestic and foreign tourists from around the world, please take into consideration this major issue that the city subway system possesses. I thank you so very much for your time and in addition your attentiveness on such an imperative aspect to the city of New York.

Respectfully;

Justin N. Elkhechen

1096 Glen Rd.

Fort Lee, NJ 07024 

What is a “Cyber Wall?”

In today’s modern era, technology influences almost every action we take and accomodates us where ever we go. Whether it’s being to lazy to go get your MacBook from upstairs, so you download the Amazon app for your iPhone allowing you to remotely browse the marketplace and moreover make the purchases you wished to make without the contraction of a single sarcomere, to hitting send upon that text message to your lover that you wouldn’t even think about saying in person. Having that extra hand on technology allows individuals to reside behind the “cyber wall” and to take advantage of the lazy lifestyle majority of us are accustomed to. But how far can the “cyber wall” take us?

The influence of technology on love may seem hard to believe and somewhat extreme (potentially causing us to think, what aren’t we using technology for?). But in the world today, you better believe it. The integration of technology into ones love life has made it that much easier to communicate. Love itself can be a hard thing to seek. Finding the right match, making sure you are comfortable, and making sure you two click, can all be very frustrating. And unfortunately for the anti-social, this may even seem impossible. The “cyber wall” however alleviates the stresses a self-conscious and an unsocial individual may have, making their struggle for love to be that much less of an actual struggle. Masking one’s true personality and appearance, the “cyber wall” has its ways of working towards ones advantage. For instance, one can easily say something, regret it, hit the “X” at the top of the window, and forget anything ever happened while blaming the internet connection for his or her departure. This is the key to success for most instant messaging and video messaging services. The simplicity of escaping an awkward, uncomfortable, displeasing, or a simply boring conversation are what allow such programs to flourish amongst our generation. The power to freely express ones thoughts without having the anxieties of it harming our personality and appearance is what appeals.

Despite the relationship one may have, whether it is social or web-based, the connotations associated with the words boy/girlfriend are what really stimulate our brain. And in the end, love is love, and as long as one is happy, that is all that matters.

“Hatred paralyses life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

P.S. – Enjoy the funny video on the overall concept of the “cyber wall!”

The Benefits and Influence of Research 100: Is cancer’s time over already?

It seems as if day by day we get closer and closer to the cure for the dreaded and uncontrollable disease, cancer. As we approach the answer that will heal many, the answer slips away; and yet another obstacle jumps in the way of diligent researchers. Cancer, the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells within the body, has doomed a total of approximately 1.7 million individuals within the United Sates alone; according to cancer.org and its “Facts & Figures for 2011.” In reference to such a prevalent statistic, how are we coming closer and closer to the answer on how to stop cancer?

Despite that the pinnacles of triumph keep on elevating as we approach them, medical researches know that resiliency is the key to success. The power and will to continue is what fuels them to keep moving forward without the fear of failure. On the 8th of October, researches within Anders H. Lund’s laboratory in Copenhagen, along with Lund himself published research titled, “Small molecules can starve cancer cells.” Essential to the potential cure for cancer, this recent, and emerging study has the assets to change the future of the disease that has taken over a number of individuals today.

Without scientific research, and more exclusively, biomedical research, the lifestyles of humanity would not be where it is today. We would be clueless as to what a cell is. We would not know about the vast diversity and capabilities of bacteria. We would not know about viruses. We would not know about DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid), and how it contributes to the composition of every living organism. Essentially, we wouldn’t know what makes us, us. We would ultimately be living blindly as humans, going with the flow of the evolution that shaped the planet in such a way we take for granted. And once again due to research, we know all about the process of evolution and how it shaped the earth into what it is today.

Research has influenced me in an infinite amount of ways. Knowing that I have the will and passion to experiment with topics the average human being would generally avoid, is something I cherish. Just as Lund, I know that with hard work, anyone can change society and contribute to the efforts of a worldwide battle against a disease. The passion to never give up, and the resiliency that has diffused through me from my mentors, and additionally Lund, has allowed me to mentally develop in ways I have never even envisioned. Additionally, through the research of Lund, his team, and many others in reference to oncology, have allowed the concept of “slow and steady wins the race” to settle into me positively, and ultimately leading me to believe that gradualism is the key to life.

And just as Zig Ziglar once said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”